Week 5 Fantasy Football: Instant Sunday Recap

The fantasy wins (or losses) are adding up as we enter the second month of the NFL season. So, too, are the injuries, and they haven't been limited to the also-rans. It is the nature of this physical game.

Some big names went down Sunday in Week 5 and proved useless to us in fantasy, including Jimmy Graham (shoulder), Calvin Johnson (ankle), Montee Ball (groin) and Zac Stacy (calf).

Those guys were first-rounders in many formats. Rashad Jennings (knee) was performing like one, and he didn't return either.

Injuries do create opportunities, though, so look out for their replacements now in fantasy. Branden Oliver, Ronnie Hillman and Benny Cunningham are going to be popular names on waivers in the coming days.

Bleacher Report provides its weekly Instant Sunday Recap, breaking down the surprise studs and duds—the latter of which include some of the top injury concerns and how they might impact the waiver wire early next week.

Five Week 5 Duds

RB Montee Ball, Denver Broncos

This was supposed to be a breakthrough year for Ball. It looks like it might merely wind up being a breakdown one. Ball left Sunday's game with a groin injury, one which The Denver Post's Mike Klis expects will keep him out a significant amount of time.

Ball will get an MRI on his groin this Monday, but we already have to rush to Hillman, C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson's side in fantasy football. Those backs figure to be a three-headed monster in replacing the ailing Ball for what an NFL source told Klis will be an injury that keeps Ball "out for awhile."

Hillman figures to lead that committee, but the overall production of the Broncos' offense behind Peyton Manning figures to make him a beast for as long as Ball is down. The Broncos will be in position to be patient with Ball, too, so expect the second-year back to be out most of fantasy's bye season. Ouch.

Anderson and Thompson will be Hillman's in-season handcuffs, in that order.

TE Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

Bill Haber/Associated Press

Graham was forced from the game with a shoulder issue Sunday and did not return, finishing with just two catches for 36 yards. ESPN.com Saints beat writer Mike Triplett originally tweeted Graham's status in-game, and it sounded ominous:

The silver lining in this, regardless of the news in the coming hours and days, is you were going to be without Graham in all fantasy leagues for Week 6 anyway. He and his Saints are headed for their bye week. Stay tuned here.

Journeyman tight end Ben Watson (5 catches, 43 yards) was a fairly productive fill-in for Drew Brees and the Saints after Graham's absence.

RB LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles 

We are going to sound like a broken record here, but holding on to McCoy for eventual rewards is the only course of action. McCoy was heavily used Sunday, rushing 24 times for a mere 81 yards, without a touchdown, but he also fumbled and was held to six fantasy points, per CBSSports.com.

That is not the production you want out of your first-round pick, especially one who has struggled in recent weeks.

We are going to stay bullish on McCoy in Week 6 at home against the New York Giants. The Giants are not a great defensive front, and the Eagles figure to get healthier and stronger up front as the weeks wear on.

WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

A week after being used as a well-publicized decoy, Megatron had a short workday against the Buffalo Bills, leaving after just one catch for seven yards. It was after that reception he needed to hit the showers for the day. We just cannot trust Johnson next week against the Minnesota Vikings.

You have to love Golden Tate in that one. (See "studs" section on Tate below.)

Keep Megatron reserved until you see him healthy and productive again. The Lions didn't even bother with him as a decoy this time around. That cannot be considered a good sign.

Jeremy Ross, Ryan Broyles and tight end Eric Ebron will be a bit more interesting in fantasy Week 6.

RB Zac Stacy, St. Louis Rams 

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

We had to figure Stacy was going to be disappointing as a first-round pick this year. We didn't necessarily need to know why.

It could have been because rookie Tre Mason was going to steal time. Nope.

Perhaps it could have been because quarterback Sam Bradford was out and the offense would be completely ineffective. Definitely not. (See "studs" section on Austin Davis below.)

It could have been Stacy was just a volume back, and his physical style would make it tough for him to stay healthy in the rugged NFC West, which features many of the NFL's best run defenses. Getting warmer.

Stacy left Sunday with a calf issue, and Benny Cunningham (not the inactive Mason, per CBSSports.com) came on to combine for 71 total yards and a touchdown. We might consider Cunningham a must-add option off waivers, but we cannot yet be sure of Stacy's status, and a matchup against an elite San Francisco 49ers run defense looms in Week 6.

Consider next week a good time to buy low on Stacy, if you're interested. He will either be out or ineffective at something less than 100 percent against the 49ers. Keep that in mind for future reference.

RB Rashad Jennings, New York Giants

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Few might have bought the hyping of Andre Williams as a starting option in B/R's Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action, but Jennings' departure following a knee injury opened an opportunity for Williams to show how his physical running style can open holes.

Jennings' running style—not to mention his age—cost him this week. The 29-year-old was held to 12 touches Sunday and will require an MRI on what the Giants are calling a "sprained knee," according to ESPN.com's Kieran Darcy.

