The San Francisco 49ers have given up 100-yard
games to four different receivers in just five games.
Grab a Helmet
Terrelle
Pryor v. SF – I talked a little bit about Pryor’s matchup
in my discussion of Kirk Cousins in the QB section, and there’s
plenty to add here. Pryor was drafted as a WR2 but has been more
of a boom-or-bust flex play that’s busted more than he’s boomed.
He’s a converted QB who broke out last season by catching passes
from five different Browns quarterbacks while still managing to
top 1,000 yards and 75 receptions. Pryor is a slow starter. He’s
also had some touch matchups against solid corners, something the
49ers don’t have. Look for a few more targets than usual (especially
in the red zone, where he’ll be used more and more in the coming
weeks) and plenty of opportunities for Pryor to have his best game
of 2017 thus far.
Willie
Snead v. DET – Snead should finally be healthy after
sitting out Week 4 in London and getting a bye in Week 5. He was
limited in practice Wednesday, but there’s no reason to believe
he won’t play and get plenty of red zone looks against Detroit in
a fast-paced game. In shallow leagues he’s probably a riskier play,
but he’s a top flex option in 12-team leagues because of his enormous
upside and QB Drew Brees’ incredible rapport with him over the past
two seasons. He had 72-895-4 and 104 targets last season – and if
he’s active on Sunday, he should be starting in most formats. The
Saints will likely keep him limited in practice during the week
so he doesn’t reaggravate the hamstring injury, but they’ll need
his services and Brees must be anxious to link up with a target
that provides some relief from the heavy attention Michael Thomas
gets from opposing defenses.
Marvin
Jones @ NO – Marvin Jones saw a season-high eight targets
in Week 5, converting those chances into 6-54-0 in the Lions' 27-24
loss to the Panthers. He’s the perfect weapon to wriggle into space
and make a bunch of catches against the Saints and is a decent bet
for his third TD of the season in what should be a high-volume shootout
with plenty of action.
Grab Some Wood
Jeremy
Maclin v. CHI – There’s some concern over Maclin’s
shoulder, but that’s not what I’m really worried about in Week
6. It’s the generally underwhelming nature of the Ravens offense,
aside from the running of Javorius Allen and Alex Collins and
the occasional deep shot to Mike Wallace. Maclin himself is a
bit of an underachiever who has now gone three weeks in a row
without finding paydirt. His targets have been consistent if not
exciting, and even coming off the highest target total of 2017,
there’s just not enough upside to warrant starting him in most
formats. He’s only managed 16-159-2 through five games, and there’s
little reason to believe he’ll break out against a highly underrated
Chicago secondary, even if there are some injuries clouding the
availability of some of the unit’s key players.
Tyrell
Williams @ OAK – Williams is one of several Chargers
receivers that will be boom-or-bust options all season long, and
this isn’t a game where I feel comfortable focusing on the passing
attack. Held to just one catch last week versus the Giants, Williams
has been slowed by a lingering neck injury and could yield some
opportunities to rookie Mike Williams if he makes his NFL debut
this week. He’s more than fine for a low-owned, large-field DFS
tournament play, but in season-long leagues it pays to focus on
consistency and game flow, and I’ve already gone on record that
I’m avoiding this game from that perspective.
Sammy
Watkins @ JAC – There was a time when targeting the
Jags defense was a wise move, but 2017 is not that time. There
was also a time when Sammy Watkins was a high-upside play and
getting consistent targets form his QB, and over the past two
weeks he’s seen just six targets and caught a grand total
of one pass for 17 yards. The “squeaky
wheel” aspect could open up more targets for Watkins
in Week 6, but I’d prefer seeing a week or two of 6-8 targets
or more and a handful of them in each game resulting in catches
before I trust him again. If I’m looking to deploy a Rams
receiver this week, it’s going to be Cooper Kupp.
