NFL Predictions Week 5: Fantasy Guide, Odds Projections and Expert Tips
We're one game into Week 5, with 13 games left to go. Sunday's action may only be a day away, but there's still plenty left to consider, especially if you're involved in the world of fantasy.
Today, we're going to take a look at the latest odds—courtesy of Odds Shark—and make our predictions for the remaining Week 5 games. We'll also take a look at some of the latest fantasy storylines and potential Week 5 fantasy studs.
We'll be making our projections based on factors like past performances, projected role, matchup and health, where applicable.
NFL Week 5
| Sun. 1 p.m. | Tennessee at Miami | MIA -3.5 | 24-20 TEN |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | Washington at Baltimore | BAL -4 | 31-24 BAL |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | Chicago at Indianapolis | IND -4.5 | 36-32 IND |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | NY Jets at Pittsburgh | PIT -7.5 | 42-31 PIT |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | Houston at Minnesota | MIN -7 | 24-18 MIN |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | New England at Cleveland | NE -10.5 | 31-24 NE |
| Sun. 1 p.m. | Philadelphia at Detroit | PHI -3 | 31-27 PHI |
| Sun. 4:05 p.m. | Atlanta at Denver | DEN -4.5 | 34-31 DEN |
| Sun. 4:25 p.m. | Buffalo at Los Angeles | LA -1 | 22-20 LA |
| Sun. 4:25 p.m. | San Diego at Oakland | OAK -3.5 | 34-30 OAK |
| Sun. 4:25 p.m. | Cincinnati at Dallas | CIN -2 | 24-21 CIN |
| Sun. 8:30 p.m. | NY Giants at Green Bay | GB -7 | 28-22 GB |
| Mon. 8:30 p.m. | Tampa Bay at Carolina | CAR -4.5 | 26-22 CAR |
Fantasy Outlook
| Melvin Gordon, RB, SD | @ OAK | 122 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 REC, 22 YDS |
| DeMarco Murray, RB, TEN | @ MIA | 112 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 REC, 14 YDS |
| Antonio Brown, WR, PIT | NYJ | 8 REC, 144 YDS, TD |
| A.J. Green, WR, CIN | @ DAL | 6 REC, 88 YDS, 2 TD |
| Le'Veon Bell, RB, PIT | NYJ | 89 YDS, 1 TD, 5 REC, 64 YDS |
| C.J. Anderson, RB, DEN | ATL | 104 YDS, 1 TD, 3 REC, 42 YDS |
| Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA | TEN | 11 REC, 130 YDS |
| Brandon Marshall, WR, NYJ | @ PIT | 6 REC, 78 YDS, TD |
| Jordan Reed, TE, WAS | @ BAL | 7 REC, 84 YDS, TD |
| Greg Olsen, TE, CAR | TB | 7 REC, 77 YDS, TD |
| Frank Gore, RB, IND | CHI | 88 YDS, TD, 3 REC, 36 YDS |
| Jordan Howard, RB, CHI | @ IND | 134 YDS, 2 REC, 29 YDS |
| Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL | CIN | 102 YDS, TD, 1 REC, 6 YDS |
| Odell Beckham, Jr., WR, NYG | @ GB | 8 REC, 99 YDS |
| Jordy Nelson, WR, GB | NYG | 6 REC, 118 YDS |
| Mike Evans, WR, TB | @ CAR | 5 REC, 66 YDS, TD |
| LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF | @ LA | 66 YDS, 5 REC, 55 YDS |
| LeGarrette Blount, RB, NE | @ CLE | 104 YDS, TD |
| Theo Riddick, RB, DET | PHI | 54 YDS, 6 REC, 48 YDS |
| Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE | @ CLE | 5 REC, 89 YDS, TD |
| Jordan Matthews, WR, PHI | @ DET | 7 REC, 101 YDS |
| Alshon Jeffery, WR, CHI | @ IND | 5 REC, 55 YDS, TD |
| Dennis Pitta, TE, BAL | WAS | 6 REC, 91 YDS |
| Isaiah Crowell, RB, CLE | NE | 78 YDS, 3 REC 38 YDS |
| Kyle Rudolph, TE, MIN | HOU | 7 REC, 78 YDS |
Cam Questionable
Let's start off by addressing the status of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who suffered a concussion during last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
As of now, Newton remains in the concussion protocol, and it's looking like only a slim chance he'll play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
This means the Panthers most likely will be relying on backup Derek Anderson. What does this mean for owners of Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen? Realistically, not a whole lot. Anderson is a strong-armed, experienced quarterback who has played with the Panthers since 2011. He should be able to operate the offense efficiently.
