Simply put, this issue of Fantasy in Five will give you five players to not even touch. If you do happen to possess one on your team, trade him when you get the chance.

1. Kenny Britt- I’m going to start off with a pretty obvious one. Britt has all the talents to be an elite receiver in the league, but his off-field troubles prevent him from doing so. Many owners are selecting him as a second option at wideout this draft, which I think is completely asinine.

What has Britt proven to be selected so high? In the past few years, he’s missed 18 games and is sitting out the whole preseason with a knee injury. Not to mention his recent DUI bust, Britt is literally the poster child of a hit or miss.

The 23-year-old Rutgers alum has to prove himself for a year before I consider him touchable, especially with his health. Speaking of being healthy…

2. Darren McFadden- I feel as though McFadden’s body is made of pure fragile glass. Many people always question why I say he’s someone you can’t have on your team, saying, “He’s the best back in the league if healthy.”

BINGO! He’s never healthy! His draft position (projected as a second rounder) doesn’t tell his tale. In order to be one of my first picks, you have to be solid and consistent. McFadden doesn’t fit the bill. His 2010 campaign was a fluke. Minus that year, he’s never gone over 700 yards for one whole season.

McFadden has too much downside to even have him on my draft board. I’m optimistic the 24-year-old can get healthy eventually, but until then, avoid at all costs.

3. Michael Vick- Most of these players to avoid have rough injury histories or issues off the field. Vick has cleaned up his act, but that hasn’t transitioned into his health.

Out of his nine years in the league, Vick has only played one full season. I think that should scream avoid right there. What’s also killing his stock is the newfound love for staying in the pocket, only having one rushing touchdown last season compared to nine in 2010. Drafting Vick will almost force you to invest in another solid quarterback, and that’s something you wish on nobody.

I know he’s got games where he’ll score you 50 points, but is it worth it when he can’t be consistent? You can’t just play cat and mouse with his starts to hope he’ll go off. If you want to draft Vick, be my guest. The only thing is his negatives outweigh the positives.

4. Frank Gore- You might be surprised as to why I have Gore on this list after last season. But once I explain my side to it, you’ll jump onto my bandwagon of pessimism.

Let’s start off by who will be behind Gore on the depth chart. Those duties belong to Kendall Hunter, Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James. That already seems like a back committee where Gore gets the main carries, Hunter will be the third down back with Jacobs and also share goal line duties (James possibly a return guy). Another reason is Alex Smith never passes to his backs.

Along with that, he’s had his history of injuries as well. Slowly but surely he’s getting kicked out of that primary role in San Francisco.

5. Jahvid Best- Seriously, is this guy okay? Didn’t he have that one major concussion at California? I’m really concerned for his safety.

He’s another concussion waiting to happen. The one he suffered last season knocked him out for nearly 12 games and still has lingering effects this preseason. I’m really hoping the Detroit Lions take care of Best. Sit him out for a year and let him rehab.

Short and simple, I can’t trust him. The sad part is the kid has potential to be a top 10 back in the league with that talent and would really help Matthew Stafford not have to throw it up to Calvin Johnson every other play. Avoid at all costs.

If you have any questions or players you want me to evaluate like I did here, ask me through email, message me on Facebook, or tweet at me via Twitter.

As the football season is upon us and you’re getting your cheat sheets ready, Fantasy in Five is here to give you a few tips of advice. So let’s not budge or flinch and get right into it.

1. Don’t draft a Carolina Panthers running back- Kind of a bold way to start my article, but I’m positive this is something you should consider.

Let’s take a look at their running backs first. The Panthers have DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert as their three backs. Comparing their stats, all of them with combined stats don’t even hold a candle to just Arian Foster.

Since there will be numerous backs, touchdowns for each, along with yards and carries, will decrease. Plus, having Cam Newton run at the goal line won’t help their weekly points.

Williams, Stewart and Tolbert are a solid backup option for your team. They won’t put up big numbers individually, but there will be a time where one of them has a 20-point week. That is something I can’t predict, but none of these guys deserve a starting nod for you.

2. Wait for a quarterback in the later rounds- While you might want to take Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady with that first pick, it could be used on something more reasonable. Quarterbacks simply aren’t as valuable as a running back or wide receiver believe it or not.

