Week 5 is here and The Denver Post has another batch of start/sit advice. Can owners trust a returning Ben Tate? Will Knile Davis continue to produce numbers? Is it time to bench Tom Brady? Find out below.
Start
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
Newton’s season has been plagued by injuries so far. All three members of the Panthers’ running-back committee have been battling injuries, leaving undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves and newly-acquired Chris Ogbonnaya as the only healthy options in the backfield. Newton himself has been battling injuries — to his ribs and ankle — keeping him from employing his legs to gain yards. He still has an arm though and has been relatively safe with the ball — just one turnover in four games. He’ll look to lean on the passing game against a depleted Bears’ secondary.
Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions
As long as Calvin Johnson is less than 100 percent because of his ankle injury, owners should start Tate. The Lions have another juicy matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed six passing touchdowns through the past four games. If Megatron is active, he’ll likely draw double coverage, giving Tate a lot more one-on-one looks. Tate will look to build on his from last week.
Ben Tate, RB, Cleveland Browns
Sunday’s matchup against the Titans represents a last chance for Tate as the starter in Cleveland and on fantasy rosters. The Titans’ 22nd-ranked rush defense has allowed big games to Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, DeMarco Murray and Giovani Bernard. Tate should follow suit as the Browns’ starter. Returning from injury, Tate is expected to see 12-17 carries, . However, given that Tate is coming off of injury and has a tendency to fumble, backups Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West could end up outperforming him, a scary possibility as the that coaches could go to the back with the hot hand. All that said, it’s time to start Tate and see what he can bring.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Whether it’s run to set up the pass or pass to set up the run, Martin has a favorable matchup Sunday against a Saints’ defense that can’t stop the run or pass. Owners saw how the Cowboys demolished the Saints using a balanced offensive approach last Sunday. If Tampa Bay quarterback Mike Glennon — who led the Buccaneers to their first victory of the season, thanks to a 302-yard passing effort in Pittsburgh — can once again rejuvenate the Bucs’ offense, Martin could be in for a big day against the Saints who yielded 149 yards and two touchdowns to DeMarco Murray last week.
John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
This guy could be a sneaky sleeper against Denver’s 31st-ranked pass defense. The Broncos will have their hands full on Sunday with playmakers across Arizona’s offensive front. Expect the Cardinals to utilize a well-rested Andre Ellington to stymie the Broncos’ improved pass rush. When the passing game opens up, expect Denver’s best defensive backs to focus on Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, which could in turn lead to for rookie receiver John Brown.
Sit
Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys looked stellar against the Saints last Sunday, and Witten had his best game of the season with five catches for 61 yards. The ‘Boys have leaned heavily on the run, due to their revamped offensive line and Tony Romo recovering from back surgery. The passing game is starting to emerge in Big D but it’s unlikely that Witten will have a productive outing Sunday. Houston is tough on tight ends as the 14th-ranked pass defense. In Week 3, the Giants’ Larry Donnell had just 48 yards against the Texans. Buffalo’s Scott Chandler had just 15 yards last week.
Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs employed a committee approach against the Patriots’ porous front seven and it was quite successful. Davis racked up 107 rushing yards on 16 carries Monday evening. He did so despite Jamaal Charles’ three-touchdown performance. Should it continue, the Chiefs’ backfield committee could provide Davis owners with more than a few points. That won’t be the case this week in San Francisco though. The 49ers’ run defense has been dominant as of late, limiting Matt Forte to 36 total yards in Week 2, Andre Ellington to 75 yards in Week 3 and LeSean McCoy to a horrendous 17 total yards last week.
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Pigs are flying, hell is freezing. Choose your euphemism, it’s time to bench Tom Brady. While New England coach Bill Belichick would like to move fantasy owners will remember the 41-14 licking the Chiefs put on the Pats for a long time. Brady was/is/and likely will continue to be awful. Whether the reason for Brady’s downfall is Brady himself, the offensive line or the lack of talent in the receiving corps, is irrelevant. Brady will have a difficult time performing against a defense that limited Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco to just two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
Cousins’ five-turnover day against the Giants left many fantasy owners scratching their heads. While owners shouldn’t jump off of Cousins’ bandwagon just yet, Monday’s matchup against Seattle isn’t a difficult decision. The Legion of Boom and the rest of the Seahawks defense have been as of late. The damage was done by two veteran quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning. Don’t expect Cousins, who was shaken by the Giants’ defense, to be able to produce against Seattle. It’s not going to happen.
Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos
In all honesty, Ball’s 2014 campaign has been quite underwhelming. Coming on the heels of Knowshon Moreno’s 1,500-plus-yard season last year, the fantasy world had big plans and predictions for Ball this year. The numbers haven’t been there though as Ball has a measly 165 rushing yards and a single touchdown through three games. He struggled with the middle-of-the-road defenses of Indianapolis (ranked 11th) and Kansas City (ranked 19th), and was shut down in Seattle. Unfortunately, the road is going to get a lot more difficult as Arizona is the league’s fourth-ranked rush defense, allowing an average of just 72 yards a game. Following the Cardinals, the Broncos will take on the Jets who boast league’s best run defense allowing 63 yards a game and then the 49ers, ranked second allowing 70 yards a game. Ball owners — or opportunistic owners — will want to monitor the running-back situation in Denver. These difficult matchups may cause the Broncos’ staff to run out of patience with Ball.
Curb your enthusiasm
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
The Packers are ranked fifth against the pass and have been known to limit (but not completely shut down) No. 1 receiving options. Eric Decker had 63 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Calvin Johnson had 82 yards in Week 3 and Brandon Marshall had just 19 yards but got a touchdown in Week 4. Also, one has to consider the context of this game for the Vikings. Teddy Bridgewater is a rookie quarterback on a short week who didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday. That said, the Vikings will likely rely on the running game heavily. On top of all that, Patterson has been trending down on production. While the Packers’ D is susceptible, there are more cons than pros for Patterson in this matchup. Furthermore, it was just announced that Bridgewater is inactive for Thursday’s night game against Green Bay.
Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
It’s difficult to sit Foster as owners don’t likely have any other options at running back, but the outlook simply doesn’t look favorable. The Cowboys’ run defense isn’t the stingiest in the league but running backs haven’t been putting up big numbers against them. In fact, the Cowboys have limited backs to less than 100 yards rushing in each of their four games. What’s more is that Foster is dealing with lingering hamstring issues that keep him from his full potential. He rushed for just 6 yards against a tough Bills defense last week.
Hugh Johnson: 303-954-1037, hjohnson@denverpost.com or
