Fantasy Football Week 5 is officially in the books. By now you have an idea of who is for real or who was a one-week wonder. Fantasy Football players this week were treated to several zeroes and heroes due to a variety of reasons. There were plenty of heroes who overachieved as well as zeroes who decided to take the day off. I present to you this week’s Fantasy Football Heroes and Zeroes.

Fantasy Football Heroes –

Matt Schaub – Schaub can be a very frustrating quarterback at times, as can be the coaching of Gary Kubiak. Schaub is one of those kinds of quarterbacks that like to throw in clunkers from time to time to remind you that you don’t own Drew Brees. The great thing about Schaub is that those clunkers rarely come two weeks in a row.

Schuab and the Texans struggled early against the Arizona Cardinals. Being down 0-21 was good news in one aspect for Schaub owners. You knew that the Texans were coming out passing. The negative was how terrible Schaub looked at halftime. However, Schaub turned it around and dominated the second half of the game. After a disappointing half, Schaub completed the game with 317 yards and two touchdowns. That makes three out of five weeks with over 20-point games from Schaub.

Roddy White - White has been a frustrating wide receiver for fantasy football owners this season. The problem with White is that he was an early pick or even a keeper. White sat out of camp due to a contract issue and was never able to get into a groove since rejoining the team. All of the Atlanta newspapers reported that Atlanta planned to work on running the ball during the bye week. Apparently Roddy White never got that memo.

White was a monster yesterday. Even more impressive was that White did this against a very good San Francisco defense. White wound up with over 200 yards on 8 receptions with two touchdowns. This is the Roddy White you thought you were drafting. It still boggles my mind how he can put up 33 fantasy points against the 49ers and 3 against Miami. Nonetheless, White has a great matchup next week against the Bears. Whether this was a one-week wonder or a return to prominence will be answered next Sunday.

Ray Rice - Meet your number-one running back on the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens love to talk about a multi-back system, but make no mistake that Rice is the man in Baltimore. What makes Rice so dangerous is that Flacco loves him in the flats. Rice put up 19 fantasy points in my league without a touchdown. Rice was a huge overachiever this past weekend, after averaging less than 4 yards a carry against the Bengals twice last season.

Miles Austin - I don’t know if this is good news or bad news for Jerry Jones. The good news is that he may have himself a heck of a receiver here. The bad news is that Austin isn’t one of the receivers that Jones threw away millions of dollars and draft picks on in the last two seasons. It is hard to tell whether fantasy owners should drop a player and grab Austin off of waivers or not. See Mohamed Massaquoi for one-week wonders.

Cedric Benson - I hate to break it to you Bears fans, but Benson is having a much better season than Matt Forte is. Benson racked up over 130 yards of total offense, with 120 on the ground against a very good rushing defense. Benson has only had one week with less than double-digit fantasy points out of five games, some against very good teams. Benson was ranked the 24th running back in Week 5 on one respectable fantasy football website. This guy is either going to kill you or hurt you if he keeps getting overlooked. Cedric Benson is the real deal.

Fantasy Football Zeroes -

Steve Slaton - I am done with this guy. Like many, he has killed me every week but one. I should have went with my instincts and never took him knowing the goal-line situation, but I did and you did too if you own him. The Texans defense is terrible which makes just about every game a come-from-behind situation, nullifying the run. Slaton shows so much potential when he does catch the ball, but it seems as if Schaub has lost a lot of confidence in him. Trent Edwards had more rushing yards than Steve Slaton in Week 5! I have been patient with Slaton, but it is time to for all of us scorned Slaton owners to move on.

Derek Anderson - I have to admit it, I bought the hype after last week and had flashes of 2007. Anderson completed two passes after a tremendous week against a very good Bengals defense. Normally I would give him some slack for the bad wind, but he plays in Cleveland for goodness sakes! He had a quarterback rating of 15.1 which was worse than what JaMarcus Russell had in a blowout. Anderson plays the Steelers in Week 6 with a possible returning Troy Polamalu. I don’t expect much better from Anderson.

David Garrard - I can’t say that I am surprised. I was surprised after his game against the Titans but it is obvious that passing against the Titans is nothing impressive in 2009. Garrard went 18 for 31 with 188 yards and no touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks aren’t the Steelers and there is really no excuse for this. Garrard was ranked on one reputable website as the #8 quarterback in terms of expectations for Week 5. He finished behind Kyle Boller and Shaun Hill.

Carnell Williams - The Cadillac stalled in Philadelphia. In terms of what the expectations were for Carnell, he was expected to produce some good fantasy points against the Eagles. He averaged less than one yard per carry in Philadelphia. Williams put up a big goose egg. On a day where the Bucs quarterback put up 40 rushing yards himself, Williams should be embarrassed with his effort against the Eagles.

