Live Blog: Week 5
Week 5 has finally arrived, providing additional pitfalls for fantasy owners as bye weeks, injuries, and playing time concerns continue to mount up. Luckily, the good folks at Rotoworld have you covered with the best fantasy football analysis in the business. This week, there are several intriguing NFL matchups on the schedule that we will be covering, with Seattle traveling to Cincinnati and New England returning after a week off to visit Dallas. Be sure to check in early and often here at the Rotoworld Week 5 Live Blog, as we will be discussing all the fantasy action as it happens. Injury updates, backfield committee splits, target totals, and other analysis will be coming to you live as Week 5 happens.
(7:09 PM): Philadelphia's Caleb Sturgis leads Week 5 kickers as he booted four field goals today along with three extra points. Not bad for the recent signee.
(7:03 PM): Surprsingly, Golden Tate is the Week 5 leader in targets, with 16 on the day. Tate has seven receptions for 67 yards on those 16 targets, highlighting the struggles of Detroit's quarterbacks today.
(6:55 PM): Two defenses are going to work right now, with Denver just returning a Derek Carr interception for a score and the Arizona Cardinals recording their SIXTH turnover of the day with Detroit throwing yet another interception.
(6:53 PM): Not much fantasy noise from Oakland today. Latavius Murray is at 58 total yards while Michael Crabtree has caught three passes for 53 yards. Low scoring affair in Oakland.
(6:50 PM): Andre Ellington has joined the fun in Detroit, as he took his third carry of the game for a 63-yard touchdown. The Cardinals now lead 42-10 with 10 minutes of garbage time remaining. Chris Johnson is at 103 yards rushing on the day to lead the Arizona backfield.
(6:47 PM): Julian Edelman just carved up the Dallas defense for some serious YAC yardage on his way to a 59-yard score. Edelman is at four catches for 120 yards and the score today. With a 27-6 lead, we may see more LeGarrette Blount down the stretch from the Patriots.
(6:44 PM): Drew Stanton is in for Arizona, as Carson Palmer takes a seat with a 35-10 fourth quarter lead. Palmer was 11/14 for 161 yards and three scores as the Cardinals bounce back nicely from a Week 4 loss.
(6:37 PM): Not much scoring in the late games, but it is worth noting that Zach Zenner is still leading the Detroit backfield. Ameer Abdullah has been out since two early fumbles and Zenner has handled the limited carries as the Lions are getting thrashed by Arizona.
(6:32 PM): Peyton Manning just 20/32 for 248 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. 19 of his 32 passes have targeted Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders.
(6:23 PM): The Dallas backfield has been primarily Joseph Randle today. 12 carries for Randle and one each for Darren McFadden and Christine Michael. McFadden does have three catches though, as Dallas promised during the week with Dunbar out.
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(6:20 PM): Dion Lewis scored on a shifty touchdown catch-and-run and is now at 76 total yards withe score.
(6:16 PM): Matthew Stafford has been benched for Dan Orlovsky in Detroit after Stafford's third interception of the game. 35-7 is the Arizona lead as Detroit implodes.
(6:05 PM): Arizona continues to hammer on Detroit, as Matthew Stafford just chucked his third interception of the day. Stafford is 20/32 for 188 yards with one score and the hat trick.
(6:00 PM): C.J. Anderson got two goal line carries for Denver, but couldn't find the endzone on either chance. That is an encouraging sign for Anderson, but the Denver offense has been awful today so it's been hard to get a clearer look at this backfield.
(5:53 PM): The Green Bay D/ST is your defensive leader in fantasy leagues today. The Packers sacked Nick Foles three times and intercepted four of his passes, including a pick-six.
(5:51 PM): Not much quarterback production in the late games. Carson Palmer is the top performer and he has thrown just eight passes. Palmer is 6/8 for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
(5:41 PM): Dion Lewis has been the target of six of Tom Brady's 14 passes today. Lewis has three catches for 30 yards but has been heavily involved.
