Fantasy Football Week 5: Award Roundup for Busts and MVPs

Congrats to that "desperate" fantasy manager who started the Browns' Josh McCown and the Colts' Andre Johnson this week, as both veterans currently top their respective positions in ESPN fantasy points for Week 5.

The Falcons' Devonta Freeman, meanwhile, continues to amaze, as he has averaged nearly 180 total yards per game over the past three epic fantasy outings. Each weekend has its fantasy football legend, and Freeman is making sure he's in the running each Sunday.

With an eye on surveying the fantasy football landscape in the wake of Week 5's slate of close and contested games, we've compiled a series of awards for the best box scores, as well as the biggest busts. 

Each week is defined by some peerless performances and some deflating disappointments, all of which we seek to capture in this series. Please join us in discussing the biggest performances and busts from Week 5.

As always, feel free to share your picks for fantasy MVP and bust at each position. 

Fantasy QB MVP: Josh McCown Beats out Blake Bortles for Top Billing

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The Browns snapped a streak of 10 straight losses in divisional openers on Sunday with a rousing win in Baltimore led by the torrid right arm of journeyman signal-caller Josh McCown. 

McCown produced 469 total yards of offense, including an incredible 214 passing yards and two scores in the fourth quarter and overtime, helping put the rival Ravens at 1-4 on the way to their worst start in franchise history. Given that McCown paced the position in ESPN fantasy points and now has 1,154 passing yards in his past three games, he's our clear call for the fantasy MVP at QB. 

In a sentence we could have all guessed would come out of Week 5, McCown barely edged Jacksonville's Blake Bortles and the Giants' Eli Manning for top honors among fantasy arms. Bortles had never thrown for more than two touchdowns in his NFL career and entered with just one 300-yard outing to his name, but he tossed four touchdowns in a Florida shootout with the Bucs. 

Manning, for his part, lit up the hapless 49ers secondary and now has multiple touchdowns in four consecutive games. 

We should be used to seeing the Bengals' Andy Dalton high on the leaderboard each week by this point given his incomparably hot hand this season, as he now has at least 17 ESPN standard fantasy points in every game and at least 21 in three of five outings. The fact that Dalton torched the Seahawks in a riveting comeback to stay undefeated suggests this success might just prove enduring. 

With as many as 12 signal-callers reaching at least 17 fantasy points in ESPN leagues this week, who do you think merits attention for honorable mention among quarterbacks this week? 

A Weak Week 5 Versus Washington Has Matt Ryan as Our Top QB Bust

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One could make the argument the Packers' Aaron Rodgers might be the fantasy bust at the position given he's currently 15th in fantasy points at the position before Monday's game, but with at least a respectable 14 fantasy points in the home win over the Rams, we're instead focused on the Broncos' Peyton Manning and the Falcons' Matt Ryan to battle for this dubious distinction. 

Given the ripe home setup with an injury-riddled Washington secondary, Ryan's awful fantasy outing earns him the bust of the week behind center. Even as Atlanta made regular red-zone visits late into the comeback win over the Redskins on Sunday, Ryan was held without a touchdown.

With multiple scores in just two games this season, Ryan's fantasy managers are looking for more from their investment in the Boston College product. Ryan is now tied with the Texans' Brian Hoyer and the Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill for 16th at the position in per-game fantasy production with just 15 fantasy points per game.

Manning was also held scoreless with two picks in Week 5, putting his investors in a similar scenario as Ryan, with somewhat middling results despite strong expectations heading into 2015. That said, both players are on undefeated teams with sound personnel around them, suggesting some strong Sundays could be on the way. 

Speaking of busts, the Lions' Matthew Stafford isn't even roster-worthy outside of multiple-quarterback formats. Even then, Stafford is 32nd in fantasy points per game at the position. Feel free to make him a fantasy free agent if you haven't already.

Which QB left your fantasy squad in the lurch in Week 5? 

Doug Martin Rumbles for Another Historic Fantasy Football Performance

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In November 2012, my fantasy team was up big heading into the late-afternoon slate. Then Tampa Bay's Doug Martin famously posted 251 yards and four scores in drubbing the Raiders. I lost big, but at least it was to an historic fantasy performance. 

