Fantasy Football Week 5: Top Plays at Every Position

Angry you missed out on the production of Fred Jackson, Willis McGahee and C.J. Spiller from Thursday night's game? You probably should be, because the running back position just hasn't been that good to fantasy owners this year.

The screws tighten with the bye-week absences of Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris and Le'Veon Bell. Perhaps we should focus on the positive here: They are getting their bye out of the way early, setting you up for a solid run through the thick of the bye season.

We'll help you plug the holes and settle the debates with our comprehensive look at all of the rankings and options by position in this six-part slideshow.

Quarterbacks: Michael Vick Gets the Woeful Giants, but Don't Trust Eli Manning

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Michael Vick hasn't been great yet, but he should be against a terrible and banged-up Giants defense this week.

The likes of Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton come off byes and, if you own those guys, you don't need to bother with rostering a backup behind them in standard, one-quarterback formats. They are must-start options in all fantasy leagues the rest of the season. They just happen to have favorable matchups in their return this week too.

Take advantage of the Giants

Michael Vick gets the woeful Giants defense that has given up a league-worst 10 touchdown passes. It also happens to be banged up, as The Bergen Record's Jeff Roberts reports. This makes the quarterback you drafted as a backup a must-start, even over the likes of Andrew Luck and the red-hot Alex Smith.

The Colts a defense to fear?

Some people are going to sit Russell Wilson at Indy, but that might be a mistake. Sure, the Colts have shut down Colin Kaepernick, but having faced the likes of the Raiders, Dolphins and Jaguars have more to do with the Colts' third-best standing in fantasy against quarterbacks.

Wilson—who the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Sam Barbee said wins, fantasy points be damned—is going to do much better than he did against the 49ers and Texans in Weeks 2 and 4. The Colts just aren't in their class defensively.

Week 5 sleepers

Speaking of Kaepernick, he will also be better than he has been since opening week, despite facing those same Texans, who have been No. 4 against fantasy quarterbacks.

ESPN's Bill Williamson predicts 276 yards and two touchdown passes. With Vernon Davis (hamstring) having more time to heal and Jon Baldwin getting more involved in the offense, we see Kaepernick doing even more than that optimistic projection.

Kaepernick is among the quarterbacks we put more than a couple of spots higher than the consensus this week:

1. Tom Brady
2. Matt Ryan
3. Colin Kaepernick
4. Russell Wilson
5. Carson Palmer

Week 5 duds

Despite a favorable matchup against the Eagles, who have given up the fourth-most points to fantasy quarterbacks through four games, Eli Manning is too difficult to trust as a fantasy starter right now.

His offensive line is in shambles, and there are inconsistent results coming from his receivers. Manning is too tough to start outside of two-quarterback formats until his line proves more worthy and the team shows some balance with its long-lost running game.

Make no mistake: Vick is a must-start, but he belongs on this list as well. He'll be hard-pressed to reach the lofty expectations set for him this week by most of the other experts.

Manning and Vick are among the quarterbacks we like less than the masses:

1. Philip Rivers
2. Michael Vick
3. Eli Manning
4. Ryan Tannehill
5. Geno Smith

Week 5 Quarterbacks Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Quarterbacks	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Peyton Manning	Den	at Dal	1	0
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB	vs. Det	2	0
3	Matthew Stafford	Det	at GB	4	+1
4	Drew Brees	NO	at Chi	3	-1
5	Cam Newton	Car	at Ari	7	+2
6	Tom Brady	NE	at Cin	9	+3
7	Matt Ryan	Atl	vs. NYJ	10	+3
8	Tony Romo	Dal	vs. Den	8	0
9	Colin Kaepernick	SF	vs. Hou	13	+4
10	Russell Wilson	Sea	at Ind	14	+4
11	Philip Rivers	SD	at Oak	6	-5
12	Michael Vick	Phi	at NYG	5	-7
13	Terrelle Pryor	Oak	vs. SD	12	-1
14	Sam Bradford	StL	vs. Jac	15	+1
15	Jay Cutler	Chi	vs. NO	16	+1
16	Brian Hoyer	Cle	vs. Buf	18	+2
17	Andrew Luck	Ind	vs. Sea	17	0
18	Alex Smith	KC	at Ten	19	+1
19	Andy Dalton	Cin	vs. NE	21	+2
20	Eli Manning	NYG	vs. Phi	11	-9
21	Joe Flacco	Bal	at Mia	23	+2
22	Matt Schaub	Hou	at SF	22	0
23	Carson Palmer	Ari	vs. Car	26	+3
24	Ryan Tannehill	Mia	vs. Bal	20	-4
25	EJ Manuel	Buf	at Cle	25	0
26	Geno Smith	NYJ	at Atl	24	-2
27	Ryan Fitzpatrick	Ten	vs. KC	27	0
28	Blaine Gabbert	Jac	at StL	28	0

