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Bye Weeks: Bengals, Eagles, Raiders, Vikings.

Marion Barber III, RB, Cowboys (@BUF, 6.1 price tag): Oh, absolutely, he let you down Sunday, sitting the final 17 minutes after the Cowboys mounted a ridiculous 35-7 lead. Think it'll happen again? I won't rule it out, accounting for the Bills' injury-ravaged defense, but these are matchups to exploit, blowout possibility or not. I'd be shocked if he goes scoreless in back-to-back games against the Rams and Bills. Shocked.

Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Jets (@NYG, 5.4): Sunday's performance aside, the Giants' pass D has its share of problems. The Week 4 success was a combination of strong play by the D-line and poor play by the Eagles' O-line. The Jets should provide QB Chad Pennington better protection, and note that while Cotchery equals Laveranues Coles in targets (31-31), he leads in receptions (26-24) and receiving yards (382-211).

Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals (@STL, 5.7): He endured a horrible 2006, but look at the game logs. In two games against the Rams, James managed 94 rushing yards and a score in Week 3, 115 yards in Week 13. Those aren't bad numbers, not at all, and note that James is running with more authority this season. Plus, it's only going to help that the Rams' offense is reeling, meaning clock control should be huge for the Cards.

Eli Manning, QB, Giants (NYJ, 6.2): Through four games he has looked a lot closer to the 2005 model than 2006, and you couldn't ask for better chemistry than he has been displaying with Plaxico Burress. Manning is a matchups standout, and Week 5's is a good one. The Giants' WRs have a noticeable size advantage and can exploit inexperienced rookie Darrelle Revis and Andre Dyson in the Jets' secondary.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Broncos (SD, 4.9): Javon Walker's balky knee should limit him again in Week 5 -- if he plays -- making Marshall a standout choice. QB Jay Cutler knows and loves him, apparently, flinging the ball his way an astonishing 18 times the past two weeks combined. Plus, if there's anything the Chargers' D struggles against, it's the slant route. Which QB-WR combo runs it well? Yup, Cutler and Marshall. Hmmm...

Sammy Morris, RB, Patriots (CLE, 5.0): This pick comes without any definitive knowledge of Laurence Maroney's Week 5 status, but I'm selecting Morris even if Maroney plays. That's how good Morris looked to me as Maroney's sub in Week 4, and even if Morris is back in the goal-line role, well, that's not a bad one during the bye weeks. Like Barber, Morris should get at least a chance or two to score.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys (@BUF, 5.1): Everyone is hopping on the Patrick Crayton bandwagon after his 184-yard, two-TD breakout game in Week 4, but I'm sticking with Witten as the better weekly pick for fantasy. No knock against Crayton, not at all, but Witten actually matched him in targets in Week 4 (8-8), and he's leading for the season, 29-21. Plus, the Bills are soft over the middle; Matt Spaeth has scored off them!

Antwaan Randle El, WR, Redskins (DET, 4.3 price tag): Santana Moss' hamstring probably will sideline him, leaving Randle El as QB Jason Campbell's top target. Maybe what the Lions did in Week 4 has you thinking they're not so bad on defense after all, but I'm not sold. Bears QB Brian Griese made poor decisions and the Lions merely capitalized. I expect a better effort from Campbell, but Randle El is the one who will benefit most.

Matt Schaub, QB, Texans (MIA, 6.2): Let's give him the benefit of the doubt here. His numbers aren't eye-popping, but if you've been watching him play, what he has done with a WR corps of pretty much Andre Davis, Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter is nothing short of remarkable. Schaub, in my book, is every bit as good as advertised, and in these bye weeks I don't fear him as a one-week sub. Note: These Dolphins are weak in the secondary.

Benjamin Watson, TE, Patriots (CLE, 4.1): The Bills aren't the only team to have surrendered a TD to Steelers TE Matt Spaeth; the Browns have, too! In addition, the Ravens' Quinn Sypniewski, stepping in for the injured Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox, scored in Week 4 against these Browns, a great sign for Watson. After a week off from finding the end zone, Watson should get back in there. He's a quality red zone option.

Tatum Bell/Kevin Jones, RBs, Lions (@WAS, 4.2 and 4.7 price tags): The problem with these two is that they're in a straight time-share, and on a team that averages a league-low 19.8 rushing attempts per game. Single-digit touches is simply not enough for a RB to make a fantasy impact, barring his facing a porous run defense. Washington's D doesn't qualify as that. If you must choose one, make it Jones, but don't get cozy.

