Week 5: Pickups of the Week
QB Matt Cassel, ---
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All over the fantasy football world there are Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers and Phillip Rivers owners who are resigned to a week 5 loss. For those of you who haven't yet given up hope entirely, there's a 2008 fantasy darling waiting to save the day. True, Matt Cassel's stint with the Chiefs hasn't been nearly so spectacular as his breakout year serving New England as Tom Brady's stand-in, but the one-time Patriots savior has managed to put together a string of consecutive 2 TD, 0 INT games. On a team as talent-starved as Kansas City, that's quite the accomplishment. The Patriots viewed Cassel as a game manager last season and were pleasantly surprised when he over-performed. That's exactly the attitude fantasy owners need to adopt. The Chiefs play a porous Dallas secondary this week and the stage is nicely set for a 2008-style Cassel performance.
RB Michael Bush, ---
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Darren McFadden is out for the next several weeks with a torn up knee that will require surgery. It's tough to endorse any Raiders running back right now, but with bye weeks coming into play and starting RBs at a premium, fantasy owners need to make some risky choices. Even with Justin Fargas back in the mix, Bush should be getting any goal line carries that come up. A healthy Michael Bush is a dangerous commodity and it's just a matter of his having an opportunity to prove himself. With no more McFadden for at least a month, Bush will get that opportunity.
RB Glen Coffee, ---
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Coffee put up modest numbers against a soft St. Louis defense last week, but that shouldn't stop you from picking him up in time for week 5. Coffee was trusted with an impressive workload (24 carries compared to a combined zero from other San Francisco running backs) and that likely means he'll have plenty of chances to step it up this coming Sunday. The 49ers face an Atlanta team that has conceded 136 rushing yards per game, including a 168 yard explosion from the usually airborne Patriots. Get the most out of Coffee now; Frank Gore is expected to return after the team's week six bye.
WR Kenny Britt, ---
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The rookie WR out of Rutgers continues to make a name for himself with the Titans. Britt had his best performance of the season against Jacksonville (seven catches for 147 yards) and is now locked in a fierce competition with Justin Gage and Nate Washington for the top receiver spot. The Titans face some tough pass defenses in the Colts and Patriots over the next two weeks, but owners would do well to act quickly. Britt has a nice blend of size and speed; add to that an emerging chemistry with QB Kerry Collins and you've got a fantasy star who could contribute nicely down the stretch.
WR Antonio Bryant, ---
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We haven't seen much of him this year. He left in week 1, missed week 2 and was extremely limited in week 3 due to a knee injury. Back on the road to health now, Antonio Bryant is still available in a surprising 12 per cent of MyFantasyLeague.com leagues. Owners should recall that Bryant is coming off a career year (1,248 yards, seven touchdowns) and is still his team's only viable deep threat. New starting quarterback Josh Johnson connected with him on a TD pass early last week and you can expect these two to get better acquainted as the season goes on. He probably won't match the pace he set last season, but Bryant is still a solid WR2.
WR Mohamed Massaquoi, ---
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Derek Anderson's first start of the season was notable -- not so much because of the quarterback's play, but rather because of his choice of targets. With the Bengals double-covering Braylon Edwards, rookie Mohamed Massaquoi was targeted plenty and benefited with a game high eight catches for 148 yards. Massaquoi had been battling Joshua Cribbs and Mike Furrey for the second wideout spot. After a breakout game like that -- and given that the Browns have nothing to lose by taking a risk -- it makes sense for Massaquoi to get the starting nod next week at flanker (with Mike Furrey bouncing back inside to his more natural slot position). Don't hold your breath for another 148-yard performance, but Massaquoi could post fairly decent numbers against defenses that will be focused on stopping Braylon Edwards.
TE Brent Celek, ---
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Sometimes a bye week is all that is needed to help stifle the hype on an emerging fantasy star. Brent Celek posted back-to-back 100+ yard games prior to the break and has found the end zone twice in just three starts with the Eagles this season. Celek was just as productive working with Donovan McNabb as he was working with Kevin Kolb, and should continue to maintain his value no matter who is under center. Celek should be owned in all leagues -- it's simply a bonus if you happen to pick him up as a bye week replacement. Lots of owners keep only one TE, but the lucky Gates, Olsen and Shockey owners who nab Celek in week 5 may have trouble cutting ties.
TE Heath Miller, ---
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Owners of Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey and Antonio Gates need to look elsewhere for production this week. Why not chose a TE who's coming off his best performance of the season? Miller has been a big part of the offense this year and looks primed to eclipse career highs in both receptions and yards. Against the woeful Lions defense, every Steeler pass-catcher naturally gets a big bump up in value. Miller should put up top flight numbers in week 5.
PK Neil Rackers, ---
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It's hard to say nice things about kickers. Sometimes the nicest thing you can say is that you haven't heard anything bad about them lately. That's the case with Rackers. He's only missed once this season and has quietly put up solid numbers. Arizona hasn't shown the same big play offense that made them NFC champions last season, and that might actually be good news for the kicker. In the NFL, many failed touchdown drives result in field goals. In fact, Rackers' career-high 140 points in 2005 coincided with a career low in extra point attempts.
San Francisco
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Sure they whitewashed the Rams, but start them against Atlanta? Yes! Before the nickname passed on to Reggie White, Mike Singletary was known as the Minister of Defense during his playing days in Chicago. His was the intensity and leadership that drove the "Monsters of the Midway" and now he's preaching that same passion to an attentive San Francisco congregation. The 49ers are fifth in the league with 11 sacks and have given up the second fewest points per game this season. In Patrick Willis, they feature the league's most dominant young defensive player. This scary thing is: this defense still has room to grow.