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Running Backs: With Elite Options on Bye, We Try to Make Sense of a Mess

If you think the start of your elite backs has been rough, Week 5 doesn't have much in the way of answers for us. It is a tough week for byes with some elite backs having to hit the pine, including Adrian Peterson, struggling Doug Martin, Alfred Morris (ribs) and Le'Veon Bell, who scored two touchdowns in his return from his preseason foot sprain.

We will try to help you patch together some viable starts in spite of this.

Built Ram tough? Hardly

The Rams have made the likes of DeMarco Murray (175 yards) and Frank Gore (153 yards) look like Pro Bowlers, if not Hall of Famers, so there is a shred of hope for Maurice Jones-Drew owners this week. MJD has yet to surpass 45 yards in any of the first four games, but he could break 100 against a Rams defense that has been the worst in fantasy against running backs.

Don't worry too much about the trade of left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Ravens. Rookie Luke Joeckel is excited about moving back to his natural left tackle position for the Jags, according to the Florida Times-Union's Hays Carlyon. MJD fantasy owners should be too.

Richardson has earned must-start status

The Colts are facing a tough Seattle run defense this week, but the prospect of Ahmad Bradshaw facing neck surgery, according to the Indianapolis Star's Mike Chappell, will put the onus on Trent Richardson to carry the load.

With Bradshaw out this week (and possibly more), you should consider Richardson too promising to sit in any matchup. Donald Brown might be a flier to take as a handcuff if you are a Richardson owner, but don't dare consider Brown this week.

Week 5 sleepers

With the release of Da'Rel Scott, the Giants are going to have to lean on David Wilson, the back they should have been leaning on the whole time. Brandon Jacobs will still be the short-yardage back and touchdown vulture, but Wilson will pick up more touches, especially as a pass receiver out of the backfield.

Consider this the most important game of the season for Wilson owners. You have to keep him active for this.

He leads the backs we like considerably more than the consensus this week:

1. David Wilson
2. Knowshon Moreno
3. Danny Woodhead
4. Willis McGahee (played Thursday night against Buffalo)
5. Rashard Mendenhall

Week 5 duds

The Rams have made a mess of their running back situation as Daryl Richardson reportedly tweeted he was being removed as the starter. (The tweet has since been deleted.)

Jeff Fisher says all of his backs will play in a rotation, but ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports it is rookie Zac Stacy's turn, over the likes of Richardson, Isaiah Pead and Benny Cunningham.

Richardson's demotion makes him one of the players we like less than the masses this week. Here are the top five we like more than five spots less:

