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Who's No. 5?

Contributed by: Scott Boyter
Last Updated: Aug 20, 2010 10:24 AM

Theres a pretty strong consensus among most Fantasy Football observers and players that the Top 4 draft positions are basically set. In just about every league, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice will probably be gone in the first four draft slots; probably in that order. The real decisions will have to be mad

    There's a pretty strong consensus among most Fantasy Football observers and players that the Top 4 draft positions are basically set. In just about every league, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice will probably be gone in the first four draft slots; probably in that order.

    The real decisions will have to be made starting at the No. 5 slot. If you find yourself in that position for your draft, who will you take? Here's a look at some of the players who will be worth consideration in both PPR and non-PPR formats.
 


Michael Turner/Atlanta Falcons

     Hey. I took him at No. 5 in our FFChamps.com Mock Draft, so I'm probably a bit biased. But if you're in a non-PPR league, Turner has to be near the top of your list if you're sitting at the fifth spot. He's just got way too much explosive potential. First of all, he's healthy – he tried to come back too soon from a sprained ankle last season and missed five games. But when he played he was phenomenal; he appeared in only 11 games yet still posted totals of 871 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. And you might as well throw out Week 15 against the Jets, when he had only one carry for seven yards before having to leave. So let's just say for argument's sake that Turner played in only 10 games. Extrapolate his numbers over a full season Turner would have about 1,400 yards and 16 TDs – truly elite totals.

    The knock against Turner heading into 2009 was his massive workload of 376 carries the previous season. Well, thanks to that ankle he should be exceedingly fresh since he only toted the rock 178 times. That's just another reason to think long and hard about pulling the trigger on Turner at No. 5.

    The concern over his nearly complete absence from the Atlanta passing game is obviously legitimate for those in PPR leagues. Turner has caught only 11 balls over the past two seasons, and that doesn't figure to change much this season. So should those Top 4 running backs disappear before it's time for you to pick, nobody will blame you if you pass on "The Burner." FFChamps.com has him ranked No. 21 overall  in the PPR format, making him more of a late second or early third round choice.

 

 

 


Andre Johnson/Houston Texans
    Wide receivers don't get any more consistent from a Fantasy Football standpoint than Andre Johnson. He's had at least 100 receptions three out of his last four seasons, accumulating 1,569, 1,575 and 1,147 yards and 22 touchdowns. He had either 100 yards receiving or multiple touchdowns six times in 2009, when his 101 catches tied for third-most in the league with Brandon Marshall. He only missed either scoring or totaling 100 yards six times.

    There's not much not to like about either Johnson or the Texan offense leading into 2010. Matt Schaub is one of the league's emerging stars at quarterback, Arian Foster is looking like a super-sleeper at running back, and Owen Daniels is one of the league's best tight ends if healthy – and he will reportedly be ready to go Week 1. Johnson is primed for another spectacular campaign in 2010, making him worthy of a No. 5 overall pick in either PPR or non-PPR formats. He's one of the few Fantasy players you can stick in your starting lineup and never have to worry about.

 


Ryan Mathews/San Diego Chargers
    We're really, really high on Mathews, so much so that we bumped him up to No. 6 in our Non-PPR rankings and No. 5 in PPR leagues. The initial enthusiasm was generated during the off-season, when Head Coach Norv Turner declared he wanted the rookie to get more than 300 touches. Then, in limited action in the Chargers' first preseason game, Mathews had 9 carries for 50 yards and 2 receptions for 11 yards. Mathews will not only get the lion's share of carries between the 20s, he'll be San Diego's main goal-line back as well. Granted, it will be hard for you to pull the trigger on a rookie that high in your draft, but we believe he'll be well worth the gamble, regardless of your league's scoring format.

