Week five fantasy football report

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Week five in the NFL seemed to be the week of the quarterback as six out of the top 10 fantasy performers came from under center and nine quarterbacks were able to put up at least 20 fantasy points. Check out this week’s fantasy report to find out who you should add, drop, start and sit in order to lead your team to victory.

This week’s top 10 overall scorers via ESPN:

1. Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland – 35 points
2. Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay – 33 points
3. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants – 28 points
4. Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville – 28 points
5. Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati – 26 points
6. Tom Brady, QB, New England – 25 points
7. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta – 25 points
8. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore – 24 points
9. Broncos, D/ST – 23 points
10. Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore – 22 points

For a more comprehensive breakdown of this week’s scores, check out ESPN’s fantasy football scoring leaders.

Who to add 

• Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego – Gates provided a spark to the Chargers offense in his return from a four-game suspension as he put up 21 fantasy points in week five, most among all tight ends. Gates has always been a favorite target of Philip Rivers. Expect that to continue as the season progresses.

• Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona – Palmer has quietly been great this season, averaging 19.6 fantasy points per game. Throwing for 13 touchdowns in 2015, Palmer could prove to be a valuable starter in any fantasy league.

• Brandon McManus, K, Denver – With Denver’s offense proving to be less explosive than it has been in recent years, they have relied on the leg of McManus to provide valuable points. McManus averages 11.6 fantasy points per game, most among kickers.

Who to drop 

• Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit – Listed as questionable for week six, Ebron would be a risk to start. Combined with his mediocre numbers this season, Ebron will not be a scoring asset to your team. 

• DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh – Through the first five weeks of the season, it appears to be clear that Williams will only be brought in to supplement monster back Le’Veon Bell and will not get to take part in the offense as much as many had thought following his acquisition in the offseason. If you’re looking for a reliable RB2, Williams is likely not your guy. 

• Roddy White, WR, Atlanta – White has been far less prominent in the Atlanta offense this year compared to years past with the emergence of a reliable running game and as Julio Jones continues to improve. White is averaging just two fantasy points per game, so it would be wise to drop him from your fantasy team because it appears as though his glory days in Atlanta are behind him. 

Who to sit

• Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland – If you were expecting another stellar performance this week from the Cleveland quarterback, you might want to reevaluate. McCown is unlikely to perform like he has the past two weeks as he’ll face one of the fiercest pass defenses in the NFL, the Denver Broncos, who are giving up only 192.8 pass yards per game.

• Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants – With his favorite target, Odell Beckham Jr., coming off of a hamstring injury, playing Manning this week comes with some risk. While he has been reliable, don’t count on him to have a big week.

• DeMarco Murray, RB, Philadelphia – Having had a major setback in production from a year ago in Dallas, Murray’s fantasy value has dropped and will likely continue to drop as the Eagles will face a Giants defense in week six that has allowed just three touchdowns to running backs.

Who to start 

• Peyton Manning, QB, Denver – In any other season, Manning would be a lock as a weekly starter, but has averaged a mortal 11.4 fantasy points per game in 2015. Don’t expect this trend to continue, however, as he faces a Browns defense that has given up 251 pass yards per game and is No. 22 in the league in points allowed with 26.4 points per game.

• Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona – Ranking second this season in fantasy points among wide receivers, Fitzgerald looks to have rejuvenated his career. Expect more of the same in week six as he’ll face a shaky Steelers secondary.

• Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago – Since coming back from a hamstring injury that he suffered in week two against Arizona, Cutler has averaged 17 fantasy points per game and thrown only one interception. His matchup this week looks to be favorable once again as Cutler will face the mediocre pass defense of the Detroit Lions.

Edited by Cody McClure

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