Colts at Texans - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Andrew Luck threw for 312 yards last week in his team’s win over Baltimore, but had just a single touchdown throw and a pair of interceptions. Yet he did run for his second touchdown of the season and remains the league leader in touchdown passes as well as FPts/G. He’s obviously a no-brainer as a QB1, but his supporting cast should also be in fantasy lineups this week. Both Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton should be considered as a WR3 or possibly WR2 depending on your team’s depth at the position. Dwayne Allen should be considered as well. He has caught a touchdown in each game this season, but that type of consistent production in the end zone seems unsustainable and his matchup against Houston is mediocre.

The Texans are ranked 21st in the NFL in pass defense and T-11th in both passing scores allowed and interceptions. They’re also 23rd in sacks despite having the third-most pass attempts against them in the league. Houston is 16th in the NFL in FPts/G allowed to quarterbacks and they haven’t exactly faced a who’s-who of gunslingers. In order, these are the QBs they’ve squared off against: Robert Griffin III, Derek Carr, Eli Manning, EJ Manuel and Tony Romo. The Texans have been decent against TEs, but more telling, they have given up the 10th-most FPts/G to wide receivers, with at least one opposing wide receiver gaining 80 yards with a touchdown in each of their last four games.

Running Game Thoughts: The Colts finally came to their senses last week and gave Ahmad Bradshaw more carries than Trent Richardson (15 to 9, respectively). Bradshaw picked up 68 yards to Richardson’s 37, and Bradshaw has taken over the team lead in rushing. He lost a fumble and had his least successful day as a receiver against the Ravens, but is still 10th among running backs in FPts/G and a must-start this week against the Texans.

Houston is T-9th in rushing scores allowed this season, but the good news concerning their run defense pretty much stops there. The team is 25th in run defense, 27th in yards per carry allowed, and they’ve given up at least 135 yards to a back twice in their last three games. The Texans are right in the middle of the pack in FPts/G ceded to running backs, but allowed more than 170 combined rushing and receiving yards to running backs in each of their last three contests.

Projections:
Andrew Luck: 305 pass yds, 3 TD, 1 INT, 25 rush yds
Ahmad Bradshaw: 70 rush yds, 1 TD, 35 rec yds
Trent Richardson: 40 rush yds, 15 rec yds
T.Y. Hilton: 90 rec yds, 2 TD
Reggie Wayne: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
Hakeem Nicks: 25 rec yds
Dwayne Allen: 35 rec yds
Coby Fleener: 20 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: There is very, very little to like about Houston’s passing game, at least from a fantasy perspective. Ryan Fitzpatrick is 30th among quarterbacks in FPts/G. Andre Johnson has yet to find the end zone and is 54th in FPts/G at wide receiver, and there are 49 tight ends averaging more FPts/G than Houston’s Garrett Graham.

There is one standout, however: WR DeAndre Hopkins. Though he has 11 fewer targets and three fewer catches than Johnson, Hopkins has 34 more receiving yards, has scored three times and is 15th in FPts/G at his position. Despite those numbers, he has a difficult matchup this week, and is best suited in a WR3 role against the Colts.

Indianapolis has been solid against the pass this season, ranking 16th in the league in pass defense, T-11th in passing scores yielded and within the top 10 in sacks, interceptions and completion percentage allowed. The Colts are 15th in FPts/G surrendered to quarterbacks. Three teams have allowed fewer FPts/G to wide receivers, though, and last week they didn’t allow a single Ravens’ wide receiver to amass even 40 yards. On the opposite end of that, the Colts have given up the fifth-most FPts/G to tight ends, with an opponent accruing at least 70 receiving yards against them in four of their five games this season.

Running Game Thoughts: Arian Foster started the season off well, rushing for over 100 yards in each of Houston’s first two games, but missed his team’s Week 3 contest before running for just six yards on eight carries in Week 4. Not to worry, fantasy owners, he was back to his old self last week against the Cowboys with 157 yards and two scores. Foster has an excellent history against Indy and he should only add to that this week.

Though the Colts are T-11th in run defense, it should be noted that they have faced the sixth-fewest rush attempts in the NFL. They’re T-23rd in rushing scores permitted and are 25th in yards per carry allowed. Indy hasn’t faced much in terms of great backs outside of LeSean McCoy – who has been struggling – yet they’ve allowed at least 11 fantasy points to a running back from every team they’ve played, with the exception of Jacksonville.

Projections:
Ryan Fitzpatrick: 215 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 20 rush yds
Arian Foster: 115 rush yds, 2 TD, 20 rec yds
Alfred Blue: 20 rush yds
DeAndre Hopkins: 85 rec yds
Andre Johnson: 65 rec yds, 1 TD
Garrett Graham: 35 rec yds

Prediction: Colts 28, Texans 21 ^ Top

Bears at Falcons - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: As frustrating as Jay Cutler can undoubtedly be – particularly for Bears fans – there is no denying his place as a QB1 this season. His 12 TD passes are fewer than only Andrew Luck’s 14, and Cutler is third in FPts/G at his position. His top two weapons, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, are each in the top 20 in FPts/G at WR, and TE Martellus Bennett is fifth in FPts/G among tight ends. Considering the mediocre pass defense of the Falcons, all of the latter should be in fantasy lineups this week.

Atlanta is 24th in the NFL in pass defense, T-25th in interceptions, T-29th in sacks, and 31st in yards per pass attempt allowed, but are T-5th in passing scores given up because teams simply run the ball into the end zone against them. For this reason more than any other, the Falcons are T-8th in fewest FPts/G allowed to quarterbacks and have surrendered the fewest FPts/G in the league to tight ends. They are in the middle of the pack when it comes to points allowed to wide receivers, but if Minnesota’s Jarius Wright can compile 132 yards against Atlanta, Jeffery and Marshall should be able to as well.

Running Game Thoughts: There are 35 running backs who have gained at least 170 yards on the ground this season, and just three of them are without a rushing score. Strangely, one of those is Matt Forte. That’s something that seems highly likely to change this week. Even without a rushing score this season, Forte has delivered for his fantasy owners, ranking 7th in FPts/G at his position. And against an Atlanta team that allows runners to cross the goal line with each, Forte should hit pay dirt for the first time this season.

Simply put, the Falcons are atrocious against the run. They are 28th in the league in run defense and 19th in yards per carry allowed, but things get really ugly when it comes to TDs. Atlanta has given up 10 rushing scores this season, which is four more than any other team in the NFL. Oh, and they also give up a ton of receiving yards to running backs. Add it all up, and you have a squad this is allowing nearly six more FPts/G to running backs than any other team.

Projections:
Jay Cutler: 255 pass yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Matt Forte: 110 rush yds, 2 TD, 35 rec yds
Alshon Jeffery: 100 rec yds
Brandon Marshall: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Martellus Bennett: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Matt Ryan barely trails his counterpart this week in FPts/G among quarterbacks, ranking 4th. Ryan is second in the league in passing yards and T-6th in passing scores. Of course, it certainly helps to have Julio Jones to throw the ball to. Jones is the league leader in receptions and receiving yards, and is third in FPts/G at wide receiver. Fellow wide receiver Roddy White isn’t having nearly as good a season, but fantasy owners should still consider him a WR2 this week against a Chicago team that has been vulnerable to the pass at times this year.

The Bears are 17th in the league against the pass, T-21st in passing scores allowed, T-2nd in interceptions, but also 28th in yards per pass attempt surrendered. They’ve given up the sixth-most FPts/G to quarterbacks and the eighth-most FPts/G to wide receivers. Chicago has done a little better against tight ends, but did allow over 70 yards and a pair of scores last week to Carolina’s Greg Olsen.

Running Game Thoughts: Steven Jackson is the main ball carrier in Atlanta, but his days of fantasy relevance are over. He’s barely in the top-40 in FPts/G among running backs, and three other backs see time in the Falcons’ backfield. The most intriguing of those is Antone Smith, who has had a play of 50 or more yards from scrimmage in four of his five games this season. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had more than four touches in a game, so employing him in fantasy lineups is more than a little risky, particularly against a decent Bears run defense.

Chicago is smack dab in the middle of the league – 16th – in rush defense so far this season. They are also 20th in yards per carry allowed and T-18th in rushing scores permitted. The Bears have yet to allow a single RB to gain even 65 yards in a game (though a trio of Buffalo running backs ran for between 53 and 61), and are allowing the 12th-fewest FPts/G in the league to players at that position.

Projections:
Matt Ryan: 280 pass yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Steven Jackson: 55 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Devonta Freeman: 20 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Antone Smith: 10 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Julio Jones: 95 rec yds, 2 TD
Roddy White: 60 rec yds, 1 TD
Devin Hester: 35 rec yds
Harry Douglas: 20 rec yds
Levine Toilolo: 15 rec yds

Prediction: Falcons 31, Bears 28 ^ Top

Jaguars at Titans - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Unless Cecil Shorts returns to action (and he had not practiced this week as of this writing), or Justin Blackmon returns from suspension any time soon (unlikely) there’s really only one viable fantasy option in Jacksonville – WR Allen Hurns. He is 25th at his position in FPts/G, and leads the team in receiving yards and receiving scores. But outside of Hurns, there isn’t much to talk about. Blake Bortles may eventually become someone fantasy owners can rely on, but that time surely isn’t now, which is too bad considering he’s facing a Tennessee pass defense that is reeling.

This may be difficult to believe considering the past two weeks, but last year and through the season’s first three games this year, the Titans had a pass defense that allowed very few players to post decent fantasy numbers. Things have changed just a bit lately, though. In their last two games, Tennessee has given up seven passing scores and nearly 700 yards to Andrew Luck (understandable) and Brian Hoyer (a little less so). The Titans have surrendered a trio of TD receptions to tight ends and three separate wide receivers have amassed at least 95 yards in those two contests.

Running Game Thoughts: It isn’t particularly easy to have thoughts on the Jacksonville running game because it doesn’t exist. Toby Gerhart apparently has a foot injury that’s aggravating him and Denard Robinson hasn’t done much, though Storm Johnson did have a 20-yard run last week and should get some more looks this week. Yet none of them should be in fantasy lineups this week as they square off against the Titans.

When it comes to yards per carry allowed, Tennessee ranks a respectable 11th. But they’re still 26th in the NFL in run defense, T-23rd in rushing scores permitted, and 13th in FPts/G yielded to running backs. It’s looking more and more like their Week 1 shutdown of Jamaal Charles and the Kansas City running game was little more than a fluke.