Martin was at it again on Sunday, posting 158 total yards and three scores versus the Jags en route to MVP honors at the position. With an amazing 33 fantasy points in ESPN standard scoring, Martin easily paces an impressive crop this week of top tailback outings. Martin is now tied with Chicago's Matt Forte for sixth in fantasy points per game among backs and should be considered a low-end RB1 on the currently wayward running back market.

Not to be outdone, the Falcons' Devonta Freeman is not only officially a surefire RB1, he's arguably the top commodity in fantasy football right now if we are to believe his awesome usage and output over the past three games. With seven total touchdowns and an average of 179.6 total yards per game over the past three games, we're basically witnessing Martin's legendary 2012 explosion every weekend from Freeman. 

The Seahawks' Thomas Rawls ran wild in Cincinnati and would have earned MVP honors in almost any other weekend, but with Martin and Freeman proving more productive, the undrafted rookie merely merits mention as a top contender. As long as Marshawn Lynch is sidelined, Rawls remains a valid RB2 asset to roll out and potentially a sell-high for those stakeholders who don't own shares of Lynch. 

Did the Eagles' DeMarco Murray finally offer fantasy investors some fun? Murray is now 11th in fantasy points per game in PPR scoring among backs in ESPN leagues. No, really. The fact that Murray in on pace for more than 70 targets and nearly 68 receptions has been lost in the disappointing rushing results.

Which running back ran your team to imaginary glory this weekend?

Green Bay's Eddie Lacy Hasn't Lived Up to His Lofty Fantasy Draft Price

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Given that the leaderboard pages for ESPN fantasy scoring host 50 players each, it's not a good sign that we had to go to the second page to find Green Bay's Eddie Lacy. With just two standard fantasy points on Sunday and just 19 in his past four games, Lacy is not just the bust of the week at the position, but he's making a case for one of the bigger disappointments in fantasy football this fall. As a reminder, Lacy went third overall on average in ESPN leagues this summer.

Joining Lacy on the list of backfield busts would be the Bengals' Jeremy Hill, who went 18th overall on average among NFL fantasy assets in ESPN leagues this summer and yet is just 18th at the position in fantasy points (using ESPN standard scoring). Now seemingly isolated to early-down and short-yardage work, Hill's stock has taken a massive hit since early September. 

We don't include injury as a reasoning to deem a player a fantasy bust, but we must mention the sad news of the Chiefs' Jamaal Charles suffering a serious knee injury. Charles has been a fantasy legend over the years, and we wish him the best on his road to recovery. It's not really clear what the exact replacement plan for Charles might be in the Chiefs' backfield, with Charcandrick West currently touted as the next man up in competition with Knile Davis.

Did we fail to mention a back that failed or felled your fantasy dreams this weekend? Please share in the comments below. 

The Jaguars' Allen Robinson Earns MVP Honors at Wide Receiver in Week 5

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The Colts' Andre Johnson is, in fact, alive and well, as he proved by topping all receivers in fantasy points for Week 5. Even as old Andre's revival outing this past Thursday was inspired, we're inclined to call the Jaguars' Allen Robinson the positional MVP given that he tied Johnson in fantasy output and appears to have a much more sustainable road to fantasy glory going forward. For that reason, Robinson is our MVP among wideouts for Week 5. 

We've yet to see Johnson thrive with quarterback Andrew Luck, while Robinson is building an enduring rapport with sophomore signal-caller Blake Bortles. With the Jaguars defense offering up free points to opponents these days, Bortles and Robinson will be plenty busy as a passing tandem going forward. Robinson is currently 12th in fantasy points per game among wideouts in ESPN standard scoring and is trending for 1,200 yards and double-digit touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Robinson's teammate Allen Hurns continues to prove he's a worthy WR2. It's amazing to think the Jaguars are supporting two fantasy standouts at the same position. Hurns is on pace for 86 receptions and more than 1,300 yards. In South Philly, the Saints' Willie Snead stayed hot in Week 5, posting 141 yards in a loss. Snead is now a must-own asset in PPR formats, and he is available in over 70 percent of ESPN leagues.

