Week 6 opened with a Thursday Night Football blowout. Sunday opened with buzz in the daily fantasy community as a result of a somewhat unexpected inactive announcement for a banged up quarterback. The general consensus was that the team without their inactive quarterback would be beaten like a drum, but football reminded us that we all truly know nothing.
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Byes: Lions and Saints
Eagles 34 at Giants 13
The Eagles headed into the Meadowlands, and they handed the Giants a butt-whoopin’. Carson Wentz passed for 278 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and took only one sack while adding 14 yards rushing on two attempts. Speaking of rushing attempts, we were awarded the first glance into the post-Jay Ajayi backfield, and Wendell Smallwood carried the ball 18 times to just 11 carries for Corey, Clement but the latter was more effective with 43 yards and a touchdown at 3.9 yards per carry compared to 51 yards and no score for the former. Clement looked sharper, and he was also active in the passing game reeling in all three of his targets for 26 yards. Neither back was great, but Clement’s moved ahead of Smallwood in the pecking order for preferable fantasy options, though, a trade for an upgrade at the position is still a strong possibility. Zach Ertz finally fell short of 10 targets in a game this year with nine, and he caught seven balls for 43 yards and a score. Nelson Agholor led the team in receiving yards with 91 on three receptions, but Alshon Jeffery was the star with a 8-74-2 line on 12 targets.
Eli Manning is toast. Odell Beckham Jr. turned in a 6-44-0 line on 10 targets, and Sterling Shepard also disappointed in a cushy matchup with a 3-37-0 line on seven targets. Saquon Barkley was the only bright spot for the home team, and boy did he shine bright. The do-it-all rookie back ripped off 130 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries, and he hauled in nine of 12 targets for 99 yards.
Bears 28 at Dolphins 31
Let’s waste no time getting into the shocker of the week. Chicago’s defense already looked like a strong start when Ryan Tannehill was expected to play, but they looked like a mouth-watering, week-winning option when he was announced inactive. Instead, they were awful and laid an egg. The offense was solid, though. Mitchell Trubisky followed his pre-bye breakout game with 316 yards passing, three touchdowns, and one interception. Jordan Howard underwhelmed with 69 yards rushing on 14 carries and no contributions in the passing attack. Tarik Cohen looked like the better back for the second time in as many games totaling 121 yards from scrimmage, seven receptions, and one touchdown. He’s versatile, and offensive-minded head coach Matt Nagy is smart for getting him more touches of late. Taylor Gabriel is more than a gadget option in his first year with the Bears and caught all five of his targets for 110 yards while adding a rush for nine yards. Allen Robinson had a solid 5-64-1 line, and Trey Burton’s four receptions for 23 yards weren’t eye-catching, but he did find pay dirt.
In Tannehill’s absence, Brock Osweiler started and erupted for 380 yards passing, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and zero sacks taken. The Dolphins failed to clear 300 yards of offense in their two prior games. Could Ryan Tannehill have been Wally Pipped? Frank Gore is the lead back for Miami and ripped off 101 yards on 15 carries. Kenyan Drake’s 13 carries for 57 yards and four receptions for 21 yards should be reason for optimism of possible flex value going forward, but he lost a fumble on the one-yard line in overtime. Couple the turnover with Gore’s play in the win, and Drake could find himself in the doghouse. Free-agent addition Albert Wilson was the star on offense with Osweiler running the show, and he turned in an eye-popping 6-155-2 line on nine targets (second to Danny Amendola’s 11 targets). Wilson’s a reasonable speculative grab in 12-team leagues with medium sized or larger benches or deeper leagues in the event Osweiler remains the starter in the short and/or long term.
Bills 13 at Texans 20
It wasn’t totally unpredictable, but this game was an offensive crapfest. Josh Allen completed 10 of 17 passes for 84 yards while absorbing two more sacks before exiting early with an elbow injury. He was relieved by Nathan Peterman. The second-year quarterback threw for a go-ahead touchdown before reverting back to the interception-throwing machine he’s proven to be. He threw a game-losing pick-six, and then tossed a second to close things out. How soon can Derek Anderson learn the playbook? The answer to that question is possibly the same as the length of time Peterman will remain on an NFL roster. LeSean McCoy toted the rock 16 times for 73 yards and added three grabs for 21 yards. Shady’s name has been floated as a potential trade candidate — namely to the Eagles. A deal would greatly enhance his value, but if he isn’t dealt, yesterday’s showing is about as good as it gets for him. The floor is under 40 yards from scrimmage.
