Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Four teams are on a bye this week, which opens up holes in a ton of fantasy lineups. Some big name players will be out of commission for Week 5, causing owners to search the waiver wire for some lottery ticket plays to help ease the pain.
Come on. It’s been four weeks already. You know the drill.
Rueben Randle vs Philadelphia Eagles: The Giants offense is terrible, while the Eagles defense is just as bad. Something’s got to give, right? I think a shootout is looming in the Meadowlands between these two rivals, and Randle, although he is the team’s fourth option in the passing game, could reap the benefits. His 24 targets aren’t exactly appealing, but the matchup sure is. The Eagles defense has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, and in his last game against Philadelphia, Randle caught all four targets for 58 yards and two scores. In his last four games against the Eagles, quarterback Eli Manning has tossed 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions, which seems odd that Manning has actually taken care of the ball at one point in his career. This unit has also allowed the most passing yards in the league, and as long as Eli gets time from his offensive line, Randle should get open quite a bit.
Jeremy Kerley @ Atlanta Falcons: Someone has to catch passes from Geno Smith, right? With both Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill on the shelf for the foreseeable future, Kerley will serve as the Jets number one receiver with Clyde Gates lining up opposite him. Kerley filled in admirably for the banged up receivers last week, hauling in four of five targets for 65 yards, averaging 16.3 yards per catch. He won’t wow you with his size, hands or ability to go up and get it, but here’s a guy with good speed, can make plays in the open field, and if anything else, is basically the only game in town. The Jets will have to throw the ball a lot to keep up with the high-powered Falcons offense, and considering this unit is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, Kerley has a chance to post strong numbers on M0nday night.
Ryan Broyles @ Green Bay Packers: Many people were expecting more from a healthy Broyles this season. A guy with the pedigree in college, Broyles has caught just three passes this year, but there is room for optimism. Despite the less than pedestrian stat line, Broyles still played 43 snaps and ran 22 routes on Sunday, which makes him the key slot guy. The Lions tend to operate out of three-wide receiver sets quite often, so Broyles should continue to see the field a fair amount, despite the acquisition of Kevin Ogletree. This game against Green Bay should ooze fantasy goodness, and this defense is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season. If you are in need of a deeper play, you could do worse than Broyles, a guy in a pass-happy offense.
Dallas Clark @ Miami Dolphins: There have been a lot of very good fantasy tight ends this year, but if you don’t own one of the safer options, Clark is definitely worth a look. No, he isn’t nearly the player he once was, but last week, he ran the most passing routes since Week 1. He also is tied for second on Baltimore in receptions, targets and receiving yards, which shows how weak this receiving corp truly is. However, this week’s matchup doesn’t get any better, as the Dolphins are allowing more fantasy points to tight ends than anyone in football right now. Clark has been targeted a healthy 16 times over the last two contests, and considering the lack of options in the passing game, Clark should get enough looks to matter this week.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