Projections:
Blake Bortles: 200 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 25 rush yds
Toby Gerhart: 35 rush yds
Storm Johnson: 25 rush yds
Denard Robinson: 20 rush yds
Allen Hurns: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
Allen Robinson: 50 rec yds
Mike Brown: 40 rec yds
Clay Harbor: 25 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: One person who is impossible to blame for Tennessee’s epic come-from-ahead loss to Cleveland last week is Jake Locker, considering he had to leave the game with a thumb injury. If he does play this week, he’s a legit fantasy option for owners needing a bye-week replacement. Frankly, nearly every Titan involved in the passing game should be in fantasy lineups this week. Delanie Walker is a sure-fire TE1, Kendall Wright is a WR1, and Justin Hunter and Nate Washington should be in play for the WR3 spot. Why? Look no further than their opponent.

The Titans have been poor against the pass over their last two games, but the Jaguars have been bad – very bad – all year. Their statistical rankings more than bear this out. Jacksonville’s pass defense: 32nd. Yards per pass attempt given up: 32nd. Passing scores allowed: T-30th. Interceptions: T-30th. Completion percentage allowed: 29th. FPts/G allowed to quarterbacks: second-most. FPts/G allowed to tight ends: second-most. FPts/G allowed to wide receivers: fifth-most. So, that pretty much sums things up, eh?

Running Game Thoughts: Shonn Greene and Bishop Sankey haven’t been the most dynamic of duos in the Tennessee backfield this season. Neither has been particularly bad, but they haven’t distinguished themselves in any way, either. That’s a shame, because they have a very solid match-up this week, though neither has done enough to warrant a spot in fantasy lineups.

Jacksonville isn’t epically (or comically, depending on your point of view) bad against the run the way they are the pass. Yet they still aren’t very good. The Jags are 21st in the league in rush defense, 14th in yards per carry allowed, and T-18th in rushing scores ceded. Yet they have also allowed bunches of receiving yards to running backs, and have given up the second-most FPts/G to players at the position.

Projections:
Jake Locker: 285 pass yds, 3 TD, 35 rush yds
Shonn Greene: 45 rush yds
Bishop Sankey: 35 rush yds
Kendall Wright: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Justin Hunter: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Nate Washington: 55 rec yds
Delanie Walker: 70 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Titans 24, Jaguars 13 ^ Top

Ravens at Buccaneers - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Joe Flacco is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, but it’s unlikely he’s led many teams to fantasy championships. He’s had a solid season, ranking 10th in passing yards, but his seven TD passes are not among the league leaders and he doesn’t run, so fantasy points aren’t piling up for him, and as such he’s 18th in FPts/G among quarterbacks. Flacco has been helped by the re-emergence of wide receiver Steve Smith, a top-10 fantasy wideout this season after falling into mediocrity in recent seasons with Carolina. TE Owen Daniels has also emerged following the injury to Dennis Pitta. Daniels, along with Flacco and Smith, should each be in fantasy lineups this week against a Tampa team that has had trouble in pass defense this season.

Across the board, the Buccaneers have lousy numbers against the pass. They’re 30th in the league in pass defense, T-26th in passing TDs yielded, 29th in yards per pass attempt allowed, and 31st in completion percentage allowed. Tampa has given up the eighth-most FPts/G to quarterbacks, the third-most FPts/G to wide receivers, and the ninth-most FPts/G to tight ends.

Running Game Thoughts: The Ravens have three solid options at running back, which means limited carries – and limited production – from each. That’s often a killer to fantasy owners, but Justin Forsett (who is currently 14th in FPts/G among running backs) does just enough to remain a flex option. That’s the best spot for him this week in a good match-up with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay is 18th in run defense so far this season, and is 10th in yards per carry allowed. Yet they’ve given up more rushing scores than any team except Atlanta. That number, and the fact they can be prone to allowing backs to pick up receiving yards, are the reasons they’ve given up the sixth-most FPts/G in the league to running backs.

Projections:
Joe Flacco: 260 pass yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Justin Forsett: 45 rush yds, 1 TD, 30 rec yds
Bernard Pierce: 40 rush yds
Lorenzo Taliaferro: 30 rush yds
Steve Smith: 105 rec yds, 1 TD
Torrey Smith: 45 rec yds
Owen Daniels: 70 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Mike Glennon has been decent this season, but remains unworthy of a spot on fantasy rosters except in very deep leagues. With rookie WR Mike Evans (groin) out, Glennon has just one decent target to throw to in WR Vincent Jackson. Jackson didn’t start the season particularly well, but broke out last week against the Saints with 144 yards on eight receptions. He should be in fantasy lineups this week against the Ravens, who have struggled to stop opposing wideouts.

Baltimore has bent against the pass this season, but have yet to break. Though they’re 27th in the league in pass defense, they are tied with the Bengals for fewest TD passes surrendered, which is somewhat odd considering they don’t rank particularly highly in any other defensive stat against the pass. Yet there’s no denying that the Ravens have kept quarterbacks from putting the ball in the end zone, and because of that, they’ve allowed the sixth-fewest FPts/G to quarterbacks and the seventh-fewest FPts/G to tight ends. They are tied with Jacksonville for most yards allowed to wide receivers, and have given up the ninth-most FPts/G to players at that position, but only one wide receiver has more than 90 yards against them in a game.

Running Game Thoughts: Doug Martin has carried the ball 37 times this season, but has yet to gain 100 yards. He’s averaging just 2.5 yards per rush, and though he can be of help in the passing game, Martin isn’t particularly special as a receiver. Bobby Rainey’s touches have plummeted since Martin’s return, and neither is a viable option this week against Baltimore.

The Ravens rank 8th in the NFL in rush defense, are T-9th in rushing scores ceded, and are allowing the sixth-lowest yards per carry average in the league. They’ve given up the seventh-fewest FPts/G to running backs, with no player at the position having gained even 70 yards when facing Baltimore.

Projections:
Mike Glennon: 215 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Doug Martin: 40 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Bobby Rainey: 20 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Vincent Jackson: 110 rec yds, 1 TD
Louis Murphy: 35 rec yds, 1 TD
Austin Seferian-Jenkins: 25 rec yds

Prediction: Ravens 27, Buccaneers 17 ^ Top

Broncos at Jets - (Thorne)

Passing Game Thoughts: Other than breaking NFL records, setting franchise bests, and achieving a career mark that only one other player in history can claim, the Denver passing attack was relatively quiet in Week 5. Similarly, if it wasn’t for all of the points that were scored and big plays that were surrendered, the opposing defense would have looked pretty good. The offensive stars for the Broncos all had historically significant days; WR Demaryius Thomas set a team record for receiving yards, WR Wes Welker broke the NFL record for receptions by an undrafted player, and QB Peyton Manning became the second person in league history to record 500 passing touchdowns, achieving the mark in 49 fewer games than it took Brett Favre, the 500 club’s founding member. Denver also set a new franchise record for offensive yards at 568, with all but 90 of them coming from the right arm of Manning. Despite the astronomical output the Broncos still do not currently hold any number one rankings in any of the major passing categories, though they are top five in most and top ten in the remainder. Even though he threw two interceptions, Sunday was undoubtedly the best game of Manning’s season so far. The leading receivers on the team are Thomas and WR Emmanuel Sanders, averaging nearly 110 and 92 yards per game respectively, followed by Welker and TE Julius Thomas with more than 55 receiving yards per contest. Of the 12 touchdown passes, the only non-TE to record a score is Demaryius Thomas, while Julius Thomas leads with way with seven scoring receptions to go along with two from TE Jacob Tamme. With at least one receiving touchdown in each game this season, the fourth year man out of Denver is the number one scoring tight end in fantasy football despite missing a week when the team was on bye.

Only two teams in the league give up more fantasy points to both wide receivers and tight ends than do the Jets; one of which was just obliterated by Manning in Week 5 and the other is widely held as one of the two worst teams in recent history. Coming off Sunday afternoon drubbing of their own, the Jets quietly gave up 288 passing yards and three touchdowns in a shutout road defeat where they surrendered two scores and 60 yards to the veteran tight end to whom Julius Thomas is frequently compared (Antonio Gates). On a per game basis the Jets are actually slightly better than average when it comes to limiting the yardage of their opponents, but yet there is only one team in the league who has given up more passing touchdowns than they have, making their secondary nearly the polar opposite of a “bend but don’t break” defensive unit. Through five games the Jets have recorded just one sack and on Sunday they’ll face an offensive line which has surrendered just one sack in four games. In the passing game the Denver offense appears to outmatch the Jets defense by a significant margin, and considering the recent results from last week this figures to play out on the field in a way that dramatically favors Manning and the collection of receiving weapons he has at his disposal.

Running Game Thoughts: Last year the Broncos had an impressive rushing attack to complement their high flying passing game, or more precisely, their success in the ground game stemmed almost directly from defenses trying to slow down the passing attack. In 2014 the Broncos still have a stellar passing game and yet the ground aspect of the offense is one of the worst in the league. Before their bye Denver was adequate, though not superb, through the air and thus defenses had the opportunity to line up honestly and not allow the Broncos easy running plays. Week five saw a dominant passing performance and an improved ground game, though Denver still didn’t break 100 yards on the ground; had it not been for a wide receiver reverse in week one they would not have recorded triple digits in the running game at any point this season. Losing RB Montee Ball (groin) for a few weeks certainly isn’t going to help them any, and with RB Ronnie Hillman as the expected backup Denver will have a less explosive ball carrier leading the way until the starter is able to return. In Week 4Hillman gained 64 yards on 15 carries but it was RB Juwan Thompson who was given the scoring carry in the redzone. As Ball has underperformed so far this season expectations for Hillman should be tempered, and with the injury to Ball expected to heal soon it is unlikely that any Denver running back will have much value beyond a desperation spot start.

The odds are stacked even further against the temporary Broncos’ ball carrier in Week 6 when they face the stout front seven of New York and one of only seven defenses to allow less than 90 rushing yards per game. The Jets are tied for fifth fewest touchdowns allowed on the ground, and one of the teams ahead of them has played one fewer game. The embarrassing loss last week was the first time the team has allowed 90 or more rushing yards in a game, and even so their rushing average is still 83 yards per contest. Where the team truly excels is in limiting their opponents to only 3.3 yards per attempt on the ground, which is also the fifth best mark in the league. The physicality of the Jets defense is most comparable to Seattle who was Denver’s Week 3 opponent. In that game the Broncos rushed for only 36 yards on 20 carries despite Manning throwing for 300 yards and Ball being fully available. Provided that the strengths of one team directly align with the weaknesses of the other, Denver figures to run only as much as necessary to try to keep the defense honest. Based on the lack of previous success on the ground and the Jet’s incredible difficulty against the pass, the defense seems unlikely to lend too much attention to whatever the Broncos attempt on the ground so that they can hopefully buoy the secondary against the pass.

