Wednesday, October 5, 2011

2011 Fantasy Football Week 5 Rankings

We're already into Week 5 of the NFL season, and onto another weekly position ranking. And, as has been a theme this year, we are seeing a lot of sleepers and backups cracking starters lists due to injuries.

Here are some highlights from the list below:

1) With games like Carolina/New Orleans, Detroit/Chicago, Green Bay/Atlanta, San Diego/Denver, New York Jets/New England, I think we can expect to see a ton of shootouts for a huge scoring weekend. Expect a lot of big numbers out of quarterbacks and receivers.

2) Arian Foster returns to his rightful spot in the top three running backs. I like him best this week as the Andre Johnson-less Texans hosts the Raiders.

3) Continuing on the Houston theme. It's hard to call which Houston receiver will be getting most of the work. For my money though, I think tight end Owen Daniels is the guy to watch.

4) I like at least one Jets running back to have a big week with New England hurting up front and at linebacker. Whether it is Shonn Greene or LT, I'm not so sure. I'd love to see Tomlinson get most of the snaps though.

5) Patriots' RB Ridley looked nice, but I still have BJGE higher, as does the New England depth chart. The safe bet is to play Welker as he is a monster this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Revis moving inside to cover him. This could open up some sleeper potential for Deion Branch and other NE wideouts. Gronkowski should have no problems.

Working on another post going in to some sleepers and predictions, so stay tuned for that.

As always, if you've got any questions or comments (or if I left someone obvious out) post it all in the comments.