The elites aren’t as far off from an average quarterback. For example, while Rodgers was a consistent 20-point option week in and out, Tim Tebow during the second half of the season was just as consistent. Billy Beane is licking his chops because of the depth at this position entering the season. Plus, the average between the worst and best quarterback last year was only six points.

My statement watered down is that Andrew Luck can be as solid for a starter as Tom Brady as long as your team is consistent. It’s all about a system of supply and demand. While your other rivals decide to waste a pick on an elite quarterback, choose a wide receiver or running back.

3. Go big or go home- We all know the cliche story of a player coming into the league with tremendous upside, only to become a bust. The beauty of this in fantasy football is that you can take the risk while not losing one step.

Take it from me. I took an unproven Arian Foster straight from waivers while drafting Frank Gore in the higher rounds around 2010. That same year, Foster broke out while Gore was a bust. I really didn’t lose much production and I ended up winning the league regardless.

You should be risking it for the biscuit. One person I’d take that upside risk on is Demaryius Thomas. While he’s a bust or star, you can just get rid of him or trade him and pick up someone who’s having a silent good season off waivers. Don’t be afraid to go for the home run, because that’s the difference between a winner and a loser.

4. Kickers and defenses don’t need to be drafted- Ever have that one guy who picks the Steelers’ defense around the fifth round? Or someone that selects Sebastian Janikowski early since the Raiders kick field goals like Real Madrid takes shots? Don’t budge or flinch.

While the kicker and defense spots can be hit or miss, they’re not worth high selections. The average points-per-week a defense can have is around five or six. Same goes for the kicker. Why waste this for a pick that can be a potential sleeper in the same area? Not worth it in my opinion.

Winners in fantasy football are usually patient. Sit back for a kicker or defense. Who cares if you get a mid-level defense or kicker. As long as you draft players with potential, that’ll matter the most in the playoffs.

5. Believe in the Madden curse- This one might sound silly, but being a superstitious person like myself, it’s only logical. I won’t draft Calvin Johnson for any of my teams, and you should do the same.

I’m going to recap the last five years for players on the Madden cover. We all know what happened to Peyton Hillis. Drew Brees had his most interceptions when he was on the cover. Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald were injured for most of the 2009 season and didn’t produce in the fantasy department. Brett Favre played injured with the New York Jets and it showed in the numbers. And Vince Young has been on two teams since his Madden NFL 2008 cover appearance with terrible numbers.

The Madden curse goes back as far as 2001, but I’m not going to go into too much detail. While I could be wrong (which I hope), I’d avoid Calvin Johnson this year. It might not be him, but maybe Matthew Stafford could get hurt because of the curse. Just take my warning when he’s available.

If you have any questions or players you want me to evaluate like I did here, ask me through email, message me on Facebook, or tweet at me via Twitter.

Baltimore Ravens 24 @ New England Patriots 21: Defense wins championships. The Baltimore Ravens have the 3rd best defense in the NFL. New England has the worst defense in the NFL. Tom Brady and this offense might be carrying the Patriots to this point, but they’ll have to slow down eventually. In their only ever playoff meeting before this one, the Ravens defeated New England 33-14 in the Wild Card round a few years ago. Those same four that led that defense in 2010 (Suggs, Lewis, Reed, Ngata) are playing just as good maybe even better. All the Ravens would have to do to let QB Joe Flacco settle down is hand off the ball to Ray Rice. Rice should be able to run all over the worst defense in the league.

Why I think this game will be close is because the Ravens offense is inconsistent. There will be moments when Flacco looks like a good quarterback, but also moments when he will look “rattled,” like teammate Ed Reed said earlier in the week. Once again, the Ravens defense will carry this team all the way to their first Super Bowl since the early 2000′s.

New York Giants 31 @ San Francisco 49ers 17: So what the Giants lost at San Francisco earlier in the season? So what the 49ers are 8-1 at home this season? There’s only one stat that matters at this point: 4-0. That’s the record the Giants have in the NFC Championship Game. This team has the momentum more than ever at the right time. I said last week don’t be surprised if they upset Green Bay and sure enough they destroyed them. Now 2007 seems like it’s repeating itself all over again, but this team is better. Antrel Rolle is the lead talker of this team, and unlike the Jets, the Giants back it up. Jason Pierre-Paul has emerged into a Pro Bowler and makes this pass rush scary with Tuck, Osi, and Kiwanuka. The secondary is solid all around. Most importantly, Eli Manning is finally playing like an elite quarterback. This is the most complete team in the postseason.

