Quarterbacks are usually second-rate citizens in Fantasy Football.
If you have any quarterback on your roster other than Cam Newton, you know that the No. 15 quarterback in the rankings may produce as much as the No. 3 quarterback in any given week.
However, QBs are the lead story going into Week 5, because Newton (concussion protocol) may not be in the lineup for the Carolina Panthers, and a quarterback named Tom Brady returns from his Roger Goodell-ordered vacation for the New England Patriots.
Brady’s return shoots him to the top of many quarterback rankings. While he doesn’t quite get there on our list—he is third behind Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers—we expect Brady to have a big impact against the Cleveland Browns.
If the Pats had not fallen apart in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills, it might seem likely that they would have allowed Brady to hand the ball off to LeGarrette Blount and let the running game dictate the pace of the game.
But Bill Belichick was visibly agitated during the loss to Buffalo and will push his players in practice this week. The message will be sent in a clear and concise manner, and every player on the team will hear it.
Look for the Patriots to get their offense in gear against the winless Browns, and there may be little let-up in this game as Belichick sends a message to his team…and the rest of the league.
Running Backs
The Pittsburgh Steelers are feeling a lot better about themselves heading into Week 5 than they did just days ago.
That’s because Le’Veon Bell is back, and he played like a superstar in Week 4 when the Steelers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. Bell returned from his suspension and he looked like one of the best running backs in the NFL as he picked up 144 yards on the ground and caught five passes.
The Steelers look unstoppable on offense as long as their Big Three of Roethlisberger, Bell and Antonio Brown remain healthy. There are other teams that have strong QB-RB-WR combinations, but none of them are in a class with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh appears to have another solid matchup this week as they host the New York Jets, who are reeling after back-to-back losses to the Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks.
NFL teams usually have a way of bouncing back after a couple of less-than-stellar performances, particularly ones with excellent personnel. The Jets certainly have a strong front line with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams, and it will be up to head coach Todd Bowles to find a way to rally his team and lead them to a good performance.
The problem is that good may not be good enough against the Steelers. Pittsburgh is too explosive on offense to slow down for long periods of time, and the Jets offense has been turning the ball over at an alarming rate.
As a result, we have placed Bell at the top of our running back standings and are looking for him to have another special game against the Jets.
Wide receivers
We usually don’t talk about top receivers like Brown and Julio “300 Yards” Jones of the Atlanta Falcons because they are so consistent and so dangerous on a weekly basis. They are regularly at the top of our WR rankings, and nothing has changed this week.
However, there are issues with Odell Beckham Jr., who has been considered one of the elite receivers in the league since 2014. His remarkable athletic ability and skills have led to some memorable one-handed catches that have helped give the New York Giants an explosive offensive dimension.
But Beckham did not look special in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, as he was held to three catches for 23 yards, even though he was targeted nine times.
Beckham dropped one catchable deep pass and just appeared to be off his game against the Vikings. Beckham has had several emotional outbursts this year, which is apparently taking away from his ability to produce at the expected level.
We are dropping Beckham several spots in our ratings this week and raising Jordy Nelson of the Green Bay Packers.
Nelson is returning to top form after missing the 2015 season due to injury and should be able to get the best of the Giants secondary. Nelson and the Packers are coming off an early bye week and should be able to hit the Giants with a couple of big plays involving Nelson early in the game.
Tight Ends
Look for the return of Brady to the Patriots lineup to coincide with the return of Rob Gronkowski to a position of prominence among the league’s tight ends.
Gronkowski has only played in two of the Patriots’ four games so far because of a hamstring injury and has caught just one pass so far.
However, Gronkowski is getting healthier every week, and look for him to put on a Gronk-like show against the Browns. This should be a fever-pitch effort against Cleveland, and Gronk should be able to make at least two big plays downfield that give the Pats control of the game.
When Gronkowski gets back to top form, he will find that he has company in the upper reaches of the tight end rankings. Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins is a flat-out star and should be able to build on his 25 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdown when the Redskins go on the road to play the Baltimore Ravens.
Waiver Projections
Many fantasy players have been making waiver moves since Week 1 or Week 2. Now that we have moved past Week 4, it’s time for all players to evaluate their rosters and make significant changes when needed.
For those who are unhappy with their quarterback situation, it’s time to give Brian Hoyer of the Chicago Bears strong consideration.
Hoyer started against the Detroit Lions in Week 4 and led the Bears to their first victory of the season. Hoyer was the starter for the Houston Texans for the majority of the 2015 season, so he is not just an untested player who is happy to get the call.
He understands what the Bears expect of him and may have more juice than starter Jay Cutler (thumb), which will appeal to head coach John Fox.
If the Bears don’t make progress in 2016, it won’t be good for Fox’s tenure in Chicago. Hoyer won his only start, and Fox may not be quick to return Cutler to the starting lineup.
Hoyer threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions and did not throw an interception.
Look for Hoyer‘s backfield mate Jordan Howard to continue to produce. The rookie running back from Indiana gained 111 yards on 23 carries and has run with power and explosiveness. He is a solid waiver-wire pickup for anyone who needs help at the RB position.
Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com