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PeriodAccuracyRankHighLowPercentile
Week 551.7%9 out of 2162.8%33.0%Top 50%
201557.7%5 out of 2059.6%49.7%Top 25%

Here at Razzball, we try to stay away from social commentary. We pretty much stick to fantasy sports, puns, pop culture references and a whole lot of Game of Thrones without veering into the more serious side of sports. That said, it’s difficult to separate a guy like Ray Rice from some of the stuff we’ve seen and heard about him. I’m a huge Rutgers fan, and was a die-hard Rice supporter until everything came out last year, but since then, it’s impossible to look at him in the same light. The same applies to Greg Hardy. I mentioned him in the lede last week, and he exceeded expectations with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and general chaos caused in the New England backfield. I completely understand if you’re disgusted by Hardy, and refuse to root for him or have him on your team. However, if you’re just in it to win it, he’s a top-10 option for the rest of the season at DL after his bye.

On that note, let’s take a look at what happened elsewhere in Week 5…


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Damontre Moore – He’s shown flashes before, but it still hasn’t really come together for the former first round pick. His stat line looked good on Sunday, with 4 tackles and 2 sacks, however he still only saw the field for 25% of snaps. Right now he’s nothing more than a pass-rush specialist, so for IDP leagues it’s impossible to trust him on a weekly basis. If you own him already, try to capitalize on his big day and trade him, but if you’re looking for help on the DL, I would look elsewhere.

Jared Crick – It’s taken a few years, but teams have finally started basing their entire game plans around blocking JJ Watt. It hasn’t helped all that much, as Watt is still DL1 on the year, but it has opened up opportunities for other Texans to put up stats. Jadeveon Clowney seemed like the logical choice to benefit here, but it’s really been Crick who has upped his game. He only has 1 sack so far, but he’s been a borderline DL2 in 3 of his last 4 games. I’m not comfortable starting him every week at this point, but he’s a better option than a guy like Moore.

Danny Trevathan – It’s been a weird year for Trevathan so far. Prior to the season, he looked like he would lead the way for the Broncos D, and through two weeks, he was putting up solid stats. Then he saw his snaps drop below 70%, and his stats along with them. I was getting ready to remove him from my top 50 altogether, but a bounce back game in Week 5 (10 tackles), combined with Demarcus Ware’s injury, puts Trevathan back on the IDP radar. It’s clear that Brandon Marshall is still the LB to own in Denver, but Trevathan should still be viewed as an LB3.

Avery Williamson – The breakout LB in Tennessee last year, Williamson had taken a back seat to Zach Brown for the first few weeks. But Brown was benched last week, and will likely split snaps with Wesley Woodyard for the immediate future, leaving Williamson as the last man standing. He put up 9 tackles and a sack in Week 5, and that’s the type of production we saw last year. I have essentially put him where I had Brown previously, and if he continues to play all three downs, he’s a weekly starter.

Arizona DBs – I hit on this during the preseason, but this secondary has only improved on their insane IDP numbers from 2014. They have FIVE top-30 DBs right now, and that doesn’t even include Patrick Peterson. The biggest issue right now is trying to figure out who will explode from week-to-week. Tyrann Mathieu and Deone Bucannon are the top options in terms of big plays and tackles respectively, but Tony Jefferson and Jerraud Powers had the top performances last week. I’m fine playing any of them on a weekly basis, but it’s also fun to sit back and watch the dominance of a secondary that has eclipsed even the Legion of Boom from an IDP perspective.

Bashaud Breeland – In the wake of DeAngelo Hall’s injury, Breeland has stepped in admirably. He’s by no means a shutdown corner, but neither is Hall, and the 13 tackles and 1 interception he’s put up in the last two weeks is a very Hall-esque line. I like him in CB-required leagues, but if you simply need a DB to pick up, I’d stay away for now. Breeland benefited from playing against Atlanta and Julio last week, and while he’ll likely shadow Brandon Marshall this week, his opportunities won’t be the same. On the flip side, Brandon Browner should put up some legit numbers against Atlanta, so I would recommend him as a one-week flier.

 

 

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