In Detroit, Ameer Abdullah has not been in the game since his second first-half fumble. Zach Zenner and Theo Riddick have been getting the work.
(5:36 PM): Emmanuel Sanders was targeted eight times in the first half, catching seven passes for 81 yards. Demaryius Thomas with just one catch for eight yards.
(5:30 PM): Dion Lewis led the Patriots down to the one yard line before Tom Brady pushed in a quarterback sneak for a score. Lewis and LeGarrette Blount each have four carries today, but Lewis has an additional three catches for 30 yards and is still the lead back.
(5:27 PM): The Arizona D/ST has forced four turnovers against Detroit today in the first half. The Cardinals are doing serious work on defense and are in for another big day.
(5:19 PM): David Johnson with another vulture job as Chris Johnson busted a long run on the drive but the rookie scores. 79 yards on eight carries for Chris Johnson, but the goal line role in this offense could be productive for David Johnson.
(5:15 PM): Denver backfield sits at two carries a piece for C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman. 12 yards for Anderson, one yard for Hillman and no catches for either. We will see if someone pulls away in the second half of this game.
(5:11 PM): Zach Zenner is now working in the Detroit backfield, as he has six carries on the day to tie Abdullah. Neither back has done much with the touches, but Zenner will be in the mix today. We could have a waiver wire spark coming here.
(5:02 PM): Derek Carr looking good so far against the very good Denver defense. Carr is 9/11 for 122 yards and a touchdown pass to Marcel Reece. Latavius Murray has 13 touches already and 46 total yards.
(4:57 PM): After Chris Johnson dominated the work early in Arizona, rookie David Johnson comes in for the short-yardage touchdown.
(4:49 PM): Despite talk of mixing in other backs in Dallas, Joseph Randle has handled the first seven Dallas carries today for 27 yards. No other Dallas back has a touch yet.
(4:43 PM): Still no Andre Ellington yet for Arizona. Chris Johnson has five carries for 31 yards and appears to still be in control of the Cardinals backfield. Larry Fitzgerald with two catches on two targets early on.
(4:39 PM): Dion Lewis has been the only Patriots running back involved early today with one carry and one catch. No sign of LeGarrette Blount yet.
(4:36 PM): C.J. Anderson got the first carry for Denver today, running for ten yards. We will keep an eye on the split between Anderson and Ronnie Hillman today.
(4:30 PM): Backfield notes from the TEN/BUF game:
Tennessee: Marcus Mariota was the leading rusher for the Titans with 47 yards, but the work was split evenly among the running backs. Dexter McCluster, Bishop Sankey, and Antonio Andrew all were inefficient with their chances, but Andrews caught three passes and scored a short-yardage TD so I would consider him the guy to own if you're desperate enough to touch this situation.
Buffalo: Boom Herron ran for 28 yards on nine carries, while Boobie Dixon ran for just 19 yards on seven carries. Dixon also caught three passes, but this may not be a productive backfield while McCoy and Williams are hurt. I have yet to see snap counts, but Dixon got the receiving work Herron was expected to see today.
(4:26 PM): Josh McCown is your leading fantasy quarterback of the day, with 425 yards and two touchdowns plus a rushing score as well. McCown has a chance to stack up even more points as this game between the Browns and Ravens heads into overtime.
(4:22 PM): An early fumble for Ameer Abdullah, which is not good news for his standing in the Detroit backfield. Zach Zenner has one carry so far but could see more work going forward with Joique Bell out as well.
(4:16 PM): Sunday Target Leaders:
Jeremy Maclin (12): 9 rec, 94 yds
Martellus Bennett (11): 4 rec, 32 yds
Tyler Eifert (11): 7 rec, 78 yds, 2 TD
Willie Snead (11): 6 rec, 141 yds
Jacob Tamme (10): 8 rec, 94 yds
Julio Jones (10): 5 rec, 67 yds
(4:13 PM): The late games have started and no touches yet for Andre Ellington, and Chris Johnson handled the first two carries for Arizona.