1. Darren Sproles
2. Rashad Jennings
3. Jason Snelling
4. Andre Ellington
5. Benny Cunningham

Week 5 Running Backs Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Running Backs	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	LeSean McCoy	Phi	at NYG	1	0
2	Jamaal Charles	KC	at Ten	2	0
3	Arian Foster	Hou	at SF	6	+3
4	Marshawn Lynch	Sea	at Ind	4	0
5	Reggie Bush	Det	at GB	5	0
6	Matt Forte	Chi	vs. NO	3	-3
7	Ray Rice	Bal	at Mia	9	+2
8	Frank Gore	SF	vs. Hou	7	-1
9	Chris Johnson	Ten	vs. KC	11	+2
10	David Wilson	NYG	vs. Phi	16	+6
11	DeMarco Murray	Dal	vs. Den	8	-3
12	Eddie Lacy	GB	vs. Det	12	0
13	Knowshon Moreno	Den	at Dal	20	+7
14	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	at StL	15	+1
15	Trent Richardson	Ind	vs. Sea	10	-5
16	DeAngelo Williams	Car	at Ari	17	+1
17	Bilal Powell	NYJ	at Atl	13	-4
18	Ryan Mathews	SD	at Oak	21	+3
19	Danny Woodhead	SD	at Oak	26	+7
20	Darren Sproles	NO	at Chi	14	-6
21	Willis McGahee	Cle	vs. Buf	29	+8
22	Lamar Miller	Mia	vs. Bal	19	-3
23	Giovani Bernard	Cin	vs. NE	18	-5
24	Fred Jackson	Buf	at Cle	22	-2
25	Joique Bell	Det	at GB	25	0
26	Stevan Ridley	NE	at Cin	24	-2
27	Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	vs. Car	32	+5
28	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	vs. NE	35	+7
29	Jacquizz Rodgers	Atl	vs. NYJ	28	-1
30	Pierre Thomas	NO	at Chi	31	+1
31	C.J. Spiller	Buf	at Cle	23	-8
32	Isaiah Pead	StL	vs. Jac	40	+8
33	Zac Stacy	StL	vs. Jac	48	+15
34	Daryl Richardson	StL	vs. Jac	30	-4
35	Robert Turbin	Sea	at Ind	59	+24
36	Bryce Brown	Phi	at NYG	50	+14
37	Ronnie Hillman	Den	at Dal	44	+7
38	Bernard Pierce	Bal	at Mia	37	-1
39	Rashad Jennings	Oak	vs. SD	27	-12
40	Ben Tate	Hou	at SF	36	-4
41	LeGarrette Blount	NE	at Cin	39	-2
42	Brandon Jacobs	NYG	vs. Phi	51	+9
43	Kendall Hunter	SF	vs. Hou	54	+11
44	Daniel Thomas	Mia	vs. Bal	46	+2
45	Brandon Bolden	NE	at Cin	45	0
46	Jason Snelling	Atl	vs. NYJ	33	-13
47	Michael Bush	Chi	vs. NO	52	+5
48	Andre Ellington	Ari	vs. Car	38	-10
49	Benny Cunningham	StL	vs. Jac	41	-8
50	Montee Ball	Den	at Dal	47	-3
51	Johnathan Franklin	GB	vs. Det	42	-9
52	Tashard Choice	Buf	at Cle	53	+1
53	Christine Michael	Sea	at Ind	67	+14
54	Chris Ogbonnaya	Cle	vs. Buf	43	-11
55	Mike Goodson	NYJ	at Atl	56	+1
56	Jackie Battle	Ten	vs. KC	61	+5
57	Ronnie Brown	SD	at Oak	60	+3
58	Knile Davis	KC	at Ten	75	+17
59	Alfonso Smith	Ari	vs. Car	77	+18
60	Bobby Rainey	Cle	vs. Buf	70	+10
61	Jordan Todman	Jac	at StL	73	+12
62	Kenjon Barner	Car	at Ari	82	+20
63	Anthony Dixon	SF	vs. Hou	81	+18
64	Alex Green	NYJ	at Atl	80	+16
65	Stepfan Taylor	Ari	vs. Car	86	+21
66	Lance Dunbar	Dal	vs. Den	72	+6
67	Chris Polk	Phi	at NYG	66	-1
68	Donald Brown	Ind	vs. Sea	65	-3
69	Darren McFadden	Oak	vs. SD	34	-35
70	Mark Ingram	NO	at Chi	69	-1

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Wide Receivers: Better Week for the Giants; Not so Much for the Colts

Wide receiver is one position where four teams on bye has a minimal negative impact on your lineup, particularly since the teams off in Week 5 are not really wide receiver heavy. You do need to replace Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, Pierre Garcon, Antonio Brown and Greg Jennings, but there are ample options available to you as long as you have the roster flexibility.

That set of receivers is almost replaced entirely by the return of the Packers from bye, including Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and James Jones. The Panthers are back too, with Steve Smith and perhaps Brandon LaFell for those that need a sleeper.

Eli Manning's receivers finally get positive matchup

The Giants' struggles are all blamed on the banged-up offensive line and the error-prone Manning, but we probably should be giving some credit to the Broncos, Panthers and Chiefs defenses.

They are far better off in the secondary to date than the Eagles, who are the worst team in fantasy against receivers. That latter stat should help you feel confident in starting Hakeem Nicks and perhaps even Rueben Randle as a sleeper.

Seattle brings its D to Indy

If there is one team in the NFL you should fear if you’re a wide receiver, it is the Seahawks with their talented, shutdown corners and elite safeties. The Colts might have to focus on their ground-and-pound game with Trent Richardson on Sunday.

This matchup makes it difficult to trust Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton. You definitely cannot feel good about Darrius Heyward-Bey either.

Week 5 sleepers

The Colts defense has quietly held its own this season, and nowhere has that been more apparent than against wide receivers.

