Alex Hall
Journal Staff
Bye weeks have begun in the NFL, and that means fantasy lovers are forced to shuffle their starting rosters around. Tom Brady, Brandon Marshall and Rashard Mendenhall’s teams are all on a bye this week which means owners must trust their backups to fill in and help them win their Week 5 match-ups. I’m here to show you some players that will ease the bye week pains if you so choose to start them this Sunday.
Rams WR Mark Clayton against the Detroit Lions
Surprised to hear that Mark Clayton is still playing pro football? Well he is, and he’s quickly becoming one of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford’s favorite targets out in St. Louis. The Ravens former first round pick back in ‘05 has been posting some impressive numbers in the Rams first four games this season, posting 85 and 72 yards receiving the last two weeks as well as a two-catch, two-touchdown performance against Oakland just three weeks ago. Oh, and there was that ten-catch, 119-yard receiving game he had against the Cardinals in Week 1. Now I’m aware the Rams are far removed from their days as “The Greatest Show on Turf,” but Bradford has to throw the ball to someone and believe it or not, Clayton is probably their most talented receiver at the moment. It also helps that St. Louis is facing off against the Lions who rank 26th in passing defense, giving up eight touchdowns so far this season. Look for Bradford and Clayton to light up this mediocre Detroit defense this Sunday.
Eagles TE Brent Celek against the San Francisco 49ers
Michael Vick will be riding the sidelines this week due to injury which means it’s the return of Kevin Kolb, much to the disappointment of the Philly fan base. The good news about Kolb’s return for frustrated Celek owners is that Kolb likes to look for his favorite tight end when in the red zone. The 49ers are currently ranked 20th against the pass and are coming off a game where Roddy White posted a 100-yard game on them. Celek probably won’t have the same kind of day Roddy did against this defense, but I think there’s a good chance he’ll finally put up respectable numbers this season.
Packers WR Donald Driver against the Washington Redskins
What can I say, this guy is nothing short of consistent and a must have in any points-per-reception league. Driver is like the wide receiver version of Brett Favre (minus the alleged “racy photos” scandal), and he’s old as dirt but can still play the game as good as anyone else at his position. He’s put his feet in the end zone in three of Green Bay’s four games this season and has caught at least three balls from Aaron Rodgers in every game. He’s also just one week removed from a nine-catch, 61-yard performance against Chicago in Week 3. The Redskins are ranked 31st against the pass this season, already giving up a combined 79 points in four weeks, sixty of which was surrendered in back to back weeks against Houston and St. Louis. Expect another multi-catch, one to two touchdown performance from Driver again come Sunday.
Colts RB Joseph Addai against the Kansas City Chiefs
Can anyone else believe that the Chiefs are the ones heading into this game as undefeated? And apparently they’re ranked fifth against the run as of right now. With that said, they were ranked 31st just a season ago. Call me what you will, but I’m not a believer in KC or their defense against Peyton Manning’s squad. Addai hasn’t posted amazing numbers so far but he had two touchdowns against the Jags last week and is just two weeks removed from a 92-yard performance against the Giants. I have a gut feeling the Colts’ offense and Addai expose the Chiefs as the defense they really are this Sunday.
Chargers QB Philip Rivers against the Oakland Raiders
Before this season, many draft experts had Rivers at the bottom rung over top-tier quarterbacks; and that must have made him pretty angry. Rivers has been on a tear this season, posting multi-touchdown performances in every game so far and never posting a passer rating below 80. Better yet, Rivers hasn’t passed for less than 240 yards all season. Al Davis’ squad might be ranked third against the pass as of right now, but Rivers has been nothing short of phenomenal this season and he’s made a living out of beating Oakland. Look for Rivers and the Lighting Bolts to continue their recent history of solid play against the Raiders.