Projections:
Peyton Manning: 345 pass yds, 3 TDs
Ronnie Hillman: 35 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Demaryius Thomas: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Emmanuel Sanders: 65 rec yds
Wes Welker: 85 rec yds, 1 TD
Julius Thomas: 70 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: After boos, chants, and ever-increasing negative media attention, QB Geno Smith was finally benched in New York, though his halftime departure was at least 30 minutes than a number of fans would have liked. Veteran backup QB Michael Vick took over during the first drive of the second half, and though he did slightly better on paper it ultimately had no impact on the outcome of the game. Coach Rex Ryan took the blame for the Jets poor performance in the postgame press conference, and additionally stated that Smith would once again be under center in Week 6 despite his poor play. Ryan may be any number of things, but far down that list come the suggestions of him being a poor coach. To begin, quarterback play has been suspect at best, the offensive line is far less impressive than they’ve been in years, and the utter lack of receiving talent puts far too much pressure on the two aforementioned positions. As an offense the Jets are the only team in the league to average below 200 passing yards per game and are one of only three teams to have scored fewer passing touchdowns than both of interceptions thrown and sacks surrendered. Last Sunday no Jets receiver gained 25 yards and nobody had more than three catches despite three different players being targeted at least six times. The only decent pass catcher on the team is WR Eric Decker (hamstring), but he was forced to miss Week 5 and is currently listed as day-to-day after battling with nagging injuries for most of this young season.

If there is to be any hope for the embattled quarterback to earn a reprieve he will have to perform well in what is expected to be a losing effort on Sunday. With a high-powered offense coming to town the defense will have their hands full, and if the game gets out of hand early Smith will be given plenty of opportunities to throw the ball in an effort to at least keep the score respectably close. On the other hand, if the defense is able to keep Denver in check, Smith will be asked to manage the game more than he will be asked to make spectacular plays for his team, meaning he’ll be given safer plays and will have fewer opportunities to commit the critical errors for which he is gaining a reputation. The Broncos passing defense allows 259 yards per game and has given up five scores in four contests, giving the faintest silver lining to what has come to be an incredible cloud over the young Jets quarterback. Despite playing fewer games than most of the league, Denver it tied for eleventh in sacks recorded, and no team with more has had their bye week. The pass rushers will look to disrupt the inconsistent Jets’ offensive line and bring additional pressure on a quarterback who already figures to have more than enough to deal with, both on and off the field.

Running Game Thoughts: When the Jets run the ball well and have a strong defense they’re usually one of the better teams in the AFC. So far in 2014 the defense hasn’t been particularly great and the running game has not been dominant, so not only are the Jets doing poorly in the standings they’re also being dominated on the field. In the event of a close game, the Jets inexplicably shy away from the running game and instead put the ball in the hands of the most inconsistent player on the field. Compared to the rest of the league the Jets have one of the best ground games in the league, averaging 139 rushing yards per contest and an impressive 4.8 yards per carry. The backfield tandem of Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson is bolstered by the scrambling abilities of Smith as well as his backup. Originally, Johnson was seen as the ball carrier most likely to assert control over the majority of rushing attempts, but Ivory has been the one to see more touches on the ground, have better success on his carries, earn more rushing first downs, and also have better results per reception out of the backfield. Ivory averages almost 80 total yards from scrimmage compared to 45 for Johnson; each has scored two touchdowns this season. Whether on designed runs or through improvisation, Smith averages more than 15 rushing yards per game, and from a fantasy perspective his playmaking abilities on the ground give him slightly more value than some of the other cellar-dwelling signal callers.

Lost in the impressive offensive performance which Denver put forth on Sunday is that their rushing defense was stifling, allowing only 37 yards on 19 attempts, though thanks to a turnover deep in their own end the Broncos did surrender a one play, five-yard, touchdown drive on the ground. Though the Week 5 result was the best all year, Denver is averaging only 88 rushing yards against per game, seventh-best in the league. The one identifiable weakness is their five rushing scores in four games, suggesting that the Broncos have a difficult time with their redzone defense, so if New York is able to make it toward their scoring endzone there may be an increased likelihood of them actually coming away with points. The game plan for the Jets needs to be pounding the ball until either the defense yields or until the strategy is demonstrated to be futile. This will not only reduce the opportunities Smith has to make a mistake, it will serve to wear down the defense and hopefully open up running lanes later in the game, and perhaps most importantly it will keep the potent Denver offense off the field and reduce the exposure of the Jets secondary against Manning and his receiving corps.

Projections:
Geno Smith: 185 pass yds, 15 rush yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Chris Ivory: 40 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Chris Johnson: 15 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Jeremy Kerley: 30 rec yds
Greg Salas: 25 rec yds
Jace Amaro: 30 rec yds

Prediction: Broncos 27, Jets 10 ^ Top

Patriots at Bills - (Thorne)

Passing Game Thoughts: It’s a good thing New England has made a habit of not listening to critics, especially the ones who went full-on Chicken Little after the disaster which was Week 4. No, the sky is not falling in Foxboro, where the Patriots bounced back impressively in Week 5 as they defeated the final undefeated team (Bengals) in decisive fashion. As seen before, when Tom Brady is backed into a corner he once again came out with a performance, which silenced the naysayers, throwing for a season high 292 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and only one sack. There seemed to be a conscious effort to involve the tight ends as much as possible, as Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright were responsible for nearly half of the targets and receptions among all receivers, as well as converting the only two touchdowns and over 63% of the team’s yards through the air. It was Gronkowski’s first 100-yard game of the season, and Wright’s game five stat line surpassed that of the previous four games combined. This sort of performance from Brady is what fantasy owners and New England fans alike have been missing so far this season, and with this coming out part of sorts all interested parties are optimistic that Terrific Tom is finally back and hopefully here to stay.

Seeing Brady regress back to his struggles from the beginning of the year would not disappoint Buffalo, who play host to the Patriots this week as they look to reverse the trends of the past decade against their division rival. Results have been incredibly one-sided in this series, with New England winning all but two of the last 27 times the teams have met, including eight of the last nine in Buffalo. Their twentieth ranked passing defense will be tested as they’ve averaged more than 250 passing yards allowed per game and seven yards per attempt. Working in their favor is a strong group of pass rushers, as the Bills have recorded the most sacks in the league while New England and their struggling offensive line average two sacks surrendered per game. A large part of the turnaround from Week 5 came from that offensive line however, so it’s possible that the Patriots early season O-line woes may be drawing to a close. Last week Buffalo held a hobbled passing attack to 231 yards through the air and allowed a touchdown, but they also forced and interception and recorded six sacks while not allowing an offensive points to be scored beyond the first quarter. Though the defensive efforts led to an unexpectedly positive result, it is hard to suggest for certain whether it was the quality of the defense or the diminished abilities of the offense that were most responsible for the upset victory in Week 5.

Running Game Thoughts: Not only was Week 5 the best of the season for the Patriots passing game, the rushing attack also saw their top marks of 2014 in that contest. New England ball carriers combined for 220 rushing yards on 46 carries, a larger proportion of which were earned in the latter stages of the game as the Patriots continued to overpower and already beat down opponent. The two main running backs split their carries 75-25, with RB Stevan Ridley once again receiving the lion’s share of attempts and RB Shane Vereen having the better average while also seeing more action as a receiver out of the backfield. The total yardage between the two was nearly equal, though Ridley was edged slightly by his backup, but since he scored the lone touchdown from the pair it was the starter who had the better fantasy day. Much like the other aspect of the offense, the ground game significantly outperformed their season averages despite facing a tough defense, but as this was the first truly impressive performance of the season it will be difficult to determine if this was a sign that the offense is finally functioning as expected or if Week 5 was a one-time critically-fueled anomaly.

Very little went right for the Bills opponent (DET) in Week 5 because of injuries, especially in the ground game, but even at full strength most teams have a difficult time overcoming the tough Buffalo rush defense. On 20 carries, the defensive surrendered only 69 yards, but that is still above their season average of three yards allowed per attempt. The Bills are one of only two teams to not allow a rushing touchdown this season, and their 71 yards surrendered per game is the second best mark in the league. No team has reached 90 rushing yards against Buffalo through five games, and based on the Patriots season average of 122 yards per game the defense may be in line for another solid result on Sunday. While other areas of the team, on both sides of the ball, may exhibit wild inconsistencies it is the Bills rush defense, which provides a steady foundation upon which the rest of the team can rely. If Buffalo can play this week much like they did the last, they stand a chance to buck the trend which as overwhelmingly favored the Patriots in this division rivalry, and any potential for an upset starts with an impressive defensive performance and a shutdown day from the Bills front seven.

Projections:
Tom Brady: 215 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Stevan Ridley: 40 rush yds
Shane Vereen: 25 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Julian Edelman: 65 rec yds, 1 TD
Rob Gronkowski: 50 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Two incredibly different, though similarly significant, changes have taken place in Buffalo over the past few days. Off the field the Bills are under new ownership with Terry and Kim Pegula being unanimously approved by the 31 other NFL owners, and the sale of the team is expected to be finalized before the end of this week. The couple has assured the Buffalo fan based that the team will not be relocated, and as they also own the NHL Buffalo Sabres franchise their assurance is unquestioned. With that concern addressed the focus can turn to the field where the other change has taken place. For Week 5 QB Kyle Orton replaced second-year man QB EJ Manuel as the team’s starter and subsequently performed well enough to squeak out an upset victory and establish himself as the man to lead the team. Though he started a little rocky Orton got better as the game went on, ultimately throwing for 308 yards with a pick and a score while completing nearly 70% of his attempts. By comparison, Manuel averaged less than 200 yards per game while completing 58% of his passes. After one week the outlook for the Bills passing game has improved dramatically, though without additional evidence all optimism should be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless, now that Orton is under center and has demonstrated a willingness and ability to throw the ball appropriately, WR Sammy Watkins becomes a serviceable fantasy backup and other pass catchers now have potential value beyond their ability to vulture a touchdown from a more consistent performer.

After outlasting a top five passing defense the Bills now will face an incredibly similar opponent in Week 6 as New England comes to town. Compared to last week’s opponent (DET) the Patriots have conceded more touchdowns and recorded fewer sacks, but also allow fewer yards and have forced more interceptions. One appreciable change for the Patriots comes as CB Brandon Browner has been added to the active roster after being exempt as he was serving a suspension at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately he is “struggling to grasp the defensive system” according to the Boston Herald and thus won’t be able to bolster the team’s talent in the secondary as a complement to shutdown CB Darrelle Revis. The potential physicality and balance that the Patriots could have will go unrealized for at least one more week, and the veteran Orton may be able to take advantage. Last week the Patriots conceded 70 yards plus a touchdown to two different players on five receptions each, but the receiving talent for Buffalo has significantly less elite potential than Cincinnati. With the excitement surrounding the new owners, and the optimism related to the recent quarterback change, the home crowd will be fired up for the Sunday contest. If the Bills are going to upset New England it will require another sub-par pass defense from the Patriots and continued improvement from Orton.