The Colts have been the fourth-best team against them to date in fantasy, but the Raiders, Dolphins, 49ers and Jaguars don't have that much talent in that position. The Seahawks have a lot of interchangeable parts there, including one of the more underrated commodities in Sidney Rice.

Rice and his teammate Doug Baldwin are among the receivers we like more than 10 spots than the consensus this week:

1. Sidney Rice
2. Kenny Britt
3. Mohamed Sanu
4. Keenan Allen
5. Doug Baldwin

Week 5 duds

Alshon Jeffery is emerging as one of the best second-year receivers in football right now, working with Jay Cutler in Marc Trestman's West Coast offense. He was one of the most-added players off waivers this week, but you shouldn't feel overly confident in him going against an improved Saints defense that has been fifth best in fantasy versus receivers.

Jeffery is among the options we like less than the masses in the rankings below:

1. Reggie Wayne
2. Alshon Jeffery
3. Brian Hartline
4. Michael Floyd
5. Chris Givens

Week 5 Wide Receivers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Wide Receivers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Calvin Johnson	Det	at GB	1	0
2	A.J. Green	Cin	vs. NE	6	+4
3	Dez Bryant	Dal	vs. Den	2	-1
4	Brandon Marshall	Chi	vs. NO	7	+3
5	Demaryius Thomas	Den	at Dal	3	-2
6	Julio Jones	Atl	vs. NYJ	5	-1
7	Victor Cruz	NYG	vs. Phi	4	-3
8	Wes Welker	Den	at Dal	8	0
9	Jordy Nelson	GB	vs. Det	10	+1
10	Randall Cobb	GB	vs. Det	9	-1
11	Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	vs. Car	14	+3
12	DeSean Jackson	Phi	at NYG	11	-1
13	Josh Gordon	Cle	vs. Buf	13	0
14	Andre Johnson	Hou	at SF	12	-2
15	Torrey Smith	Bal	at Mia	15	0
16	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	vs. Phi	20	+4
17	Mike Wallace	Mia	vs. Bal	23	+6
18	Anquan Boldin	SF	vs. Hou	18	0
19	Roddy White	Atl	vs. NYJ	25	+6
20	Marques Colston	NO	at Chi	17	-3
21	Eric Decker	Den	at Dal	16	-5
22	James Jones	GB	vs. Det	22	0
23	Dwayne Bowe	KC	at Ten	29	+6
24	Steve Smith	Car	at Ari	19	-5
25	Steve Johnson	Buf	at Cle	31	+6
26	Cecil Shorts	Jac	at StL	24	-2
27	Julian Edelman	NE	at Cin	27	0
28	Danny Amendola	NE	at Cin	32	+4
29	Reggie Wayne	Ind	vs. Sea	21	-8
30	Eddie Royal	SD	at Oak	39	+9
31	Denarius Moore	Oak	vs. SD	35	+4
32	Kenbrell Thompkins	NE	at Cin	28	-4
33	Sidney Rice	Sea	at Ind	50	+17
34	Justin Blackmon	Jac	at StL	30	-4
35	DeAndre Hopkins	Hou	at SF	34	-1
36	Brian Hartline	Mia	vs. Bal	26	-10
37	T.Y. Hilton	Ind	vs. Sea	37	0
38	Golden Tate	Sea	at Ind	45	+7
39	Nate Washington	Ten	vs. KC	38	-1
40	Tavon Austin	StL	vs. Jac	36	-4
41	Alshon Jeffery	Chi	vs. NO	33	-8
42	Kenny Britt	Ten	vs. KC	76	+34
43	Rueben Randle	NYG	vs. Phi	48	+5
44	Vincent Brown	SD	at Oak	44	0
45	Miles Austin	Dal	vs. Den	47	+2
46	Kendall Wright	Ten	vs. KC	49	+3
47	Mohamed Sanu	Cin	vs. NE	59	+12
48	Robert Woods	Buf	at Cle	42	-6
49	Donnie Avery	KC	at Ten	57	+8
50	Keenan Allen	SD	at Oak	60	+10
51	Michael Floyd	Ari	vs. Car	41	-10
52	Andre Roberts	Ari	vs. Car	58	+6
53	Chris Givens	StL	vs. Jac	40	-13
54	Riley Cooper	Phi	at NYG	62	+8
55	Ryan Broyles	Det	at GB	54	-1
56	Doug Baldwin	Sea	at Ind	70	+14
57	Rod Streater	Oak	vs. SD	55	-2
58	Stephen Hill	NYJ	at Atl	53	-5
59	Lance Moore	NO	at Chi	64	+5
60	Brandon LaFell	Car	at Ari	61	+1
61	Jeremy Kerley	NYJ	at Atl	43	-18
62	Marlon Brown	Bal	at Mia	46	-16
63	Jason Avant	Phi	at NYG	69	+6
64	Austin Pettis	StL	vs. Jac	52	-12
65	Brandon Gibson	Mia	vs. Bal	68	+3
66	Justin Hunter	Ten	vs. KC	77	+11
67	Harry Douglas	Atl	vs. NYJ	72	+5
68	Davone Bess	Cle	vs. Buf	63	-5
69	Jon Baldwin	SF	vs. Hou	83	+14
70	Kyle Williams	SF	vs. Hou	78	+8
71	Marvin Jones	Cin	vs. NE	92	+21
72	Damian Williams	Ten	vs. KC	105	+33
73	Ted Ginn	Car	at Ari	65	-8
74	Darrius Heyward-Bey	Ind	vs. Sea	67	-7
75	Brandon Stokley	Bal	at Mia	88	+13
76	Dexter McCluster	KC	at Ten	84	+8
77	Terrance Williams	Dal	vs. Den	51	-26
78	Kenny Stills	NO	at Chi	73	-5
79	Earl Bennett	Chi	vs. NO	79	0
80	Jacoby Ford	Oak	vs. SD	90	+10
81	Kris Durham	Det	at GB	71	-10
82	Dwayne Harris	Dal	vs. Den	81	-1
83	Brian Quick	StL	vs. Jac	98	+15
84	Aaron Dobson	NE	at Cin	66	-18
85	Greg Little	Cle	vs. Buf	82	-3
86	Ace Sanders	Jac	at StL	80	-6
87	Seyi Ajirotutu	SD	at Oak	118	+31
88	Stephen Williams	Sea	at Ind	114	+26
89	Austin Collie	NE	at Cin	112	+23
90	Brice Butler	Oak	vs. SD	95	+5

