Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 6 Rankings
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1.
Patrick Mahomes II
KC (at BUF)
Last week wasn't a good one for Mahomes. While it may have been worse for their defense, Mahomes continually looked like he was trying to make a highlight-reel play rather than playing his game. He'll be okay but he needs to get back to the basics of pocket passing, or we'll see more games with 51 percent completion rates. He was pressured 47 percent of the time against the Raiders, but he held onto the ball for an average of 3.71 seconds, which was the highest mark in the NFL. On the year, he's averaged 2.94 seconds, so he held onto the ball a bit too long. The Bills pressure-rate hasn't been very good, as they ranked 18th in the category and have yet to pressure a quarterback more than 32 percent of the time in each of their last four games. We just watched a Titans team that hadn't practiced all week put 42 points up on this defense, though not having Tre'Davious White is a big deal. The only quarterback who hasn't scored at least 22 fantasy points against the Bills is Sam Darnold, and that was way back in Week 1. Are they imploding? Don't forget this was a defense that didn't allow a single quarterback more than 22.7 fantasy points against them in 2019 and allowed just two top-12 quarterback performances all season. It's worth noting that just one quarterback this year has averaged more than 7.07 yards per attempt against them, but three quarterbacks have been able to throw for 311-plus yards due to some volume. On top of that, they've allowed 20.4 fantasy points on the ground to quarterbacks. If they can't get pressure to Mahomes, they're in trouble. Start Mahomes as you normally would, as the Bills don't appear to be the same defense they were in 2019.
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2.
Kyler Murray
ARI (at DAL)
Murray has been a steady top-tier option at the QB position based on his rushing ability. With that safe floor that he gives you, plus this matchup against the Cowboys defense that simply can't stop anyone through the air, Murray has No. 1 overall QB upside this week.
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3.
Josh Allen
BUF (vs . KC)
While watching Allen on Tuesday night (that's weird to type), he didn't look like the same quarterback we watched for the first four weeks of the season. He was throwing into double- and sometimes triple-coverage rather than taking off and running with the ball, and he lacked the confidence we saw in those first four games. It's just one bad game, they happen. The Chiefs haven't been kind to quarterbacks this year, allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points to them. They've allowed just a 61.5 percent completion-rate, which is well below average, and have allowed just a 4.35 percent touchdown-rate while dealing with cornerback injuries and suspensions. The great news is that they've allowed the seventh-most fantasy points on the ground to quarterbacks, which is very similar to when they allowed the eighth-most. Both Deshaun Watson and Justin Herbert rushed for touchdowns, while Lamar Jackson rushed for 83 yards against them, so Allen needs to get back to utilizing one of his best weapons. It bodes well for him knowing that his team-implied total is 27.0 points, as his running backs rarely find their way into the end zone. This hasn't been a smash spot for quarterbacks, despite what some believe, but Allen can still have a top-five game if he uses his legs against this scheme.
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4.
Lamar Jackson
BAL (at PHI)
Maybe we should've downgraded expectations for Jackson last week when he was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury, though to be honest, I'm expecting more teams to give their stars days off practice in a year like this. But it was clearly something that bothered him, as he rushed for just three yards in last week's game. That was just the second time since the start of last year where he's rushed for less than 40 yards (which is the equivalent of a passing touchdown). We talked about his passing touchdown rate going down this year, but his current 6.7 percent touchdown-rate is still likely to drop even more, so we need those rushing totals. The Eagles haven't allowed a quarterback to rush for more than 17 yards this year, but they also haven't played a particularly mobile quarterback. Going back to last year, they didn't allow a quarterback to rush for more than 45 yards, so they're clearly not a team that Jackson will just drop 80 rushing yards on without a problem. They've also held 4-of-5 teams they've played this year to less than 7.50 yards per attempt. That's likely due to the pressure they're bringing on defense, as their 40.7 percent pressure rate ranks second in the NFL behind only the Steelers. However, Jackson played extremely well under pressure this year, boasting a 122.0 QB Rating while pressured, the highest mark in the NFL. Keep in mind that passer rating doesn't even factor in the rushing yards he's tallied while being pressured. You need to keep trotting Jackson out there as an QB1, especially when we know the running backs are going to struggle to create much this week.
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5.