Week 5 Quarterback Rankings
1.       Aaron Rodgers
2.       Michael Vick
3.       Tom Brady
4.       Drew Brees
5.       Matthew Stafford
6.       Cam Newton
7.       Philip Rivers
8.       Eli Manning
9.       Matt Ryan
10.   Matt Hasselbeck
11.   Ryan Fitzpatrick
12.   Mark Sanchez
13.   Kevin Kolb
14.   Jay Cutler
15.   Matt Schaub
16.   Josh Freeman
17.   Ben Roethlisberger
18.   Jason Campbell
19.   Kyle Orton
20.   Donovan McNabb
21.   Curtis Painter
22.   Tarvaris Jackson
23.   Andy Dalton
24.   Matt Cassel
25.   Alex Smith
Week 5 Running Back Rankings
1.       Arian Foster
2.       Adrian Peterson
3.       Fred Jackson
4.       Darren McFadden
5.       LeSean McCoy
6.       Matt Forte
7.       Chris Johnson
8.       Maurice Jones-Drew
9.       Michael Turner
10.   Beanie Wells
11.   Ryan Mathews
12.   Ahmad Bradshaw
13.   Frank Gore
14.   Jahvid Best
15.   LeGarrette Blount
16.   Joseph Addai
17.   Darren Sproles
18.   Cedric Benson
19.   Willis McGahee
20.   Isaac Redman (lower if Mendenhall plays)
21.   BenJarvus Green-Ellis
22.   James Starks
23.   DeAngelo Williams
24.   Brandon Jacobs
25.   Mike Tolbert
26.   Mark Ingram
27.   Shonn Greene
28.   Jonathan Stewart
29.   LaDainian Tomlinson
30.   Stevan Ridley
31.   Marshawn Lynch
32.   Dexter McCluster
33.   Ryan Grant
34.   Michael Bush
35.   Pierre Thomas
36.   Ben Tate
37.   Thomas Jones
38.   Knowshon Moreno
39.   C.J. Spiller
40.   Kendall Hunter
41.   Justin Forsett
42.   Jacquizz Rodgers
43.   Delone Carter
44.   Bernard Scott
45.   Danny Woodhead
46.   Marion Barber
47.   Earnest Graham
48.   Ricky Williams
49.   Deji Karim
50.   Ronnie Brown
Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings
1.       Calvin Johnson
2.       Vincent Jackson
3.       Steve Smith
4.       Wes Welker
5.       Greg Jennings
6.       Hakeem Nicks
7.       DeSean Jackson
8.       Mike Wallace
9.       Larry Fitzgerald
10.   Roddy White
11.   Dwayne Bowe
12.   Steve Johnson
13.   Brandon Lloyd
14.   Julio Jones
15.   Sidney Rice
16.   Jeremy Maclin
17.   Santonio Holmes
18.   Jordy Nelson
19.   A.J. Green
20.   Mike Williams
21.   Marques Colston
22.   Percy Harvin
23.   Reggie Wayne
24.   Nate Washington
25.   Eric Decker
26.   Lance Moore
27.   Mike Thomas
28.   Jacoby Jones
29.   Mario Manningham
30.   Pierre Garcon
31.   David Nelson
32.   Plaxico Burress
33.   Johnny Knox
34.   Michael Crabtree
35.   Kevin Walter
36.   Deion Branch
37.   Denarius Moore
38.   Victor Cruz
39.   Robert Meachem
40.   Steve Breaston
41.   Josh Morgan
42.   Jacoby Ford
43.   Titus Young
44.   Devery Henderson
45.   Antonio Brown
46.   Nate Burleson
47.   Malcom Floyd
48.   Austin Collie
49.   Early Doucet
50.   Preston Parker
Week 5 Tight End Rankings
1.       Jimmy Graham
2.       Owen Daniels
3.       Jermichael Finley
4.       Rob Gronkowski
5.       Vernon Davis
6.       Dustin Keller
7.       Tony Gonzalez
8.       Greg Olsen
9.       Brandon Pettigrew
10.   Dallas Clark
11.   Jermaine Gresham
12.   Jared Cook
13.   Kellen Winslow
14.   Scott Chandler
15.   Kevin Boss
16.   Jeremy Shockey
17.   Todd Heap
18.   James Casey
19.   Marcedes Lewis
20.   Randy McMichael
Week 5 Kicker Rankings
1.       Jason Hanson
2.       Rob Bironas
3.       John Kasay
4.       Stephen Gostkowski
5.       Neil Rackers
6.       Mason Crosby
7.       Sebastian Jankowski
8.       Robbie Gould
9.       David Akers
10.   Mike Nugent
11.   Nick Novak
12.   Rian Lindell
13.   Matt Bryant
14.   Nick Folk
15.   Ryan Succop
16.   Alex Henery
17.   Matt Bryant
18.   Adam Vinatieri
19.   Shaun Suisham
20.   Connor Barth
Week 5 Defense Rankings
1.       Detroit Lions
2.       Green Bay Packers
3.       Tennessee Titans *** New York Giants here
4.       Houston Texans
5.       San Francisco 49ers
6.       Pittsburgh Steelers  
7.       San Diego Chargers
8.       Chicago Bears
9.      Kansas City Chiefs
10.   Cincinnati Bengals
11.   New Orleans Saints
12.   New York Jets
13.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14.   New England Patriots
15.    Philadelphia Eagles
16.   Jacksonville Jaguars
17.   Indianapolis Colts
18.   Buffalo Bills
19.   Atlanta Falcons
20.   Arizona Cardinals

51 comments:

  1. Where do you rank Philly's D?

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  2. Need some help at Flex: 2 different leagues!

    DeAngelo Williams, Jeremy Maclin or Marques Colston?


    DeAngelo, Colston or Nate Washington?


    Is it safe to let go of Knowshawn Moreno? and pick up Ridley?


    Thanks!