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Tight Ends: You Shouldn't Miss Gronk Too Much, but Start Him If He Plays

Another week, and likely another lineup without Rob Gronkowski available to fantasy owners. The good thing about Week 5 is we will have another plane trip Saturday and a 1 p.m. Sunday game at the roster deadline to figure out whether Gronk will be active.

If he is, he should be in your fantasy lineup, but it doesn't look promising. He is saying a lot without saying anything, as the Shalise Manza Young's Boston Globe story showed.

Don't lose track of Olsen this week

The bye week had the Panthers' Greg Olsen get cut in four percent of CBS Sports leagues, but you should expect starter-quality numbers on a consistent basis the rest of the way.

It certainly helps he has his bye week out of the way and is facing the Cardinals, who have been the worst team in fantasy against tight ends, giving up a pair of touchdowns to Jared Cook in Week 1 and Jimmy Graham in Week 3. Olsen is a set-it-and-forget-it tight end.

49ers' Davis banged up and has a tough matchup

You should not sit Vernon Davis (hamstring) if he plays, because he is one of Colin Kaepernick's truly legit weapons, but the injury and difficulty of the Texans matchup might make you think twice if you have a viable backup. The Texans have allowed a league-low eight receptions to tight ends through four games.

Week 5 sleepers

Coby Fleener is a fantasy darling right now, but he does have a tough matchup against the Seahawks this week. If you are a fantasy owner with two tight ends on your roster and like to play the matchups at the position, Fleener is probably not a play.

If you're looking for the next Fleener-like breakthrough, look no further than Rob Housler of the Arizona Cardinals. Housler hasn't done anything yet, but he was held up early by a high-ankle sprain that won't keep him out of action any longer. Carson Palmer is going to make him a gem off waivers for fantasy owners sooner rather than later.

Fleener and Housler are among the tight ends we like more than the consensus rankings:

1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Vernon Davis
3. Jermichael Finley
4. Coby Fleener
5. Rob Housler

Week 5 duds

After a hot start, Julius Thomas hasn't performed like a sure-fire fantasy starter. It should have been expected with the numerous weapons Peyton Manning has to rotate the ball around to. Thomas is coming off his quietest effort from Week 4, even if he faces a Dallas defense that has given up a league-high 30 receptions to tight ends thus far.