Deshaun Watson
HOU (at TEN)
It was a solid game from Watson last week in the first week without Bill O'Brien as his head coach, but we mustn't forget the game was against the Jaguars funnel defense that was without their best pass rusher and cornerback. The Titans haven't been as friendly to quarterbacks as the Jaguars, allowing the 13th-fewest fantasy points to them. They're a team who's continually pressured the opposing quarterback (fourth-highest percentage) but they haven't converted those into sacks with just a 3.21 percent sack-rate (third-lowest mark). Eventually, those two numbers will meet. Watson has stumbled under pressure, posting just a 51.3 QB Rating in those situations, while posting a sky-high 117.6 QB Rating from a clean pocket. Pressure will be the key for the Titans trying to slow down Watson. The Titans have allowed just 7.23 yards per attempt this year, which is below the league average, but the problem remains that they're not at full strength right now, as cornerbacks Adoree Jackson (still on IR) and Kristian Fulton (COVID) aren't playing, and neither is defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (COVID). Still, the Titans defense did a solid job containing fellow mobile quarterback Josh Allen last week despite being without them. They have also intercepted two passes in each of their last three games. Again, Watson looked better in Week 5, but we have to look at his season as a whole to this point, which is one that's been filled QB2-like performances. I'm cautiously optimistic due to the Titans being on a short week and being shorthanded, so we'll consider Watson a mid-to-low-end QB1.
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6.
Aaron Rodgers
GB (at TB)
Rodgers has been unstoppable this season. This is all without having his full assortment of receivers at his disposal. While the matchup is tough on paper for opposing QBs, Rodgers is simply performing too well to sit. He's a mid-range QB1 this week.
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7.
Matthew Stafford
DET (at JAC)
Stafford should absolutely be on the streaming radar this week in a great matchup with a high over/under. Start up Stafford as a mid-range QB1.
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8.
Cam Newton
NE (vs . DEN)
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9.
Ben Roethlisberger
PIT (vs . CLE)
Ben's been solid enough so far this season to be viewed as a consistent low-end QB1 moving forward. He should put together a fine day against a beatable Browns defense.
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10.
Ryan Tannehill
TEN (vs . HOU)
Tannehill exploded last week and was crazy efficient yet again. While there are a lot of other enticing options for streaming QB this week, Tannehill should absolutely be considered against the average Texans defense. He's a high-end QB2 in my rankings this week.
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11.
Kirk Cousins
MIN (vs . ATL)
Cousins didn't have as big of a game as many people expected in week five, but he did enough for fantasy managers to feel confident plugging him in as a streaming option against Atlanta this week. Cousins should be viewed as a low-end QB1 this week.
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12.
Gardner Minshew II
JAC (vs . DET)
Minshew has been throwing the ball like crazy the past couple of weeks and he's been a fine fantasy football QB. He can be rolled out as a streaming option yet again in this great matchup with a high over/under.
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13.
Tom Brady
TB (vs . GB)
This game could quickly turn into a shootout, which bodes well for Brady's fantasy outlook. With the possibility that Brady will have all his receivers back and healthy in this game, he should be viewed as a high-end QB2 with upside.
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14.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
MIA (vs . NYJ)
As it turns out, threatening to bench Fitzpatrick might light a fire under him. After a semi-weak performance against a horrendous Seahawks defense, Fitzpatrick dismantled the 49ers defense for 350 yards and three touchdowns on just 28 pass attempts. He was on fire; that's the simplest way to put it. Now going back to play the Jets on his revenge tour (that includes half the teams in the league), is Fitzgerald back on the streaming radar? In two games against Gregg Williams' scheme last year (which had more talent on the defense), Fitzgerald was Jekyll and Hyde, as he posted 288 yards and three touchdowns in their Week 9 matchup, but then just 245 yards and no touchdowns in the second game. The Jets have faced just 33.2 pass attempts per game, as they've struggled to put points on the board, meaning teams haven't had to throw the ball a whole lot. When quarterbacks have dropped back, they've completed a massive 72.3 percent of passes for 8.25 yards per attempt, which both rank as top-five marks in the league. Even Kyler Murray, who came into the game with a career average of just 6.77 yards per attempt to throw for 380 yards on 37 pass attempts, which amounts to 10.27 yards per attempt. There aren't a whole lot of sure things when streaming quarterbacks, as there's a reason those options are unowned, but Fitzpatrick has posted top-12 quarterback numbers in four straight games. He should be considered a high-end QB2 this week.
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15.
