Todd Lokken from Strategic Fantasy Sports Identifies The Most Dropped and Picked Up Free Agents for Week 5 of the NFL season

New York Jets RB Leon Washington, who went undrafted in almost every fantasy football league, is all of a sudden a hot commodity after a breakout week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jets running back has been a part of the ‘running back by committee’ approach in New York, and looks to have locked up the top spot. Washington rushed 23 times for 101 yards against a good Jacksonville defense, and according to Todd Lokken, President of Strategic Fantasy Sports, “Washington should have a good three weeks, as he faces off against Miami, Detroit, and Cleveland”. The downside of acquiring Washington is he is a little banged up right now, but most reports say his injury is not serious. Says Lokken, “It’s a thigh injury, but he is probable. He’ll be playing, and should be able get some good points this weekend.”

The next hot commodity is Arizona Cardinal WR Bryant Johnson. “Once Larry Fitzgerald went down, owners quickly searched the waiver wires for the #3 receiver on the Cardinals”, says Lokken. “If Johnson has not been picked up yet, grab him, as Arizona’s offense should get better as the season progresses. Kurt Warner is done, and Matt Leinart should continue to grow in the offense”, claims Lokken. The only thing that seems to be holding Johnson back is his ability to make the big play, something Fitzgerald does on a regular basis. However, he is in the spotlight now, so watch him to come through.

On the flip side, poor play is hurting former fantasy starters, and team owners are making adjustments accordingly. The most prominent star losing a roster spot this week is Daunte Culpepper of the Miami Dolphins. “Owners started to give up on Culpepper last week”, says Lokken. “After being benched this past weekend, Daunte may be sitting down for a while.” The advice here is to drop him, and Lokken continues, “He hasn’t been a solid start for over a year, and obviously is still hurt. The mobility just isn’t there like it used to be, and he can’t get away from the defense.” If you are desperate, you can always try Joey Harrington, but Lokken says that “Matt Leinart may be worth a look”.

Finally this week, Lokken gives us another disappointment: Green Bay RB Vernand Morency, who lost his spot as Ahman Green’s backup in Green Bay. Lokken advises, “He fumbled twice in six carries, and that was enough for the Packers to sit him down—all fantasy players should do the same.” Morency was an unknown who grabbed the spotlight when Green went down, but he gave it back just as quickly when he couldn’t hold the ball. “The guess here is that Morency is pretty much done as a fantasy player for this year”, says Lokken. “Expect Ahman Green to come back soon, so there is no point in keeping Morency. If you can, try to get Leon Washington of the Jets.”

Strategic Fantasy Sports provides fantasy analysis and strategy for players of fantasy games. For more information, contact Todd Lokken at 847.985.8566, or visit www.toddlokken.com.