The fantasy football schedule for Week 5 picks up soon and heading out of week 4, some smart free agent pickups and sleeper options moving forward include Matt Asiata, Bishop Sankey, Antone Smith, Donald Brown, Steve Smith, Mark Ingram, Knile Davis, Odell Beckham, Larry Donnell, Keenan Allen and Andre Williams, as those players have the chance to step up in the coming weeks and could win matchups for fantasy owners.
Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon have done fine work without Adrian Peterson in the lineup and they have shown that they can handle the load as starters. Asiata was back in the end zone this week, while McKinnon had his best day rushing the ball. Antone Smith has emerged as an explosive option from the four headed backfield in Atlanta, while Donald Brown has taken over as the starter with Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead dealing with injuries. Brown is a prime pickup in PPR leagues and could be very valuable going forward with Woodhead out for the season.
Mark Ingram is a sleeper pickup for fantasy owners despite the fact that he is injured, as the Saints have some issues on offense and he is set to return in a couple weeks. For fantasy owners that can afford to stash him, grabbing Ingram is a great idea because he was off to a finer start this season and could end up getting RB1 carries the rest of the way if he remains healthy.
Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro could be pushing Bernard Pierce back, as the Ravens have been getting some steady running with Ray Rice gone. The team had those two combine for 124 yards on 29 carries with two touchdowns and Taliaferro led the way with 58 yards on 15 carries and they both could be strong pickup options going forward. Brown comes in after going for 62 yards last week and he also is a threat catching the ball and that makes him a solid depth option in PPR leagues.
Steve Smith took it to his old team on Sunday and had two touchdowns in the game and coming into the matchup he had been the sixth most targeted receiver in the league. Smith had seven catches on 10 targets for 139 yards and two touchdowns and he is now the leading receiver in yards in the league this season. Joe Flacco loves Smith and he could be a strong starting option going forward for fantasy owners.
The Colts totally dominated the Titans on Sunday, but one thing is clear, Shonn Greene is not running away with anything and that means Bishop Sankey could emerge as a solid starter. This week Sankey scored his first NFL touchdown and while he did not have any touches in the first half, he showed some skills in the second half and had 34 yards along with a touchdown and now the team plays the Browns next. Antone Smith had a solid day against the Vikings while leading the team in rushing with 62 yards and he has three touchdowns this season, making him a solid pickup past Steven Jackson.
