Week 5 Fantasy Round-Up

There are a handful of buy-lows floating around out there heading into Week 5…. I still like Marshawn Lynch if the price is right. Sure, he could struggle all year long, but it will because he can’t find rushing lanes. Yes, that is a concern, but the guy looks tough, and he is so hard to tackle. I think there is at least a decent chance he still has a surprising finish to the year, and given he has almost busted on fantasy owners thus far, he’s worth a buy-low if the price is right, and I’m talking flex-like value type of right… Mike Thomas had a nice week last week, catching 8 balls for 89 yards and 1TD, and he had 7-87/1TD the week before, but still he isn’t being valued as a WR1 for some reason. So, if you need to make moves to get back in the mix, consider trading a big time stud WR down into a Mike Thomas if it means you can majorly upgrade at another position… Melvin Gordon might have some risk (knee and struggling) heading into the remainder of the season, but I still love the odds of him turning things around and being a high-end RB1. He is almost near RB2-type value, so take a stab via trade!

Of course, be sure to grab Doug Martin and Alvin Kamara if for any reason they are available in your league. Martin is back from his suspension and will likely start tonight against the Patriots (and get near starter touches). He is a great buy-low if you can do some kind of slight downgrade, or perceived downgrade, at another position… he’s almost a throw in to some that own him, which is great low-risk, or no risk even, type value.

Week 5 Adds

Thomas Rawls/Eddie Lacy/J.D. McKissic (RB/SEA)
Aaron Jones (RB/GB)
Alex Collins (RB/BAL)
Will Fuller (WR/HOU)
Andre Ellington (RB/AZ)
Elijah McGuire (RB/NYJ)
Latavius Murray (RB/MIN)

Stash RB Studs

If you’re struggling to get wins through 4 weeks, it might be time to make some trades. Two of my secret weapon strategies remain in place heading into Weeks 5-16… those are owning just Tevin Coleman and Derrick Henry… and I’ll throw Charcandrick West in that group. While it’s possible the starters slotted ahead of these bench studs remain healthy, these three rushers have top 5-10RB upside in fantasy if ever forced to start games. They can win leagues if they get into the mix, so stashing them is a priorities for me in most all of my leagues.

Trading for Drew Brees

Another strategy to trade into is the stud QB strategy… because Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are playing elite football, you won’t be able to trade for either at a reasonable price. However, Drew Brees is still a top 1-3QB, and he is the only one of the three not playing at such a level it makes him untouchable via trade. Take a stab at acquiring him at similar value he was drafted at, which is a 2+ rounds steal in terms of value.

Trade for and then Wait on them…

I think Christian McCaffrey still has some hidden value. Many owners that own him have grown frustrated, and while he did have a big receiving week in Week 3, he went kinda flat in Week 4 again. He may be inconsistent for a few more weeks, heck, he may never get the touches he needs this year… but, I think at that expectation, his value is low, yet he still has top 20 overall upside if he gets the touches. Stewart is stealing so many rushes… if that changes, McCaff becomes a beast. It’s an ‘if’ but it’s possible.

I also like Joe Mixon’s value right now, as he is getting 15 plus carries now, but he hasn’t performed well on those carries. That could continue, sure, but the touches are there, and if the rushing lanes open up, you have a high-end RB2 on your hands. Don’t buy at that value, you shouldn’t have to (in redraft).