Running Game Thoughts: The use, or perhaps misuse, of the Bills backfield tandem has been a point of contention for analysts and fantasy football players alike, but with that frustration festering for five straight weeks it is unlikely that the situation will be resolved before the next contest. For the season, C.J. Spiller has 20 more carries than his timeshare counterpart Fred Jackson, but the latter has a significantly higher mark for yards gained per attempt and also has received twice as many receptions. On a per touch basis Jackson is the superior back, and for the season he has 108 more yards from scrimmage than the declared starter. Neither has scored a rushing touchdown and both have recorded one score from a receiving play, and with those areas being equal it demonstrates that Jackson has been the better fantasy ball carrier through this point in the season. The mismanagement of Spiller comes in that the coaching staff does not appear to be trying to get him into open space on the field and giving him an opportunity to use his quickness and elusiveness to create plays. On the other hand, with a more traditional rushing approach Jackson is the better-equipped ball carrier despite being the oldest running back in the league. The shame for Buffalo is that they only average 108 rushing yards per game despite having one of the most dynamic pairs of running backs in the league, which is more a referendum on the former starting quarterback as he didn’t have the arm talent to force the defense to respect the pass and thus provide better running lanes for the ball carrier to utilize.

Defending against the run has been an up and down venture for New England this season. The quality of their opponent has of course contributed to this inconsistency, but the front seven has also been less than stellar on multiple occasions and that adds to the confusion when trying to evaluate the Patriots against a rushing attack. Through five weeks and a mixed bag of performances New England has allowed two rushing touchdowns all season but surrenders nearly 120 yards per game on the ground. Even when giving up over 200 rushing yards in a single game they only yielded one rushing touchdown. Sensibly, the Patriots are not particularly gifted against rushing attacks but in the redzone they are frequently able to either hold the offense to a field goal attempt or at least force them to pass rather than being able to march the ball right across the goaline. This aspect of the game will be the most up for grabs, as the Bills ground game features two stellar backs who are not often used to the fullest of their abilities, and the New England rush defense can be stingy but has also been far too permissive to escape the mediocrity which is associated with ranking near the middle of most major categories.

Projections:
Kyle Orton: 220 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Fred Jackson: 50 rush yds, 35 rec yds, 1 TD
C.J. Spiller: 40 rush yds, 20 rec yds, 1 TD
Sammy Watkins: 45 rec yds
Robert Woods: 30 rec yds
Scott Chandler: 35 rec yds

Prediction: Bills 23, Patriots 20 ^ Top

Packers at Dolphins - (Thorne)

Passing Game Thoughts: One aspect of being an elite quarterback is affecting positive outcomes and putting up impressive numbers, but the other aspect is avoiding negative plays and not causing problems for the team. Green Bay won a Super Bowl on the arm of QB Aaron Rodgers and all of the good things he can do, but in Week 5 he set an NFL record for avoiding the bad. On Thursday Rodgers threw his 200th career touchdown pass, and in doing so cemented his place as the passer with the fewest interceptions at the time of that milestone. His mark is 53; Drew Brees had more than double that, both Manning brothers had even more than Brees, and the next closest mark was set by Tom Brady who had an additional 35 more interceptions when he reached that threshold. By this measure, Rodgers is at least 62% better than all other quarterbacks at the time of their 200th touchdown. So far this season he has 12 touchdowns and only one pick, giving him the second most touchdowns and the fewest interceptions of any starting quarterback. From a fantasy perspective the only knock on the Packers is that they don’t throw more frequently, tied for the second fewest attempts for any team that hasn’t had their bye week. Even so Green Bay averages 220 passing yards per game, but Rodgers has three games with fewer than 190 yards (one win, two losses) and two with more than 300 (two victories) yards through the air, so the average is a poor representation of expectations. Even with a bevy of offensive weapons the majority of receiving yards and scores have gone to wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, where the former tends to record more yards and the latter is responsible for more touchdowns. Through the air those two account for 57% of the team’s receptions, 68% of their yardage, and 83% of the aerial touchdowns. Nelson ranks in the top three of the league for both receptions and yards while Cobb is second in touchdowns, making both of them must-starts on a weekly basis.

Through four games the Dolphins have not faced a passing offense inside the top 18, and even with that they’re only the ninth-best defense through the air. Miami has surrendered seven touchdowns compared to three interceptions, though their 11 sacks is on pace to be one of the best in the league. On a per attempt basis the Dolphins are one of the three best teams, but since their opponents have all had poor passing attacks this ranking is somewhat less impressive. Thanks to a bye in Week 5 Miami has had nearly two weeks to prepare for Rodgers and the multitude of receivers he has at his disposal, so for their biggest test of the season the defense will have no excuse if things don’t work out well. The timing was quite advantageous for S Reshad Jones who has finished serving his four-game suspension, as he’s had the ability to get back into game shape and work out with the team for an additional week before beginning preparations for Green Bay. Assuming Jones is good to start, he’ll join S Louis Delmas in the secondary along with a pair of talented veteran corners who give Miami one of the top collections of talent that isn’t on a reigning Super Bowl championship team. The challenge for the Dolphins will be the ball security and decision making of Rodgers, but if they’re able to disrupt the patched-together offensive line then the quarterback may not have enough time to throw the ball or make his reads.

Running Game Thoughts: After a quartet of slow starts and blocking inconsistencies, RB Eddie Lacy exploded onto the stat sheet in Week 5, gaining 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The trouble remains that he is averaging just over 13 touches per game, so while his recent performance was impressive he has yet to be given a significant opportunity to dominate a game. As a team, Green Bay is in the bottom five for rush attempts for teams that have not had their bye week, so despite Lacy’s low number of carries he has still been given the majority of touches. The Packers average less than 90 rushing yards per game even including the times Rodgers scrambles and makes plays with his feet, but even so Lacy is currently second in the league with three rushing touchdowns. Beyond touchdown vulture RB John Kuhn, the only other backfield contributor of note is James Starks. While he has gained 35 or more yards in three games he has also failed to record a touch in the other two, so his fantasy value is negligible other than for the carries that he seemingly steals from the Packers starter.

On the ground Green Bay may not find many additional opportunities for success as their Week 6 opponent allows less than 110 rushing yards per game and only 3.8 yards per attempt. Teams have found success running against Miami in volume, which is entirely the opposite of how the Packers structure their offense. In their two victories this season Dolphins opponents have rushed 20 or fewer times, and in defeat they have faced 33 or more rushing attempts. Green Bay has recorded more than 22 carries only once this season, has not reached 30 attempts, and recorded a season low of 18. So far the Packers have demonstrated the ability to win without relying on the ground game, but Miami has shown the ability to shut down offenses who forsake the run. This dynamic will be the focal point of the contest on Sunday, as the Dolphins defense tries to force their opponents out of an aerial attack and the Green Bay offense looks to Rodgers to overcome whatever obstacles are placed in front of them.

Projections:
Aaron Rodgers: 230 pass yds, 2 TDs
Eddie Lacy: 55 rush yds, 10 rec yds, 1 TD
Jordy Nelson: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Randall Cobb: 55 rec yds, 1 TD
Andrew Quarless: 20 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: In his most recent game QB Ryan Tannehill looked better than he has for a vast majority of his career, and all it took was a trip across the Atlantic and the worst opponent in the league. Back in America, the landscape has been less favorable to the Dolphins signal caller, where he has not been able to achieve a 50% completion rate and avoid throwing an interception in the same game. Domestically he has not gained 245 yards or more through the air or averaged 5.6 yards per passing attempt or better, and his quarterback rating (out of 100) has never been as high as 35 when an average performance would earn a 50. Connecting on long passes is still proving to be difficult, as the biggest gain on a passing play this season has been 35 yards and deep threat WR Mike Wallace has achieved 30 only once. After not contributing in Week 1 rookie WR Jarvis Landry has recorded three straight games with at least three receptions and 24 yards, averaging four and 37 respectively. These meager totals actually move him into third for receiving yards on the teams despite being forth in both targets and receptions. As expected Wallace leads the way in all relevant categories with three total touchdowns and a 61 yards average on 20 receptions. He is followed by WR Brian Hartline with 40 yards per game and one touchdown, then Landry who is just ahead of tight end Charles Clay. Presently only Wallace has fantasy value, and though he is officially listed as Questionable (foot) indications are that he’ll be good to go on Sunday.

There aren’t many defenses in the league that look forward to a quarterback dropping back to pass, but through five games this season the Packers have identified themselves as one of those teams. They are one of only three teams who have forced more interceptions than touchdowns, are tied for sixth in sacks recorded, and are allowing the fifth-lowest in both quarterback completion percentage and yards gained per attempt. They hold their opponents to an average of less than 210 passing yards per game and the second lowest quarterback rating in the league. There is only one team which has played five games and has allowed fewer touchdowns. This mountain of evidence quite strongly suggests that Miami would be better off taking the ball away from Tannehill and instead focusing all of their efforts on the rushing attack. Even if their quarterback were playing at a perfectly pedestrian level the Green Bay defense would present a significant challenge for him, but perhaps something occurred during the bye week which may begin to alleviate the struggles which have plagued the Dolphins passing game up to this point in the season.

Running Game Thoughts: Not only will the Dolphins defense benefit from the bye week with the return of personnel, but the other side of the ball is finding the break during Week 5 quite fortuitous. After dislocating his elbow in Week 2, RB Knowshon Moreno is set to make his return to the field, though reports say he’ll be wearing a brace for protection and support. Before going down, Moreno opened the season with an impressive 134 rushing yards and a touchdown after taking 24 carries for an average of 5.6 yards each. In addition, C Mike Pouncey (hip) appears ready to make season his debut after requiring two months to recover from a torn labrum. A stabilizing force on the Dolphins offensive line, Pouncey will return to a team which has averaged 142 rushing yards per game this season and is in the top five for yards gained per carry. The beginning of the season saw a timeshare between Moreno and RB Lamar Miller, and as the former works his way back into the lineup it figures that the latter will see additional opportunities this week and perhaps for the next several weeks as well. On the season both backs have averaged 69 yards per game. Though the injury may have played a role in this, so far only Miller has contributed as a receiver, averaging 13 yards per game and recording a touchdown back in Week 1. No Miami ball carrier recorded a touchdown in Week 2 or 3, but in their final game before going on bye Miller scored a pair in the running game to cap what was a modest 64 yard day on the ground.