(4:09 PM): Both Cleveland backs have been productive today after Isaiah Crowell catches a late touchdown. 65 total yards for Duke Johnson and 81 total yards for Crowell. I would still rather own Johnson here due to the receiving skills.
(4:06 PM): Allen Robinson just hauled in his second TD of the day and is at seven catches for 72 yards and two scores on the day. The two "Allens" in Hurns and Robinson are leading the way for the Jaguars as has been the case all season.
(4:04 PM): DeMarco Murray is having a decent second half and just scored a late touchdown for the Eagles. Murray has 120 total yards on 27 touches, including seven receptions.
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(4:03 PM): Tyler Eifert is now at six catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns after collecting a huge catch on Cincinnati's final drive in regulation.
(3:57 PM): Justin Forsett is having a second-straight solid game with 115 total yards and a fourth quarter touchdown run. Kamar Aiken still leading the Ravens receivers with 78 yards on four grabs.
(3:53 PM): Devonta Freeman continues his fantasy dominance as he just scored on a TD catch from Matt Ryan. Freeman now has one score to go with 204 total yards. This guy is on fire.
(3:51 PM): Marquess Wilson has done well today handling the bulk of Chicago's receiving work with Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal out. Wilson is at six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown on the day.
(3:47 PM): Willie Snead is up to 104 receiving yards for the Saints and hasn't had under 44 yards in a game yet this season. Snead needs to be added in far more than 42 percent of Yahoo leagues.
(3:43 PM): Devonta Freeman owners do not have to worry about Tevin Coleman's return. Freeman has owned this backfield today and has 147 rushing yards on 26 carries, with an additional 28 yards on five carries. Julio Jones is up to 39 yards on three catches.
(3:41 PM): The legend of Gary Barnidge continues, as the Cleveland tight end is now at six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Barnidge now has at least six catches, 75 yards, and a touchdown in three straight games and needs to be owned in 100% of leagues.
(3:37 PM): The recent trend of three touchdown performances continues this week, as Doug Martin just crossed the goal line for the third time today. Martin now has 145 total yards and a three-pack of scores as Tampa Bay leads Jacksonville 38-24.
(3:35 PM): * INJURY UPDATE * Early reports fear a torn ACL for Jamaal Charles, but MRI results are still on the way. Tough break for Charles owners, and Charcandrick West will be a hot waiver wire name this week.
(3:32 PM): Matt Jones just scored for Washington, but nobody has performed in this backfield so far today. Alfred Morris has 13 yards on seven carries and Jones is at just 14 yards on eight carries. Chris Thompson has 33 total yards but this backfield is in rough shape today.
(3:30 PM): Todd Gurley is rolling today with 89 yards rushing on 25 carries. The Rams are trailing the Packers late but Gurley is still getting work.
(3:27 PM): And just like that Seattle gives up a second touchdown to Tyler Eifert. Eifert has four catches on eight targets for 41 yards and two scores. That makes five touchdowns on the year for the Bengals tight end.
(3:24 PM): Seattle D/ST is your fantasy defense leader so far today. The Seahawks have one defensive score on the day as they lead Cincinnati.
(3:17 PM): Two catches and 29 yards for Julio Jones today on seven targets. Atlanta has just two field goals on the day.
(3:14 PM): No update yet on Jamaal Charles, but apparently the injury looked awful for the All-Pro running back. Charcandrick West is handling the rushing duties for the Chiefs at this point, and has 26 yards on four carries.
(3:11 PM): With no Alshon Jeffery or Eddie Royal today, Marquess Wilson is leading the way for the Bears with 57 yards on four catches. Matt Forte is leading with six targets, and Joshua Bellamy has chipped in with four grabs. No catches on three targets for Martellus Bennett surprisingly.
(3:09 PM): Blake Bortles is having a decent game today, with 200 yards and three touchdown passes. He just connected with T.J. Yeldon for the third score of the day. Bortles has one pick, but his interception numbers this year are an improvement on 2014.
