The remaining 1972 Dolphins are once again popping champagne... This time a little early in the season, as the remaining undefeated teams (Philly & Buffalo) both took L’s in week five.
Defending Champs
The Philadelphia Eagles are still on pace to have a great season, but they haven’t exactly been “world beaters” thus far. They’ve given 21.8 points per game and are only putting up 25 points per game. The +3.2 average scoring margin is only good for the 13th best margin in the league. No team they’ve beaten has higher than a +3.6 point scoring margin. From their opponents, only Dallas has a negative scoring margin with -0.6. Philly’s only loss came to Denver this past week, who has a +6.6 scoring margin thus far.
Therefore, while the Eagles have found ways to win games, which is valuable, and will likely continue to do so, barely squeaking out dubs is an unsustainable route to repeating as Super Bowl champs.
From a fantasy perspective, everyone not named Jalen Hurts or Dallas Goedert is off to a slow start. If you already have DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley, you’d be a fool to bench them, despite their slow start. AJ Brown’s abysmal start, together with the rumors that he’s unhappy, to me, is reason enough to bench him if you have a replacement that’s shown any promise. Sterling Shepard is available in many leagues and he’s a good option if Tampa’s top receivers continue to miss time.
NFC East
Also in the NFC East, the Commanders are coming off a big win over the L.A. Chargers. Rookie RB, Jacory Croskey-Merritt has emerged as Washington’s #1 running option. He put up 111 yards and two TDs, including two recs for another 39 yards in Sunday’s win over the Chargers.
The Dallas Cowboys have put up the most yards-per-game with 406.6, but have only been able to win two games with that stat line. George Pickens leads their WR room, but Ceedee Lamb will eventually return. If you have Pickens, and you’re deep at the WR position, trade Pickens as soon as Lamb returns to practice. His high value will get you whatever you’re lacking on your squad.
The Giants got rid of Daniel Jones after last season and brought in Russell Wilson. Jones is thriving in Indy and Russell was demoted to the bench. The Giants are not where you want to look for fantasy talent. However, if you must, with WR Malik Nabers on the IR, Wan’Dale Robinson is set to take the WR1 position. He’s averaged 6.8 targets per game. That should increase.
AFC East
Buffalo is another team that’s supposed to be dominating, has found ways to win games, but hasn’t looked as strong as they should. They seem to be winning close games by capitalizing off of mistakes by the other teams, which is what all good teams do. However, Buffalo has needed help to win some of these games. The Ravens had the game wrapped up before Derrick Henry fumbled in week one. Tua Tagovailoa threw a boneheaded interception and then Miami’s defense gets penalized on Buffalo’s 4th down to keep their drive alive and seal the game in week three. Buffalo could easily be a two-and-three team right now. They do, however, own the fifth best average scoring margin in the league with +8. More on their loss to the Patriots later on.
From a fantasy perspective, if Khalil Shakir or Keon Coleman are available, pick them up if you need a WR. They’re tied for the team lead in targets with 29.
Don’t look now, but has Mike Vrabel brought the Patriots back to life? They just defeated the “beast of the AFC East” in the Bills and are only one game behind them in the standings. Last season, the Patriots finished dead last in the division with only four wins. They already have three wins only five weeks into the season. Against the Bills, Pats QB Drake Maye out-threw Bills QB Josh Allen 273 yards to 253 yards. He also committed no turnovers while Allen threw an interception to New England’s Marcus Jones.
From a fantasy perspective, keep an eye on Kicker Andres Borregales. He’s only missed one kick thus far, in week one of his rookie season. Granted, the Patriots don’t get a whole lot of field goal opportunities, but Andy is as accurate as they come. He’s connected on 52 and 53 yard kicks.
The New York Jets are the only winless team left in the NFL. They’re dead last in turnover differential with -8. They’ll likely be bad for a while after the Aaron Rodgers era. It takes time to recover from something like that where you bet too much on one player and it fails. One bright spot is rookie TE Mason Taylor, son of Hall of Famer, Jason Taylor. In a league that lacks TE talent, if he’s available, pick him up. His targets have increased every single week. Wait until he starts finding the endzone.
My Miami Dolphins... The main thing this team lacks in discipline. That comes from the top. McDaniel may be an offensive genius, but a leader and an organizer he is not. They rank 14th in turnovers committed and 11th in penalties against with 34. However, their penalties and turnovers have come at the worst moments, costing them games. They could’ve stolen one against Buffalo, but an interception and a 4th down penalty made sure that wasn’t going to happen. Tua also had a late game interception versus New England down by three the previous week. If good teams know how to win close games, Miami sure knows how to lose them...