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  3. I was just offered a trade by Cam's owner in a 14 team standard. I send him Willis McGahee and Manningham for Eli and Robert Meachem. That would leave me with:

    Freeman, Eli & Bradford
    VJax, Austin, Meachem, Jacobies Ford & Jones
    CJ, FJax, Hightower & Redman
    Aaron Hernandez & Pettigrew

    Aside from never having been a fan of Meachem, that would leave me with no depth at WR and RB.. so I'm rejecting that. But I'm trying to think of a counter offer that doesn't cripple my depth during the bye weeks. His TE is Chandler - so what would you think of something along these lines: Freeman, Manningham and Hernandez for Newton and Julio Jones (his other starting WRs are Jennings and Colston and his starting RBs are Rice and Blount). Or I could take the WRs out of the equations and biasedly hope Mario feasts on some upcoming secondaries. Thanks man

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  4. Three questions,
    -Denarius Moore or Lance Moore?

    -Pick 2: Tolbert, Jacobs, Deangelo, Hunter

    - Owen Daniels or Greg Olsen

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  5. im in a 12 person league. i have arian foster and ryan matthews for rb, steve smith at wr, and beanie for rb/wr. would you play reggie wayne, david nelson, or dexter mccluster in the other wr spot?

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  6. GHL,

    Quick question, Robert Meachem or Deangelo Williams in the flex?

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  7. Hey I just read a post that GHL retweeted saying that John Fox said McGahee has earned the right to get most of the carries for the broncos so I wouldnt think Moreno is a safe play

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  8. Ok, I got this offer in the meantime: I send VJax, Hightower and Hernandez and get Hakeem Nicks, Jimmy Graham and Green Bay D/ST. This is a 14 team league where some players are holding onto two defenses, making the weekly pull & plug tough. I like this trade, but I'm hesitant to have two Giants WRs start for me. If this goes through, what would be an acceptable target for say, a Manningham and Pettigrew package? Could I put them together with Freeman to go after a higher upside QB? Or should I just package those two for a better WR..maybe a Jeremy Maclin or Steve Smith (Car)? Sorry, I feel like I just talked myself into that last option.. Thanks for sifting through, though

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  9. I already picked up Doug Bladwin who I think mught be a deep sleeper this week if the shut Rice down, but I still need another one in the event i dont win jacoby jones in the waiver (im 5th) thanks again!

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  10. Oops. Left them out. They are not super high on the list though. Probably around 15.

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  11. Colston in the first league.

    Colston or Washington in the second league. I'd lean Colston again.

    I think that is a safe bet. Moreno has been nothing but a disappointment and is seeing less and less time.

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  12. I enjoy the phrase “Jacobies Ford & Jones” very much.

    He is absolutely going to turn down that offer. He wants to get rid of Eli because he is confident starting Cam every week. He will not let him go. Especially for a QB he’ll just use as a backup. Manningham would also be a step down from Jones, and Hernandez doesn’t make up for the difference, especially considering that he is on par with Chandler.
    You need to ask yourself what you want out of the trade. Right now it sounds like you are just trading for the hell of it. If you want the QB upgrade, then you are going to have to part with one of your better players.

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  13. Lance Moore
    Jacobs and Deangelo
    Owen Daniels.

    Pretty straightforward as the rankings indicate. You could start any of those running backs bu Hunter though and be in about the same boat.

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  14. Wayne is going up against the CB that has given up the most TDs this season. So he sounds nice. Painter isn't looking at him much though.

    I have him highest on my list out of the three though. I'm always tempted to go with McCluster, but he lets me down too much.

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  15. Thanks. I'm a dummy. My editor is slacking.

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  16. D. Williams is incredibly hit-or-miss. But with Colston back, Meachem is now back to the WR3 spot fighting for catches with essentially every other Saint player.

    Meachem is the higher scoring chance, but DeAngelo is getting more yards since teams are respecting the pass. If you’re PPR, I’d go Meachem, if not, gamble with Williams.

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  17. Definitely Moreno is dropping like a running back who's terrible at football.

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  18. This is essentially roulette. HeywardBey had a great week, but the chances of a repeat are slim. Roberts is a legit number 2. Williams I was high on in the beginning of the year, but he is a huge risk. Driver and Mason are no longer in their glory days.