Projections:
Ryan Tannehill: 185 pass yds, 15 rush yds, 1 INT
Lamar Miller: 70 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Knowshon Moreno: 45 rush yds
Mike Wallace: 50 rec yds
Charles Clay: 25 rec yds

Prediction: Packers 24, Miami 13 ^ Top

Giants at Eagles - (Thorne)

Passing Game Thoughts: By opening the season against two tough defenses it was easy to criticize the Giants and their new offensive scheme. Five weeks into the season though it appears that QB Eli Manning has fully grasped the playbook and the rest of the offense is clicking as well. In the first two contests the Giants could only manage 14 points in each, but in the three latest games the team has surpassed 30 on each occasion. Since Week 2 Manning has thrown eight touchdowns compared to just one interception, averaged 245 passing yards per game, and has completed 70% of his attempts. He’s also rushed for a score despite averaging negative yards per carry. On the receiving end, WR Victor Cruz continues to lead the team in yards and big plays, and despite receiving zero targets in Week 5, TE Larry Donnell is still the second leading pass catcher and has a team-high four touchdown receptions. Last week was the first game of the season for rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr. who caught four of the five passes thrown his way including a spectacular jump ball in the endzone for his first career score. His addition to the offense alongside WR Rueben Randle gives the Giants a corps of receivers that rivals the talent from their Super Bowl teams of the past decade, and if the Giants continue to play the way they have been recently then there’s a reasonable chance that this newest installment of G-Men may be challenging for their own championship rings.

In the last four games Philadelphia has averaged nearly 29 points allowed but has managed to win three of those contests. Despite scoring seven defensive or special teams touchdowns this season the defense is actually part of the problem. They’ve become a caricature of the “boom or bust” defense, either allowing the opponent to score or returning a turnover for a touchdown, though sometimes using special teams to return the scoring favor before the offense can even take the field, and occasionally rewarding the defense for a stop by returning a punt for a score. There is seemingly no middle ground, and in primetime Sunday night the Eagles are going to need to string together small victories rather than relying on a single game-changing play. Against the pass they’ve been dreadful, allowing 274 yards per game and surrendering 13 touchdowns while forcing just three interceptions. The pass rushers have been reasonably successful, recording 11 sacks in five games, but when they’re unable to pressure the quarterback the secondary has found it extremely difficult to contain the passing attack. As Manning gets more comfortable with his full complement of receivers Philadelphia will find it ever more impossible to come up with a stop, putting even more pressure on themselves to make a big play.

Running Game Thoughts: No team in the league has more rushing attempts than the Giants, so with RB Rashad Jennings (knee, Doubtful) expected to miss a few weeks that opens the door for rookie RB Andre Williams to carry the workload. New York averages more than 32 carries per game and if Williams were to secure even half of that amount it would become the second most action he’s seen in his NFL career; a third of that average would set the stage for career highs in carries (20), yards (66), and touchdowns (1) and would also make for an impressive fantasy day as well. The team has already reiterated their support of the injured Jennings and when he’s available he will once again assume the starting role, which gives Williams only a few weeks to make his case for an increase in opportunities for the future. The Giants are averaging 121 rushing yards and one touchdown per game, so with Jennings temporarily out of the way there will at least be plenty of opportunities for Williams in the immediate future. Backing him up will likely be RB Peyton Hillis, but to date he has been out-touched and outgained by Williams at almost a 5-1 rate, so any appreciable influence he has on the game will be a significant increase for him. Williams has incredible fantasy potential as the starting Giants ball carrier this week.

While the Philadelphia run defense isn’t has bad as they are against the pass, it’s disingenuous to say they’re actually better in the phase of the game. If anything they’re just less bad. Since the defense is generally unable to get off the field it makes sense to realize that they’ve faced the fourth most rushing attempts in the league, so while they yield a reasonable 4.2 yards per carry they’re still surrendering 132 rushing yards per game despite three of their five opponents being in the bottom half of league rushing standings. Perhaps it is because they’re suspect against the pass, but for all of the yards that the Eagles give up on the ground they’ve only conceded two rushing touchdowns and neither of them came in the team’s lone loss this season. The offensive balance that the Giants have exhibited recently will present even more hassles for Philadelphia as they’re forced to respect both aspects of the attack, either leaving a receiver with favorable coverage of a running lane for Williams to exploit. No matter how they choose to defend, the west coast offense of New York can likely take advantage of whatever the Eagles present.

Projections:
Eli Manning: 260 pass yds, 3 TDs
Andre Williams: 80 rush yds, 10 rec yds, 1 TD
Victor Cruz: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
Rueben Randle: 40 rec yds, 1 TD
Odell Beckham Jr.: 45 rec yds
Larry Donnell: 50 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Whereas the Giants started slow and have improved since, Philadelphia has done the opposite, shrinking over the last two weeks after largely impressing for the first three. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde offense gained over 320 passing yards in each of the first three games while totaling six touchdowns and only two interceptions, and in the latest two contests they’ve suffered three interceptions with only two touchdowns while never breaking 210 yards through the air. The doubters who claimed QB Nick Foles wouldn’t come close to his 2013 results now appear to be entirely correct, though that doesn’t preclude him from putting together an impressive season during the next 11 contests. Assisting in those efforts are a collection of talented pass catchers led by WR Jeremy Maclin who averages 86 receiving yards per game and has brought in four touchdown catches. Second-year TE Zach Ertz is the second leading receiver on the team even though he hasn’t scored since Week 1 or recorded 45 yards since Week 2. Versitle RB Darren Sproles has statistically disappeared from the passing game after a monstrous Week 2 and a whimper the week after. The most intriguing squad competition is still between WRs Jordan Matthews and Riley Cooper, where the former continues to make the occasional rookie mistake but leads the latter in yardage and scores, though Cooper did finally find the endzone in Week 5 on an impressive diving catch. Matthews is clearly the better talent but between his inexperience and the wide open nature of the Eagles offense it will continue to be difficult to separate himself from Cooper as long as the passing game continues its recent struggles.

Although they surrender 265 passing yards per game the Giants are one of only three teams who have recorded a greater number of interceptions than they have allowed aerial touchdowns. During their current three game winning streak, New York has actually averaged more yards allowed, but they have forced all eight of their interceptions during that span while conceding only three passing scores. In addition to a secondary populated by ball hawks the front four are solid pass rushers, collecting 10 sacks total and at least one in each of their five games. If the Giants-D continues to be able to limit touchdowns, pressure the quarterback, and force turnovers, they’ll be able to get away with giving up too many yards and allowing too many completions because they’ve found a way to step up when it matters most. If the Eagles are able to overcome that trend on Sunday night reach the endzone after racking up impressive yardage they could be able to reverse the Giant’s winning ways.

Running Game Thoughts: What a difference a season makes. After leading the league in rushing last year, the Eagles of 2014 can’t even average 100 yards per game on the ground. Part of the success of the previous season came from an elevated number of attempts, but with a 3.8 yards per carry average it would take a significant dedication to the rushing attack in order to appreciably increase their weekly totals. Since Week 2, where both RB LeSean McCoy and RB Darren Sproles each gained over 100 yards from scrimmage as well as found the endzone, Sproles has filed to achieve 50 yards or score while McCoy has surpassed 25 yards on just one occasion and also hasn’t crossed the goal line. As the starting running back McCoy has commanded the majority of backfield opportunities, relegating Sproles to fewer and fewer touches. The diminutive playmaker has seen his role decrease dramatically since Week 2, in line with the same timeframe of the Eagles decline in the running game. The correlation cannot be coincidental, so if Philadelphia wants to see their rushing attack improve they first need to increase the number of plays given to Sproles. A stronger presence on the ground will relieve some of the pressure on Foles and the passing attack, thus further opening up the offense as their opponents are forced to cover every possible playmaker since they’ll have no way of knowing who will get the ball next.

Choosing to refocus the offense around the ground game may be an unfortunate choice against a Giants team who surrenders less than 100 rushing yards per game, though electing to run in the redzone could yield favorable results since the Giants have given up six rushing touchdowns in five games. Their defense is an interesting dichotomy, where against the pass they give up yardage but not scores and against the run they are stingy in gains but permissive in touchdowns. If the Eagles are cognizant of this they’ll choose to throw the ball when in the middle of the field but then will elect to hand off when they’re in scoring position. For Philadelphia this should be additional effective since they trend toward multiple receiver sets, forcing the defense into nickel or dime packages which would give McCoy and Sproles even more of an advantage as they attack the goaline. On the other hand, if the Giants can exacerbate the ineffectiveness that has befallen the Eagles running game recently then the stout defense may be able to further exert their dominance on the ground.

Projections:
Nick Foles: 245 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
LeSean McCoy: 55 rush yds, 10 rec yds, 1 TD
Darren Sproles: 25 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Jeremy Maclin: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Jordan Matthews: 45 rec yds, 1 TD
Zach Ertz: 30 rec yds

Prediction: Giants 31, Eagles 27 ^ Top

Steelers @ Browns - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Ben Roethlisberger has been running coordinator Todd Haley’s dink and dunk offense efficiently through the first five weeks of the season. While he hasn’t put up a gaudy statistics (1,365 passing yards and 7 touchdowns), he is completing 69% of his passes and has only thrown 2 interceptions on the season. Antonio Brown has clearly been the focal point of the passing offense and is building on his breakout campaign of 2013, with 34 receptions for 511 yards and 5 touchdowns through the first five weeks of 2014. Averaging over 100 yards and a touchdown per game is more than even his biggest supporters could have asked for. Brown is a possession type wide receiver that can get open over the middle and make things happen after the catch, but can also get deep on opposing corners. So far, second year player Markus Wheaton has not seized the opportunity of being promoted into a starting role the way Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders did before him. Wheaton’s game is predicated on speed, but he just hasn’t been able to get deep behind opposing defensive backs as of yet. Fellow second-year player Justin Brown or veteran Lance Moore could start taking looks away from Wheaton if he continues to show no chemistry with Big Ben. Veteran tight end Heath Miller has been Ben’s second look throughout the early season, and while Miller has always been an underrated talent, with his age and the abuse his body has taken, the Steelers desperately need another option after Brown.

Antonio Brown has won the matchup, each time he has faced off against Cleveland’s “shut down” corner Joe Haden. Week 1 of this season was no different as Brown caught 5 balls for 116 yards and a touchdown. For what it’s worth, the damage was done in the first half of the game, as the Browns defense stepped up while the team made a second half surge. What was thought to be a potentially strong pass defense, has been a major disappointment as the Browns have allowed 269.3 yards per game and 7 touchdowns in four games this season.

