The constant stress of fantasy football continues to mount as we enter week 5. With injuries all over the league, this is a great week to pickup some diamonds in the rough and a few fairly unknown free agents.
PICKUP:
QB’s:
Alex Smith — (SF). Smith is a split between a quarterback on the rise and a flop, but with his recent success against a weak defense, he might be a valuable pick up as a backup or a bye week fill-in.
RB’s:
Stevan Ridley — (NE). The New England Patriots aren’t normally known as a run happy offense, but last week against Oakland backup running back Stevan Ridley opened up some eyes and possibilities for the Pat’s. Ridley racked up almost 100 yard last week and 1 touchdown, don’t expect the same level of production this week against a tough New York Jets defense, but he is still a valuable pick up.
Isaac Redman – (PIT). With lackluster back Rashard Mendenhall questionable this week with a hamstring injury, Redman could be a valuable pick up. If Redman performs well this week, he might just slowly taking over more and more carries for the under performing Mendenhall.
WR’s:
Jacoby Jones — (HOU). Star wide-out Andre Johnson went down with a hamstring injury last week, leaving a spot open for someone to step in. Last year when Johnson missed the final two games Jones was the man who stepped in, he caught 10 passes for 185 yards in two games. He clearly has talent and with a gunslinger like Matt Schaub at quarterback, Jones has the potential for big numbers in week 5.
Antonio Brown — (PIT). Emanuel Sanders was supposed to have a break out year, and thus far he has not. Even though quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been playing poorly, he has been targeting Brown quite a bit. He is definitely not a starting wide receiver but with bye weeks coming up, he might be your best bet.
TE’s:
Jermaine Gresham — (CIN). Gresham had a great day last week against Buffalo racking up 70 yards and 1 touchdown, ranking among top scoring tight ends last week. Look for Gresham’s production to continue against a weak Jacksonville defense and a Cincinnati offense coming off a strong win.
Use these players to bolster your team and improve a possible waning roster. Good luck to all this week.