There is one thing the 49ers have that the Giants don’t and that is the running game. San Francisco has one of the best running backs in the league in Frank Gore. Let’s not forget they also have the best rushing defense as well, only allowing two touchdowns on the run ALL SEASON. Alex Smith has become a reliable (and clutch) quarterback who won’t make the bad mistakes. Their receiving core is solid, and so is their secondary. The 49ers also have a great linebacking core, lead by Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman.

Momentum will be the reason why the Giants win this game. They’re coming in more confident than ever and have played like the team we expected them to be. I understand the 49ers are home, but Eli Manning is tied for most road playoff games than any other quarterback in NFL history (tied with Mark Sanchez.) The Giants are built to win on the road, and that is what will happen in this game.

Here are my predictions for this week of postseason football games and an explanation on why I made each decision.

Saturday, Jan. 14

New Orleans Saints 17 @ San Francisco 49ers 23: After dropping over 40 points on the Lions, the Saints travel all the way to the west coast to play in Candlestick Park against the 49ers. I was very impressed by how the Saints were clicking on all cylinders, from their passing game to their defense. It seems like to me Gregg Williams is playing for a spot on Jeff Fisher’s staff while Brees is just being Brees. What I don’t like about this team is that they’ve never won a road game in the playoffs in franchise history, and they haven’t been efficient on the road. It happened last year in the playoffs against Seattle and they did lose to St. Louis on the road this year as well.

The 49ers are a serious threat in the NFC. Thanks to the meathead coaching style from Jim Harbaugh, this team has played to its full potential. With wins against the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 49ers proved they could beat teams other than the NFC West. What makes this team is the defense. The defense has only allowed two rushing touchdowns all season (that’s a record). Alex Smith has been mistake-free all season, only throwing five interceptions. Frank Gore was healthy for a full season and ran for 1,200 yards.

What’ll be the main difference is how the Saints will be able to run against the 49ers defense. Although they have a three back system, I don’t think they’ll be able to run on this team. Brees can sling it all he want, but a one dimensional offense with a bad postseason road record doesn’t sound appetizing. And the 49ers are 7-1 at home this season. It’ll be a close game, but the 49ers will take it.

Denver Broncos 28 @ New England Patriots 38: I will admit Tim Tebow proved me wrong last week. The only prediction I got wrong last week was when I said the Steelers would win. Tebow threw for 316 passing yards on 10 completions and even scored a rushing touchdown. The way he scored on the first play of overtime with an 80-yard pass is something else. He keeps on proving critics wrong with his continuation of stellar play.

There is one problem though with Tebow that I don’t like about this game, and his name is Tom Brady. In their last matchup on Dec. 18, the Patriots slammed the Broncos 41-23 at Mile High. Brady threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots are a very good offensive team and rarely lose at home. Although they haven’t won a playoff game in a few years, Brady has the momentum here. Personally, I don’t think the hiring of Josh McDaniels will have any impact on how Tebow will perform.

This game should be a high scoring one because the Patriots have the worst defense  in the league while Brady rips any defense apart. I’m very impressed with the performance of Tebow last week, but the only way he’ll win is by out-performing Brady, and that is most likely not to happen.

Sunday, Jan. 15

Houston Texans 18 @ Baltimore Ravens 24: The Houston Texans won their first ever playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week based on their defense. The pick six by DE J.J. Watt was the momentum shifter, as they won 31-10. It’s a known fact defense wins championships, and even with their third-string rookie T.J. Yates at quarterback, Houston still finds ways to win. They remind me of the 49ers because they have a great defense and running game with a quarterback who makes little mistakes.

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league; one that is better than Houston’s. Led by veterans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, this defense never seems to age. The offense, led by Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, have had their ups and downs. They win big games against the Jets and Steelers, but lose to teams like Jacksonville and Seattle.

This game will all depend on how the Ravens use Ray Rice. During Ravens losses, Ray Rice barely touches the ball while Flacco throws consistently. If Ray Rice gets the ball 20 times, they’ll win guaranteed. T.J. Yates will struggle against this defense because Lewis and Reed are fully healthy and Yates is a rookie. Expect to see a lot of rookie mistakes here.

