After a rough start to the year, the OnMilwaukee.com fantasy crew has led you in the right direction the last few weeks, so you should be in good shape as the second wave of bye weeks rolls around.
We're back to give you a couple of players to push into your starting lineup or move to your bench, along with a sleeper pick.
Now, you're not going to find "start LeSean McCoy" here. If you drafted a player in the first five rounds, chances are those are your go-to players, so we'll try to give you some less-than-obvious choices to bolster your lineup every week.
On that note, here we go for Week 5:
Start ‘em
Charles Clay, Miami tight end vs. Baltimore
Clay has become a favorite for Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and while the tight end position the last two weeks against the Ravens (Owen Daniels and Scott Chandler) didn’t produce many fantasy points, Daniels still caught five passes and Chandler caught all three passes sent his way (though one was overturned on replay). Top fantasy tight ends Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron ate up the Ravens, and Clay will be a solid play for those looking for a stop gap this week.
Brian Hoyer, Cleveland quarterback vs. Buffalo
A starting quarterback can’t be a sleeper, especially one going up against the horrid Bills pass defense. Buffalo is allowing, on average, 298.8 yards per game through the air and each quarterback they’ve faced the first four weeks have thrown for two touchdowns – even Geno Smith. Now, the Bills have taken the ball away too – see Joe Flacco’s five interceptions last week – but Hoyer should find success.
Sit ‘em
Alex Smith, Kansas City quarterback vs. Tennessee
What wins real NFL games doesn’t necessarily translate to the fantasy world, and this matchup is a perfect example of that. The Titans aren’t very good, but in three of the first four weeks of the year they’ve allowed just one passing touchdown and have picked off five passes. Only Houston’s Matt Schaub in week 2 put up any sort of solid fantasy numbers against Tennessee. There might be a time to go with Smith during a bye week, but this isn’t it.
Coby Fleener, Indianapolis tight end vs. Seattle
On the whole, Fleener has been a disappointing fantasy option despite playing with college quarterback Andrew Luck, but don’t chase the big points he put up last week against Jacksonville. The Colts are playing one of the top – if not the top – defense in the league and there won’t be too many opportunities for him. He has yet to establish himself as a top flight producer against teams with depth and skill at the linebacking position (see his production two weeks ago against San Francisco).
Sleeper
St. Louis defense vs. Jacksonville
It’s hard to really call any team, or player, that squares off against the Jaguars as a "sleeper" but the Rams aren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut. That said, the Jaguars are team that cures all ills on that side of the ball, allowing 18 sacks and turning the ball over eight times in four weeks. And, the Jaguars just can’t score, so the Rams are a must-play defense this week.
