Jeff Brubach recaps the action from week 6, highlights several key performances & explains what it all means looking forward.
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Week 6 is nearly wrapped up with only the 49ers and Rams left to play on Monday Night Football. Sunday produced lots of noteworthy fantasy performances, led by an astounding outburst from Mr. Joe Flacco. The waiver wire was also very productive this week as fresh new waiver pickups immediately turned in solid fantasy stat lines, which is a big time bonus for us fantasy football folks. That’s like buying some old junk at a garage sale and then walking to the garage sale down the street and selling that old junk for some extra dough. However in this case, you just have to click your mouse a few times during the week and don’t have to bother with lugging that old record player and four Super Nintendo games down the block. Ok, before I get too rambly, let’s jump in and check out the highlights and lowlights from Sunday’s fantasy football slate:
Joe Flacco: With 13:57 left in the second quarter on Sunday, Joe Flacco had already chucked five touchdown passes as the Ravens rolled over Tampa Bay. Although he didn’t throw another touchdown in the game, Flacco still ended up with a beefy stat line of 306 yards and five scores. Both Steve Smith (once) and Torrey Smith (twice) found the end zone, as Flacco came out throwing and didn’t put his arm in its holster until the game was out of reach for the Bucs. Joe and the Ravens get another nice matchup in Week 7 as they host the Atlanta Falcons.
Storm Johnson: Getting the start on Sunday, Storm Johnson was only able to rack up 21 yards on 10 carries while reaching the end zone one time. Denard Robinson was also involved (five carries for 22 yards) so there will still be other backs in the mix behind Johnson. It wasn’t a breathtaking performance, but while he is handling the bulk of the carries in Jacksonville, Storm is worth a roster spot. Let’s see what Week 7 has in store as the Jaguars host the Cleveland Browns.
Bishop Sankey: With Shonn Greene out, Bishop Sankey finally handled a sizeable workload as he turned 18 carries into 61 rushing yards while the Titans topped the Jaguars. It was a decent performance from Sankey , but it likely wasn’t enough to catapult him too far ahead of the injured slug in front of him on the depth chart (Greene). Sankey is still worth holding and watching but I don’t think he will be a safe start any time soon.
Ronnie Hillman: With Montee Ball out with a groin injury, it was Ronnie Hillman who filled in and ran for 100 yards on 24 carries. The waiver wire star of Week 6 added three catches for 16 yards as well. Hillman ’s 24 carries were by far the most of any Denver running back as C.J. Anderson didn’t receive a touch and Juwan Thompson only received eight carries. As long as Ball is out, Hillman will be the man in Peyton Manning’s backfield and will be a weekly fantasy football starter.
Jerick McKinnon: As the Vikings got stomped by the Lions on Sunday, it was McKinnon who led Minnesota in both rushing and receiving. McKinnon ended up with 40 rushing yards and 42 receiving yards for 82 total yards on 17 total touches. The performance wasn’t incredible by any means but the lack of involvement in the Minnesota offense by running back Matt Asiata is great news for McKinnon owners. Asiata only had three touches on the day, and turned in only 13 total yards. It appears that Minnesota wants to feature their quicker back, which is good for both Minnesota and fake footballers.
Stevan Ridley: The New England running game didn’t contribute much on Sunday, led by Ridley ’s 10 carries for 23 yards, but the worst news of the day revolves around Tom Brady ’s starting running back’s knee. Stevan Ridley went down with a knee injury in this one and is rumored to have a torn ACL. This would be bad news for the Patriots and fantasy owners alike if a tear is confirmed on Monday. Shane Vereen would likely see an increase in touches, along with either Brandon Bolden or James White on early downs. Stay tuned.
Giovani Bernard: With A.J. Green out due to injury, it was likely that running back Gio Bernard would see an uptick in touches and he absolutely made the most of his workload on Sunday as he turned 22 touches into 157 total yards. The final stat line for Bernard included a blazing 89-yard touchdown run that was a very pretty sight for fantasy owners. Bernard has remained the top back in Cincinnati despite the presence of rookie Jeremy Hill and has proven to be one of the safest fake football backs in the game. Indianapolis is up next for Gio and the Bengals.
Ben Tate: The Cleveland running back scene took an interesting turn on Sunday morning as rookie Terrance West was labeled inactive by the Browns. This left just Ben Tate and rookie beast Isaiah Crowell to handle the rushing duties and both backs were productive. Tate led the duo in touches, with 25 to Crowell ’s 11, and also found the end zone twice. Crowell was solid with his workload, however, turning his 11 carries into 77 yards and a score. Tate will remain the lead dog here as long as he stays healthy but Crowell is creeping into flex territory despite Tate’s role. Cleveland loves to run the ball, so there is probably room for both backs to chip in for fake footballers.
Branden Oliver: The waiver wire was producing for fantasy owners on Sunday, as another waiver gem had a solid afternoon when Branden Oliver turned in 124 total yards and a touchdown. Oliver wasn’t incredibly efficient with his 30 touches, but in fantasy land we don’t argue with workloads that size. We simply keep our mouths shut and keep starting Branden Oliver . Don’t we? DON’T WE!?! Oliver and the 5-1 Charger host Kansas City in Week 6, where another healthy workload will be waiting. With Ryan Mathews still not close to returning, there will be more leash left for this surprising contributor over the next few weeks.
Carson Palmer: The Arizona Cardinals got their signal caller back on Sunday when Palmer returned from a shoulder injury. Palmer was decent on the day as he went 28-44 for 250 yards and two scores. This was great news for Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd owners, as both Arizona receivers scored in this contest. A nice matchup with Oakland is on tap for Week 7, and we should really see the Cardinals passing offense pick up some pace with Palmer back in action.
Matt Forte: In the awesomely awesome running back department, Matt Forte was an absolute force on Sunday as he racked up 157 total yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and a whopping ten catches. Forte is killing opposing defenses in the receiving game this year and has been one of the few first round fantasy selections to live up to his draft status. It was a relief to see things go as planned in fake football terms, as Forte diced up Atlanta in a very cushy matchup. Forte now has an absurd 46 catches through six games, and is a three down fantasy football beast.
Victor Cruz: Not only did the New York Giants get pummeled by division rival Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football, but they lost wide receiver Victor Cruz to a serious knee injury in the process. A torn patellar tendon is the first word from the Giants, who will now be leaning on young receiver Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham with Cruz sidelined.
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