Matt Ryan
ATL (at MIN)
What in the world has happened to Ryan? After throwing for 723 yards and six touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season and being the No. 6 quarterback in fantasy football, he's fallen off a cliff and has thrown for just 749 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions over the last three games. It's clear that the loss of Julio Jones has had a massive effect on the offense, but we figured Ryan could at least be competent against the Packers and Panthers defenses. There were just two games where he had fewer than 14.5 fantasy points last year, while he already has three games with less than 12.5 fantasy points this year. The Vikings defense is coming off their best performance of the year last week. Sure, Russell Wilson still finished with 24.5 fantasy points, but the 6.8 yards per attempt they held him to was impressive. The rain surely didn't help, but it was the first time this season they'd allowed less than 8.3 yards per attempt. Even after that performance, they've allowed 8.28 yards per attempt, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league. Three quarterbacks have been able to throw for 300-plus yards against them, including both of their home games, so it's far from a must-avoid matchup. We all know Ryan is a strictly pocket passer, so it should make you feel a bit better to know the Vikings have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per actual pass attempt this year. The firing of Dan Quinn won't change anything with the offense, as Dirk Koetter is still running that side of the ball. You have to err on the side of caution with Ryan considering how he's played the last three weeks, but knowing the Vikings opponents have averaged 66.0 plays per game and that the Falcons run the ball just 37.6 percent of the time should present plenty of opportunity. If Jones remains out, Ryan is just a mediocre QB2. If Jones returns, Ryan should be considered a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 for this game.
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16.
Andy Dalton
DAL (vs . ARI)
Dalton will step in now in place of the injured Dak Prescott. While Dalton is not going to be able to replicate Dak's success, he's still a fine NFL QB that can carry an offense. With the weapons that he has at his disposal, Dalton should be viewed as a potential streaming option this week if you're desperate. He's a mid-range QB2 in my rankings.
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17.
Jared Goff
LAR (at SF)
Goff has been a good NFL QB so far this season, but this team simply isn't throwing the ball enough this year to push Goff over the edge into streaming QB consideration.
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18.
Teddy Bridgewater
CAR (vs . CHI)
Bridgewater is coming off of back-to-back nice performances, but he's not worth looking at against the Bears defense. He's a low-end QB2.
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19.
Joe Burrow
CIN (at IND)
At some point, I'm expecting the Bengals to invest in some protection for Burrow. They cannot keep going on like this, as he's been pounded into oblivion. He's only averaging 2.65 seconds to throw, which is one of the lower marks in football, so it's not because he's holding onto the ball too long. Despite the poor line play, Burrow had scored at least 15.1 fantasy points in each of his first four games, but the constant pressure by the Ravens was simply too much. They pressured him on 60 percent of his dropbacks, which was the highest mark of any quarterback in any one game this year. His next matchup, against the Colts, is not an easy one. To this point, the Colts have allowed just 67.1 fantasy points per game to opponents. That's the combination of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Crazy, right? That's the lowest mark in the NFL while no other team has allowed less than 78.1 points per game. Their opponents are averaging just 57.0 plays per game, which certainly doesn't help, but the 1.18 fantasy points per play is still the lowest in the league, so it's not just lack of plays for opposing offenses. The Colts have also intercepted a league-high nine passes. Since they played Gardner Minshew in Week 1, they haven't allowed a quarterback more than 6.7 yards per attempt, 249 passing yards, or 15.6 fantasy points. I don't think you should give up on Burrow all together, though. This is the same defensive scheme that allowed six 300-yard passers last year, including eight quarterbacks who posted top-12 numbers. Burrow is far from a lock, but when we're dealing with small sample sizes, teams can look better than they are. He should be considered to be a middling QB2 who might have more upside than you think.
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20.
Daniel Jones
NYG (vs . WAS)
He's thrown the ball deep just 5.5 percent of the time, the lowest mark in the league, which means he needs to consistently get the ball into his receivers' hands due to the lack of splash plays. He's clearly not good enough to do that. It's odd why they don't take more shots down the field, as he's completed 5-of-10 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown on them, good for a 129.2 QB Rating. It certainly doesn't help that he's been under pressure on a league-high 43.8 percent of his dropbacks. So, when you know that Washington boasts the fourth-highest sack-rate in the league, it should make you concerned. It's no surprise that in the games they failed to generate a lot of pressure (Weeks 3 and 4), they allowed Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff to average over 9.0 yards per attempt. If Washington doesn't get after Jones early and often, their secondary can be exposed, but do the Giants have the guys to take advantage of that? Probably not. After struggling against a soft Cowboys defense, there's no way you can start Jones confidently.