Deshaun Watson was dreadful. He threw two interceptions, fumbled three times (losing only one), and taking seven more sacks. There’s no way he can stay healthy the entire year continuing to take so much punishment on a weekly basis. Lamar Miller nearly out touched Alfred Blue by a margin of two-to-one (17 touches for Miller and nine for Blue), but neither back did much. D’Onta Foreman is an intriguing stash who should be activated from the PUP list in a few weeks. Even with Watson struggling, DeAndre Hopkins turned in a useful line of 5-63-1. Will Fuller turned in another clunker (2-33-0), and Keke Coutee was rather quiet, too, with a 3-33-0 line.
Buccaneers 29 at Falcons 34
The Falcons failed to provide a shootout last week, but they were involved in one this week. The Bucs held up their end of the bargain, and a non-existent to date running game finally shined against Atlanta’s pathetic run defense. Peyton Barber rushed for 82 yards on 13 carries, and rookie Ronald Jones returned to an afterthought with just one carry following garbage-time work prior to the Week 5 bye. Both Barber (4-24-1) and Ronald Jones (3-16-0) added some contributions in the passing game. Speaking of the passing game, Jameis Winston was his typical mixed bag self with two interceptions and two fumbles (one lost), but he delivered the fantasy football goods with 395 yards passing, four touchdowns, and 31 yards rushing on five attempts. He’s a potential QB1 on a weekly basis going forward thanks to the weapons he has on offense and his sieve-like defense. Winston targeted nine different pass catchers and spreading the ball around resulted in a disappointing 4-58-0 line from Mike Evans. DeSean Jackson was sharp again with a 4-77-0 line, and Winston tossed a touchdown to his ol’ reliable red zone buddy, Cameron Brate. The 15-yard touchdown grab was Brate’s only catch on his only target, but the veteran tight end is back in the touchdown-or-bust mix in season-long leagues and daily games. O.J. Howard was the more productive tight end. Despite playing with a sprained MCL in his knee, Howard caught all four of his targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. Even with Brate getting love in scoring territory from Winston, Chris Godwin retained an integral red zone role hauling in a nine-yard touchdown grab as part of a 6-56-1 line. The Bucs aren’t good, but they’re a fantasy treasure trove.
Matt Ryan bounced back from his rough outing in Pittsburgh, and he torched the Bucs for 354 yards passing, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and took only one sack. He even added a point with a 13-yard rush. Tevin Coleman salvaged his trash line (10 rushes for 35 yards) with a six-yard touchdown reception. Ito Smith gobbled up a red zone rushing touchdown and out carried Coleman with 11 rushes for a paltry 22 yards. Julio Jones’ streak of games without a touchdown was extended yesterday, but he still helped fantasy gamers with 10 receptions for 143 yards. Austin Hooper made the most of his juicy matchup with a 9-71-1 line, but he may have also been aided by Calvin Ridley (3-47-0) exiting early with an ankle injury. Mohamed Sanu isn’t the sexiest fantasy option, but he caught both of his targets for 46 yards and a score. He’s scored a touchdown in back-to-back games and three of his last four. The one game he failed to reach pay dirt in that four-game stretch, he caught six of nine targets for 111 yards. His fantasy outlook would be enhanced if Ridley is forced to miss time with an ankle injury and Sanu himself is ok after exiting early, but Atlanta’s porous defense puts a ton of pressure on the offense, and it means Sanu could remain a fantasy contributor even if Ridley doesn’t miss time.
Cardinals 17 at Vikings 27
The Cardinals couldn’t make it back-to-back wins, and their fantasy options are limited in a below-average offense. David Johnson carried the ball 18 times for 55 yards, lost a fumble, and scored a rushing touchdown. He also barely made waves in the passing attack with two receptions for 15 yards. The fact he’s not a bigger part of their passing attack is an indictment of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy’s usage of his talented back. Ricky Seals-Jones bounced back from a bagel with a 5-69-0 line on six targets, and Christian Kirk had his third good game in his last four with 6-77-0 on seven targets. Larry Fitzgerald has a pulse in the sense of actually being alive, but his fantasy usefulness is on life support with his fifth straight game under 40 yards.
Kirk Cousins wasn’t his typically brilliant self passing for 233 yards, one touchdown, and one interception with a lost fumble. He didn’t need to be, though. Dalvin Cook was inactive, and Latavius Murray made the most of his opportunity with 24 carries for 155 yards, one touchdown, and one reception for three yards. Adam Thielen extends his streak of 100-plus yard receiving games to six with a 11-123-1 showing against the Cardinals. He and Cousins are in lockstep. Cousins also added a rushing score.
Chargers 38 at Browns 14
The 1:00 PM ET start time was no problem for the Chargers. They squashed the Browns. Philip Rivers threw only 20 passes and completed 11 of them for 207 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Keenan Allen was fairly quiet with a 4-62-0 line on six targets. Tyrell Williams posted a 3-118-2 line including an unreal catch in traffic that he ripped away from numerous defenders. The offense was the Melvin Gordon show. The stud back rushed 18 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and he caught two of four targets for 18 yards. Change-of-pace back Austin Ekeler was super efficient rushing for 8.6 yards per carry, but he only carried the ball seven times for 60 yards with zero work in the passing game. The lack of volume makes Ekeler a volatile fantasy option, but his hyper efficiency has helped his cause for usage in fantasy leagues thus far.