"We'll find out more tomorrow," Jennings told Darcy. "We'll see what the MRI says. But I should be all right, that's how I feel. ... Just kind of got ruffled up under the pile a little bit."

The power-running rookie Williams is a must-add running back in all leagues now. He is available in almost three-quarters of ESPN.com's leagues. That matchup next Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles promises to be favorable for Williams' fantasy starting status, regardless of what the MRI uncovers regarding Jennings' knee.

Week 5 Surprise Studs

RB Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers

B/R Radio host Nick Kostos needs to take a bow. He was dead on about Oliver. We overlooked him and his potential.

He looks like a star now after his trashing of the New York Jets, the prior No. 1 team in fantasy against running backs. When Donald Brown left with a concussion, Oliver erupted for 114 yards rushing, 68 receiving (on four receptions) and two combined touchdowns to lead all fantasy backs.

Baby Sproles step forward. You will be the most-added player in fantasy this week.

Chargers defensive end Dwight Freeney told ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams he saw this coming awhile ago, just like Kostos did:

"

Whenever you can have a coming-out party for somebody, it's a great thing. He's a rookie, and we see it all the time in practice. It's crazy. So we kind of expected it. You can't teach that lean, that leverage, that movement and that height. You can't see him.

"

Chargers safety Eric Weddle loves the breakthrough, but he doesn't care for the Darren Sproles comparisons, telling Williams:

"

That's high praise. Sproles has done it for a long time at a high level. I'm sure Bo [Oliver] would say the same thing—give him a few years before we start putting him in that conversation. But he's one of the greatest kids I've ever been around. For such a young guy, he just comes to work every day, and you can't not pull for a guy like that.

"

Oliver was owned in just 13 percent of CBSSports.com leagues and active in just 2 percent for this performance. There might be 87 percent of fantasy pulling to get him off waivers this Tuesday night now.

RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans

This performance was vintage Foster. The veteran has dealt with hamstring issues all summer and into the fall, but he went off for 157 rushing yards, 15 receiving yards (two receptions) and two touchdowns. The Texans rely heavily on their veteran back; so if they have him active, we do, too, in fantasy.

The next matchup, Thursday night against Indianapolis, is a favorable one because the Colts are not a great team against the run. But the short week, with the back coming off 25 touches and dealing with a tender hammy might leave you with a pause. Don't let it. If Foster is active for the Texans, he should be for fantasy owners.

Foster is just too important of an asset to an offense coping with the limitations of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He is going to get touches and production.

QB Austin Davis/WR Brian Quick, St. Louis Rams

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

OK, we have to admit we weren't fans of Quick coming into 2014 or even just Week 5. We have been woefully underrating the third-year wide receiver breakout.

Davis' elevation to the starting role with the Rams has helped Quick become a weekly fantasy monster. Quick now has three touchdown receptions from Davis in the past two games, including five catches for 87 yards and two TDs this week.

Davis and Quick have proved to be a potentially productive combo. We might have to even consider them both fantasy sleepers against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 6, particularly since that division game is at home.

WR Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

Johnson's (ankle) loss is Tate's gain. Clearly.

Tate piled up seven receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown Sunday. It didn't even matter that Megatron left the game and didn't return, although that did help.

Tate is the go-to man until Johnson is 100 percent, which might not be a reality for weeks. The Lions next face a favorable matchup against a raw Vikings secondary that was just ripped by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Matthew Stafford is going to deliver numbers to someone, and he has developed a nice early rapport with the offseason free-agent acquisition.

RB Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

We have waited weeks for a performance like this out of this first-rounder. The 105 yards rushing (27 receiving on three receptions) and two touchdowns Thursday night restore a lot of confidence in Eddie Lacy from his frustrated fantasy owners.

Hopefully you didn't make the mistake of selling low. Lacy might not be the Packers' No. 1 weapon like he was down the stretch last year with Rodgers out, but the Packers offense will be productive, and Lacy will do the down-and-dirty work.

We should still expect Lacy to go over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. It is too late to buy low on him, but it is not too late—if you have him—to consider him a weekly must-start option.

RB Pierre Thomas/Khiry Robinson, New Orleans Saints

Bill Haber/Associated Press

Who dat? Drew Brees isn't leading the Saints offense anymore? It is the running backs? Wow.

Pierre Thomas combined for 112 total yards, eight receptions and two touchdowns, while Khiry Robinson did the ground-pounding of 97 total yards and a game-winning overtime touchdown. Travaris Cadet even got in on the action with three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown.

The ball is in the hands of the Saints running backs now. This is indeed a new year.

Here is the bad news: Both backs are headed for the Week 6 bye, and Mark Ingram (broken hand) is targeting a Week 7 return, according to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora. Ingram's return figures to most negatively impact Robinson's value.

We will have you updated every step of the way during the fantasy season with Tuesday's Insider Notebook, Wednesday's Big Boards, Thursday's Predictions and Saturday's The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action. These are comprehensive must-read pieces every week.

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Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.