Fantasy Football Week 5: Tom Brady and 8 Superstars Sure To Be Point Machines

Fantasy football is as much about matchups as it is about owning the most superstars. You have to find that right mix of premium talent and weak opposition for 16 weeks in order to stand tall over the rest of the teams in your league.

The good news is that after four weeks, we finally have a large enough sample size to know which players and teams are going to shine and which ones are going to struggle as the season moves along.

Some players, like New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, are doing exactly what you would expect them to do.

Others, like Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, have been pleasant surprises through the first four games of the season.

This is no time to sit back and relax. You have to stay on the ball, or risk sacrificing precious fantasy points that will cost you a win and, ultimately, a championship.

Here are eight players who are going to be point scoring machines for your fantasy team this week.

Tom Brady, Jets vs. Patriots

Saying that Tom Brady is going to have a great week is like saying that Wolverine is the best member of the X-Men, but he has reached a point where you can plug him into your starting lineup for all 16 games and expect a mountain of points, regardless of who he is playing against.

There is something different about this week's game against the Jets though.

Rex Ryan's team is coming into this game desperate for a victory after losing their last two games. The defense, particularly the secondary, is playing well for this team right now.

Unfortunately, the Jets aren't putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks the way they did last season, and when you give Brady time to throw the ball he will eat you alive.

Brady is averaging 385 passing yards and three touchdown passes per game. I think those are conservative estimates for him this weekend because he wants to make a statement against the team that knocked him out of the playoffs last season.

Chris Johnson, Titans vs. Steelers

Chris Johnson is finally starting to show signs of coming out of his early season funk. He had his best game of the season last week against the Browns with 101 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Now, the Titans running back gets to go up against a Steelers defense that is reeling. They have given up nearly 120 yards per game on the ground this season, a far cry from the 62.8 they allowed last season.

By the way, the Steelers will play this game without star linebacker James Harrison due to a fractured orbital bone.

Fantasy owners have been waiting for Johnson to play like Top 5 pick. He is finally going to reward their patience this week with a monster game against the Steelers defense.

Cam Newton, Saints vs. Panthers

We are four weeks into the season and Cam Newton is not going away. He is close to being a must-start quarterback every week, regardless of the matchup. That's how good he has been this year.

Newton's worst game of the season came against Jacksonville, but that was due to a torrential downpour that hit the city in the second quarter. The only thing that has been able to contain him this season has been Mother Nature.

The only two quarterbacks with more passing yards than Newton are Tom Brady and Drew Brees. He is legit and has helped re-energize the rest of the players on the offense.

This week, he gets to play a Saints defense that ranks 19th against the pass. The only game that they have held an opposing quarterback under 240 yards was last week against Jacksonville.

Newton is going to put on a show in this game, and his hot start will continue.

Mark Sanchez, Jets vs. Patriots

Mark Sanchez did not have a good game against Baltimore in Week 4, to put things mildly. He completed just 11-of-35 passes for 119 yards and one interception.

So why is he a good play this week?

The Patriots defense has been atrocious against the pass this season. They rank last in the NFL with nearly 369 yards allowed. To put that in perspective, that total is 33 yards more than the 31st ranked pass defense (Green Bay). 

The fewest yards that the Patriots have allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season is 344, last week against the Raiders.

If ever there was a game for Sanchez to bounce back, it is this game. He still might make a mistake or two, but the yardage combined with the three touchdown passes he is going to throw for, will more than make up for it.

Jimmy Graham, Saints vs. Panthers

There are two tight ends in the Top 15 in receptions this season. One is Jason Witten, which is no surprise. The other is Jimmy Graham in New Orleans.

Even more impressive than the number of catches that he has is the 15.3 yards per catch that he is averaging.

The Saints vs. Panthers game this week is going to be a shootout, and there are going to be plenty of opportunities for Graham to shine.

The Panthers are only giving up 203 yards per game through the air, but that is misleading because they have held their last two opponents—Jacksonville and Chicago—under 140 yards. They got picked apart in their first two games against Arizona and Green Bay. They gave up 617 yards combined in those games.

Drew Brees is going to look in Graham's direction a lot in this game. He should have double-digit catches and two touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson, Bears vs. Lions

If Cris Carter needs definitive proof that Calvin Johnson is one of the five best receivers in the NFL, he should just sit in front of a television and watch his touchdown catch in triple coverage against the Cowboys in Week 4.

Johnson is the best receiver in football right now. He is making the impossible seem possible. He is having a season for the ages with two touchdown catches in each of his first four games.

As if Johnson didn't have enough good fortune already, he gets to face a Bears team that ranks 29th against the pass this season. They have given up three touchdown passes to opposing quarterbacks in two of their four games played.

And this is the Lions first Monday night game since 2001. If you think that Johnson is going to let this moment pass him by without making a statement, you are sadly mistaken.

Not only is he going to make a case for fantasy stud of the year, but at this rate he has a chance to be the first receiver to win an MVP since Jerry Rice won the Pro Football Writers' award in 1987.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. Falcons

As great as Tom Brady has been this season, Aaron Rodgers has been just as good, if not better.

The Packers quarterback is leading the NFL in completion percentage (73.1) and quarterback rating (124.6). What's more impressive is how far ahead of everyone else he is in those two categories. Brady is second in QB rating at 111.6 and Drew Brees is second in completion percentage (69.0).

If that's not good enough, he gets to return to the scene of his greatest performance as an NFL quarterback this week.

In last year's divisional playoff round against Atlanta, he threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns on 31-for-36 passing. He also ran for a touchdown.

The Falcons secondary has been suspect since the start of the 2010 season, and Rodgers was able to exploit that in the postseason last year. He will have no problem doing it again this week.

Julio Jones, Packers vs. Falcons

It took awhile for him to get going, but Julio Jones is starting to look like the player we expected him to be when he was drafted with the sixth pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

After having just seven catches for 100 yards in his first two games, Jones has 17 catches for 242 yards in the last two weeks. He does not have a touchdown catch yet, but he is emerging as a PPR monster for fantasy owners.

The Packers have been vulnerable against the pass this season, ranking 31st through four games, so don't expect a big drop off for Jones in this game. 

Roddy White is still dealing with a thigh injury that has plagued him all season, so expect Jones to stay hot this week. He should even get that elusive first touchdown catch against a weak Packers secondary.