Running Game Thoughts: Le’Veon Bell has arguably been the best running back in the league this season behind the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray. Bell lost 20 pounds over the offseason, maintaining his power and quick feet, but adding more agility and straight-line speed into the mix. He is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and also excels in the passing game with 24 receptions for 228 yards on the season. Bulldozer LeGarrette Bount has been worked into the mix to spell Bell at times and has been used as a short-yardage back. The tandem has been very effective and the Steelers are content to continue as a run-based offense.

Cleveland’s disappointing defense has also struggled against the run allowing more rushing yards per game (152.5) than all but two teams, Oakland and Green Bay. New addition Karlos Dansby has been a bright spot against opposing runners, but the overall unit has struggled badly.

Projections:
Ben Roethlisberger: 255 pass yds, 1 TD, 20 rush yds
Le’Veon Bell: 85 rush yds, 1 TD, 44 rec yds
LeGarrette Blount: 45 rush yds
Antonio Brown: 105 rec yds
Markus Wheaton: 30 rec yds
Justin Brown: 25 rec yds
Heath Miller: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Journeyman Brian Hoyer has not only kept Johnny Football on the sidelines, but has led his team to a comeback wins over New Orleans and Tennessee. Last week in Nashville, it was the biggest come from behind road win in NFL History. It hasn’t been pretty for Hoyer, as he isn’t physically gifted but his fiery demeanor and “no quit” attitude makes him a fan favorite amongst the blue collar Cleveland crowds. To his credit, Hoyer has been able to move the offense effectively with his best pass catcher, Josh Gordon, on suspension and second best target, tight end Jordan Cameron, being less than 100 percent. Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin and Travis Benjamin aren’t exactly a trio that keeps opposing defensive coordinators up at night, but Hoyer has managed to use them effectively. Last week undrafted rookie Taylor Gabriel also made a name for himself, catching one of Hoyer’s three touchdown passes.

The Steelers aging defense has managed to be effective against the pass, allowing 229 yards per game with 7 touchdowns through five games. Coordinator Dick LeBeau still has a creative defensive mind and the secondary doesn’t lack in talent so the results shouldn’t be all that surprising. The team lost cornerback Ike Taylor to a broken arm during their Week 4 game which although a blow to the team’s depth, may have been a blessing in disguise. Taylor has graded out poorly as a pass defender and his replacement William Gay just may be the superior player.

Running Game Thoughts: Ben Tate returned to the starting line-up last week and played like he wanted his job back. Tate looked dominant in amassing 123 yards on 22 carries, and put to rest any thoughts that the two rookies who replaced him were the better options in the running game. Tate is very familiar with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s run blocking scheme and is a hard-nosed runner that doesn’t have much wiggle but has shown good vision and doesn’t leave many yards on the field. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell showed to be legitimate options at the position during the weeks Tate was sidelined, but this should remain the veteran’s show as long as he remains healthy – something that has been an issue for the Auburn product throughout his career.

The Steelers are only allowing 101.8 yards per game on the ground, which may be deceiving as the team has faced a Panthers team banged up at running back, a Buccaneers’ offense with line issues and an anemic Jaguar rushing attack over the last three weeks. The team lost promising rookie Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones to injury in Week 3, weakening their linebacker unit, but so far the team has survived.

Projections:
Brian Hoyer: 245 pass yds 1 TD, 1 INT, 10 rush yds
Ben Tate: 85 rush yds, 1 TD, 20 rec yds
Terrance West: 35 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Miles Austin: 45 rec yds
Andrew Hawkins: 40 rec yds
Travis Benjamin: 30 rec yds
Jordan Cameron: 65 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Steelers 20, Browns 17 ^ Top

Panthers @ Bengals - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Cam Newton’s ankle may have not been 100% last week, but he managed to have his best game of the season passing the football. Newton finished with 255 yards and 2 touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory over the Bears. Coming off off-season ankle surgery and broken ribs suffered during the preseason, Newton has been unable to run with the ball effectively thus limiting an important aspect to his game. He finished with only 9 rushing yards last week and has only 42 rushing yards on the season after averaging 677 rushing yards during his first three seasons in the league. Rookie Kelvin Benjamin has quickly become Newton’s go-to receiver and he has shown tremendous ability to separate and fight off defenders. Although he’s coming off of his worst game of the season, Benjamin is making a case for the Rookie of the Year honors with 24 catches for 367 yards and 3 scores in four games. Tight end Greg Olsen was the star receiver last week catching two touchdowns. Dependable veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant provide additional targets but are not fantasy assets in a passing game that doesn’t have enough volume to produce multiple options.

The Bengals faced an angry Tom Brady in Foxboro on Sunday Night and for the first time all season the opponent got the better of their defense. On the season the team is allowing opponents 250.8 passing yards and a touchdown per game and that includes 292 passing yards and 2 touchdowns from Brady. Expect a bounce-back game as the Bengals return to the jungle to face a hobbled Newton.

Running Game Thoughts: Veterans DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert were all inactive with injuries last week, and that is likely to be the case again this week. UDFA Darrin Reaves led the team with 11 carries for 35 yards and caught a 16-yard pass. The team signed former Brown Chris Ogbannaya off the street during the week and he was given 8 carries for 24 yards while also scoring a touchdown. The pair should team up once again to form the most uninspiring backfield in the league against a tough Cincinnati defense in Week 6. The Bengals are allowing 140 rushing yards per game and 3 rushing scores through four games.

Projections:
Cam Newton: 235 pass yds, 1 TD, 15 rush yd
Darrin Reaves: 45 rush yds, 1 TD, 30 rec yds
Kelvin Benjamin: 65 rec yards, 1 TD
Jerricho Cotchery: 45 rec yds
Jason Avant: 25 rec yds
Greg Olsen: 60 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: Andy Dalton hasn’t put up the passing statistics that he did under previous offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, but that has been mostly by design. Hue Jackson promised to tailor his offense towards the running game in order to “protect” Dalton, and that design was worked out nicely. Dalton has only one interception this season, after throwing 20 picks last season. He’s been efficient averaging 231.5 yards with 1 touchdown per game. Mohamed Sanu has stepped up nicely in place of the injured Marvin Jones (ankle), and could hold onto a big role when Jones is ready to return. Obviously this passing game runs through star wideout A.J. Green, who despite playing through a toe injury is producing well. However, fantasy owners will need to keep an eye on Green’s status after he re-injured his toe in practice this week. More than likely he will not play in Week 6. Running back Giovani Bernard adds playmaking ability out of the backfield, but surprisingly hasn’t been as heavily involved in the passing game as expected. Bernard has 14 receptions for 158 yards so far. Tight end Jermaine Gresham has not benefitted from the elbow injury that landed Tyler Eifert on the IR. The veteran has only 8 receptions on the season and dropped a ball that would have resulted in a touchdown last week. The Bengals have been running the ball and relying on their upper echelon defense through the first four weeks, a formula that has netted good results. It’s unlikely this passing attack will need to be opened up any time soon.

The Panthers have limited teams to only 238.8 passing yards per game, but have given up 10 passing touchdowns in five games. The front seven is ferocious with 12 sacks on the season and will look for ways to rattle Dalton and keep him out of rhythm. Dalton has been mostly mistake free in 2014 however, and the team will likely use its running game and screen game to slow the Panthers’ pass rush on Sunday.

Running Game Thoughts: As expected, the dynamic Giovani Bernard has been be the focal point of the offense this season, but the Bengals also feature rookie Jeremy Hill in the running game. Hill is on pace for 112 carries, 532 yards and 8 touchdowns, but his usage may increase as Jackson gains confidence in him. Bernard hasn’t been as heavily involved in the passing game as expected, but with him only averaging 3.6 ypc on the ground getting him out in space should be something the team looks to achieve.

The Panthers feature a very tough run defense, allowing 129.6 yards per game with 4 touchdowns allowed, and that includes an outlier game against Pittsburgh where they gave up 264 yards on the ground. The team is extremely strong up the middle with Star Lotulelei, Luke Kuechley and Thomas Davis, so the running room may be scarce.

Projections:
Andy Dalton: 265 pass yds 2 TDs, 1 INT, 5 rush yds
Jeremy Hill: 65 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
Giovani Bernard: 55 rush yds, 45 rec yds, 1 TD
Mohamed Sanu 95 rec yds, 1 TD
Brandon Tate: 40 rec yds
Jermaine Gresham: 10 rec yds

Prediction: Bengals 24, Panthers 20 ^ Top

Lions @ Vikings - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Calvin Johnson’s ankle injury has relegated him to a mere decoy the last two weeks, and to make matters worse he was forced to leave the game at the start of the second half when tweaking the sprain on his first catch of the day. It was reported this week that the sprain is of the “high ankle” variety, an injury that generally takes 3-4 weeks to heal. Johnson says he’ll play this week, but many reports conflict this view and say that he will miss perhaps the next two games. Without Johnson, former Seahawk Golden Tate has taken on a bigger role and has performed well. The team will need rookie tight end Eric Ebron to step up as well, but so far the rookie has struggled with drops and learning the playbook. Matthew Stafford’s game is highly dependent on throwing the ball to No. 81, so expectations for the Lions’ passing game need to be lowered until Megatron returns to health.

The Vikings pass defense has been effective in 2014 allowing 225.6 passing yards per game and 9 touchdown passes. For a team that has faced Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers in four out of their five games, those numbers aren’t too shabby. Last season the Vikings were the second to last in pass defense, allowing 287.2 yards per game and incredible 37 touchdowns through the air, so credit Mike Zimmer’s system and guidance for the turnaround.

Running Game Thoughts: The Lions were down to UDFA George Winn last week after Reggie Bush left a game where the Lions were already missing Joique Bell and Theo Riddick. Winn, who was just signed from the practice squad prior to the game, finished the contest with 48 yards on 11 carries. As of this writing, Winn is currently the only completely healthy back on the roster so he could be looking at a heavy workload this week. Bell who suffered a concussion in Week 4, returned to limited practice on Wednesday, and practiced again Thursday but it’s unclear when he’ll be cleared for game action. Riddick is also practicing on a limited basis with a balky hamstring. Bush’s ankle injury seems serious enough for him to miss at least Week 6. Keep an eye on the news this weekend if you have anything invested in the Lions backfield.

Projections:
Matthew Stafford: 285 pass yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
George Winn: 45 rush yds, 1 TD; 25 rec yds
Corey Fuller: 65 rec yds, 1 TD
Golden Tate: 115 rec yds, 1 TD
Eric Ebron: 60 rec yds
Brandon Pettigrew: 10 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: Much to the dismay of Vikings’ fans, they were subjected to another Christian Ponder start last Thursday Night. As expected, it was a disaster and the Vikings were blown out by the Packers in front of a national audience. Teddy Bridgewater will be back at quarterback this week, and the rookie has been impressive in the two games he has seen snaps in this season. The Vikings will need to get the electric Cordarrelle Patterson back into the game plan, as he’s been extremely quiet since his Week 1 explosion. Bridgewater had a connection with Jarius Wright in his first NFL start, as the receiver caught 8 balls for 132 yards. Wright continued to see heavy targets last week, but with Christian Ponder delivering them, only three were completed. Wright is more involved in the offense as the slot wide receiver since tight end Kyle Rudolph was lost to injury and he should continue to be involved this week.

