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Get those lineups submitted as Thursday is upon us. The NFL Network definitely did not think they would have an undefeated team in their matchup of the Cardinals and Rams. It’s a quality showcase though that will give viewers a good look at how Jeff Fisher’s handling the Rams, and the nation a great view of how stout the Cardinals defense is.

Here are week five’s sit ems for fantasy football.

Quarterbacks

Andrew Luck

It has to be frustrating for Luck to see the success RG3 is having thus far. It’s going to take awhile for the Colts offense to muster the same potency that the Redskins have. An area the Colts will need to upgrade in the offseason is at running back. Donald Brown has shown zilch in the backfield, and it’s only forced the Colts to have to increase Luck’s pass attempts. Green Bay feasts off young quarterbacks, and will likely get at least three interceptions off of Luck.

Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben is a quarterback that often teases fantasy owners. He is a steady mid two hundred yards a game thrower, which is not the type of stats to make him a viable fantasy quarterback number one. With how poor Pittsburgh’s defense has been, the Steelers will resort back to a slower pace ball control offense vs the Eagles. Ben may get a few big plays to either Antonio Brown or Mike Wallace, but overall he will not surpass 250 yards against the Eagles.

Cam Newton

Newton is not a must sit, but this is one of the weeks that if you drafted appropriately you should have a suitable backup fantasy quarterback. For those owners I would suggest inputting your backup, if you drafted a Flacco, Manning, Dalton, etc. They have better matchups than Newton this week. If you’re stuck with Newton it could still payoff. Statistically speaking though, Seattle has been the type of defense that clamps on quarterbacks that can rush the football. Newton’s a different specimen but if it were not for Newton’s 80 yards rushing last week, his fantasy numbers would have been average. He just hasn’t got off to the same rocking start as a year ago in the passing game.

Running Backs

Ahmad Bradshaw

Cleveland showcased against the Ravens that their front seven is legitimate at stopping the run. Bradshaw is feeling the heat right now with how well Andre Brown performed while he was hurt. His carries will not be as high, and the Giants seem fine at letting Eli chuck the football forty plus times a game. A bad matchup, and the Giants passing threat will always be unfavorable to Bradshaw.

MJD

After surprising with quality starts the first three weeks of the season, MJD came back to reality against the Bengals. Chicago has shut down the rushing attack of every team they have faced. Steven Jackson, Donald Brown, DeMarco Murray, and Cedric Benson have all seen their offensive coordinators abandon the running game by halftime. MJD is still highly valuable in PPR leagues, but if you’re not in one it may be wise to sit MJD, especially since Jacksonville has not been a reliable team to score points.

Stevan Ridley

Ridley’s numbers thus far rank him as a top fifteen fantasy back. He is one that will continue to put up solid games but consistency from the Patriots play calling may taper off. They typically do not run the football often, and last week’s forty total attempts will be a season high. With Bolden and Woodhead involved it’s going to impact games for Ridley against teams like Denver where the Patriots may only rush the ball twenty five times.

Wide Receivers

Marques Colston

Colston came back to fantasy life last week in a big way. His spotty play has made him more of a number three fantasy receiver nowadays. His healthy is reported now at one hundred percent for the first time in awhile. I’ll need to see a string of quality games from Colston before bumping him up in rankings. San Diego has the secondary to corral him this week.

Davone Bess

The role many expected Bess to have after Chad Johnson was cut has been fulfilled by Brian Hartline. Hartline is Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target and that does not look like it will change. Expect Miami to tone their passing game back down, and get back to relying on the running game. The Cardinals were the first team this season to shut down the rushing attack, and force the Dolphins to air it out. Miami wants to bring Tannehill along properly, to do that they’ll limit Tannehill’s throws to twenty five and under most games.

Anquan Boldin-
Dennis Pitta put up a whopping zero catches against the Browns Thursday night. The reason for that was because Boldin was playing that role over the middle an intermediate routes. Kansas City’s secondary loves to give up big plays through the running game and air. This week should be Ray Rice’s first fantastic game of the season. Big plays will still come through the air but Boldin is not going to be a large percentage of that.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

One of the most baffling cases of low production from a fantasy superstar has been that of Chris Johnson.

He was probably among the top three picks in your draft, and with a new contract in the books going into the season, it was easy to assume he would run like the 2,000-yard rusher he was a few years ago.

After putting up atrocious numbers in the first three weeks of the season, during which he rushed for 98 yards on 46 carries and no touchdowns, he somewhat redeemed himself by gaining 101 yards on 23 carries in a 31-13 win over the Cleveland Browns in week 4.

Does this mean Johnson is getting back to form? Will he be a big-play threat for the rest of the season?

