Throughout the season, Jake Ciely (*@allinkid*) will give you the expert take on New Orleans Saints players from fantasy perspectives, while letting you know which players will help you take home a championship. The Saints will look to make it two wins in a row, as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Saints came out of Week 4 with a thrilling overtime win against the Cowboys. Now, they head back on the road to face the 1-3 Eagles. For a reference game, the Eagles lost to the Cowboys 20-10 in Week 2. In addition, the Eagles allow 21.5 points per game, and just last week, Kirk Cousins threw 46 times for 290 yards against them. We know Drew Brees is more efficient, as proven by his 33-for-41 passing with 359 yards and two touchdowns. There is no question that he's a QB1 in Week 5 and has a chance to be the top scoring quarterback.
The Chiefs are allowing a league-high 23.39 FPPG to quarterbacks on NFL.com with 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns already. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler is a sneaky fill-in for those dealing with injuries, bye weeks or struggling quarterbacks. Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota returns from a bye and gets a Bills defense that has been surprisingly weak against quarterbacks. Mariota's rushing ability makes him a decent play each week, and this matchup gives him plenty of upside. Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been much more efficient in his second year under Ben McAdoo, and the 49ers travel east to face the Giants. They haven't been great at stopping the pass. However, the Broncos have been, and as good as Oakland quarterback Derek Carr has been, it's best to avoid him this week given that matchup.
The most exciting moment last week came from Saints running back C.J. Spiller and his game-winning 80-yard catch in overtime. He finished with five catches for 99 yards, and it's clear the Saints are better when he's more involved. Those who were patient enough to hold Spiller will reap the rewards, as Spiller is now a Flex option in all leagues. He carries even more upside in PPR leagues, and the Saints will continue to get him more involved. Don't let that worry you about Mark Ingram though, as he doesn't lose any value. Ingram is a RB1 and added 128 yards (77 rushing) of his own on 17 carries and six catches. Last week, the Eagles let Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson combine for 115 rushing yards on 23 carries. Ingram should have little difficulty putting up good numbers in Week 5.
Morris is a good play in Week 5 as the Redskins face a Falcons team allowing 28.58 FPPG to RBs. Thompson is a bit risky given his inconsistent usage, but the Falcons are very susceptible to pass-catching running backs as well, which makes Matt Jones a decent flier in PPR leagues. Both Patriots backs have value at this point, and with the Cowboys unable to stop the running game, you should have no qualms about starting either one. Justin Forsett will continue to see better days, as he has a favorable matchup with the Browns. Back to the Redskins, as they've been the best against the run, allowing just 9.23 FPPG. Devonta Freeman has his first real test of the season. Meanwhile, it's tough to expect both Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard to do well with the Seahawks coming to town.
There's an interesting development with the Saints receivers, as Willie Snead had his best game of the year with six catches for 89 yards. He's now clearly ahead of Brandon Coleman for the No. 3 spot and could challenge Marques Colston for more opportunities, as he out-snapped both. Grab him in leagues where you need receiver help. Brandin Cooks had four catches for 25 yards and is a great buy-low player. His breakout game is coming, and you will wish you had him on your roster when it does. The Eagles allow 28.53 FPPG to receivers – fifth most – which presents Cooks with that breakout opportunity but also Snead will continue his emergence. Tight end Ben Watson saw more work than Josh Hill again, but it was Hill who found the end zone. The Eagles are stingy versus tight ends, so it's risky to trust either player. Overall, it should be a great passing week for Brees and the Saints receivers.
As is often the case, teams allowing a lot of points to quarterbacks do the same with receivers. The Chiefs are allowing 40.33 FPPG to receivers with 975 yards and 10 touchdowns already. If Alshon Jeffery plays, you have to plug him back in, and Eddie Royal is a nice fill-in this week. Travis Benjamin is a big play option who is worth the risk against the Ravens. They've allowed 884 yards and seven TDs to receivers. The Bears haven't allowed a ton of yards (588) to receivers, but they have given up eight touchdowns. Jeremy Maclin is a must-start. Meanwhile, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree have been great for the Raiders, but Cooper is the only one worth starting and still sees a downgrade against the Broncos. Steelers receiver Antonio Brown can't be benched, but with Michael Vick at quarterback and the Chargers strong secondary slowing him down, it could be his lowest output of the season… on that note, buy low if it is! The Raiders can't stop tight ends, which makes Owen Daniels a terrific option for those with tight end byes. Don't forget that Antonio Gates is back this week, but don't drop Ladarius Green. The Chargers might still use him with how he has played.
The Eagles give up plenty of points, making Saints kicker Zach Hocker a nice play. Cairo Santos rocketed toward the top of the kicker list after last week and will have another good game against the Bears. With how much the Cardinals are scoring, Chandler Catanzaro is an every-week play with 17 XPs already. Amidst the concerns for the Giants defense, they're actually 10th on the year with nine-plus points in three games, and the 49ers allow opposing DSTs to score the most in the league (13.75). The Bears check in second, allowing 12.25 FPPG to opposing DST units for those wanting the Chiefs to get on track. With how dominant the Patriots and Falcons offenses have been, you obviously want to avoid the Redskins and Cowboys defenses for Week 5.
For more in-depth Fantasy Football coverage, visit Jake Ciely and the team over at RotoExperts.com. Saints fans get a special discounted rate on the RotoExperts Xclusive Edge premium package by **clicking here*.*
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