2011 Week 5 Fantasy Advice

Did you have a good Week 4? When bye weeks roll around, fantasy lineups become a lot harder to set, and you'll be looking to many players you never thought you would look to before. Those players are hard to find, so looking here may not be such a bad idea.

Byes: WSH, MIA, BAL, CLE, STL, DAL

Who to Start:

QB Cam Newton (CAR) vs. NO: In 3 out of their first 4 games this season, Newton has not thrown for less than 374 yards in a game. Pretty impressive for a rookie. He'll be going up against a porous Saints pass defense on Sunday, so he should be a nice bye week option if you need one.

RB Fred Jackson (BUF) vs. PHI: Right now, the Eagles can't stop the run. The Bills love to run the football right through the teeth of defenses. Jackson has had an amazing season so far, and with this matchup, looking very favorable for him, expect a big day from Fred Jackson.

WR Julio Jones (ATL) vs. GB: Despite the fact that the Pack are 4-0, their pass defense hasn't been too great. With the Falcons loving to toss the ball around the field, especially in the Georgia Dome, Jones should have a pretty decent day overall.

WR Jordy Nelson (GB) vs. ATL: He's the third wideout in the Packers rotation, yet he's on pace for 1100 yards this season. That's impressive. He's going up against a suspect Atlanta secondary Sunday Night, so he should once again figure to have a big day.

TE Jermaine Gresham (CIN) vs. JAX: He has been a reliable target for rookie Andy Dalton in the first 4 games, and he should figure to continue in that role against the Jags. Jacksonville has struggled trying to stop tight ends this season, surrendering big yards to them, so Gresham should have a big game on Sunday.

DEF New York Giants vs. SEA: The Giants defense had been considered a suspect fantasy unit at the beginning of the season, but now they look like a must start, especially going against Seattle, who has QB troubles and has to travel cross country for a 1 PM kick.

Who to Sit:

QB Jay Cutler (CHI) vs. DET MON: Ford Field will be a madhouse on Monday night, and knowing the Bears problems with protecting the QB and the Lions penchant for sacks, don't expect Cutler to have a good game on Monday night.

RB Frank Gore (SF) vs. TB: Even though he had a big week last time out against Philly, don't expect similar results on Sunday. He's still being nagged by an injury, and the Bucs rush D has been overall very solid this season.

WR Brandon Lloyd (DEN) vs. SD: Even though he still is the big play target for Denver down the field, the Chargers pass D is better than the pass D of any of the rest of the teams they've played so far this season, so start with caution.

WR Mike Thomas (JAX) vs. CIN: The Bengals surprisingly have the #1 overall defense right now in the NFL, and it's helped that they have Nate Clements and Leon Hall locking down the outside. With the Jags pass O struggling, and that defensive combo, Mike Thomas is a guy to avoid.

TE Kevin Boss (OAK) vs. HOU: It doesn't look like the Raiders like to use their tight ends very often, even though they have had good quality at the position. The Texans have defended the tight end very well so far this season, so this may be a matchup to avoid.

DEF New York Jets vs. NE: The Pats can light up the sky with big offensive numbers as we well know by now, and the Jets D hasn't played up to their own standards in the past couple of weeks. Start with caution.

3 Super Sleepers:

QB Kevin Kolb (ARZ) vs. MIN: The Vikes pass D has been slightly porous this season, and Kevin Kolb has the arm and the weapons to put up big numbers, so he could be a guy to look for if your's is on the shelf for a bye or injury.

RB Isaac Redman (PIT) vs. TEN: He has had big numbers when he's carried the load, and he's actually has 4.9 yards per carry this season. With Rashard Mendenhall possibly out with an injury, he may be a big flex option.

WR Jacoby Jones (HOU) vs. OAK: With Andre Johnson out, Matt Schaub will have to look for someone else to get big plays down the field. Jones has gamebreaking speed, so he may be the right choice if you need a flex option.

Buyer Beware:

DEF Green Bay vs. ATL: Does anyone else think that this GB/ATL game on SNF will be a huge shootout? I do. The Green Bay defense is still good, but it's not the same dominant unit that we may have become accustomed to. Watch out for this unit if you have to start them.

Good luck in Week 5!