"It won’t be an issue for us as far as 'Oh, man. We’ve got to have two different game plans,'" Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula said, per David Newton of ESPN.com. "We’re going to go like [Cam’s] the quarterback, and if we need to tweak it for DA, that’ll be an easy tweak."
The big difference here is that Anderson is obviously less of a running threat. This means the Buccaneers defense will be more worried about his arm than his legs, which could close off some of the big-play opportunities that Cam can generate. Still, it should be a decent outing for Panthers pass-catchers.
Tampa Bay is rated just 25th in pass coverage and 29th in pass rush by Pro Football Focus. In fact, Anderson might even be a decent option for Newton owners in need of a temporary fix.
Derek Anderson Projected Stats: 354 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Start Your Steelers
If you own one of the top Pittsburgh Steelers players, this is a terrific week for you. We saw during last week's 43-14 beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs that the Steelers offense is virtually unstoppable when firing on all cylinders.
Running back Le'Veon Bell returned from his suspension last week, so the offense is indeed working at full capacity.
The Steelers are back at home this week, which is great news for them. It's terrible news for the New York Jets. The last time Pittsburgh lost at home to a nondivisional opponent was in Week 13 of the 2014 season.
The great news for fantasy owners is that this Jets defense has been borderline pitiful against the pass this season. New York is allowing an average of 285 yards passing per contest and are rated dead last in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who torched the Chiefs for 300 yards and five touchdowns last week, should have a field day. The trickle-down should yield plenty of points for wide receiver Antonio Brown and other pass-catchers as well.
Bell's ability to make plays in the passing game makes him a must-start this week, too. Even guys such as Markus Wheaton, Sammie Coates and tight end Jesse James should be worth a look in deeper leagues and PPR formats.
| QB | Ben Roethlisberger | 300 YDS, 5 TDs | 356 YDS, 3 TDs |
| RB | Le'Veon Bell | 144 YDS RUSH, 5 REC, 34 YDS REC | 89 YDS RUSH, 5 REC, 64 YDS REC |
| WR | Antonio Brown | 4 REC, 64 YDS, 2 TDs | 8 REC, 144 YDS, TD |
Conversely, stay away from the Jets defense this week.
Give Gronk a Chance
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been a frustration for fantasy owners so far this season. The usually dominant fantasy stud has been hampered by a hamstring injury and without quarterback Tom Brady.
Gronkowski's injury actually caused him to miss the first two games of the season, and he's only produced one catch for 11 yards in the two games since. This is awful production for a guy some probably took in the first or second rounds of their fantasy drafts.
There's reason to be skeptical about Gronkowski going forward as well.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo had the following to say earlier this week on Good Morning Football:
"He is not himself. I had two calls yesterday. One guy semi-connected to Gronk said, 'How are you guys not paying more attention? This guy is not right.' That hamstring has not come along like they thought it was going to. I had another guy say, 'If you watch that game yesterday, they kept him in to block way more than they usually do.' And they didn't let him get down the field, everything was kind of short or intermediate.
"
If you haven't had the guts to stick Gronkowski in your lineup before, now is the time. While he may still not be at 100 percent, Gronkowski will be aided greatly by the return of his starting quarterback.
Gronkowski also has the benefit of going up against a young and inconsistent Cleveland Browns defense. Right now, Pro Football Focus rates the Browns just 25th in pass coverage. Last week, Cleveland surrendered nine receptions, 73 yards and two touchdowns to Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed.
If Gronkowski comes up blank again, it will be time to start seriously worrying about his hamstring. Don't expect massive production given the injury and the presence of fellow tight end Martellus Bennett, but Gronkowski should reward owners with a solid outing.
Projected Stats: 5 receptions, 89 yards, 1 touchdown
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