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In Week 4, Russell Wilson totaled a season-best 23.86 Fantasy points on NFL.com, throwing three TD passes in an admirable road performance against the New York Jets. So how are his Fantasy owners rewarded for starting him?
They will get zero points from him for Week 5.
The Seahawks are one of four teams on a bye this week, with the high-powered Saints, the Jaguars and the Chiefs all idle as well. If you have to replace Wilson or Drew Brees as a starter, you do have some quality alternatives. The top alternative is impressive Eagles rookie Carson Wentz, who comes off his own bye to face a Lions pass defense that has allowed 12 TD passes, the second-highest figure in the league. Brian Hoyer is another top choice for a bye week filler, as he is coming off a pair of 300-yard outings and takes on a Colts pass defense that is allowing 18.64 Fantasy Points Per Game, ninth-most in the league. Joe Flacco is also a respectable choice as Baltimore may open up the passing game a bit more against Washington. Eli Manning may also be a free agent or a low-level trade acquisition in some leagues, and the Green Bay pass defense is surrendering 20.21 FFPG, fourth-most in the league.
Seahawks running back Christine Michael has tallied 51.80 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com, which ranks him 14th overall and puts him firmly among the players at the position who should be consistently penciled in as starters every week. Mark Ingram is another notable starter on a bye, and Fantasy owners will be without the services of Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware this week. Baltimore's Terrance West busted out with 113 rushing yards and TD last week and faces a Redskins run defense that allows 26.38 standard Fantasy PPG, second-most in the NFL. DeAndre Washington may start at RB for Oakland, and San Diego allows 25.98 FFPG, plus the rookie also has some versatility in the passing game. The Colts surrender 24.60 FFPG, and Bears rookie Jordan Howard burst onto the scene with 132 yards from scrimmage in Week 4. If you need to dig even deeper, consider Detroit's Zach Zenner, a physical runner with goal line potential who may be in line for a larger workload this week. James White of New England could also see a boost in production in PPR formats with Tom Brady back, and Bobby Rainey of the Giants could provide some decent totals in those formats as well.
Doug Baldwin is the 12th-ranked WR on NFL.com with 44.60 Fantasy points so far, making him a WR1 so far this year. He won't be easy to replace, and Brandin Cooks, Allen Robinson and Jeremy Maclin are also off this week. A sneaky play at the position could be New England's Chris Hogan, who was developing a good on-field relationship with Brady in the preseason. Tyrell Williams of the Chargers takes on an Oakland pass defense that has surrendered an AFC-high 31.30 FFPG to opposing WRs in standard formats on NFL.com. We noted Manning against the Packers, and Victor Cruz is a respectable plugger. The same is true for a WR working with Flacco, as Mike Wallace should see some chances to make plays downfield against the Redskins. The Steelers allow 20.50 FFPG to the posiiton, and Quincy Enunwa has been pushed into a more prominent role recently. This could also be a week when we see Randall Cobb come through with his best outing of the season so far, and you may be able to acquire him in a lower-level trade. Robert Woods has also been elevated to a higher role in the Buffalo passing game, and he should at least give you respectable PPR numbers.
Jimmy Graham has regained his spot among Fantasy Football's elite tight ends with 25.30 Fantasy Points on NFL.com over the past two games. He is off this week along with another top player at the position, Travis Kelce. Cameron Brate can be a regular TD threat for Tampa Bay, and the Panthers allow 12.35 standard FFPG to tight ends, fourth-most on NFL.com. Martellus Bennett should continue to play an important role in the Patriots' passing game this week against Cleveland. Jesse James has TD potential, and the Jets are having difficulty against tight ends this year, as Seahawks fans witnessed in Week 4. Virgil Green can post decent numbers against the Falcons, who allow the most points to the position at 16.50 per week.
Replacing the Seahawks defense is not something any Fantasy owner looks forward to. But both the Rams and Bills have appeal in what could be a lower-scoring matchup between the two teams, and the Panthers should bounce back on Monday night at home against Tampa Bay.
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