Start em’

DeShaun Watson, Houston Texans – It’s official. DeShaun Watson has arrived. The rookie has tallied 14 touchdowns through five games, one of those games being the season opener when Watson relieved the horrendous Tom Savage midway through the game. Watson gives the Texans stability at quarterback, and as a result, their offense has been firing on all cylinders. The passing game has been ignited, stud receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the top ranked receiver in fantasy, and second year wideout Will Fuller has scored two touchdowns in both of his games this season, after he missed the first three weeks due to injury. The Texans host the winless Browns this week, and that alone should be enough for Watson to be in your starting lineup this week.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints – Remember when the Saints signed Adrian Peterson? Well, that’s now a thing of the past. The future Hall of Famer was dealt to the Cardinals for a draft pick, mainly because of rookie Alvin Kamara. The third round pick has become an asset to the Saints’ offense with his combo of running and receiving ability. Saints’ coach Sean Payton has given Kamara a lot of praise, especially for his previously mentioned pass catching skills that fit the Saints’ offense so well. The Saints face the Lions on Sunday, whose defense is near the top of the league in takeaways and sacks. Drew Brees will look to Kamara for checkdown passes if the play breaks down.

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – After being suspended for the first four weeks, Doug Martin ran the ball like a man possessed last Thursday. Martin ran for a touchdown and averaged an absurd 5.7 yards per carry. The Bucs travel to Phoenix to play the Cardinals, a team who gave up over 120 yards on the ground to the Eagles last week. With quarterback Jameis Winston having to throw against a secondary with players like Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, it’s safer for the Bucs offense to run through Martin.

Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers – The Eagles group of corners without Ronald Darby is one of the worst position groups in all of football. On Thursday night, rookie Rasul Douglas, veteran Patrick Robinson, and former seventh round pick Jalen Mills have the task of defending colossal 6’5, 243 pound wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin has put up 14+ points the last two weeks, thanks to the performance of quarterback Cam Newton. Benjamin should have his way with the Eagles secondary, and he’ll be a huge red zone target given his stature.

Sit em’

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams – The decision to put Jared Goff here is based more on his opponent than him. Goff has been playing a lot better than last year, mainly because of new head coach Sean McVay. However, when this Jaguars defense is hot, they lock down all offenses in their path. In the season opener against the Texans, they registered 10 sacks. A week ago against the Steelers, the Jags picked off Ben Roethlisberger five times, including pick-sixes on back to back possessions. Their front seven can wreak havoc thanks to lineman Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, and Dante Fowler Jr., and linebackers Myles Jack and Telvin Smith. Jacksonville’s cornerback tandem of A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey allow the lowest completion percentage to opposing receivers. The Rams will have to get creative to exploit the few weaknesses of the Jaguars defense.

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers – Hyde was forgotten in the 49ers loss to the Colts last week. Undrafted free agent Matt Breida had more touches than Hyde as the team turned to the passing game to try to get their offense going. The 49ers seem confident in their passing attack, given the presence of Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, and the emergence of rookie tight end George Kittle. I don’t see Hyde’s workload making a dramatic increase, as the 49ers will likely test the Redskins secondary, who are without standout defensive back Josh Norman.

Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers – It seems as though fourth year player Davante Adams is starting to surpass Randall Cobb on the depth chart. The two receivers have the same amount of receptions this season, however Adams has been targeted more times than Cobb. In the Packers last game against the Cowboys, the Packers had to go the length of the field with only 1:13 left on the clock; and they were without top receiver Jordy Nelson. However, it was Adams who was targeted four times on the final drive, including the game-winning touchdown. If Cobb can only put up a meager 29 yards against a depleted Cowboys secondary, things don’t look good for him against the Vikings secondary, with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Terence Newman lining up across from him.

Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans – Matt. Cassel. Two of the scariest words in all of fantasy. With Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota sidelined with a hamstring injury, Cassel has turned the Titans offense into a fantasy graveyard. Last week, Cassel averaged 4.4 yards per pass attempt, and running back DeMarco Murray averaged 4.1 yards per rush. The Titans were averaging 25 points per game before the horrid Cassel put up only 10 against a Dolphins team that had been shutout in back to back weeks. Now, enough about Cassel. Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker struggled mightily, putting up only 25 yards receiving. Walker has a favorable matchup against the Colts this week, but it would be smart of the Titans to run the ball with Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray, rather than have Cassel throw 25-30 times. Walker has great run-blocking skills, so for most of his snaps he’ll probably be utilized as a blocker rather than a receiver.

Play of the Week

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, New York Jets – The Patriots defense is bad. The Jets offense is (surprisingly) good. As of late, the most reliable option for the Jets offense has been behemoth tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. At 6’6 and 258 pounds, the player known as ASJ not only gives quarterback Josh McCown a massive target, but a receiver who demands attention in the red zone. Running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell are banged up, which should lead to the Jets with more opportunities to throw the ball. That’s far from a bad thing against the Patriots defense, who lack pass rushers, depth at key positions, and have had countless miscommunications, leading to wide open receivers and blown coverages.