    Not a lot of sexy options. No one toward the bottom of my weekly rankings is still available for you? There has to be one of them.

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  19. Yep. Thanks. I have the Giants pretty high this week.

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  20. Yeah. That is one hell of a lineup. You must be in one of those rare 4 team leagues with a roster like that.

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  21. I love me some Steve Johnson this week. But I agree wholeheartedly with the lineup you have now.

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  22. NFL playoffs have absolutely nothing to do with fantasy football. Unless you are in a style of league, I've never heard of, then your league is going to end after Week 17.

    That said. The Vikes are playing from behind, and arent getting everything they can from AP. They are passing the ball a lot since they are down. So.. if you want to trade him, you can still get a great player on his name value alone.

    I would leave it as is, because even playing for a 0-4 team, he is putting up good stats.

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  23. I like Cooks upside since Britt is gone. But I would wait to see what Davis does this week before I completely count him out. He is the go to TE for the Skins and they have been using him a lot.

    I don’t think that dropping Davis for Young is too far out. You have another TE that you are likely starting every week, so Davis is essentially just a bench spot. It is a gamble, but you aren’t losing any starters with it. I’m all about going big for a sleeper, so I think you are doing a good job here.

    Also, since you are so thin at receiver and only like Fitz.. why not get rid of one of your awesome RBs? Best will get you something pretty fancy, and if Ridley has another good game, you could potentially sell him very high. Something else to think about.

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  24. Rams are falling apart. Too many injuries. I cant see them recovering. Cutler has a miserable offensive line. But Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield and they still pass it a lot. You'll have to play with sacks and turnovers, but I like Cutler of Bradford most weeks.

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  25. Yeah. I thought Moore could have a big week. But the Raiders blew it. Any QB who can’t put up 300+ against the Pats is trouble.
    I’d learn from your mistakes and go with Decker at WR2. Believe it or not, of the DEFs you listed, I have the Chiefs the highest. Bold move, but the matchup doesn’t suck.

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  26. Casey is intriguing as hell for me, but I would recommend sticking with what youve got.

    I have Hasselbeck playing for me this week with Romo out on bye. I just don’t trust Sanchez though. Some weeks he is great. Other weeks he throws less than 175. He is probably a good play this week. I just don’t trust him enough to rank him high.

    Garcon is going to be Painter’s favorite target it looks like. We only have one game to look at ,but Garcon got a lot of looks and a lot of catches. I wouldn’t expect numbers anywhere near what he did against the Bucs. But after this week, he might become more attractive than Wayne.

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  27. Put 49ers twice by accicent. Its fixed. Giants are a very good play this week. Have them top 5.

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  28. Hey there...need some help...

    QB- Cam Newton or Matt Hasselback
    WR- Pick 3- N.Washington, Greg.Jennings, Victor Cruz, Preston Parker ( I can get Jacoby Jones)
    RB- Pick 2- M.Turner, A.Brashaw, J.Best or Issac Redman??

    Thanks

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  29. I wouldnt change a thing. I like the gamble with Ridley. Wish it could be Rice, but Ridley should help out. Hopefully they will keep getting him the ball. Washington wasnt as great as I had hoped, but it will take a little time. I have him starting in my mega rivalry with Jordan this week, so I'll be cheering for him.

    Just be careful with Hernandez, even if he is back.

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  30. Thanks a lot Jack, that means a lot.

    I have been getting lower and lower on Schaub this year, and without AJ I think there is not very much he can get done. There will be small passes here and there, but Foster will be doing a lot of work. Hasselbeck is a big risk but I like his upside and think he can handle this matchup.

    Most other advice site are putting Schaub higher just because it is a smarter move for them. You won’t see a lot of risky predictions in other ‘expert’ rankings because if they are wrong, it will be a lot more memorable than if they were wrong but had a straightforward prediction.

