Both the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens started the season roughly -- the Colts started 0-2, the Ravens 0-1 -- before apparently fixing things. Entering Week 5, both sit in second place in their respective divisions, with a chance to move into first if everything goes right.
Fantasy football advice, Week 5: Who to start/sit for Ravens vs. Colts
It started bad for both these teams, but things have gotten much better in recent weeks.
Andy Lyons
These two teams enter the week fully healthy; the only fantasy-relevant player dealing with a known injury is Ravens running back Bernard Pierce, who (a) seems like he's back to full health, and (b) has really fallen down the team's depth chart. The Colts have no fantasy players with known worries right now.
Sunday, the Ravens travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts at 1 p.m. ET, and there will be a handful of fantasy contributors to keep an eye on:
RAVENS
Start in every league: Steve Smith Sr., Justin Tucker
Start if you're desperate: Owen Daniels, Defense/special teams
Bench: Joe Flacco, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce, Torrey Smith
Look, I’m as surprised as you are by the success of the ancient Steve Smith Sr., but at this point, you kind of have to buy in, right? ... And after a rough Week 1, Tucker has really righted the kicking ship, and he’s back into must-start territory.
I expected more out of Daniels in his first game after Dennis Pitta’s injury, but the team didn’t really need him Sunday. He’s outside the top 10 tight ends, but he has upside. ... The Ravens’ defense has been decent on occasion, and while the Colts do offer a strong offense, Baltimore ranks in the mid-teens among defensive units.
Sure, Flacco put up 25 fantasy points in Week 4, but you don’t think he’ll continue to do that, do you? I don’t. ... The three-headed attack of Taliaferro, Forsett and Pierce really needs to resolve itself in order for any one guy to have a lot of fantasy value. ... Torrey Smith found the end zone last week, but overall it’s been a bust of a year.
COLTS
Start in every league: Andrew Luck, Ahmad Bradshaw, Adam Vinatieri
Start if you're desperate: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Dwayne Allen, Defense/special teams
Bench: Trent Richardson, Coby Fleener
No one has been more valuable in fantasy this year than Luck, who has averaged almost 26 fantasy points a game. He’s a beast. ... Bradshaw has had at least eight points every game, with an average of 13.3. He’s definitely a solid RB2. ... Vinatieri gets plenty of chances to kick the ball, and he does well with it.
Neither Wayne nor Hilton has been super-consistent or super-productive, but with their quarterback, both are at minimum fine flex plays. ... Allen has three games with at least nine fantasy points and one with zero. He’s a high-end TE2, but until we know those goose-eggs aren’t going to happen, he’s tough to rely on. ... After two awful games to start the season, the Colts’ defense has really turned it around. It’s still only an if-you’re-really-desperate unit, but it’s interesting.
Richardson has actually been not-awful this year, but he’s definitely the No.2 guy in Indianapolis now, and he’s outside usefulness. ... Fleener has scored in back-to-back games, but he’s still, what, the Colts’ sixth or seventh offensive option?