Running Game Thoughts: Adrian Peterson’s banishment from the team has lead to an uninspiring rushing attack lead by the hulking Matt Asiata. Asiata at 234 pounds and with a good forward lean is a difficult back to bring down but has little speed or ability to make people miss. Athletic rookie Jerick McKinnon had one monster game against the Falcons, but struggled in his follow up game against the Packers. Surprisingly, Asiata has been very effective in the passing game and should be a good outlet for Bridgewater this week against a ferocious Lions front seven. With a better ability to protect the franchise quarterback as both a blocker and pass catcher, it isn’t likely that McKinnon will make any inroads soon, even if Asiata continues on his “three yards and a cloud of dust” ways.

Projections:
Teddy Bridgewater: 245 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 35 rush yds
Matt Asiata: 40 rush yds, 1 TD, 45 rec yds
Jerick McKinnon: 35 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Cordarrelle Patterson: 35 rec yds, 45 rush yds, 1 TD
Greg Jennings: 35 rec yds
Jarius Wright: 80 rec yds
Chase Ford: 30 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Lions 24, Vikings 17 ^ Top

Chargers @ Raiders - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: Talk of Philip Rivers potentially winning his first NFL MVP award are starting to heat up as the San Diego quarterback has his team sitting alone atop the AFC West after a hot 4-1 start. Coming into the season, there were some concerns that Rivers would not enjoy the same type of success in 2014 that he did in 2013 because offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt had left the team to coach the Titans, but Rivers has been arguably better than he was last year. Rivers’ 12 touchdowns have him on pace for 38 on the year, and he has avoided throwing interceptions, with only two thus far. A big part of his success on the field has been frustrating for fantasy owners as Rivers has spread the football around. Antonio Gates, Eddie Royal and Keenan Allen have all had up and down games so far, while Malcom Floyd has quietly been perhaps the most consistent target in the offense despite not having a big game yet. Gates, who scored three touchdowns against the Seahawks back in Week 2, got into the end zone twice in Week 5, which has fantasy owners salivating as he heads into a very beatable matchup against the Raiders in Week 6.

The Raiders have allowed touchdowns to tight ends in back-to-back games and have a long history of struggling to contain Gates. Meanwhile, Keenan Allen, who scored in each of his two games against Oakland as a rookie, is currently listed as questionable after being limited in practice through most of the week. While he is expected to play, fantasy owners would be wise to watch the injury reports on Sunday to make sure that he will be ready to suit up.

Running Game Thoughts: A carousel of various players have been the perceived “starter” in the San Diego backfield this season, largely due to numerous injuries that the Chargers have suffered through. Ryan Mathews is still not back, Danny Woodhead will miss the remainder of the season and now Donald Brown seems likely to miss Sunday’s game due to a concussion. With all of those players being out, it will be Branden Oliver who likely gets the start in an extremely enticing matchup from a fantasy standpoint. Oliver looked excellent, even drawing comparisons to former Charger Darren Sproles, in his Week 5 performance against the Jets when he ran for 114 yards and added 68 yards as a receiver, including a pair of touchdowns. The Jets defense is significantly better than what Oliver will be up against in Week 6, which could mean great things for the young playmaker who is looking to ensure himself a role in the offense once Mathews returns.

The Raiders have conceded 565 yards rushing in just four games, while conceding five total touchdowns to opposing running backs so far on the year. Oliver might be a new name to fantasy relevance, but this is not a game that fantasy owners should be avoiding just because they don’t know the name. Oliver should be in most lineups this week.

Projections:
Philip Rivers: 275 pass yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
Branden Oliver: 90 rush yds, 1 TD, 30 rec yds
Keenan Allen: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Eddie Royal: 40 rec yds, 1 TD
Malcom Floyd: 50 rec yds
Antonio Gates: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Oakland’s Derek Carr was the first rookie starting quarterback of the 2014 season, but it wasn’t necessarily because he looked amazing in the preseason. Instead, a complete lack of skill on the roster essentially forced the Raiders’ hand. While Carr has had moments where he looked pretty good, this offense is not fantasy-friendly. The complete lack of a competent running game has made things tough on Carr who has taken quite a bit of damage in the pocket and has been limited in practice all week.

Despite the fact that he claims he will be ready to play on Sunday, this is not the kind of matchup that fantasy owners should be excited about. San Diego hasn’t traditionally been a great secondary, but the addition of cornerback Brandon Flowers this off-season has been wildly successful as Flowers is legitimately looking like a top 10 NFL cornerback once again. This could make things tough on Raiders wide receiver James Jones, who has been the only real fantasy relevant player in this offense thus far. Jones is good enough to beat the matchup, but he goes from being a low-end WR2 option to more of a questionable FLEX starter in this contest.

Running Game Thoughts: After starting in Week 1, veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball only twice in the Raiders’ most recent contest, a loss to the Dolphins. Although Jones-Drew was coming off of an injury and was likely used sparingly as a result, the fact that Darren McFadden didn’t look completely terrible on his 15 carries could be a problem for fantasy owners of MJD. Of course, it is very possible that with a new head coach, the Raiders could end up splitting the carries between their two lead backs more evenly, but neither player is particularly exciting from a fantasy standpoint at the moment.

San Diego has been excellent against opposing running backs this season, having allowed just 319 yards on the ground through their first five games with only one rushing touchdown. While they have conceded four receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs, it seems like a mirage more than a trend. In order for one of these players to become truly fantasy relevant, the Raiders are going to need to commit to one of them. There aren’t enough points to go around in Oakland for two running backs to be quality fantasy contributors, so those opting to put Jones-Drew or McFadden in their fantasy lineups shouldn’t be surprised if they end up with a mediocre game.

Projections:
Derek Carr: 190 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Darren McFadden: 40 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Maurice Jones-Drew: 25 rush yds
James Jones: 50 rec yds, 1 TD
Andre Holmes: 50 rec yds

Prediction: Chargers 31, Raiders 16 ^ Top

Redskins @ Cardinals - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: After looking amazing in his first two games of 2014, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins fell apart in a division game against the New York Giants. His four interceptions were a career-high and he just never looked comfortable as he was constantly under duress due to pressure from the Giants’ pass rushers. Most expected that Cousins would have similar problems against the Seahawks in Week 5 which could have easily led to numerous interceptions again, but Cousins was actually effective against the “Legion of Boom.” Cousins’ 283 yards and two touchdowns were a solid performance against what will almost certainly be the most difficult defense he plays all season. Unfortunately, Cousins’ success didn’t help out wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who caught only two passes for the second straight game. Garcon’s up-and-down numbers have been incredibly frustrating for his fantasy owners and it doesn’t look likely to become more consistent anytime soon.

This week, this passing game will be up against an Arizona defense that had held Philip Rivers, Eli Manning and Colin Kaepernick in check before getting completely humiliated by Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Week 5. Manning threw for 479 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout victory. While Arizona should be better going forward, it’s hard not to look at that game and feel optimistic about Cousins’ chances of putting up solid, start-worthy fantasy numbers this week.

Running Game Thoughts: A matchup against the Seattle defense is certainly not one that fantasy owners should have been excited about heading into Week 5, but 13 carries for 29 yards is even worse than we could have possibly imagined. That was Alfred Morris’ fantasy output for Week 5, and unfortunately he is still essentially a non-factor in the passing game. Because of this, Morris can be a very frustrating player to own in fantasy. In games when the Redskins fall behind, Morris becomes an afterthought and he can go an entire quarter without contributing. Instead, it has been backup Roy Helu who, despite not getting many carries, has become a very active member of the passing game. Helu’s 10 catches over the past two games have gone for 137 yards. While Morris remains the team’s primary runner, Helu’s contributions and explosiveness cannot be overlooked by either fantasy owners or the Redskins themselves.

This week’s game against the Cardinals is a terrible one from a fantasy standpoint as Arizona has allowed the fewest rushing yards of any team this season. Morris is still likely a must-start for most fantasy owners given the higher-than-usual number of injuries to some of the game’s top running backs and bye week concerns, but temper your expectations for Both Morris and Helu.

Projections:
Kirk Cousins: 325 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Alfred Morris: 60 rush yds, 1 TD
Roy Helu: 10 rush yds, 40 rec yds
Pierre Garcon: 80 rec yds
DeSean Jackson: 50 rec yds, 1 TD
Jordan Reed: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: When Carson Palmer went down early this season, Cardinals fans had to be breathing at least a slight sigh of relief that they had a competent backup quarterback in Drew Stanton who could step in until their starter got back. Stanton had done that, helping to lead the team to a 3-0 start before a disastrous Week 5 game against the Broncos. Stanton himself then got injured (concussion), which left the team with only rookie third string quarterback Logan Thomas. Thomas would complete just one of his eight pass attempts (albeit for an 81-yard touchdown), and did not exactly inspire much confidence. With Palmer still unlikely to return this week, some expected that the Cardinals would look to free agency to find a veteran quarterback who could potentially step in for a week or two. That didn’t happen and the Cardinals appear likely to start Thomas.

While this appears to be a beatable matchup on paper against a mediocre Washington defense, it would be hard to imagine a scenario that Arizona is going to put the game on Thomas’ shoulders in his first NFL start. Instead, expect the team to run the ball while giving Thomas as few pass attempts as possible, as long as they are still in the game. Because of this, it could be wise for owners of Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald to look elsewhere for fantasy production in Week 6. Both players have the potential to produce even with mediocre quarterback play, but the chances of either player having a big game are relatively slim.

Running Game Thoughts: A rookie quarterback often times needs a strong running game to take the pressure off, and that’s what the Arizona Cardinals will be looking for this week from tailback Andre Ellington. Ellington, who struggled early in the year, exploded for 144 total yards in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Broncos. He also scored two touchdowns. Of course, it’s worth noting that Ellington had only 63 yards of offense if you look past a late breakaway touchdown reception that went for 81 yards. Still, Ellington is touching the ball around 20 times per week, which essentially makes him a must-start for fantasy purposes.

He’ll have a statistically tough matchup against a Washington Redskins defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season. Then again, a closer look will tell you that the Redskins have not looked as good in their past two contests as they did in their first three. In Weeks 4 and 5, the Redskins conceded a total of 38 total fantasy points (standard scoring) to opposing running backs. This could mean good things for Ellington who is likely going to touch the ball quite a bit in this contest. Even if the Cardinals do fall behind, Ellington’s chances of catching five or more passes are about as good as anyone else’s in this offense, which makes him a great option for PPR leagues as well.