Did the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to box-score glory save your Sunday? We currently find Houston's DeAndre Hopkins on pace for 134 receptions and more than 1,800 yards despite a rotation of subpar signal-callers. Which star receiver helped your fantasy fortunes in Week 5?

Tampa Bay's Mike Evans Continues to Produce Poor Fantasy Results in Week 5

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Tampa Bay's Mike Evans was drafted as the 13th receiver off the board on average in ESPN leagues this offseason, yet he is 66th among receivers in fantasy points so far. With another quiet outing in Week 5, Evans earns the nod as top fantasy bust at receiver. 

As a shareholder in several key leagues, I wish I could say it's going to get much better, but the fact that Evans is hauling in just 39 percent of his targets while dropping six percent of them isn't encouraging. Until we see Evans build a rapport with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, we're inclined to bench Evans when better alternatives exist. 

Did the Raiders' Amari Cooper let you down in facing the Broncos' top tandem of cover corners? It seems Denver's Demaryius Thomas didn't fare much better in the box-score sense. Nominate your top busts at receiver in the comments below.

Tight End MVP Honors for Week 5 Go to the Bengals' Tyler Eifert

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After a two-week vacation from fun fantasy production, the Bengals' Tyler Eifert returned to top form in Week 5 in topping the position in points. Tied with the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald and the Packers' James Jones in receiving touchdowns on the season, Eifert is back among the elite fantasy tight ends.

Sticking with top Ohio options at the position, the Browns' Gary Barnidge is now third behind only Eifert and the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski in fantasy points at the position. With signal-caller Josh McCown thriving in a high-volume passing game, Barnidge is now in the weekly TE1 tier given how shallow and fickle the position has proven in the past. 

The list of top fantasy outings at tight end is littered with fantasy free agents like Atlanta's Jacob Tamme and the Redskins' Derek Carrier, both of whom will merit some interest on the wire this week. 

Seattle's Jimmy Graham Continues to Disappoint Fantasy Investors in Week 5

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The Seahawks' Jimmy Graham is on pace for just 653 yards and six touchdowns on the season. That is the type of production he would have posted in half of a season during his prime production stretch for the Saints. With another limited and low-scoring fantasy outing in the books, Graham is our bust at the position for Week 5. 

What can Graham's investors do? Not much, save for look into guys like the Browns' Gary Barnidge to offer some alternative options. Selling Graham doesn't make much sense since you'd like likely only get cents on the dollar in return. Instead, proactive managers should consider bringing in some competition at the position in case this deflated usage and production persists.

Did Dallas' Jason Witten leave you hanging this week? Or is Kansas City's Travis Kelce's utter lack of steady attention frustrating fantasy owners to no end? Please post your takes on the poor tight end class for Week 5.

The Denver Broncos' D/ST Tops the Position in Fantasy Production in Week 5

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This one wasn't even on Oakland's Derek Carr, as in the sack fumble pictured above, the Broncos' Von Miller simply ripped the ball from his clutches just seconds after the snap. With a whopping 23 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues, the Broncos earned top billing among fantasy D/ST units in Week 5. 

The Broncos' "worst" outing so far as a fantasy defense still includes nine fantasy points, registered in Week 4. Otherwise, the Broncos have posted at least 17 fantasy points in every other outing this year.

While streaming at the position can produce a production platoon, the Broncos are undoubtedly the most valuable single asset at the position this season. With legendarily aggressive defensive coordinator Wade Phillips at the helm of a steady pass rush and elite coverage corners, we're not fading this fantasy group in any games this season.

The Packers, Bucs and Falcons all posted strong fantasy afternoons as well, as nine D/ST units produced double-digit fantasy production this week.

On the bust side of things, the Ravens were torched by the Browns en route to a negative fantasy outing and have now allowed the second-most passing yards in the league since Week 2. Which fantasy defense either won you your matchup or let you down in Week 5?