From a fantasy point of view, with Tyreek Hill out for the season, if Malik Washington or Darren Waller are still available, snatch them up.
NFC West
The San Francisco 49ers’ only loss this season has come at the hands of the 4-1 Jacksonville Jaguars. The competition inside this division is tight. All four teams have a positive average scoring margin. Seattle has the best scoring margin in the division with +8.2. However, the Rams are the only other NFL team, besides the Cowboys with over 400 yards per game. The WR tandem of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams is #1 n the league. The #2 WR tandem goes to Seattle with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. On the defensive side, Arizona gives up the most yards, but has given up the least amount of points in the division, likely due to holding teams to field goals instead of touchdowns. If you stream kickers, anyone playing against Arizona is sure to have a good game. Also, with Arizona RB James Conner out for the season and RB Trey Benson out for at least four weeks, Michael Carter or Emari Demarcado look like great options to pick up.
AFC West
The L.A. Chargers and Denver Broncos, both 3-2, sit a top the division with the Chargers holding the tie breaker. Quentin Johnson has taken a step in the right direction this season, leading all Rams receivers. Keenan Allen is still getting the most targets, but Johnson is making a case to have the mantle passed down to him.
Denver on the other hand has a +6.6 average scoring margin, tied for 6th best in the NFL. Bo Nix is trending up, on pace to come close to a 4,000 yard season. Courtland Sutton is on pace to blow past the 1,000 yard mark and Troy Franklin will come close if he slightly increases productivity.
It’s crazy to see the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) struggling so much this early in the season, but with Rashee Rice set to return from his six-game suspension after being sentenced to 30-days in jail resulting from a high-speed crash, you have to believe that Kansas City is going to bounce back. Rice is sure to recoup his #1 WR position in an always high-powered Kansas City offense. Pick him up and stash him for a couple of weeks while he makes his return.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders have the third worst average scoring margin in the NFL. I do like Tre Tucker though! He’s their WR2, but has put up four TDs thus far. He’s a top 20 receiver in the league this season.
NFC North
It’s a three-headed race in the NFC North. The Chicago Bears are the “odd man out”. The Bears have won their last two games after losing their first two. Still a .500 team. They don’t look terrible, but are in a very top-heavy division. They have a -4 average scoring margin, mostly due to being dominated by the Lions in week four. WR Rome Odunze has found the end zone in every single game he’s played this year. Since he’s likely not available, I also like Olamide Zaccheaus. He’s largely under the radar, averaging 5.5 targets per game and 8+ yards per catch. If he can just find the end zone with a little consistency, he’ll be a gem.
The Lions stand atop the division at 4-1. They own a +12.4 scoring margin. They have two RBs in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery that are on pace to surpass 1,000 yards. Gibbs is also a threat in the pass game, collecting over four passes per game. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a top five receiver and Sam LaPorta is a top five TE. This offense is stacked. They’re the top scoring team in the league thus far. They’re also the 10th least penalized team. They allow the eighth least amount of yards. However, Minnesota ranks sixth and Green Bay ranks fourth in that stat.
Green Bay is 2-1-1. Yeah, a tie versus the Dallas Cowboys. the Packers own the ninth best points per game. They’re efficient in both the run and pass game. They’re one of only 10 teams to average +230 yards passing and +110 yards rushing. In fantasy, Christian Watson has returned to practice. He has 21 days to be removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list. However, once he’s back he’ll be a threat. Keep an eye on him or stash him for a late season push.
Minnesota sits at 3-2. They have the #2 fantasy defense in the league according to the Sleeper fantasy sports app. They give up the fifth least amount of points. Their defense leads the lead in recovered fumbles, and are one of only six teams with pick six this season. They’re also the only team with a TD from a recovered fumble and an interception. That Brian Flores defense is scary. Miami messed up by letting him go. On offense, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison make up the #5 ranked WR tandem.
AFC North
I don’t think anyone predicted that the Aaron Rodgers-led Pittsburgh Steelers would be atop the NFC North after five weeks. They’re currently 3-1. The Bengals are 2-3 with QB Joe Burrow on the IR, out until December. Shockingly, the Ravens are 1-4 with an injured Lamar Jackson (hamstring). They have the same record as the Cleveland Browns. Ouch...
All of Pittsburgh’s wins have come by one possession or less. I don’t want to put them in the same category as Philly or the Bills, but they’ve found ways to win these games. They don’t have a top 25 QB, WR, or RB. Chris Boswell, who was the #1 kicker in 2024 is now the #24 kicker in the NFL this season, but they’ve somehow managed to score enough points to win games.