Why does Hue Jackson still have a job? Jackson has made many egregious mistakes, and his most recent is leaning heavily on Carlos Hyde. The free-agent addition rushed 14 times for 34 yards and did nothing in the passing game. Hyde has eclipsed four yards per carry one time this season, and he’s been under three yards per carry in half of Cleveland’s games. Sure, that seems like a guy who should be force fed the ball. Duke Johnson rushed twice for 36 yards and caught four of five targets for 73 yards. Nick Chubb rushed three times for 25 yards. I admittedly believed this could be a big showing from Baker Mayfield, but it wasn’t. He passed for 238 yards, one touchdowns, two interceptions, and took five sacks. Neither Jarvis Landry (2-11-0 on nine targets) nor Antonio Callaway (2-9-0 on 10 targets with a two-point conversion) could get anything going. David Njoku turned in another good game, though, with 7-55-1 on a team-leading 12 targets. Njoku’s target volume with Mayfield at quarterback makes him a weekly TE1.
Colts 34 at Jets 42
A shootout broke out at MetLife Stadium. Andrew Luck was tasked with throwing 43 more passes. He completed 23 passes for 301 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. Yesterday marked Luck’s fourth straight game throwing 40 or more passes and fifth time in six games. He’s also riding a three-game streak of 300 yards passing or more and multiple touchdowns, and he had a fourth game hitting those marks in the opener. Luck’s a volume-driven QB1. Marlon Mack provided the Colts a spark in the running game, carrying the ball 12 times for 89 yards. He should lead the backfield committee. Mack’s return hurt Nyheim Hines, who rushed three times for 14 yards and caught two balls for 21 yards. The Eric Ebron breakout continues. He tallied a 4-71-1 line on seven targets. Chester Rogers has settled in as a useful fantasy option with three straight games of 55 or more receiving yards — he totaled 4-55-1 on 10 targets (his third straight contest with double-digit targets).
Isaiah Crowell was a game-time decision Sunday, but he suited up and carried the ball 13 times for 40 yards. Crowell caught two passes for 12 yards, too. He’s part of a two-prong rushing attack with Bilal Powell. Powell carried the ball 16 times for 59 yards and failed to catch his only target against the Colts. Quincy Enunwa left the game with an ankle injury. He caught his only target for nine yards after posting a bagel last week. He’s cuttable in all but deeper leagues. No one is a reliable option in the Jets passing attack.
Panthers 17 at Redskins 23
The Panthers stunk on the road. Cam Newton completed 27 of 40 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. In bad news for the Panthers and gamers rostering Christian McCaffrey, Newton also led the team in rushing with nine carries for 43 yards. McCaffrey carried the ball only eight times for 20 yards, but PPR gamers weren’t totally kneecapped by CMC since he caught seven of eight targets for 46 yards. Greg Olsen returned and caught four of seven targets for 48 yards. I was leery of Devin Funchess’ outlook with Olsen back in the mix, but Funchess was Carolina’s best pass catcher tying for the team lead with eight targets, tying for second in receptions with five, and leading the way with 74 yards and a touchdown. Even with Olsen back, it appears Funchess should be treated as a WR2/WR3, albeit one with a little more risk.
Alex Smith was in vintage game-manager mode. The ball was spread all over the place, and a banged up Adrian Peterson was the fantasy star for the winning Redskins. The veteran back carried the ball 17 times for 97 yards. Jordan Reed not only didn’t play like a TE1, he wasn’t even the most productive tight end on his own team with a 5-36-0 line compared to Vernon Davis’ 3-48-1 line. This is not a good fantasy situation.
Seahawks 27 at Raiders 3 (London)
The Seahawks and Raiders traveled across the pond, but only one team seemed to show up for the game in London. The Seahawks’ run-heavy renaissance traveled abroad with them. Chris Carson carried the ball 14 times for 59 yards, Mike Davis toted the rock six times for 21 yards, and there was a Rashaad Penny sighting. The rookie runner carried the ball nine times for 43 yards and caught both of his targets for 27 yards. Russell Wilson attempted only 23 passes. Yesterday was his fourth straight game with 26 or fewer passing attempts, and he hasn’t cleared 225 yards passing in any of those contests. He finished yesterday with 222 yards passing, but he lifted his fantasy scoring total with three passing touchdowns and 20 yards rushing (he did throw a pick). Low volume, no problem for Doug Baldwin (6-91-0 on eight targets) and Tyler Lockett (3-13-1). Baldwin’s stock is up after catching just one pass for one yard in Week 5, but he’s still a volatile option with Seattle committed to the run. Lockett is the more preferable fantasy option at wide receiver due to his big-play ability and lesser reliance on volume for value.