(3:07 PM): Ryan Mathews just punched in a short touchdown and now 57 total yards on the day with the score. DeMarco Murray has received more touches but has been less productive that Mathews today, which has been the case so far this season. It looks like Mathews may hold flex value even with Murray healthy.
(3:05 PM): Jacob Tamme (79), Kamar Aiken (78), and Josh Huff (78) are your leaders in receiving yardage today. Solid bunch.
(3:00 PM): Joe Flacco with his second rushing TD of the game as the Ravens lead the Browns. 11 carries for 37 yards for Justin Forsett but Flacco sniped both goal line scores.
(2:55 PM): * INJURY UPDATE * Jamaal Charles appears to have a leg injury and is being helped off the field. Updates to come.
(2:54 PM): Antonio Andrews just scored for Tennessee, and he appears to be the leader in the Titans' backfield but he still has just five carries for six yards on the day. Goal line-back status at least for Andrews but this situation is sticky.
(2:50 PM): Thomas Rawls just ripped off an incredible touchdown run as he scored from 69-yards out. Rawls now has 13 carries for 135 yards and a score today as Seattle leads Cincinnati 17-7 on the road.
(2:47 PM): Not much going today for T.J. Yeldon, but Allen Robinson is chipping in for fantasy owners, with four catches for 35 yards and a touchdown.Yeldon has 28 rushing yards on seven carries.
(2:45 PM): Kicker News! Cleveland's Travis Coons leads the way so far today with three first half field goalds. Atlanta's Matt Bryant is struggling on the other end of the spectrum with two misses so far this afternoon.
(2:43 PM): Matt Forte quietly had a solid first half with 68 total yards on 11 carries and four catches. Just six first half carries for Jamaal Charles in that same game.
(2:41 PM): Only two touches today so far for C.J. Spiller, who has two catches for -8 yards after his heroic overtime play in Week 4.
(2:38 PM): Julio Jones now with one catch for 20 yards on five targets. Leonard Hankerson is back in the game and TE Jacob Tamme has done most of the work for the Falcons. Jones is in the game, however.
(2:34 PM): Tight End Gary Barnidge is keeping his momentum rolling and has 56 receiving yards today already after a couple strong showings in recent weeks with Josh McCown back under center.
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(2:28 PM): Early-game Halftime Target Leaders:
Running Backs:
Matt Forte (6): 4 rec, 31 yds
Jamaal Charles (4): 1 rec, 26 yds
Gio Bernard (4): 3 rec, 18 yds
Chris Thompson (4): 3 rec, 22 yds
Wide Receivers:
Jeremy Maclin (8): 6 rec, 46 yds
Riley Cooper (7): 2 rec, 21 yds
Kamar Aiken (7): 4 rec, 78 yds
Pierre Garcon (6): 2 rec, 32 yds
A.J. Green (6): 5 rec, 65 yds
Tight Ends:
Jacob Tamme (9): 7 rec, 79 yds
Zach Ertz (6): 4 rec, 52 yds
Tyler Eifert (4): 1 rec, 14 yds, 1 TD
(2:24 PM): Both Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell with four carries today for Cleveland. Duke is up to his usual receiving tricks, however, with four catches for 32 yards. Johnson is the back to own in Cleveland.
(2:19 PM): Boobie Dixon has jsut two carries and one catch on the day for Buffalo. Boom Herron hasn't been much more effective, but does have four carries this afternoon. The entire Buffalo offense is scuffling as the team has just 51 total yards.
(2:14 PM): The Doug Martin show continues in Tampa, as Martin found the end zone for a second time and has 116 total yards to go with his two scores. Charles Sims has mixed-in sparingly as Martin has led the way.
(2:09 PM): Seattle just intercepted their first pass of the season as Earl Thomas picked off Andy Dalton in the end zone.
(2:04 PM): Devonta Freeman is still handling the bulk of the running work for Atlanta, with eight carries today to just two for Tevin Coleman in his return from a rib injury.
(2:02 PM): TE Jacob Tamme is off to a fast start with Atlanta's receivers banged up. Tamme has five catches on seven targets for 67 yards.