Thomas is among those we like less than the masses this week:

1. Julius Thomas
2. Martellus Bennett
3. Jared Cook
4. Charles Clay
5. Kellen Winslow

Week 5 Tight Ends Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Tight Ends	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	at Chi	1	0
2	Jordan Cameron	Cle	vs. Buf	2	0
3	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	vs. NYJ	6	+3
4	Antonio Gates	SD	at Oak	3	-1
5	Jason Witten	Dal	vs. Den	5	0
6	Vernon Davis	SF	vs. Hou	8	+2
7	Greg Olsen	Car	at Ari	7	0
8	Julius Thomas	Den	at Dal	4	-4
9	Jermichael Finley	GB	vs. Det	12	+3
10	Rob Gronkowski	NE	at Cin	10	0
11	Martellus Bennett	Chi	vs. NO	9	-2
12	Owen Daniels	Hou	at SF	13	+1
13	Coby Fleener	Ind	vs. Sea	16	+3
14	Jared Cook	StL	vs. Jac	11	-3
15	Brandon Myers	NYG	vs. Phi	15	0
16	Rob Housler	Ari	vs. Car	26	+10
17	Charles Clay	Mia	vs. Bal	14	-3
18	Garrett Graham	Hou	at SF	24	+6
19	Brent Celek	Phi	at NYG	21	+2
20	Scott Chandler	Buf	at Cle	29	+9
21	Jermaine Gresham	Cin	vs. NE	20	-1
22	Tyler Eifert	Cin	vs. NE	22	0
23	Zach Miller	Sea	at Ind	23	0
24	Kellen Winslow	NYJ	at Atl	17	-7
25	Joseph Fauria	Det	at GB	32	+7
26	Lance Kendricks	StL	vs. Jac	43	+17
27	Marcedes Lewis	Jac	at StL	28	+1
28	Dallas Clark	Bal	at Mia	19	-9
29	Brandon Pettigrew	Det	at GB	18	-11
30	Mychal Rivera	Oak	vs. SD	31	+1

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Defensive/Special Teams: Streaming Options Abound, Some Still on Waivers

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

We should expect the Falcons to get healthy and tee off on Geno Smith and the bumbling Jets on Monday night.

This is a favorable week for fans of streaming defenses. While some of the elite fantasy defenses play some tough matchups—namely the Bears facing Drew Brees, the 49ers and Texans facing each other, and the Patriots facing the Bengals—there are ample fringe fantasy units facing suspect quarterbacks.

The Rams, Falcons, Panthers, Chargers and Eagles are solid one-week plays. You won't even miss the bye teams of the Vikings, Steelers, Redskins and Buccaneers—not that you should own those suspect teams in fantasy anyway.

Take advantage of the Giants

Eli Manning has been turnover prone and a sack machine, so you might consider a bad Eagles defense interesting because of the matchup.

The Giants need to get their running game going to take the pressure off, but with pass-happy Kevin Gilbride—an architect of the long-lost run-and-shoot—that is no sure thing. If the Giants stay one-dimensional, they are going to remain no-win-sional. The Eagles defense is a top-12 unit in this rare week.

Chief concern? Meh, keep them active

The Titans have not turned the ball over this season, which certainly has contributed to their surprising start. It has also made them the toughest opponent for defenses to date. The Chiefs have been the best fantasy unit so far, so something has to give.

We figure it will be the Titans, who are stuck relying on Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback now. He should be good for a few turnovers and sacks, maybe even a pick-six.

Week 5 sleepers

The Chargers defense was great in fantasy last year and has been mediocre to date this season, but this is a week to expect a resurgence. The Raiders offense might be without Darren McFadden (hamstring), or a Run DMC who will be playing with a sore hammy and sans practice.

The Chargers have an elite run defense and are a top-five unit in fantasy against running backs. Consider the Chargers if you did not get your hands on St. Louis, Atlanta or Carolina.

Here are the units we like more than the masses this week:

1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Chicago Bears
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5 duds

While the Patriots vs. Bengals game is going to be interesting with AFC playoff implications down the road, it shouldn't be one you are looking forward to if you own either defense.

In smaller leagues, you are justified cutting either defense for one of the streaming options above. Both offenses are secure with the ball and can put up points against each other.