The Jon Gruden coached Raiders are a roaring tire fire. Derek Carr continues to be a fantasy afterthought. The revenge game for Marshawn Lynch resulted in just 59 yards from scrimmage on 13 carries and three receptions. Jared Cook, Jordy Nelson, and Amari Cooper combined for four receptions and 16 yards. Cooper was knocked out early, suffering a concussion.
Steelers 28 at Bengals 21
The road was no foe for Ben Roethlisberger in Week 6. He passed for 369 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, and took no sacks. He completed a game-winning touchdown to Antonio Brown (5-105-1). Juju Smith-Schuster led the Steelers in targets (10) and receiving yards (111), and tied for the team lead with seven receptions. Vance McDonald was the co-receptions leader with a 7-68-0 line, and James Conner played like a stud rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries while adding four receptions on seven targets for 18 yards.
Andy Dalton avoided mistakes with zero turnovers, yet his 229 yards passing and two touchdown tosses weren’t anything exceptional. Joe Mixon rushed for 64 yards and caught four passes for 20 yards. The one-two punch of A.J. Green (7-85-0 on 12 targets) and Tyler Boyd (7-62-2 on nine targets) spearheaded the passing attack. Cincinnati’s offense is highly concentrated, which is good news for the trio of Mixon, Green, and Boyd and the gamers who are rostering them.
Rams 23 at Broncos 20
The Rams remain undefeated after winning another close contest. Jared Goff had easily his worst game of the season passing for only 210 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception while absorbing five sacks. Cooper Kupp posted a goose egg. He was carted off the field with a knee injury suffered on a horse-collar tackle, but he remarkably returned later. Brandin Cooks caught two of six targets for 53 yards, but Robert Woods was the most productive of the Rams big-three receivers with a 7-109-0 line on 10 targets. Todd Gurley put the Rams on his back and carried them — bad pun intended — to victory with 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 28 carries while adding two receptions for 17 yards.
The Broncos have done a good job of establishing the run this year, and this matchup set up nicely for another good day. A funny thing happened, though, as they couldn’t move the ball on the ground. Royce Freeman rushed nine times for 22 yards. Phillip Lindsay rushed four times for 18 yards, but he added six grabs for 48 yards. Case Keenum might have earned a little more leash with his second straight game eclipsing 300 yards passing. He completed 25 of 41 passes for 322 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, one fumble lost, and two sacks taken. Emmanuel Sanders was Denver’s most productive offensive player corralling seven of 10 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown. Demaryius Thomas also reached the end zone as part of a 3-57-1 line on four targets. Courtland Sutton caught three of four targets for 58 yards.
Jaguars 7 at Cowboys 40
Last year’s AFC Championship game must feel like a distant memory to the Jaguars. They got squashed in Jerry World. Blake Bortles was his bad version. T.J. Yeldon (eight carries for 41 yards and three receptions for 29 yards) and Dede Westbrook (3-38-1) were the closest things to bright spots on the Jaguars.
Ezekiel Elliott made a matchup with the Jaguars look like a walk in the park rushing for 106 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries while adding one reception for 11 yards. Dak Prescott emerged from the fantasy dead with 183 yards passing, two touchdown passes, and 11 carries for for 82 yards and a score. He’s still not a QB1 in fantasy leagues, but his stock is up in leagues that start two quarterbacks or use a super flex as a result of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s willingness to call designed runs for his mobile quarterback. Dallas’ pass catchers still aren’t a trustworthy group, but Cole Beasley balled out with a 9-101-2 line on 11 targets.
Ravens 21 at Titans 0
Was Joe Flacco elite Sunday? No, but he didn’t need to be. Alex Collins led the RBBC with 19 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Javorius Allen was a total non-factor with one carry for one yard and three receptions for 18 yards. The Ravens promoted running back Gus Edwards from the practice squad in advance of yesterday’s game, and he carried the ball 10 times for 42 yards. Don’t read too much into his line, though. He received almost all of his work in Baltimore’s last two drives, when the game was well in hand. Michael Crabtree had his most productive day of the year with a 6-93-1 line, and John Brown did little with two receptions for 28 yards on only three targets. If given the choice between the two, I’d still lean in Brown’s direction.
Marcus Mariota took 11 sacks. The Titans totaled 106 yards of offense. They’re a completely avoidable fantasy situation and an unmitigated offensive disaster. Weekly fantasy tease Corey Davis caught one of four targets for 24 yards. Neither Derrick Henry nor Dion Lewis could clear 30 yards from scrimmage. Yuck.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