(2:00 PM): Doug Martin is the early fantasy star of Week 5 and he just found the end zone to go with 113 total yards through a quarter and a half.
(1:56 PM): The Tennessee backfield continues to be a mess, with both Dexter McCluster and Bishop Sankey getting four early carries while Antonio Andrews has just one carry for no gain. Andrews does have two catches, however. This backfield is not worth messing with for fantasy purposes.
(1:54 PM): Sam Bradford does have two picks, but is now up to 160 yards and a touchdown after finding Josh Huff for a 41-yard score.
(1:51 PM): * INJURY UPDATE * Atlanta wide receiver Leonard Hankerson is heading into the locker room. Updates to come.
(1:50 PM): Doug Martin is off to a nice start for the Bucs. Martin has 96 total yards on nine carries and one reception today. Charles Sims has three carries so far for 22 yards.
(1:45 PM): Another slow start for Sam Bradford, as the Eagles quarterbacks has thrown two early interceptions as Philadelphia trails New Orleans 7-0. Hopefully he gets things rolling late like he did in Week 4. Bradford does have 106 yards today.
(1:40 PM): Ryan Mathews has entered the game for the Eagles and is immediately outproducing DeMarco Murray. Murray is at 14 yards on six carries while Mathews has racked up 29 yards on just three carries. Mathews also has two catches for 17 yards today.
(1:37 PM): Tight End Derek Carrier found the end zone in Washington for a seven yard score. Carrier is a great bye week fill-in right now and can help tight end-needy teams with Jordan Reed hurting.
(1:36 PM): Matt Jones and Alfred Morris have split the backfield work so far in Washington. Neither back has been successful up to this point, but Jones does have a 17-yard reception.
(1:33 PM): Todd Gurley looking to follow-up his Week 4 performance and will get lots of work today. Gurley has six carries already for 17 yards as the Rams trail Green Bay 7-0.
(1:30 PM): Ben Watson just scored for New Orleans as they lead the Eagles 7-0. Five carries for 33 yards for Mark Ingram, with just one carry for Khiry Robinson. One catch so far for C.J. Spiller, but no carries quite yet. Willie Snead was targeted three times on the drive.
(1:28 PM): Two early carries for Boom Herron in Buffalo, no touches for Anthony Dixon yet. Tyrod Taylor is 0/4 as the Bills haven't got anything going.
(1:23 PM): Brian Quick just caught his first pass of the season for St. Louis. Quick was active for the first time in Week 4, but didn't register in the box score. Quick was fantastic last season before injuring his shoulder and should be on the watch list of fantasy owners everywhere.
(1:20 PM): Seattle quickly answers Cincinnati as Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 30-yard score. Wilson was 2/2 for 34 yards on the drive. Running back Thomas Rawls looks sharp as well, running for 43 yards on five carries. No carries for Fred Jackson yet.
(1:19 PM): Joe Flacco punched in a short yardage touchdown run as the Ravens lead the Browns 7-0. Cleveland now takes over and we will see if they keep running back Duke Johnson involved in the passing game this week.
(1:16 PM): Boom Herron got the first carry in Buffalo although Anthony Dixon was on the field first for the Bills. We will keep an eye on this split today.
(1:14 PM): With Baltimore hurting for receivers this week with Steve Smith out, Kamar Aiken has three early targets from Joe Flacco.
(1:12 PM): Tyler Eifert finds the end zone in Cincinnati as Andy Dalton went 4/4 on the Bengals' opening drive. Seattle will now look to answer in their first drive of the day. Dalton and the Bengals had no issue with the Seattle defense on that first drive, which was highlighted by a long 44 yard catch by Marvin Jones.
(1:09 PM): Ty Montgomery kicks the Week 5 scoring off with a touchdown catch in Green Bay. 31 yards on the score as Montgomery continues to fill in as Aaron Rodgers' WR3.
(1:02 PM): Ok, here we go. Good luck in Week 5 everyone!
