Draftstreet Strategy: Week 5

Who has two thumbs and won some money playing Draftstreet daily leagues? The guys who played against me last week, that’s who. It seems like the flight to London kept Big Ben and Antonio Brown from hooking up the way they did in the previous week. Plus, Eric Decker decides to grab the most yards by any Denver receiver, but also failed to reach the end zone. Instead of spending half the article complaining about who I picked, I decided to double-down for week 5 and get my money back.

Draftstreet Tier 1:

Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Michael Vick

My Pick: Peyton Manning

In my opinion, this is an absolute no-brainer. Peyton Manning has been on fire lately. This week Manning will take on the Dallas Cowboys who are now tied with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants as the only teams who have given up a league high 10 TD. Even if Manning was playing a team like the Houston Texans, I would still pick him without hesitation. If anybody is keeping track, the Texans have allowed a league low of 141 yards per game.

Draftstreet Tier 2:

Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford, Tom Brady, Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson

My Pick: Tom Brady

I think everyone, including myself, was a little apprehensive about Brady before the season started. The reason being, the talent at wide receiver for the New England Patriots. I also think we can settle down a bit. Brady has proved once again, it doesn’t matter if he’s passing to a random man off the street, Brady gets touchdowns.

Draftstreet Tier 3:

Julio Jones, Matt Forte, Dez Bryant, Reggie Bush, Calvin Johnson, Jimmy Graham

My Pick: Reggie Bush

What has this guy not done? He can catch, he can pass and he may even be able to take on Tony Hawk at skateboarding. Well, maybe that last one was a bit of a stretch… I am a firm believer in riding with a hot hand and until the roaring Lions shows me otherwise, I am going to stick with Reggie.

Draftstreet Tier 4:

Arian Foster, Giovanni Bernard, DeMarco Murray, Darren Sproles, Frank Gore, Ray Rice

My Pick: Giovanni Bernard

Giovanni Bernard is showing that he can make a difference in the Cincinnati Bengals’ backfield. His receptions have climbed from one catch in week one to six catches in week four. Clearly, the Bengals staff are starting to trust Bernard more. I will take a shot with him this week. As you read with Bush, I love a guy that can get it done in the air and on the ground.

Draftstreet Tier 5:

Brandon Marshall, A.J. Green, Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Randall Cobb, Victor Cruz

My Pick: Demaryius Thomas

For the same reasons I stated with Peyton Manning, I find it hard to stray from the Broncos’ air attack at the moment.

Draftstreet Tier 6:

Eric Decker, Reggie Wayne, Kenbrell Thompkins, Marques Colston, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Julian Edelman

My Pick: Marques Colston

This was the hardest tier to pick this week. I like Reggie Wayne, but I tend to stay away from guys playing against the Seattle Seahawks defense. I pick Marques Colston for a couple of reasons. Draftstreet gives .5 points per reception and if you watched the end of the Saints game on Monday, Colston was getting a few looks. The other reason is that Jimmy Graham has been in the end zone a lot lately and I just have that feeling that Brees is going to fire in another direction.

Draftstreet Tier 7:

Jason Witten, Trent Richardson, Hakeem Nicks, Bilal Powell, Danny Woodhead, Vernon Davis, Steve Smith, Justin Blackmon

My Pick: Bilal Powell

Out of all the players in tier 7, Powell gives me the best chance to put up guaranteed points on the board. Even with the Jets getting dominated, Powell still managed to put up over 100 yards from scrimmage. If he can grab over 10 points from the Titans, I am sure he can do that against the Falcons too.

Draftstreet Tier 8:

Nate Washington, Dwayne Bowe, Daryl Richardson, Lamar Miller, David Wilson, Eddie Royal, DeAngelo Williams, Marlon Brown

My Pick: Nate Washington

It’s pretty clear that the Kansas City Chiefs are shaping up to be a pretty solid defense. However, I do think that there are times when you can select a player going against a team of this caliber. Washington started the season slow, but in the past two games, he has 12 grabs for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those are numbers that I like to gamble on.

If you have not had the chance to join any daily leagues, what are you waiting for? In fact, if you are feeling super cocky, get a hold of me @FFootballschool on twitter and we may be able to arrange a match-up. As always, I will be using our defensive team statistical breakdown.

Shawn Luskey | Draftstreet Strategy: Week 5 - Gridiron Experts