At this point, it’s tough to confidently say yes to both those questions. That’s obviously not the news you want to hear if he’s on your team, but after seeing what he’s done in the first four weeks of this season, you should make sure you’re confident in the other running backs on your team or pick some up off the waiver wire.

The Titans are going up against the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers this week, so Johnson may be able to go over the 100-yard mark again. The Steelers gave up 155 rushing yards to Texans running back Arian Foster, who gained 5.2 yards per carry in Houston’s 17-10 win. With Johnson’s speed, he could very well run for a similar yards-per-carry average, so there’s a good chance he’ll do well this week.

But the fact that we even have to question whether he will have a big day is cause for concern. In years past, this would never have been an issue. There are very few players in the league who are threats to score at any given moment in a game, and Johnson is still one of them, so you might not want to give up on him just yet, but keep an eye out for other backs if you want to upgrade your overall production at that position.

Stevan Ridley of the New England Patriots could be a good option. He rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, so there’s a good chance he’ll continue to get carries. You might also want to consider Roy Helu of the Redskins and Ricky Williams of the Ravens if you really need an addition.

One quarter of a season is not enough time to declare a player’s season over, but it is enough time to get a sense of whether you should be worried about a player’s production. Johnson is way too talented to be replaced, but it would be smart to consider adding running backs to your team in case he puts together another string of bad games.

By Vidur Malik
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Mark Sanchez – Sanchez takes on the Minnesota Vikings’ defense after showing that he can be an efficient, mistake-free quarterback. He hasn’t thrown an interception so far, and even though he’s going up against a tough defense, he’s got the weapons to have another solid game. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards has shown that he can still be effective, and Dustin Keller has become one of the best tight ends in the game. The Jets will also have wide receiver Santonio Holmes starting this week, which should open up the offense more.

Carson Palmer – After sub-par performances in weeks two and three, Palmer threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns in the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in week four. Look for Palmer to put up similar numbers this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Against Cleveland, wide receiver Terrell Owens had over 200 receiving yards, showing that he is still a threat. If Palmer has found chemistry with T.O., and can still sling the ball to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and his other weapons, he should have another great game this weekend.

Donovan McNabb- The Washington Redskins play the Green Bay Packers in week five, and McNabb should break out of his streak of average performances. He put up only 125 passing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in week four, but can have a good game against the Packers. Though Green Bay ranks seventh in pass defense, they gave up 331 yards to Detroit Lions quarterback Shaun Hill in week four. McNabb has the talent and weapons to throw for 300+ yards this weekend as well.

Jamaal Charles – Though he’s only had 34 rushes, Charles is averaging seven yards per carry so far. The Kansas City Chiefs play the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, who are 29th in the league in rush defense. Though running back Thomas Jones has gotten the bulk of the carries this season, Charles’ explosiveness will help him and the Chiefs run through the Colts’ defense.

Tim Hightower – The Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and Hightower should have a big day after his team got blown out by the San Diego Chargers in week four. Hightower averages 5.5 yards per rush, and the Saints’ defense struggles to stop the run. We had Carolina Panthers’ running back DeAngelo Williams on the week four start ‘em list for the same reason, and he had a solid game against the Saints. Hightower should do the same.

Matt Forte – When the Chicago Bears play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Todd Collins will be starting for Chicago, according to reports. That means that Forte should be the go-to guy for the offense, and he’s got the ability to be that guy. He’s had a tough year on the ground so far, but leads the Bears in receptions with 16, which means he can get you points on the ground and through the air.

Brandon Pettigrew – The Detroit Lions’ tight end leads the team in receiving, and should be a safe target for quarterback Shaun Hill when the Lions play the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Though Pettigrew doesn’t have a touchdown catch yet, that can change quickly because he’s a big guy who can be a great redzone weapon. He’s coming off an eight-catch, 91-yard game against Green Bay, and should put up more good numbers against the Rams.

Derrick Mason – Mason is the most reliable target on the Baltimore Ravens’ offense, and has been doing it for years. Though wide receiver Anquan Boldin is the Ravens’ receiving leader, Mason has seen his reception totals go up with every game so far this year, and against a Denver Broncos’ defense that has a below-average pass defense, Mason should continue to see his stats rise.

Lance Moore – Of all the weapons the New Orleans Saints have on offense, it’s Moore who’s leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s fourth on the team with 14 catches, but has a 14.9 yards per catch average, which is tops on the team. Though anyone can have a big day for the Saints, most of their weapons put up pretty consistent numbers once they become a key part of the offense. Moore has done that this year. Look for quarterback Drew Brees to stretch the Cardinals’ defense with deep throws to Moore.