The Bengals at 2-3 without Joe Burrow until December might as well throw in the towel. They traded for Joe Flacco, but behind that paper-thin offensive line, that statue of a QB is going to get demolished. Besides Ja’Marr Chase, no one on that team is worth starting right now.
The Ravens are 1-4 after dropping some winnable games. They lost one-possession games to the Bills and the Lions. Both of those losses can be forgivable if they rebound and turn their season around. However, with Lamar Jackson looking he’s going to miss his second-straight game, they’re likely to put up another stinker. Not to mention, Baltimore’s defense has given up the most points in the league thus far. Derrick Henry looked great in week one, but hasn’t looked at all like himself since then. It could be a confidence thing since he fumbled in each of the first three weeks. Regardless, you’re starting Henry. Besides Henry and Dallas Goedert, everyone else can remain in the bench until Lamar returns.
Cleveland lives up to their low expectations... They’re going nowhere fast. They’re bottom four in average scoring margin, dead last in passing yards per attempt, tied for last in points per game, and tied for the fourth most giveaways in the league. They also have the fourth worst turnover differential. That’s a recipe for a #1 overall pick. RB Quinshon Judkins has been money since week three though, and might still be available.
NFC South
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like they’re going to win the division for a fifth-straight season. That’s something no team in that division has ever accomplished. They currently rank #7 in points per game. They have positive turnover differential, tied sixth-best in the league with +2. They’re also tied for the lowest giveaways in the league, turning the ball over only twice this season. Sterling Shepard has shown that he’s still got some game left in him at age 32, but with Mike Evans set to return, that might be short-lived. Although, he currently is part of the #3 WR tandem in the league, alongside Emeka Egbuka. On top of that, Rachaad White has stepped up in nicely in Bucky Irving’s absence. I’d pick him up.
The Falcons are all over the place. They drop a close game to the Bucs in week one, demolished the Vikings in week two, but then got absolutely destroyed by Carolina in week three, followed by a close win over Washington in week four. Will the real ATL please stand up? One thing that does look good is that they’re the second-least penalized team.
The Carolina Panthers are 2-3, but should be 1-4, if not for a collapse by the Miami Dolphins. The only actual good team they’ve played is the Patriots and Carolina got stomped in that one. Rookie, Tetairoa McMillan is their leading receiver. Aside from McMillan, Tommy Tremble is a solid TE to have on your fantasy roster.
The New Orleans Saints don’t have much to celebrate these days. They’re in the bottom five in points-per-game, and their defense has given up the ninth most points-per-game thus far. They are tied for the fourth-best turnover differential though. Their lone bright spot has been Juwan Johnson. He’s third amongst all TEs in targets and receptions. Also, keep an eye on Kendre Miller. If he ever had to step into the RB1 position, he’d put up great numbers.
AFC South
The Bell of the Ball has got to be the Indianapolis Colts at 4-1. Everyone was surprised when they demolished the Fins in week one, but they’re not surprised anymore. Daniel Jones was done a favor when they booted him from New York. He landed in Indy, where QBs can only thrive. Jones ranks #3 in passing yards through five weeks. Jonathan Taylor is the #1 RB in the league with 480 yards and six TDs, leading the league in both categories. WR Michael Pittman Jr. and TE Tyler Warren look like a great tandem at the moment. Indy also has the best average scoring margin in the league with +14.8. Even their kicker, Spencer Shrader is ranked #2 with 13 made field goals and 14 made extra points.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are also 4-1. They just beat the Chiefs, 49ers, and Texans in the last three weeks. The Jags own the #1 turnover differential with +8. Collectively, they have 10 interceptions on the season thus far. Devin Lloyd leads all players with four INTs. Travis Hunter has looked good on both sides of the ball. If you need a TE, take a look at Brenton Strange and stash him. He’ll be back in about a month according to the team.
The Houston Texans rank #3 in the league in yards-per-game allowed. They rank #1 in points-per-game allowed with 12.2. How are they 2-3? They’ve lost three one-possession games in weeks one-three in which they gave up less than 21 points in each loss. Weeks four and five might have served as slumpbusters, as they beat up on the lowly Titans and the Lamar-less Ravens. Pick up Houston’s defense if you can.
That leaves us with the Tennessee Titans. The 1-4 Titans and Cam Ward have had a rough start, but like I said in my week two article, I believe in Cam. Once Tennessee fixes things like Penalties (10-most), and their defense, you’ll see the Cam Ward that impressed enough to get drafted with the #1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
