Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Projections for Top 10 Players at Each Position

It's easy to overthink fantasy decisions, but the 2014 season has been as unpredictable as they come.

Weeks of limited production from Jamaal Charles and Eddie Lacy ended as both broke out in their most recent games. Then there's Arian Foster, who's a constant game-time decision and will be again on Sunday, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Just two teams are on their byes, and neither the Miami Dolphins nor the Oakland Raiders have a huge amount of fantasy stars on their rosters. Still, owners who need to replace either Lamar Miller or Mike Wallace need to know who to start or bench.

Here's a look at the top 10 players and advice at each position.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Peyton Manning	DEN	ARI	28
2	Drew Brees	NO	TB	26
3	Philip Rivers	SD	NYJ	25
4	Andrew Luck	IND	BAL	22
5	Matthew Stafford	DET	BUF	22
6	Russell Wilson	SEA	@WAS	21
7	Matt Ryan	ATL	@NYG	18
8	Jay Cutler	CHI	@CAR	17
9	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	@JAX	16
10	Nick Foles	PHI	STL	15

Start 'Em: Russell Wilson, SEA (at WAS)

That guy that won the Super Bowl last year? Yeah, he might have been a better fantasy quarterback than some thought before the season.

He's no Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, but Russell Wilson has certainly proved he's a reliable starter. The third-year player has two touchdowns in every game and just one interception on the season.

In Week 5, he faces a Washington Redskins defense that ranks fifth in fantasy points allowed for quarterbacks. Wilson might be a tricky start due to playing on Monday Night Football, but he's one to start this week and moving forward.

Sit 'Em: Tom Brady, NE (vs. CIN)

Tommy Terrific might need a new nickname following the start of the 2014 season. The typically reliable quarterback has been anything but through the first four games.

Now, he gets to face off with one of the best statistical defenses in the league when the Cincinnati Bengals come to Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady spoke about his inept offense earlier this week, per NFL on ESPN:

For owners who haven't jumped off the Brady bandwagon, this is simply not the week to trust him as a starter. After getting shut down by an injury-ravaged Kansas City Chiefs defense, Brady and the New England Patriots won't be doing much against the Bengals.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	HOU	24
2	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	@WAS	22
3	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	@JAX	21
4	Matt Forte	CHI	@CAR	19
5	Rashad Jennings	NYG	ATL	18
6	Jamaal Charles	KC	@SF	16
7	Giovani Bernard	CIN	@NE	15
8	Zac Stacy	STL	@PHI	14
9	LeSean McCoy	PHI	STL	13
10	Frank Gore	SF	KC	12

Start 'Em: Zac Stacy, STL (at PHI)

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A phenomenal story in fantasy football last year, Zac Stacy slightly regressed through the first three weeks. Coming out of the bye, he still has two double-digit outings and could do even more against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles defense has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing backs this season. In Week 4, Philly was ravaged by Frank Gore to the tune of 119 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Stacy had four games with over 100 yards in his last nine games in 2013, something he should be able to replicate on Sunday. Given the matchup along with the young quarterback under center, Stacy is set to explode.

Sit 'Em: Montee Ball, DEN (vs. ARI)

He's going to be a dependable back again in the Denver Broncos offense, but Montee Ball's matchups are some of the toughest in the league.

Prior to the bye, Ball had less than 50 total yards and a fumble for owners against the Seattle Seahawks. Heading into Week 5, his reward for that matchup is going against a stout Arizona Cardinals defense. But as Dave Richard of CBS Sports notes, things will eventually get better:

Peyton Manning will need to rely on Ball somewhat to supplement the passing game, but it will still be a tough row to hoe for Ball. Going against a Cardinals defense that allows just 10.60 total points to running backs, don't look for much from Ball on Sunday.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Julio Jones	ATL	@NYG	20
2	Calvin Johnson	DET	BUF	18
3	Antonio Brown	PIT	@JAX	17
4	Dez Bryant	DAL	HOU	17
5	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	ARI	16
6	A.J. Green	CIN	@NE	15
7	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	@CAR	15
8	Steve Smith	BAL	@IND	14
9	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	STL	13
10	Percy Harvin	SEA	@WAS	13

Start 'Em: Percy Harvin, SEA (at WAS)

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Whether it's through the running or passing game, Percy Harvin was a consistent fantasy receiver through the first two weeks. He had a drop-off against the Broncos, but an easy matchup after the bye should put owners at ease.

Former coach Brian Billick of NFL.com broke down the myriad ways Harvin is used in the Seahawks offense:

"

Percy Harvin is particularly hard to account for, because you have to find him first. The Seattle Seahawks' offensive threat lines up at every wide receiver position, as well as in the backfield. If you put a coverage specialist in the interior of the front seven to account for him coming out on a pass route, the Seahawks can audible to a Harvin run, and suddenly you've got a coverage DB being asked to play a strong safety's role.