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21.
Carson Wentz
PHI (vs . BAL)
He took a step in the right direction last week. It wasn't all pretty but he posted competent numbers against a defense that he matched up poorly against. The Steelers bring the pressure, and it showed when Wentz was sacked five times for 34 yards. That's going to continue to be an issue for him, as his offensive line is banged up, and he holds onto the ball for far too long. His starting right tackle Lane Johnson had to be carted to the locker room last week, which certainly won't help matters. The Ravens hadn't been a top-tier defense when it comes to pressuring the quarterback through four weeks, but they awakened in Week 5, pressuring Joe Burrow a ridiculous 51.3 percent of the time. That was the fourth-highest pressure rate in any single game this season. If they do that to Wentz, he's in big trouble, as he's posted just a 40.9 QB Rating when under pressure this season, which is among the worst numbers in the league. Outside of that primetime game against Patrick Mahomes where the Ravens imploded, they haven't allowed a quarterback more than 7.6 yards per attempt or one passing touchdown. In fact, they've allowed just two passing touchdowns in those other four games combined. The 0.39 fantasy points per actual pass attempt ranks as the fifth-lowest mark in the league. It's also worth noting that no quarterback has rushed for more than 27 yards against the Ravens since the start of last season, so it's unlikely he's bailed out there, either. There are much better streamers than Wentz this week. He's just a low-end QB2.
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22.
Baker Mayfield
CLE (at PIT)
Baker has had some moments this season of looking like the player we saw in his rookie season, but he's still nothing more than a streaming option each week. In a tough matchup against the Steelers, Baker's probably best left on your bench.
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23.
Philip Rivers
IND (vs . CIN)
Yikes. Week 5 was a reminder why the Chargers decided to move on from Rivers, as he looked like he had nothing left against a Browns secondary that had been prey for most of the league through four weeks. We might be starting to see why the Colts were hiding him behind the run game and having him throw the ball fewer than 30 times. He's completed just 59.7 percent of his passes the last two weeks for just 6.98 yards per attempt with one touchdown and two interceptions. That looks bad enough but watching the film is even worse. Some see the Bengals on the schedule and think, "This is a get-right game for Rivers." Something crazy that maybe nobody expected is that the Bengals have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per play (1.30) this year. Believe it or not, the passing numbers against them are all in the red. They've allowed just a 60.5 percent completion-rate (3rd-lowest), 6.68 yards per attempt (6th-lowest), and have allowed a 3.95 percent touchdown-rate (8th-lowest). They're failing to generate pressure, and that isn't likely to change against a tough Colts offensive line. Still, there's no way you can trust Rivers as anything more than a back-end QB2 in Superflex leagues, as he offers no mobility, and there's zero confidence that he'll throw multiple touchdown passes (he hasn't once this year). The floor is simply too low to not have a ceiling.
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24.
Nick Foles
CHI (at CAR)
There was a lot of talk about how much the Bears pressured Tom Brady, but Foles was under duress more often than the future Hall of Famer. Foles was pressured on 40 percent of his dropbacks last week, so when you combine that with his lack of mobility, there's a real problem. The Panthers will not be causing that issue, as they've generated less pressure than any other defense in the NFL. Their sack-rate backs that up, too, as they've sacked the opposing quarterback on just 2.67 percent of their dropbacks, which is a league-low. Still, their defense has been so much better than expected. They've allowed a sturdy 68.7 percent completion-rate, which sounds great, but when you see those completions go for an average of just 9.16 yards, you wonder what's going on. The 6.29 yards per attempt they allow to quarterbacks ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. They're allowing offenses dink-and-dunk their way down the field but limiting the big plays. Foles and Mitch Trubisky have combined for one of the higher average depth of targets in the NFL, so this offense hasn't been the dink-and-dunk type. The best performance against the Panthers this season was Kyler Murray's 133-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 4 where he rushed for 78 yards. Knowing he was the only one to finish better than the QB20 on the week against the Panthers, it's fair to say this is not a matchup to target with streamers.
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25.
