A couple more injuries, a couple more position changes, a couple more breakouts…another typical fantasy football week.  I’m here once again to help you separate the good pickups from the fantasy flukes.  If they made my list then they are worth adding.  Here are the guys worth getting following week 5 of the fantasy season.

 

Tim Tebow (DEN QB)- You knew this was going to happen eventually. Tebow replaces Orton in the second half and almost wins the game for Denver. Now the upset fans who already wanted him to start will be louder than ever. Just pick him up. You know you want to.

Curtis Painter (IND QB)- He’s starting to play pretty decent. I can see him becoming a guy with a Matt Cassell story who finishes the rest of the year strong and then goes somewhere else next season. For now he’s a good backup to have.

Charlie Whitehurst (SEA QB)- It looks like Tarvaris Jackson has an injury that could cost him a few weeks…or forever. Whitehurst looked good leading the Seahawks to a win over the Giants. If your desperate for a backup QB then take a chance on him. You never know, he could be a Cinderella story.

Victor Cruz (NYG WR)- I listed him last week. Now it’s probably too late. He seems legit. 3 very very good weeks in a row. He must be the real deal. He’s at least passed Manningham on the depth chart.

Pierre Garcon (IND WR)- Painter likes him the best. He may have just peaked for the season, but for now he’s a huge pickup. I can see Reggie Wayne complaining here soon until Painter is forced to get him the ball. But for now its safe to start Garcon.

Darrius Heyward-Bey (OAK WR)- I’m a believer now. He broke out in week 4 with 115 yds. In week 5 it was 99 yds with a TD. He seems to be Jason Campbell’s favorite target, has great athleticism, is very quick, and is from Maryland. That’s a bunch of reasons to like him. Grab him now incase he starts putting up consistent numbers.

Kevin Walter (HOU WR)- He’s the #1 guy while Andre Johnson is out. Throw him into your #3 spot and ride him out.

Jason Avant (PHI WR)- There are a lot of weapons in Philly, so it’s tough for a guy like Avant to be consistent, but he’s been good the last 2 weeks. It looks like he is Vick’s favorite target. With the Eagles off to an embarrassing start they are sure to be on a rampage from here on out. They really looked like a powerhouse offense in the second half of the Buffalo game. I can see them playing that way for the rest of the season. And that means everyone in their offense will benefit, especially someone like Avant.

Jason Hill (JAC WR)- Not only did he have 118 yds and TD, but he also led the team in targets this week. He probably just peaked for the season, but it’s all about who the new rookie QB likes. If Hill is his favorite target then he’s worth owning.

Darren Sproles (NO RB)- Last week I said to pick him up. This week he put up 91 combined yards and led his team in rushing yards and rushing attempts. He seems to be their #1 RB now.

Mark Ingram (NO RB)- If someone cut the rookie you may want to stash him. This past week he rushed the ball more times than Pierre Thomas. I can see his role increasing in the coming weeks. He may be splitting time with Sproles. He isn’t as electric as Sproles and probably won’t get as many receptions, but he still gets some. He’s one of those rookies that gets more and more value as the season progresses.

Willis McGahee (DEN RB)- As long as Moreno is hurt, or is bad, or whatever his problem is, McGahee is a good option.

Stevan Ridley (NE RB)- Who woulda thought that Green-Ellis would have actually been relevant again this week? His quick start ruined Ridley’s breakout this week. So we have to wait another week, or two, or four, for Ridley to finally be the starter.

Bernard Scott (CIN RB)- It might finally be time for Cedric Benson to be suspended. When that happens Scott is the starter for 4 weeks. He scored a TD and put the game away for his team this past week. Good signs.

Kendall Hunter (SF RB)- He looks like a legit RB in his limited carries. Eventually Frank Gore will go down. When he does Hunter will be a huge pickup that could help lead teams to championships.

Jackie Battle (KC RB)- I am not saying that you should start this guy anytime soon. He broke through this week with 199 yards on 19 carries and added 2 catches for 21 yards. Somebody needed to grab ahold of that RB job in KC. But because this guy came out of nowhere, and because none of you have ever heard of him, be very cautious. If you add him do so because your trying to find the next feel good lightning in a bottle story. Stash him on your bench this week. If he plays well again then you can consider starting him. If he does nothing next week, which he will probably do because he will not be playing the easy IND defense, then cut him.

Jared Cook (TEN TE)- This guy was a major sleeper coming into the season and he is officially ready to pick up. Week 4 he broke out with 93 and a TD. He followed it up in Week 5 with 59 yards. That’s solid for a TE. I see him getting stronger and more consistent as the season progresses. If your hurting at TE he’s your best bet and finding a legit #1 TE by the end of the year.

Greg Olsen (CAR TE)- He is a favorite target of Cam Newton’s. He has now scored a TD in 3 consecutive games. In this past game he was shut down the entire first half as the opposition took notice to his recent scoring the last few weeks. He was able to pull through when it mattered though by catching a goal line TD that gave his team a temporary lead. He may not put up huge yardage, but around 50 a week is good enough for a TE, and he scores a lot of TD’s.

Jake Ballard (NYG TE)- 32 and a TD in week 4 and 72 and a TD in week 5. As long as he keeps scoring TD’s he has value.

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