Chris Cooley - Cooley has quietly turned into one of the top tight ends in fantasy this year. Cooley owners salivated over a matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, Cooley-owners had no idea that their diamond in the ruff would wind up back in the ruff. Cooley registered his first NFL game without even one catch since 2004. Cooley was used to block and taken completely out of the offensive game thanks to an early injury. In the end, Cooley gave your team as many fantasy points as I would have if you started me yesterday.

DeSean Jackson - As a big Eagles fan with a man-crush on D-Jax, this one hurts me to write. However, Jackson was ranked as high as the number two wide receiver, by some experts in terms of expectations for the Buccaneers game. However, none of these experts took into account the emergence of Jeremy Maclin. Maclin had a breakout game which set records as an Eagles receiver. In all fairness, Jackson had a big catch in the first quarter which was called back due to a questionable penalty at best. Yet in the end, after over 100 receiving yards in each of his last two games, zero receptions makes him a zero.

Read the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 NFL and College Football Seasons by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with BetUs.com or Bodog.com.

 Get your NFL swag discounted on Amazon.com now by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here..

In a 12-week Fantasy Football season, every game counts. FF players don’t have the luxury of waiting a few weeks for their guys to get hot. It is even more crucial that top draft picks play to their value. A bust with your top pick could make or break your season. Week 3 is over, you’re 0-3 and it is time to come to grips with your busts and make alternative plans.

I wrote a blog a few weeks back looking at guys who should make you panic or not. At this point, you are running out of time and can’t wait much longer for your guys to get hot. But there are a few guys who may pay dividends with a little patience. I am going to go out on a limb here and try and talk you (and me) down off the ledge.

The only and I mean only luxury of going 0-3 or finishing in last place is the waiver wire pickup. You have the first or second shot of rebuilding your team with the hottest waiver wire selections available in your league. I have completely turned my season around by picking up guys like Derek Anderson a few years back and Mewelde Moore last season. I’ll talk waiver wire pickups later in the week.

So here we are going into Fantasy Football Week 4 and your top pick has given you nothing. Panic or don’t panic?

Don’t panic

Matt Forte - I saw Forte listed as high as number one overall in some pre season rankings. Forte has arguably been the biggest bust of all of the running backs. He hasn’t even reached 150 yards in three games combined. Chances are if you own Forte, you passed on some great backs and are probably getting smoked right about now. Don’t panic!

This guy is just too good to be held back. He faced some great defenses the first few weeks. Jay Cutler has put the team in some really bad positions, thus eliminating the run. The Bears are built to be a running team. Once it starts to get colder, the Bears will be running a heck of a lot more. Not too mention, Forte has some tremendous matchups coming up. As a matter of a fact, Forte will only play two good rushing defenses in the next eight weeks.

I like Forte. I also think that over time he is going to be a top back in fantasy football. It is too early to get off his bandwagon and give him up in a trade. He plays Detroit and Atlanta in the next three weeks with a bye in between. If Forte is still putting up these kinds of numbers a month from now, something is wrong. Otherwise, you need to ride this out and hope the Bears rushing attack get their act together.

Steve Slaton - I am sticking by my top pick. I think his slow start came down to scheduling. Slaton played the Titans and the Jets in the first two weeks. The real Slaton began to emerge last week against Jacksonville. Now that Kevin Walter back, defenses will play the pass more and leave Slaton open. Slaton had 76 yards against the Jags and got better as the game went on.

A huge boost to Slaton owners was the fumble at the 1-yard line from Chris Brown. Brown has been the goal line back, taking the scoring situations away from Slaton. Davis fumbled in the fourth quarter and basically cost the Texans the game. There is a great chance that the team loses confidence in Davis and starts giving Slaton some goal line carries. Additionally, Slaton has some great matchups coming up against Oakland, Cincinnati, and Arizona.

Larry Fitzgerald - Like Forte, Fitzgerald was ranked overall number one in some pre season rankings. By normal receiver standards, Fitzgerald has been doing okay. By Fitzgerald receiving standards, he is awful. Chances are that you bypassed a great running back or Drew Brees to draft Fitzgerald. Those kinds of numbers aren’t going to cut it unless you have Adrian Peterson in your lineup.

There are a few reasons I still have faith in Fitzgerald. For one, he is young and just way too good to be held back. A big reason for his decline is his quarterback (just ask his brother). Warner is banged up bad and at 38-years old, it is very conceivable that he just doesn’t have it anymore. The Cards are going to make the change at some point. I don’t like Matt Leinart at all, but he is healthy and loved Fitzgerald. If the Cards are slow on pulling the switch, it may be a long season for you Fitzgerald owners.

