Mitchell Westall, Ramon Mejia and Kaleel Weatherly, Staff Writers
As the National Football League (NFL) heads into its fifth week, it’s time for fantasy football fanatics to take a look at what’s been happening on the field and to make predictions for what’s to come.
Biggest Disappointments of Week 4
Calvin Johnson (DET, WR) – In Week 4 Johnson only managed 3.60 points against the Legion of Boom. He had 56 receiving yards and was mere inches away from adding a touchdown before the ball was knocked out of his hands. He really hasn’t had a big game yet, which is starting to make his fantasy owners sweat.
Carlos Hyde (SF, RB) – Following his 30.20 point performance in Week 1, Hyde has collectively earned 14.30 points in the three weeks following. He has not crossed the goal line in any of those three games. Hopefully San Francisco will have more opportunities to hand him the ball. Otherwise, fantasy owners who have Hyde as their one or two may be in trouble.
O’Dell Beckham, Jr. (NYG, WR) – Beckham played his worst game of the season last week, scoring only 3.80 points against the Buffalo Bills. But there’s still room for a comeback. He put up 20.60 and 13.90 points in the two previous games of the season.
Antonio Brown (PIT, WR) – Brown’s first two games were outstanding, earning him a total of 46.80 points. However, he only earned 4.20 points in Week 4. Fantasy owners may attribute his downfall to the return of Le’veon Bell or the absence of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Surprise Performances from Week 4
Allen Hurns (JAX, WR) – We begin in Indianapolis where the most dominant wide receiver on the field Sunday was not T.Y. Hilton but Allen Hurns. The second-year wide receiver is quietly making a name for himself, and fantasy owners should take note. Despite his heralded teammate Allen Robinson, Hurns is the Jaguars’ leader in receptions with a 73.3 percent accumulation. Against the Colts, Hurns hauled in 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. This breakout performance has officially made Hurns a crucial weapon in the Jaguars’ arsenal. His good performance shouldn’t surprise fans at this point.
Leonard Hankerson (ATL, WR) – At this point in the season, it’s apparent that Roddy White has been phased out as the Falcons’ second wide receiver and that Leonard Hankerson has taken over. Coming into the season, many fans believed he would be a mere compliment to the once dynamic duo of Jones and White. Since Sunday’s matchup against the Texans, however, this notion has officially been dismissed. Hankerson hauled in six receptions for 103 yards as well as one touchdown. His performance surprised many fans as he outscored Jones, who had been prolific thus far. Hankerson’s should no longer come as a shock, and owners should be looking forward to adding him to their wide receiver depth.
C.J. Anderson (DEN, RB) – To say that C.J. Anderson has been a fantasy bust is an understatement. Coming into the season, he appeared as a clear-cut starter, but now, four weeks later, owners are dropping him. It appears there is a new starting running back in Denver, Ronnie Hillman, who gave a surprising performance against the Vikings October 4 when he burst onto the scene with a 72-yard run he took to the end zone. Hillman finished with 103 yards on 11 carries. The running back corps in Denver has been a tumultuous situation thus far in fantasy. But there appears to be a glimmer of hope as Ronnie Hillman has reestablished himself and appears to be running away with the starting job.
Potential fantasy studs for Week 5
Peyton Manning (DEN, QB) vs. Oakland Raiders’ defense – Manning has thrown for 968 yards, with only six touchdowns and five interceptions. But this is the week he will have an opportunity to make fantasy owners smile when the Broncos face the Oakland Raiders, who have surrendered the 31st most passing yards to opposing quarterbacks with 1,242 yards. Look for Manning to post over 20.00 fantasy points for this week against a weak passing defense.
Justin Forsett (BAL, RB) vs. Cleveland Browns’ defense – In Week 4, Justin Forsett ran for 150 yards on 27 carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fantasy leagues, Forsett gained owners 15.00 fantasy points. Look for Forsett to give an encore performance against the Cleveland Browns this week. The Browns’ rush defense ranks 31st in the NFL with 566 yards given up to opposing running backs. With Baltimore’s lack of receiving options, Forsett will have to be the man to move the chains.
Colin Kaepernick (SF, QB) vs. New York Giants’ defense – While he didn’t post good numbers against the Packers in Week 4, Kaepernick should give fantasy owners confidence to start him Week 5. He will be up against a Giants defense that fields one of the worst passing defense in the NFL. He has some valuable weapons to throw to, like Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Look for Kaepernick to post 20.00 fantasy points or more against a mediocre passing defense.
All statistics and facts were compiled with the help of Nfl.com, ESPN Fantasy Live, Yahoo Sports and espn.com.