 

 

 


Randy Moss/New England Patriots
    Moss has "contract year upside" written all over him. He's playing for one more big payday; if he's going to get that, he'll have to perform spectacularly. Even though a lot of people considered 2009 a "down" year for Moss, he still had 83 receptions for 1,264 yards and 13 TDs, which tied with Larry Fitzgerald for the most touchdowns among wide receivers. The downside is Moss doesn't seem to react very well to double-coverage, and he will likely see a lot of that the first few weeks of the season until Wes Welker is back to full health. Then again, that should mean more opportunities. Moss is more of a second round value in non-PPR leagues, but is definitely a Top 5 PPR candidate.

 


Reggie Wayne/Indianapolis Colts
    Much like Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne is one of the safest picks you can make in Fantasy Football. He hasn't missed a game since 2003 and has gained at least 1,000 yards receiving every season since 2004. In the last three seasons alone, Wayne has averaged 92 receptions, 1,306 yards and 9 touchdowns. It just doesn't get much better than that for consistency and reliability. And this season he could be even better, thanks to a contract dispute that likely has him foaming at the mouth to put up career numbers. His career best yardage-wise is 1,510 yards (2007) and TDs is 12 (2004). If he even comes close to those totals, he's going to help a lot of Fantasy teams win a championship.

    In Non-PPR leagues he should be one of the first receivers taken, likely near the bottom of the first round or top of the second. If you're sitting at No. 5 in a PPR league, count your blessings if either he or Johnson are available.

 

 

 


Frank Gore/San Francisco 49ers
    Gore was pretty much feast-or-famine in 2009, and he, again, missed his obligatory two games. But his hits were spectacular; 107 yards and 2 TDs in Week 17 vs. St. Louis, 167 yards and a score in Week 14 against Arizona, and a whopping 207 yards and two TDs in Week 2 against the Seahawks. Plus, he mixed in 52 catches for another 406 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 13 total for the season. So although he'll break your heart at times and enrage you at others, Gore is still a top echelon running back who is at least worth some consideration at No. 5 in a Non-PPR league. His stock is lower in our PPR overall Top 200 (No. 15). Even though the 49ers will likely be careful with him and try to minimize the punishment he takes, he still gets enough touches to consider him one of the few true No. 1 running backs in the NFL.

 

 

 

 


Steven Jackson/St. Louis Rams
    It's hard to put much stock in Jackson. After all, it seems like he's almost always hurt and he plays on what looks like the worst team in the league. And he'll probably be sharing the backfield with a rookie quarterback in Sam Bradford. But then you look at the numbers and realize why he should at least be somewhat in the discussion at the No. 5 spot.

    Jackson somehow managed to play 15 of 16 games in 2009, rushing for 1,416 yards and adding 322 yards on 51 receptions. His problem was he couldn't find the end zone, scoring only four times, all rushing. Still, 1,700 yards on a pathetic team is impressive. He's better suited to a late first round, early second round pick, but again, he's at least worth inclusion in the discussion at five.

 

 

 


Aaron Rodgers/Green Bay Packers
    This is the point of the article where you PPR players might as well check out, since the last player covered will be a quarterback, and no QB ranks in our Top 15 in the PPR format.

    OK; now that the rest of you are still here, let's make fun of the PPR guys. Just kidding. But I digress.

    Rodgers is the fashionable pick by many as the best quarterback available in this season's Fantasy draft. And it's hard to disagree. Even though we won't be taking a quarterback at No. 5, that doesn't mean Rodgers should be completely ignored at this slot. Some formats weigh QB performance more heavily than backs or receivers; if that's the case in your league then you should definitely look at him. If not, you still shouldn't automatically dismiss him.

    In 2008, Rodgers, in his first season as a starter, responded with 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns passing, and added 4 touchdowns running. He was even better in 2009, throwing for 4,434 yards and 30 TDs and adding 5 TDs on the ground. Rodgers also reduced his interception total from 13 to 7. There's no reason to believe he won't advance even further in Year 3 as long as he stays upright. And if his offensive line has improved – and reports so far suggest that's the case – Rodgers could be absolutely out of this world from a Fantasy perspective.
 



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