Jimmy Garoppolo
SF (vs . LAR)
Did he return from his ankle injury too soon? That's what'll be tied to his poor performance that got him benched in Week 5, but in reality, he may've just had a bad game. It happens to everyone. Unfortunately, that happened at a poor time considering he's going against what might be the best defense in the league right now. The Rams have been punishing opposing quarterbacks, limiting them to just 6.19 yards per attempt, a 2.76 percent touchdown-rate, and 64.1 percent completion-rate, all while sacking them on 10 percent of dropbacks. Those are all some of the best marks in the NFL. They've had a few easy games on their schedule, but they've also had games against Josh Allen and Dak Prescott. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley has done a great job getting the most out of this team in his first year. Outside of a four-touchdown game to Josh Allen, the Rams have allowed just one passing touchdown on 148 passing attempts. Not only are you worried about Garoppolo and whether or not he's healthy, but you're worried about the matchup. No, thank you.
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26.
Drew Lock
DEN (at NE)
Through one and a quarter games, Rypien has averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, which is more than both Drew Lock and Jeff Driskel can say. Granted, one of his games was against the Jets, but he's still got to take advantage of the good matchups. Lock did return to a limited practice this week last week, so we probably have to assume he plays this week. There are so many questions surrounding this team, but the scheme hasn't really changed no matter who's under center in Pat Shurmur's offense. The Patriots went from a team you didn't want to play anyone against, to one who you could actually target. They allowed just 5.99 yards per attempt in 2019, to one who's allowed 8.20 yards per attempt in 2020 and are now going to be without their top cornerback Stephon Gilmore who is now on the COVID list. Teams haven't thrown a whole lot against them though, as the 29.8 attempts per game suggests. As far as run to pass ratio, they have faced a pass play on 54.6 percent of plays (11th-lowest) while the Broncos have passed on 61.3 percent of their plays (10th-most), so something has to give. Gamescript should determine that and this game should be close throughout. The Broncos have thrown the ball just 54 percent of the time in neutral gamescripts (within three points either way), so I'd guess we see somewhere in the range of 30-35 pass attempts, which isn't enough to start either of these quarterbacks confidently.
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27.
Kyle Allen
WAS (at NYG)
It was announced that Allen will take the starting job back in Week 6 after being forced to leave for a bit in Week 5. It was Alex Smith's moment, so it was nice to see them let him have it. He completed 9-of-13 attempts for 74 yards and included a rushing touchdown in the portion of the game he did play, so it wasn't disastrous or anything. The Giants are a defense that's been better than expected against quarterbacks, as they've allowed just the fifth-fewest fantasy points to them. A large part of that is due to the lack in competition from the Giants offense, as they've allowed a sturdy 7.74 yards per attempt and 70 percent completion-rate. But again, when you're facing just 32.0 pass attempts per game, there won't be much production out of quarterbacks. The Washington quarterbacks have averaged just 35.2 pass attempts anyway. After playing against Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1, they've held each of the last four quarterbacks they've played to fewer than 18 fantasy points and outside the top-15 quarterback options. They've also allowed just 2.9 fantasy points on the ground to quarterbacks, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. Allen is just an option in 2QB/Superflex formats.
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28.
Joe Flacco
NYJ (at MIA)
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29.
Jalen Hurts
PHI (vs . BAL)
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30.
Brett Rypien
DEN (at NE)
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31.
Alex Smith
WAS (at NYG)
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32.
Jarrett Stidham
NE (vs . DEN)
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33.
Nick Mullens
SF (vs . LAR)
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34.
Case Keenum
CLE (at PIT)
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35.
Robert Griffin III
BAL (at PHI)
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36.
Jacoby Brissett
IND (vs . CIN)
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37.
Mitchell Trubisky
CHI (at CAR)
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38.
Taysom Hill
NO (BYE)
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39.
Tua Tagovailoa
MIA (vs . NYJ)
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40.
Mike White
NYJ (at MIA)
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41.
Ben DiNucci
DAL (vs . ARI)
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42.
Colt McCoy
NYG (vs . WAS)
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43.
Chad Henne
KC (at BUF)
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44.
Chase Daniel
DET (at JAC)
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45.
Blaine Gabbert
TB (vs . GB)
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46.
Matt Schaub
ATL (at MIN)
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47.
Mason Rudolph
PIT (vs . CLE)
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48.
Mike Glennon
JAC (vs . DET)
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49.
Matt Barkley
BUF (vs . KC)
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50.
AJ McCarron
HOU (at TEN)
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51.
Sean Mannion
MIN (vs . ATL)
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52.
Trevor Siemian
TEN (vs . HOU)
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53.
Phillip Walker
CAR (vs . CHI)
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