He also has some great matchups coming up. Fitzgerald has Houston in three weeks which give up points to everyone. If he doesn’t breakout in this game, I don’t think he ever will. He also has Seattle, the Giants, and Panthers who all give up lots of points to receivers. Stand by your man and you should be fine.

Panic

Kurt Warner – What a difference a year can make. I drafted Warner in the 17th round last year and reaped the rewards. This year, Warner was ranked second behind Drew Brees in some drafts. Between losing the Super Bowl, his age, and coming into the season with injuries, this guy had bust written all over him.

The problem is that if you took Warner, you were counting on him to be your starter. He looked slow and gimpy against the Colts. Yes, he put up 17 points but his future as the Cardinals starter is questionable. You can just look at Warner and see that he doesn’t have the same confidence as last year. When your quarterback has lost it is time for you to lose confidence in him as well. Stick a fork in him, he’s done!

Terrell Owens - It looks like Fantasy Football owners have a T.O. problem. The problem is that you probably took him with your first receiver pick. T.O. didn’t even have a catch in his last game. I couldn’t have picked a worst offense for Owens than the Bills if I tried. You may get a 100-yard game once or twice, but the days of Owens’ Philly and Dallas numbers are over.

The problem isn’t just Trent Edwards, who does stink. Owens is older and isn’t getting off the break like he used to. After watching numerous videos on him, he just looks slower and not nearly as explosive. Owens would always get the YAC numbers or the Yards After Catch numbers. That is where Owens made his bread and butter. He isn’t going to get any YAC numbers without any catches. It is time to trade him, bench him, or put him on waivers altogether.

LaDainian Tomlinson - I wrote a lengthy piece about L.T. last week. This guy is a fantasy football killer. He was ranked in the top five of just about every fantasy football pre season cheat sheet. This means you passed up Frank Gore, Chris Johnson, and Drew Brees to get him. L.T. has bitten you the worst way possible, he hasn’t even played.

We were all fooled. From the experts to regular everyday players, we all bought into L.T.’s promises when he said he was back. Let this be a lesson. No matter what the hype is, don’t ever take a running back 30-years old or older with your first pick. Even when L.T. comes back, chances are he will be splitting time with Darren Sproles. I do think L.T. will still give you some big days. However, they won’t be what you expected when you drafted him. If you can find another sucker out there to buy in on the hype, trade him. Even Ricky Williams or Fred Taylor will give you more production week to week than Tomlinson at this point.

Not all is lost if you own L.T., Warner, or Owens. Make a trade. You may find someone out there who still believes the same hype you did when you drafted them. As for Forte, Slaton, and Fitzgerald, take a shot and try and trade for them if you don’t own them. You may be surprised. Someone may panic and pull the trigger. Now is a great time to make a trade on someone who is under producing. As long as they are under 30, you will be okay.

Read Fantasy Football For Dummies by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with Bodog.com.

 Get your NFL swag discounted on Amazon.com now by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here..

After months of meticulous preparation, you felt great about your fantasy football draft. Week 1 was a bit of a letdown but you knew you had a great team. Now, it is the day after NFL Week 2 and you are beginning to panic. Do you start working a trade or do you stick with your players? Unfortunately for some of you fantasy football players, it is time to start working the phones.

I have fantasy football to be nearly the most impossible thing to judge. People will claim to be experts, but those same experts had running backs in the top 10 that haven’t even combined for 50 yards in two weeks. There is no accounting for a bust. Yet there is a big difference between a bust and a slow starter. Don’t be confused between the two or you will be kicking yourself when your “bust” is scoring 20 points for someone else in the playoffs.

Click here to read the full story on our sister site, CamelClutchBlog.com by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with BetUs.com or Bodog.com.

Read the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 NFL and College Football Seasons by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with BetUs.com or Bodog.com.

 Get your NFL swag discounted on Amazon.com now by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here..

Unless you drafted Adrian Peterson or Drew Brees, your Week 1 of Fantasy Football was likely a bust. FF Players plan all year for the fantasy football season from draft guides, cheat sheets, to crafting the perfect lineup. All of that work means nothing when it comes to NFL football. Is it time to panic? For some of you, yes it is.

I can’t remember an NFL Week 1 like this one. Never in my fantasy football lifespan can I recall so many top 10 ranked fantasy players who didn’t produce. We all knew Adrian Peterson was going to produce, but we forgot about one simple component to NFL football, defense. NFL Week 1 was all about defense which is death for fantasy players, highly ranked or not.

Unlike the NFL season, the fantasy football season is 13 weeks plus playoffs. Going down 0-3 could be the absolute end of your season. The key is getting a good mix of starting and finishing strong.

Click here to read the full article on our sister site, CamelClutchBlog.com by clicking here.

Read the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 NFL and College Football Seasons by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with BetUs.com or Bodog.com.

 Get your NFL swag discounted on Amazon.com now by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here..