    Look at it like this. If Expert thinks that Isaac Redman is going to have a brilliant week and be the best running back for Week 5 and puts him at number one on his rankings list and it turns out that Redman has a bad week, then he is going to be judge and scrutinized and likely lose a lot of respect and readers. So, he keeps Redman low just like every other expert in his rankings. If you ever really want to know what one of the ESPN or Yahoo guys think about what players are going to do each week, look at their sleepers or start/sit list rather than their rankings.

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  31. I like the trade. Bigger leagues require you to have a strong defense and you cant really use SDS, so GB would be great. Nicks and VJax are close to each other in my book, and Graham is a great TE that will start for you each week.

    The second trade you came up with is a little weak though. You’ll have to do a lot of fishing. For Manningham and Pettigrew you are going to have to aim higher than Maclin, but lower than Steve Smith. Maclin would be the lowest that I would go with this trade. It’s a smart trade to make, but if you need a QB more than another WR, then I would go for that.

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  32. There are tons of guys who could potentially be sleepers right now. So many injuries and up and downs are making it hard to call though. My favorites would be Josh Morgan, Titus Young and Preston Parker.

    Hope this helps.

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  33. I like Hasselbeck this week, but it has to be Cam, he's on fire.

    Washington and Jennings are definite. All other three are pretty deep sleepers. Parker could surprise, but Jones would be the safest play here.

    Turner and Bradshaw, I have Bradshaw just slightly over Best based on matchup.

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  34. So it's safe to say seeing as I have Chicago and Philly's defense on my team that you'd go with Chicago then?

    I was going to just try the SDS this week, but it looks like anything worthwhile is taken. The only one available with a decent chance at keeping the points low is Indy.

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  35. I'd roll with Chicago. Its not ideal, but they could do alright if they can force turnovers.

    Fun fact: In every season that Stafford has played and gotten injured in, it has been the Chicago Bears that sent him to the bench.

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  36. Thanks for the advice last week. Hopefully you did well in all of your leagues last week. I actually have a trade offer in the works. I think it would benefit my team to do it.
    My team looks like this right now...
    Qb - Freeman, Grossman
    WR - Calvin Johnson, nicks, Dez, m. Thomas
    RB - Rice, Wells, Sproles, Tolbert, Ridley, Jacobs
    TE- Graham

    The trade offer is me giving up Johnson and Tolbert for Vick and S. Moss or mike Williams (TB). Vick's owner has newton and plans to play him rest of year. I am also an Eagles fan so I dont want that to play to much of a factor.

    I hate to give up Johnson after how well he has played but I think overall it helps my team as long as Vick can stay healthy. Would you agree?

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  37. Sorry forgot to mention this but it's a standard scoring 12-person league with QBs getting 4 points per passing TD. I am currently 2-2.

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  38. Thanks, I like Decker upside. I was thinking to use Maclin as flex option. Or you think D. Jackson is the going to have another monster week.

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  39. Nope, not one, its a 14 team and we start 3 WR each week and averyone keeps at least one more on the bench so that's at least 56 players on a team, now including bye week, there is no one else... I propossed a trade Mathews and B. Marshall for Megatron and Lynch, if that happens I guess I wont need to pick one of the non-sexy options i just gave you. Titus Young and Parker are taken so Im going with Dough baldwin and Josh Morgan... wish me luck man and thanks a buch

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  40. I'm curious which of these receivers you like most in a standard league: Danario Alexander, Johnny Knox, Brandon LaFell, Darrius Heyward Bay, Jacoby Ford, or Titus Young. I probably won’t pull the trigger quite yet, but am just curious about your thoughts…your advice about not handcuffing has made me more confident to drop Ben Tate and explore my options. Thanks again!

