Fantasy Football Week 5: Risers, Fallers and Top Trade Candidates

When it comes to penalty controversies, you can almost assume the Detroit Lions were a part of it. Due in part to a missed illegal batted ball penalty, the Lions fell to the Seattle Seahawks 13-10 on Monday Night Football and have now dropped to 0-4 on the season. Good thing there are no flags thrown in fantasy football.

In Week 4, we saw the rise of one unexpected player in particular. However, doesn't it seem like we find a few players each year that come completely out of no where and surprise us?

Another interesting tidbit that unfolded in Week 4 involved Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman. As Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN.com points out, since the year 2000, Freeman has the most fantasy points in his first two career starts in standard scoring with 69.

This column will feature some guys that are on the rise, some that are falling, a buy-low and a sell-high trade candidate and one extra special guy that it's time to absolutely abandon ship on.

Riser: Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams

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St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley is absolutely, 100 percent legit, and he's here to stay.

In Week 4, Gurley played in 69 percent of the team's snaps, ran the ball 19 times for 148 yards (yeah, that's almost eight yards per carry) and even caught two passes. That was good enough for 18 points in points-per-reception leagues and tied for 12th among running backs in terms of scoring.

To top it all off, it's my absolute privilege to present to you Gurley's next five opponents: at Green Bay, Cleveland, San Francisco, at Minnesota and Chicago.

Not a bad schedule for the rookie. Gurley is a RB1 from here on out. Enjoy the ride!

Faller: Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers

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It's only fitting that the the top two running backs taken in this year's NFL draft appear one right after another on this slideshow.

Oh, where to begin.

San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has been a disappointment to fantasy owners through the first four weeks of the season.

In Week 4, Gordon had a chance to break out in a big way against a Cleveland Browns team that had surrendered three rushing touchdowns and two 150-plus yard games to opposing running backs. Gordon managed just 38 rushing yards on 12 carries and hauled in two receptions for eight yards in the team's win over the Browns.

With fellow running back Danny Woodhead being the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield for the Chargers, we knew Gordon's value was limited in that regard. What we didn't expect, however, was four yards per carry and an RB40 season in PPR formats.

On deck, Gordon has the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders to look forward to. Hopefully the first-round pick can turn it around.

Riser: Leonard Hankerson, WR, Atlanta Falcons

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Eight targets, six receptions, 103 yards receiving and a touchdown. That's how Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Leonard Hankerson did in Week 4. Not too bad, right?

Finishing as the WR6 in Week 4, Hankerson was Atlanta's top performer at the wide receiver position in terms of fantasy points.

Hankerson is out-targeting veteran wide receiver Roddy White 27 to 12 this season.

If Hankerson's success continues, who knows, the Falcons could quite possibly trade White to a wide receiver-needy team, leaving Hankerson with no one to battle for the No. 2 wide receiver role.

It's really a mystery why White isn't being utilized more, but Hankerson is benefiting and succeeding mightily.

Don't miss out on him—go pick this guy up.

Faller: Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego Chargers

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

With Week 4 coming to a close, notable skill position players such as Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant and San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates are set to return to action.

With Gates coming back, Green will definitely see less than the 87 percent of snaps he's been averaging in Gates' absence.

It was a fun ride with Green, who posted touchdowns in two games this season. However, Green missed Week 3 due to a concussion. But two touchdowns in three games is not bad at all.

In the weeks where Green scored a touchdown, he finished inside the top eight among tight ends.

It's only fitting that Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" was playing as this was being written.

Riser: Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans Saints

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

You can't help but admire the success of a guy like New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead.

Originally undrafted in 2014, Snead signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns after the draft. After being let go, he had an unsuccessful tryout with the New York Giants, but then found himself with the Saints.

Through four games of the season, Snead is the leading receiver in terms of yardage for the Saints.

Another interesting stat is Snead outsnapped fellow wide receivers Marques Colston (40) and Brandon Coleman (20) with 48 in Week 4.

If Snead can find the end zone a bit more often, he may end up being the find of the year at the wide receiver position.

Faller: Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Let me start off by saying that the fall of San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde isn't totally on him. One can only imagine it's pretty hard to run the ball with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback, because the box is always stacked with eight or nine guys.

Since his Week 1 breakout, Hyde has eclipsed 50 yards rushing one time and hasn't scored a touchdown.

Over the last three weeks, Hyde is tied for the RB46 spot in points-per-reception leagues.

As long as Kaepernick continues to be one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, Hyde is going to continue to have poor rushing totals.

The worst part is that you can't trade him. His value is just too low at this time.

Trade Candidates

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Buy Low: Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers

Scoring only six more fantasy points through the first four weeks of the 2015 season than last season, Lacy is off to a similarly slow start.

However, keep in mind that Lacy probably isn't 100 percent after suffering an injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.

In fantasy football, a lot of players look for instant gratification. If you can find an owner in your league that fits that profile who also happens to own Lacy, this is a good time to buy low.

Lacy plays in one of the best offenses in football for a running back, as his team is going to win a ton of games. They'll likely be up in games often, allowing Lacy to carry the ball often.

Don't sweat the slow start for Lacy. He'll be a top running back by the end of the year.

Sell High: Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

It's pretty much an unwritten rule in fantasy football—sell high on players that have multiple touchdowns on a few touches.

In Week 4, Hill had three touchdowns on 10 total touches—nine rushes, one reception. This was a breath of fresh air for Hill owners, of course.

However, the game script seemed to be going just right for Hill as the Kansas City Chiefs couldn't do anything except kick field goals.

Over the past few weeks, Hill has burned owners with less than stellar performances. If you're a Hill owner, this is the perfect time to sell high on a guy who will likely be very inconsistent down the stretch. Trade for a more consistent back. He also has much more limited value in points-per-reception leagues.

Abandon Ship: C.J. Anderson, RB, Denver Broncos

Done. Absolutely done.

As an Anderson owner myself, it's time to call it quits.

Likely having gone in the second, maybe even the first round of fantasy drafts, Anderson has been a huge letdown through the first four games of the season.

While Anderson has been dealing with some injuries, fellow running back Ronnie Hillman has been running the ball better lately.

With reports that Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak will be splitting carries between the two backs and considers them "both as starters," this has the making of a very, very huge headache that we do not need.

This is the second year in a row in which fantasy owners have been burned by Denver's opening-game starter at the running back position (see Ball, Montee).

You have my permission, folks—let CJA go. Move on. It's for the best.

Trade him for pretty much anything with a pulse.

Except a kicker.