Bernard Berrian, WR, Bears (@GB, 5.0): Lovie Smith has pledged more carries for Cedric Benson this week, and if you look at how Brian Griese fared stepping in for Rex Grossman in Week 4, maybe that's not such a bad idea. Each of the three times Griese got picked off, Berrian was his target. Think that won't enter his mind this time around? Green Bay has underrated CBs, so expect a down game from Berrian here.

Darrell Jackson, WR, 49ers (BAL, 4.9): As if he wasn't underperforming enough working with Alex Smith, now he'll have to make do with Trent Dilfer, who has 13 more interceptions than TDs for his career. Sure, change in light of a sluggish start can often help a guy's cause, but again, it's Dilfer getting the call. That can't be good. In addition, Jackson now gets to deal with CB Chris McAllister and the Ravens, a tough matchup indeed.

Vincent Jackson, WR, Chargers (@DEN, 5.0): There aren't many receivers I'd pick going up against Broncos CBs Champ Bailey and Dre' Bly, and Jackson isn't one of them. Oh, sure, he had 134 yards and a score in two games against the Broncos last year, but Bly wasn't there, and Jackson's rapport with Philip Rivers was better then than today. They've lacked the chemistry so far this season that they had in the past.

Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns (@NE, 5.3): I picked him in Week 4 and got burned, but may I remind you, without the TD scamper, that outing doesn't look quite so hot. He averaged only 2.8 yards per carry against the Ravens, and the Patriots allow only a 3.4 number. Plus, the other problem: The Patriots have the kind of high-octane offense to take him out of the game earlier than the Ravens do.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers (@DEN, 6.2): I'll toss Rivers onto the pile, if only because opposing teams realize they need to pound the Broncos' defensive line in order to have any success moving the ball. That's why Denver ranks first defending the pass (129.2 yards per game); opponents run the ball 40 times against them. Plus, with Rivers' deep threats -- if you can call them that -- locked up all day, he'll be playing conservatively.

Players priced at 6.0 or higher (6.3 or higher for quarterbacks) this week.

Shaun Alexander, RB, Seahawks (@PIT, 6.3 price tag): As a No. 2 RB option, you could do a lot worse in traditional fantasy leagues. In the Gridiron Challenge, though, this is simply too steep a price tag to pay. Oh, sure, the Seahawks might be motivated to prove their Super Bowl XL loss was a fluke driven by bad calls, but you'd hope the matchup was better for their cause than facing the game's No. 2 defense (258.5 total yards per game).

Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (BAL, 6.5): Alex Smith's absence won't hurt the receivers only; it also could prove deadly to Gore's fantasy value. He's averaging only 3.7 yards per carry, down from last year's 5.4, and he's on pace for only 32 receptions, down from 61 last season. A hand injury could be the cause of the latter, and that's not a good thing, since Trent Dilfer might need to dump off to him at times. This game could be an ugly one.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks (@PIT, 6.7): It's the pass D that's so strong for the Steelers; even in struggling against the Cardinals, they allowed only 225 passing yards and a score. They've clamped down on opponents for 14 sacks and three interceptions, and their 6.1 yards-per-attempt average ranks them fourth in the league. Plus, Hasselbeck doesn't have that deep a WR corps. Expect a letdown from him on the road.

Their matchups might not look good, but you shouldn't be worried.

Brett Favre, QB, Packers (CHI, 6.8 price tag): For some reason, people still look at the Bears' defense as threatening, despite the fact that they're missing CB Nathan Vasher and perhaps will be without LB Lance Briggs yet again. Those are two key losses, and they drop the Bears out of the elite and into the better-than-average category. Favre has been throwing as well the past couple of weeks as at any time in his career, so expect him to capitalize.

Week 4 Recap: Curse you -- nay, thank you -- Donovan McNabb! Ah, the struggles of fantasy versus reality. But you know what? While it's painful to see McNabb toss me up a stinker, ruining what might have been an otherwise stellar week for my Gridiron Challenge team, I'll take the Giants' victory to keep their season alive. On the bright side, Santonio Holmes (24) was money, and LaDainian Tomlinson (21) had a strong effort, even if it didn't turn out quite that way -- again -- for his NFL team. Score: 108 points in Week 4, 427 points for the season (70.2 percent).

QB1: Eli Manning, Giants (NYJ), 6.2 price tag
QB2: Drew Brees, Saints (CAR), 6.2
RB1: LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (@DEN), 6.9
RB2: Marion Barber III, Cowboys (@BUF), 6.1
WR1: Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (@NYG), 5.4
WR2: Santonio Holmes, Steelers (SEA), 5.2
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys (@BUF), 5.1
K: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (CLE), 4.4
D/ST: Dallas Cowboys (@BUF), 5.3

Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.