By Ted Rossman
HIGH FIVES
Five players had strong but unheralded performances in Week 5. It's time to determine whether these players are likely to remain hot.
- Roderick Hood (CB, ARI): Hood exploded for two interceptions in Week 5, one of which he returned 68 yards for a touchdown. Don't expect more performances like this one from Hood; his Week 5 outburst came against an undermanned St. Louis squad and his last interception came in Week 17 of 2005.
- Fakhir Brown (CB, STL): Brown had two interceptions in his return from a four-game suspension. He struggled at times as the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 136 yards, most of those against Brown. He is still a decent play moving forward, however, because Brown should be tested regularly in St. Louis.
- Andre Carter (DE, WAS): Carter recorded two sacks in Week 5 -- one for a safety -- against the Lions. Dating back to last season, he has eight sacks in his last nine games after a slow start to 2006. Carter is a strong option and could challenge his career-high of 12.5 sacks, set as a rookie in 2002.
- Michael Boley (LB, ATL): Boley had 14 tackles (10 solo) and an interception in Sunday's loss at Tennessee. He has led the Falcons in tackles three consecutive weeks and ranks third in the NFL with 46 (40 solo). Look for more strong numbers from Boley, but he should yield only minimal returns in other categories.
- Charles Tillman (CB, CHI): He recorded two forced fumbles and four tackles (all solo) in Sunday night's win against the Packers. Tillman seems recovered from a sprained ankle and will be counted upon to help revive a struggling Chicago defense. He's usually good for five interceptions and 80-plus tackles and should approach those numbers again in 2007.
TREND WATCH
Here we look at trends and matchups savvy owners can exploit in the upcoming week.
- Several teams will start backup quarterbacks this week because of injuries: The Panthers could be down to their third-stringer (Matt Moore), the Chiefs may turn to Brodie Croyle, the Dolphins will likely start Cleo Lemon and the Rams might be led by Gus Frerotte for a second straight week. Upgrade the Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Baltimore defenses, respectively.
- With a season-high six teams off this week (Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco), many fantasy owners are looking for one-week replacements. In addition to the teams mentioned above, some other good places to look are Seattle (vs. a New Orleans team that has thrown one touchdown pass and nine interceptions in four games), Minnesota (facing the Bears, who have thrown a league-high 10 interceptions) and the Giants (at Atlanta, a team that is averaging 13.8 points per game and has been sacked 18 times in five contests).
- Remember that many teams fare well following a bye week. This week, that includes Cincinnati (at Kansas City), Minnesota (at Chicago), Oakland (at San Diego) and Philadelphia (at Jets).
- Looking for sacks in Week 6? Try the Jets (vs. Philadelphia, the league's second-most sacked team), the Giants (at Atlanta, third) and Minnesota (at Chicago, fifth). Avoid Dallas (vs. New England, the toughest team to sack) and Green Bay (vs. Washington, fourth-toughest). And while Seattle, as mentioned, is a good matchup when it comes to turnovers, the sacks might not be as plentiful as New Orleans is the third-toughest team to sack.
- Wondering who throws the fewest interceptions? Jacksonville is the only NFL team that has not been picked off this year. Tampa Bay and Philadelphia have only been intercepted once each. Downgrade the secondaries of Houston, Tennessee and the New York Jets in Week 6. The teams with the most interceptions? Chicago (vs. Minnesota), Cleveland (vs. Miami) and New Orleans (at Seattle).
- Slippery fingers, anyone? Baltimore, Detroit and Green Bay lead the league with six fumbles lost, making the Rams (at Baltimore) and Redskins (at Green Bay) good bets for fumble recoveries in Week 6. Detroit is idle. The Jets (home against the Eagles) are the only NFL team yet to lose a fumble in 2007, while Washington (at Green Bay), Seattle (vs. New Orleans), Pittsburgh (idle), New England (at Dallas), Miami (at Cleveland), Dallas (vs. New England), Atlanta (vs. N.Y. Giants) and Buffalo (idle) have only lost two fumbles apiece.
WHITHER THE WEATHER
Because bad weather usually means fewer points and more turnovers, you need to know where IDPs should benefit from the elements. Here are some sites where the weather could be a significant factor. Keep in mind that the forecasts can change leading up to game day.
The worst weather this week is expected in Kansas City (40 percent chance of rain for the Bengals-Chiefs game), Chicago (windy with a 30 percent chance of rain for the Vikings-Bears game) and Green Bay (windy with a 30 percent chance of rain for the Redskins-Packers game). The wind could wreak more havoc on passing atttacks than the rain. Hot weather is expected in Dallas for the Patriots-Cowboys game and in Tampa for the Titans-Buccaneers game, with game-time temperatures in both locations near 90 degrees.
For more information, please visit Rotowire.com.
