Hello Fantasy Owners, I hope your season is going as well as mine is. I have to apologize to anyone who sat Matt Asiata on my advice.

I did not account for Matt Cassel not playing and the Vikings going into a run heavy offense. The NFL is a crazy world where anything can happen. I would like to say that my top 5 starters for week 4 all had decent games that should have helped your match up.

I have some new players making their debut on the top players to start and sit for Week 5. So let’s get to the top five players you should have in and take out of your line up.

Top 5 Starters for Week 5

Julius Thomas-Fantasy Start of the Week

I know I seem to have a thing for really good Tight Ends with elite Quarterbacks throwing them the ball. You cannot argue with success, Thomas has scored one or more touchdowns in all his games this season so far. The Cardinals defense has had trouble against opposing TEs over the last two seasons giving up 18 total TDs. A player of Thomas’s caliber can surely make mincemeat of the Cardinal D with a QB like Peyton Manning throwing the ball.

DeMarco Murray

In the Battle of Texas Murray will look to keep his very productive season alive. The Houston Texans have not been very good against the run; they are 23rd against opposing running backs giving up an average of 130.2 rushing yards. Demarco Murray however is the NFL’s leading rusher. He averages over 100 yards per game and a touchdown. Murray is finally getting the touches everyone has been craving for him to get so I would look for his play to continue and rise.

Le’Veon Bell

Bell has had a nice season so far and he will look to keep it up as he faces the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 0-4 Jaguars have not had the defense they envisioned under head coach Gus Bradley. Bradley’s defense has given up the most total yards in the NFL with an average of 466 per game. Bell is turning into a very nice every down back and can make plays all over the field. His 147 rushing yards against the Carolina Panther’s defense was a good showing how he can stand up against the elite type of run defenses. A trip to Jacksonville should be a great opportunity for him to rack up plenty of fantasy points.

Cordarrelle Patterson

I know the second year wide receiver everyone was projected to have a spectacular season, but so far he has not looked very spectacular. His week-one performance seems like light years ago. I think a matchup against the Green Bay Packers is just what he needs to turn things around. Patterson has one TD to his name this season and it was not through the air. The Packers have had trouble defending against the deep pass, especially to speedy receivers like Patterson. With Teddy Bridgewater starting, the rookie QB will find Patterson to be a nice option to lean on.

Zack Ertz

It’s been a while since Ertz has seen the end zone, but on the upside he is targeted a lot more in the offense than he was a year ago at this time. Ertz is another breakout candidate people were looking for big things out of. Just like Patterson, his only TD has come in week one of the NFL season. An opponent like the Rams will give him an opportunity to step up and show his skill.

Top 5 Players to Sit for Week 5

1. Kirk Cousins- Fantasy Sit of the Week

I never like a quarterback going against the Legion of Boom, especially one that turned the ball over five times in his Thursday-night matchup against the New York Giants. Cousins has shown flashes of being a good fantasy option at QB, but his last game raised a lot of questions. He completed only four passes to wide receivers (the same amount he completed to the Giants Defense) and looked inaccurate all night. I believe an elite defense like the Seattle Seahawks can expose Cousins and make him uncomfortable like the G-Men did.

2. Stevan Ridley

Ridley is an enigma most of the time. He never really shows up when he needs to most. A matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals will not be his breakout moment. The Bengals are a stingy defense that does not like to give up a lot yards to opposing running backs. No RB that has played against the Bengals has topped 70 yards this season.

Montee Ball

Ball has not been bad this season; it is just that the Arizona Cardinals are a very good defense. They are the 4th best defense at stopping the run, giving up an average of 71.7 yards per game. Ball did not look up to the challenge after facing the Seattle Seahawks in week 3. In that game he was held to 38 yards rushing, one fumble and no touchdowns.

Redskins Wide Receivers

The Redskin’s offense has had some success since they acquired weapons DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts. They were envisioned to be paired up with Pierre Garcon and terrorize NFL defenses. That has not happened all that much. Either the players have been hurt or they have not gotten the quarterback play they needed (see Kirk Cousins). Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom will not an easy opponent for the WRs to overcome.

Cam Newton

I want to make it clear I am a Cam Newton fan, but he has looked horrible in his last two games. He looked so bad that he did not finish those games, and had to be replaced by Derek Anderson. Against the Bears, I do not see him performing well against a defense that can get turnovers against mobile quarterbacks. When the Bears played against Colin Kaepernick, they got 3 interceptions and one fumble recovery out the young QB. I do not think Newton is fully healed from his offseason surgery, which limits the plays he can make on the field.

Eldon Graham is a Fantasy Football analyst for the 2014 season. He boasts three championship titles, two of them from the 2013 season. He will help you choose the player you want in your lineup or off the waiver wire. Follow him on twitter @eldonagraham for updates or questions.

BYE WEEK TEAMS: Dolphins, Raiders

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