New York Giants 34 @ Green Bay Packers 41: This isn’t ’07, but the Giants might be able to repeat another upset. Eli Manning is having the best season of his career, and the emergence of WR Victor Cruz helps as well. They might have the worst running game in the league statistically, but Bradshaw and Jacobs have performed better as of late. The defensive pass rush, featuring new star Jason Pierre-Paul, have shown how deadly they could be. Against Atlanta at home, the defense held them to only two points, and those two points came from an intentional grounding in the end zone by Manning.

The Green Bay Packers have been the best team in the league record wise. Only losing one game this season, Aaron Rodgers has played so well to the point where he might win a unanimous MVP. It sure has blinded everyone to how bad their defense is, as they’re ranked 30th overall. Numbers never lie, but the Packers are always able to get that big turnover on defense so it isn’t as bad as it looks.

This is the best matchup of the week, but I think Green Bay takes it late. I’m not sure the Giants secondary can match up with Nelson, Jennings, Jones, Finley, etc. There are too many weapons that Rodgers throws to and too many open holes in the secondary he picks. Manning is going to have a great game as well, but the Packers have the home field advantage. The 12th man will be the MVP of this game.

49ers quarterback Alex Smith completed 19 of 35 passes for 144 yards, throwing two touchdown strikes, but just as many passes to the Cardinals defense. Smith connected with Vernon Davis on a 5-yard pass to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead in the first quarter; Smith also found Michael Crabtree on a 35-yard bomb late in the first half to increase the 49ers’ lead to 17-0.

A Neil Rackers 48-yard field goal and a Beanie Wells 1-yard rushing touchdown brought the Cardinals to within eight points, but Frank Gore’s 2-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter sealed the victory for San Francisco, who improved to 6-7 on the season.

Kurt Warner went 16-of-29 passing for 178 yards. Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald combined for just 62 receiving yards on seven catches.

Monday’s Cardinals-49ers game was one of the most exciting Monday Night Football games of 2008. The opening kickoff was returned 104 yards for a touchdown by San Fransisco’s Allen Rossum to give the 49ers an early 7-0 lead. On their opening drive, the Cardinals managed to get a field goal, but San Fransisco later answered with a Shaun Hill-Josh Morgan touchdown pass, making it 14-3 49ers early in the 2nd quarter. A TD pass from Kurt Warner to Anquan Boldin and a Neil Rackers FG made it a 1-point ball game. Then, Vernon Davis scored for the first time this season, making the score 21-13 San Fransisco. A Larry Fitzgerald touchdown reception made it 21-20, but then a Joe Nedney FG was added on for the 49ers, making it 24-20 San Fransisco. When another Neil Rackers field goal made the score 24-23, San Fransisco got the ball back with the lead and 7 minutes left. A key interception stopped the driving 49ers; the Cardinals then took over and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown: a 4-yard pass from Warner to Boldin. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, keeping the score at 29-24, and the 49ers would get the ball back one last time. They moved the ball downfield to the Arizona 2-yard line with 4 seconds left in the game and fell short of the endzone, failing to take home a win. This was Mike Singletary’s second game as interim coach of the 49ers, and he has now lost both games.

Kurt Warner was 32-for-42 passing for 328 yards and 3 TD’s. So far, Warner is looking like a top-candidate for the NFL’s MVP award, and Monday’s game has certainly helped his case. The rushing game was a non-factor for Arizona. Starting back Tim Hightower gained only 22 yards on 13 carries, and the team combined for 46 total yards rushing. Steve Breaston caught 7 passes from Warner for 128 yards, Anquan Boldin received 7 passes for 92 yards and 2 TD’s, and Larry Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 49 yards and a TD.

Shaun Hill was decent behind center for San Fransisco, completing 19 of 40 passes for 217 yards, 2 TD’s and 2 interceptions. He also kept the ball twice, running for 12 yards. Frank Gore carried the football 23 times, gaining 99 yards. At the end of the game, Gore nearly won it at the goal-line with seconds left, but was pushed by a defender and lost his balance, unable to reach the endzone. Jason Hill had 7 receptions for 84 yards, while Josh Morgan caught 4 passes for 54 yards and a score.

Arizona improves to a division-leading 6-3, while San Fransisco falls to 2-7. With St. Louis and Seattle also 2-7, the Cardinals have a comfortable 4-game lead over their entire division. If the season ended today, Arizona would be the #3 seed in the playoffs.