"

The Redskins might be one of the top defenses still at eighth overall, but they have surrendered a ton of fantasy points to receivers. Allowing 25.25 points to wideouts on average, the Philadelphia Eagles receivers finished with three touchdowns in Week 3.

Thanks to his explosiveness and ability to break tackles in the open field, expect big things from Harvin following the bye. As he continues to earn the trust of Russell Wilson, he'll do the same for his owners.

Sit 'Em: DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (at DAL)

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Throughout the 2014 season, DeAndre Hopkins has proved himself as the wide receiver to own in the Houston Texans offense. Andre Johnson has posted decent numbers, but it's been Nuke that has been the home-run hitter.

Unfortunately, he goes against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has been surprisingly stout this year. He was able to put up huge points against the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, but the Cowboys have shut down fantasy receivers and will continue the trend on Sunday.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	TB	17
2	Julius Thomas	DEN	ARI	16
3	Martellus Bennett	CHI	@CAR	14
4	Delanie Walker	TEN	CLE	13
5	Greg Olsen	CAR	CHI	12
6	Rob Gronkowski	NE	CIN	12
7	Larry Donnell	NYG	ATL	11
8	Jordan Cameron	CLE	@TEN	11
9	Antonio Gates	SD	NYJ	9
10	Zach Ertz	PHI	STL	8

Start 'Em: Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. CLE)

Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Even with Charlie Whitehurst under center, Delanie Walker had a great afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts. His team was blown out, but Walker's 84 yards and a touchdown made fantasy owners happy.

Sigmund Bloom of Footballguys pointed out Walker might be the only Titans player to own:

Walker has had great matchups, and that continues against the Cleveland Browns, who have allowed an average of 9.60 points to tight ends. Given his athleticism and ability to catch nearly any ball thrown his way, Walker will be a safety valve for Tennessee and owners.

Sit 'Em: Dwayne Allen, IND (vs. BAL)

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Last week, Dwayne Allen was a breakout target for fantasy owners. Facing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, the Indianapolis Colts tight end is set to regress against a much better middle of the defense that should shut him down.

Baltimore is allowing just 3.03 points and hasn't allowed a touchdown to opposing tight ends, which is not a good sign for Allen. Andrew Luck has traded off between Allen and Coby Fleener, neither of which should be starters this week.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Justin Tucker	BAL	@IND	14
2	Nick Novak	SD	NYJ	14
3	Dan Bailey	DAL	HOU	13
4	Cody Parkey	PHI	STL	12
5	Steven Hauschka	SEA	@WAS	12
6	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	CIN	10
7	Adam Vinatieri	IND	BAL	10
8	Phil Dawson	SF	KC	9
9	Matt Bryant	ATL	@NYG	9
10	Greg Zuerlein	STL	@PHI	8

Start 'Em: Cody Parkey, PHI (vs. STL)

One of the biggest surprises of the fantasy season has been…Cody Parkey? Sure, it's difficult to get excited over a kicker, but the Philadelphia Eagles player is tied for the highest-scoring fantasy kicker.

Jeff Skversky of WPVI also notes just how great the rookie has been:

Facing a St. Louis Rams defense that has been porous thus far in 2014, look for Parkey to thrive if the Eagles offense stalls out. Despite posting just three points in Week 4, Parkey will return to his sensational season against the Rams.

Sit 'Em: Dan Carpenter, BUF (at DET)

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

This is not something that needs to truly be thought about, but Dan Carpenter simply isn't the kicker to start in Week 5. Going against a Detroit Lions defense that allows an average of five points to kickers, the Buffalo Bills kicker won't find a lot of success in Week 5.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Opponent	Projected Points
1	Seattle Seahawks	@WAS	14
2	San Diego Chargers	NYJ	13
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	@JAX	13
4	Cincinnati Bengals	@NE	11
5	Detroit Lions	BUF	10
6	San Francisco 49ers	KC	9
7	Philadelphia Eagles	STL	8
8	Denver Broncos	ARI	7
9	Houston Texans	@DAL	7
10	Kansas City Chiefs	@SF	5

Start 'Em: San Diego Chargers (vs. NYJ)

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When it comes to struggling offenses, it's not hard to argue that the New York Jets have been one of the worst against fantasy defenses. Going against the San Diego Chargers, which scored nearly 11 points last week, this should be another sensational week for the defense.

Thus far, Geno Smith has been turnover prone and less than comfortable in the pocket. The second-year quarterback has five interceptions, four fumbles and has been sacked nine times. Needless to say, expect a huge week from San Diego.

Sit 'Em: Arizona Cardinals (at DEN)

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This season, the Arizona Cardinals defense has proven to be one of the most erratic fantasy units. Sure, the team is 3-0 thanks to great play from the defense, but against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos offense, this simply isn't the week to trust the Cardinals.

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