They are among the defenses we like less than the consensus:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Cleveland Browns (D'oh! played well Thursday night)
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. New England Patriots 

Week 5 Defenses and Special Teams Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Defenses and Special Teams	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Seattle Seahawks	Sea	at Ind	2	+1
2	St. Louis Rams	StL	vs. Jac	1	-1
3	Atlanta Falcons	Atl	vs. NYJ	3	0
4	San Francisco 49ers	SF	vs. Hou	6	+2
5	Carolina Panthers	Car	at Ari	4	-1
6	Denver Broncos	Den	at Dal	12	+6
7	Kansas City Chiefs	KC	at Ten	5	-2
8	Chicago Bears	Chi	vs. NO	11	+3
9	San Diego Chargers	SD	at Oak	16	+7
10	Houston Texans	Hou	at SF	10	0
11	Philadelphia Eagles	Phi	at NYG	17	+6
12	Baltimore Ravens	Bal	at Mia	8	-4
13	New Orleans Saints	NO	at Chi	20	+7
14	Cleveland Browns	Cle	vs. Buf	7	-7
15	Green Bay Packers	GB	vs. Det	24	+9
16	Cincinnati Bengals	Cin	vs. NE	14	-2
17	New England Patriots	NE	at Cin	9	-8
18	Miami Dolphins	Mia	vs. Bal	15	-3
19	Arizona Cardinals	Ari	vs. Car	19	0
20	Tennessee Titans	Ten	vs. KC	21	+1

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Kickers: Packers' Mason Crosby Is Better Than You Think

Andy King/Getty Images

Crosby still can mash: We will be singing the praises of the Packers kicker before long. He is through his bye week too.

Kicker is a position you shouldn't concern yourself too much with. In fact, you should just pick up a kicker who has exhausted his bye and ride him out the rest of the way.

That makes Mason Crosby a must-add for all but a handful of fantasy owners—say, if you have Stephen Gostkowski, Matt Prater or Matt Bryant. Crosby will be productive because Aaron Rodgers is, particularly with that bolstered running game and the return of Eddie Lacy (concussion).

You can ignore Giants' Brown

The Eagles have allowed the most points to kickers in fantasy thus far, but Josh Brown is closer to the street than your fantasy lineup. If you are looking for a kicker, Alex Henery is the better play here. The Giants have been sieve-like defensively, allowing the seventh-most points to kickers to date.

Bear down: Saints are tough on kickers

If you have Robbie Gould, cut him. There are better options out there, and the Saints have allowed a league-low three field-goal attempts. They are No. 1 in fantasy against kickers.

Week 5 sleepers

Fantasy owners have been down on Justin Tucker, but the Ravens are going to get that running game going to take the pressure off the mostly weaponless Joe Flacco, who threw five interceptions last week. It will be more of a conservative approach against the upstart Dolphins.

Tucker is still a must-have kicker and rates among the options we like better than most:

1. Stephen Gostkowski
2. Justin Tucker
3. Dan Bailey
4. Mason Crosby
5. Sebastian Janikowski

Week 5 duds

"Hey, didn't you just tell us above to pick up Henery?" Yes. He is a top-12 kicker. We just don’t like him as an elite option. He is a start, but he's still among the kickers we like less than the consensus:

1. Matt Bryant
2. Greg Zuerlein
3. Alex Henery
4. Nick Novak
5. Garrett Hartley 

Week 5 Kickers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Kickers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	at Cin	3	+2
2	Matt Prater	Den	at Dal	2	0
3	Matt Bryant	Atl	vs. NYJ	1	-2
4	Justin Tucker	Bal	at Mia	6	+2
5	Dan Bailey	Dal	vs. Den	10	+5
6	Mason Crosby	GB	vs. Det	11	+5
7	Greg Zuerlein	StL	vs. Jac	5	-2
8	Phil Dawson	SF	vs. Hou	8	0
9	Alex Henery	Phi	at NYG	4	-5
10	Nick Novak	SD	at Oak	7	-3
11	Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	vs. SD	18	+7
12	Steven Hauschka	Sea	at Ind	15	+3
13	Mike Nugent	Cin	vs. NE	24	+11
14	Ryan Succop	KC	at Ten	19	+5
15	Randy Bullock	Hou	at SF	16	+1
16	Garrett Hartley	NO	at Chi	9	-7
17	Adam Vinatieri	Ind	vs. Sea	21	+4
18	David Akers	Det	at GB	14	-4
19	Robbie Gould	Chi	vs. NO	12	-7
20	Caleb Sturgis	Mia	vs. Bal	17	-3

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.