Week 5: Pickups of the Week
QB Matt Cassel, KC
MyFantasyLeague availability: 37.41%All over the fantasy football world there are Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers and Phillip Rivers owners who are resigned to a week 5 loss. For those of you who haven't yet given up hope entirely, there's a 2008 fantasy darling waiting to save the day. True, Matt Cassel's stint with the Chiefs hasn't been nearly so spectacular as his breakout year serving New England as Tom Brady's stand-in, but the one-time Patriots savior has managed to put together a string of consecutive 2 TD, 0 INT games. On a team as talent-starved as Kansas City, that's quite the accomplishment. The Patriots viewed Cassel as a game manager last season and were pleasantly surprised when he over-performed. That's exactly the attitude fantasy owners need to adopt. The Chiefs play a porous Dallas secondary this week and the stage is nicely set for a 2008-style Cassel performance.
RB Michael Bush, OAK
MyFantasyLeague availability: 16.77%Darren McFadden is out for the next several weeks with a torn up knee that will require surgery. It's tough to endorse any Raiders running back right now, but with bye weeks coming into play and starting RBs at a premium, fantasy owners need to make some risky choices. Even with Justin Fargas back in the mix, Bush should be getting any goal line carries that come up. A healthy Michael Bush is a dangerous commodity and it's just a matter of his having an opportunity to prove himself. With no more McFadden for at least a month, Bush will get that opportunity.
RB Glen Coffee, ---
MyFantasyLeague availability: 96.61%Coffee put up modest numbers against a soft St. Louis defense last week, but that shouldn't stop you from picking him up in time for week 5. Coffee was trusted with an impressive workload (24 carries compared to a combined zero from other San Francisco running backs) and that likely means he'll have plenty of chances to step it up this coming Sunday. The 49ers face an Atlanta team that has conceded 136 rushing yards per game, including a 168 yard explosion from the usually airborne Patriots. Get the most out of Coffee now; Frank Gore is expected to return after the team's week six bye.
WR Kenny Britt, TEN
MyFantasyLeague availability: 22.31%The rookie WR out of Rutgers continues to make a name for himself with the Titans. Britt had his best performance of the season against Jacksonville (seven catches for 147 yards) and is now locked in a fierce competition with Justin Gage and Nate Washington for the top receiver spot. The Titans face some tough pass defenses in the Colts and Patriots over the next two weeks, but owners would do well to act quickly. Britt has a nice blend of size and speed; add to that an emerging chemistry with QB Kerry Collins and you've got a fantasy star who could contribute nicely down the stretch.
WR Antonio Bryant, ---
MyFantasyLeague availability: 69.4%We haven't seen much of him this year. He left in week 1, missed week 2 and was extremely limited in week 3 due to a knee injury. Back on the road to health now, Antonio Bryant is still available in a surprising 12 per cent of MyFantasyLeague.com leagues. Owners should recall that Bryant is coming off a career year (1,248 yards, seven touchdowns) and is still his team's only viable deep threat. New starting quarterback Josh Johnson connected with him on a TD pass early last week and you can expect these two to get better acquainted as the season goes on. He probably won't match the pace he set last season, but Bryant is still a solid WR2.
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