Projections:
Logan Thomas: 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Andre Ellington: 85 rush yds, 1 TD, 50 rec yds
Larry Fitzgerald: 50 rec yds, 1 TD
Michael Floyd: 45 rec yds

Prediction: Cardinals 20, Redskins 17 ^ Top

Cowboys @ Seahawks - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: A 4-1 start is better than just about anyone would’ve possibly imagined for the Cowboys, but what’s even more surprising is that it hasn’t been because of the high-powered Dallas passing game. Sure, Romo has been decent and has only thrown two interceptions in his past four games - all Cowboys wins - but only once has Romo hit the 300-yard mark this year. Of course, if you’re looking for a positive from a fantasy standpoint, keep in mind that Romo’s two best fantasy games have happened over his past two contests against the Saints and Texans. Unfortunately, those games won’t mean much as he and the Cowboys leave the comfort of home to head to the most hostile environment in all of professional football, CenturyLink field in Seattle.

The Seattle secondary is well known as being the best in the league. Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas -- what’s not to love? Well, truthfully, the “Legion of Boom” has not lived up to its reputation, at least not from a fantasy standpoint. The Seahawks have given up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks thus far in 2014, including three straight games of allowing multiple passing touchdowns. Wide receivers Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams should each have an opportunity to have decent games this week and both players have been productive as of late. Both players have performed as top-10 fantasy wideouts, and there’s little reason to think that they won’t have plenty enough targets to continue that in Week 6, even in Seattle. The biggest concern in this game will likely be if the Seahawks defensive line can attack the Cowboys’ offensive line, get to Romo, and force errant throws.

Running Game Thoughts: If someone would’ve told you that after five weeks, DeMarco Murray would be leading the league in rushing by over 200 yards, you probably would’ve thought they were crazy. But that’s exactly where we’re at. Murray, who has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career, has been the Cowboys’ bell cow, leading the team to a 4-1 record with his bruising running style behind a revamped and much improved Dallas offensive line. Murray has taken a higher-than-usual number of carries which will almost certainly even out over the course of the season, but for right now, the team would certainly be wise to continue to feed the hot hand. Look for that to happen this week as they head to Seattle and attempt to control the line of scrimmage against a team that is well known for their defense.

Seattle’s secondary is typically the group that gets the media attention, but so far in 2014, it has been their front seven that has been doing an excellent job of slowing down opposing running games. They’ve allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season, which is certainly something to be worried about for fantasy owners of Murray. This is a classic matchup of the “unstoppable force” versus the “immovable object” and the outcome of this battle could very well determine the eventual victor of the game.

Projections:
Tony Romo: 255 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
DeMarco Murray: 90 rush yds, 1 TD, 25 rec yds
Dez Bryant: 90 rush yds, 1 TD
Terrance Williams: 60 rec yds, 1 TD
Jason Witten: 50 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: He may not end up being the kind of quarterback who passes for 300 yards per game, but Monday night’s victory against the Redskins proved that Russell Wilson can still be a fantasy stud. Wilson rushed for a ridiculous 122 yards on 11 carries while adding 201 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game; giving him the highest single game fantasy point total of his career. What’s most impressive is that he is the No. 7 fantasy quarterback despite the fact that his leading receiver, Doug Baldwin, has just 155 yards on the year. Wilson has been a glorified game manager for his first two seasons, but the team seems much more willing to let him control the pace of the game in his third year as a pro. Because of that, he is now a realistic every week starter for fantasy purposes, especially in a season where so many quarterbacks outside of the top five have been inconsistent at best. Unfortunately, it has been hard to trust any Wilson’s receiving options. The aforementioned Doug Baldwin does have the most receiving yardage on the team, but has failed to reach the end zone. Meanwhile, Percy Harvin has essentially been a non-factor from a fantasy standpoint since his explosive Week 1 performance. He is currently nursing a thigh injury and is listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has, surprisingly, been very good against the pass this season. They’ve only allowed two touchdowns to opposing wide receivers through their first five contests and have allowed only 28 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks over that span.

Running Game Thoughts: It appears to be another likely top-10 fantasy season for Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch whose 69 carries in four games remind us that he is still more than capable of carrying his team to victory on a week-to-week basis. The team is definitely allowing Wilson to control the offense more this year than they have in the past, but Lynch is still the guy who sets the tempo for everything they want to do. In fact, the only game that the Seahawks have lost thus far came against the Chargers, back in Week 2, when Lynch had only six carries. He’s touched the ball at least 20 times in every other game, all of which have been Seahawks wins.

Seattle will be hosting the Cowboys this week, which should be a beatable matchup. While Dallas’ defense is certainly improved this season from what they were in 2013, they are still middle-of-the-pack against the run as they are allowing an average of over 100 yards per game on the ground. It should also be noted that Lynch, who has not been much of a factor in the passing game in the past, has already made 13 catches through four contests this season; which puts him on pace for over 50 on the year; which would be a career high.

Projections:
Russell Wilson: 210 pass yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 35 rush yds
Marshawn Lynch: 85 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
Percy Harvin: 50 rec yds, 1 TD, 15 rush yds
Doug Baldwin: 50 rec yds
Jermaine Kearse: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Seahawks 30, Cowboys 24 ^ Top

49ers @ Rams - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: A 3-2 start to the season would be excellent for most NFL franchises, but for the San Francisco 49ers, who have aspirations of a Super Bowl trophy, it has been less-than-desirable. Colin Kaepernick, now in his third season as a starting quarterback, has not made the progression that many expected he would. This has been discouraging particularly for fantasy owners who have watched their quarterback produce mediocre numbers in each of his first five games, producing somewhere between 11 to 19 fantasy points in each contest. While those numbers aren’t terrible, they’re certainly not exciting and they have put Kaepernick on the verge of even being a starting caliber fantasy option. Of course, a big problem for this passing game has been the injuries sustained by tight end Vernon Davis, who has been limited or ruled out of each game since his two touchdown performance in Week 1. This has hurt Kaepernick’s touchdown numbers as none of the other 49ers receiving options have stepped up to take his place as the team’s primary red zone threat. With Davis again being limited in practice late this week, it appears as if the 49ers could be without their stud tight end yet again in this matchup against the St. Louis Rams. This could make things tough as Davis was the recipient of two of Kaepernick’s three touchdown passes that he threw against the Rams in 2013. If Davis does miss the game, wideouts Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson will need to step up big time in order to give Kaepernick some fantasy value.

St. Louis has conceded two touchdowns to opposing wide receivers in each of their past two games and they currently rank 21st in fantasy points allowed to the position. Crabtree was held to just one catch for 16 yards in Week 5 against the Chiefs, so look for the 49ers to make a concerted effort to get him the ball early and often in this contest.

Running Game Thoughts: Back-to-back games with 100 rushing yards have fantasy owners remembering the glory days of Frank Gore. Although those days are far behind him, Gore is proving that, even in his 30’s, he can still contribute solid fantasy points on a week to week basis, making him one of the more reliable RB2’s in the game. Gore’s two 100-yard performances have been impressive, but his contributions in the passing game have gone from being average to almost nonexistent. Aside from the one reception he took 55 yards for a touchdown in Week 4 against Philadelphia, Gore has only three other receptions for 13 yards in his other four games combined. That’s not just bad - that’s Alfred Morris bad.

Despite his lack of usage in the passing game, Gore still makes for an intriguing option in Week 6 as he goes up against a St. Louis run defense that has conceded an average of 131 yards per game on the ground over their past three contests. While the Rams defense has some quality players, they struggled to slow down Gore even when they were mostly healthy in 2013. In two contests against St. Louis, Gore rushed for a total of 195 yards and scored a touchdown in each game. He’s a good bet to make it into the end zone yet again this week even though Carlos Hyde has seen an increased workload as of late.

Projections:
Colin Kaepernick: 210 pass yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 35 rush yds
Frank Gore: 80 rush yds, 1 TD
Carlos Hyde: 35 rush yds
Michael Crabtree: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Anquan Boldin: 50 rec yds, 1 TD
Steve Johnson: 40 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: When former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Sam Bradford went down with his second-straight season-ending injury earlier this year, most expected that the Rams would be in for another tough season. But when backup Shaun Hill also went down, the outlook appeared even more grim. While the Rams’ 1-3 start to the season would about match expectations given the situation, the lack of wins actually hasn’t been the fault of Austin Davis. In fact, over his past two contests, Davis has not only been a great leader on the field, but he has produced excellent fantasy numbers. 702 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions have been Davis’ stat line as wide receiver Brian Quick has stepped up and become a fantasy relevant option this season. Quick’s 21 receptions for 322 yards and three touchdowns have made him the No. 14 wide receiver in the game despite the fact that the Rams have already gone through their bye week. He’s being targeted heavily and has now become a reliable WR2, at least for the time being, even as he heads into a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers and their exceptional defense.

The 49ers have not allowed a touchdown to an opposing wide receiver in either of their past two contests and they rank third in the league in fewest points per game conceded to opposing quarterbacks, having held the position under 10 points in three of their five games so far this season. This is by far the toughest matchup that the Rams have faced defensively, which makes Davis and Co. difficult to trust, but if they can succeed in this one, the sky is the limit for this surprisingly effective passing game.

Running Game Thoughts: After a successful rookie campaign in 2013, Zac Stacy appeared likely to be the Rams’ primary tailback heading into the 2014 season. But a less-than-stellar preseason and training camp left fantasy owners scratching their heads as backup Benny Cunningham had earned himself a more prominent role in the offense. Cunningham, a far superior pass catcher, has cut into Stacy’s touches enough to make neither player a great fantasy option early in the season. To make matters worse, Stacy fumbled and then suffered a calf injury in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Eagles, which has put his Week 6 status in question. While reports are that Stacy is expected to play and get his usual workload, even a minor injury could slow him down enough that the team opts to use Cunningham in an expanded role.

Whoever touches the ball, though, will be in for a tough day as they attempt to find holes in one of the best run defenses in all of football. The 49ers have allowed the third-fewest points per game to opposing running backs in 2014, including holding both the Eagles’ LeSean McCoy and Bears’ Matt Forte to fewer than 30 yards on the ground. Because of this, neither player should be trusted in your fantasy lineup except in cases of desperation.

Projections:
Austin Davis: 260 pass yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Zac Stacy: 55 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Benny Cunningham: 25 rush yds, 25 rec yds
Brian Quick: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Kenny Britt: 35 rec yds
Jared Cook: 50 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: 49ers 24, Rams 20 ^ Top