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  41. Hi, your detailed ranking are excellent.. I need help on staring RB & WR this week(5) please help.. (format: QB,2RB,3WR,TE,K,DEF)

    RB:
    Beaine Wells(I'm in dilemma to bench bcos he is facing MN this week)
    Cedric Benson
    Joe Addai

    WR:
    Roddy White
    Robert Meachem
    Micheal Crabtree
    C.Ococinco(planning to bench)
    K.Walter(planning to bench)
    D.Amendola(unlucky he is out for the season:(

    Please let me know which RB & WR to start this week

    Thanks,
    Rox

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  42. Hey guys,

    Have a few questions before kickoff.

    League 1: WR- need 3- Sidney Rice, Mike Williams (TB), Plax, Nate Washington, and Colston. Right now, I have Rice, Williams, and Washington. Also, I could use any of the above or Beanie Wells at FLEX- leaning toward Beanie. Thoughts?

    League 2: WR- need 3- VJax (hurt), Victor Cruz, Santonio Holmes, Plax, Antonio Brown. Leaning toward VJax, Holmes, and Victor Cruz. Also, I need a FLEX- any of the mentioned, plus Frank Gore, Beanie Wells, and Gronk (Jimmy Graham is my starting TE). Thoughts?

    I love your blog and continue to spread the word!

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  43. I have a question about my flex spot. Currently I have....

    RB LeSean McCoy
    RB MJD
    Flex Julio Jones
    WR VJax
    WR Steve Smith

    On my bench I have....
    Reggie Wayne
    Knowshon Moreno
    Mario Manningham
    Mike Tolbert
    Stevan Ridley

    So who would you go with this week? I'm liking Julio Jones more and more every week but I'm no expert on judging week to week matchups. Thanks for the help!!

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  44. Thanks so the advice so far I am 4-0 in my league and I look unstoppable. For your #3 WR: Maclin, Julio Jones, or AJ Green???
    Thanks for the advice

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  45. Thanks!

    Go with Wells. He's proving himself every single week. I'd go Addai too, Colts might have finally found a run game.

    WR: I guess youre going to have to go White Meachem and Crabtree. Its not ideal, but they are your best. Better jump on a sleeper at WR and get rid of Amendola. There are some decent choices that might still be available.

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  46. League 1. This is tough, I expect each one of them to perform better than average.
    Rice looks good. Williams is finally improving. Plax has an awesome matchup against the Pats. Washington is coming up as a great WR with Hasselbeck at QB, but he is matched up with Pittsburgh. Colston should be at full health and good to go.

    So, I like the entire bunch. I think that I would go with Rice, Williams and Colston. But like I said, any group you put out there should perform pretty well. My flex would be Wells

    League 2: I agree with you. But I think that personally, I would take the lesser risk and go VJax, Holmes and Plax in this one. Love his matchup, and Cruz is still battling for receptions with Manningham and Nicks.
    Flex is also tough. I'd normally say go Wells, I dont like having TEs in flex, but Gronk could be a great play. Jets will focus on Welker and there will be some openings for Gronk. I'd go with him.

    Thanks for spreading the word about us. We appreciate it.

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  47. I would agree with it. I think that Wayne has done little enough to warrant a bench spot. Jones is coming on strong and you know that GB/ATL is going to be a high-scoring affair.

    I think Julio is a smart choice.

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  48. Awesome! Happy to help. Love hearing success stories.

    I feel that I have Julio Jones too high this week. But then you have to recognize that he is getting targeted all the time and has a fantastic matchup.

    AJ Green is looking more like a true number one. The Bengals throw it constantly. And, unlike Jones, Green has seen the endzone.

    I think its incredibly ballsy that you have two rookie WRs, but it looks to be paying off. I would say that Julio is a definite start here if you are PPR. Tossup for me if you are standard. I would bet that Jones will score this week though. I'd roll with him.

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  49. Thank you GHL! for now I picked KC defense for my redskins bye week.. Please let me where can I find a list of good WR sleepers..

    And are you asking me to bench Benson?

    By the way I am in a 16 team head-to-head league and this is my second year in fantasy

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  50. Hi GHL,

    Which defense to start in week 5

    Jacksonville Jags or Buf Bills

    Thanks!

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