Through five games, only the Seahawks have allowed more rushing
yardage than the Bears at 170 per game with a healthy 4.9 yards
per carry. Robinson, who was shot in the leg before the season,
made his NFL debut last Sunday with 18 snaps. That’s not a ton,
but it was enough for the Alabama product to post a team-leading
nine carries. It’s pretty clear the coaching staff is no longer
enamored with Antonio Gibson, so look for Robinson to see more
work this Thursday night. He’s an RB3/flex with upside.
While you’d be hard pressed to call Wentz (shoulder) effective
during his Washington tenure, he has put up some decent numbers
in three of his five games. That includes last Sunday when he
passed for a season-best 359 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. Of course,
that was preceded by two games in which Wentz passed for 381 yards
combined with only one TD and a pair of picks. He’s taken
a beating as well, absorbing 20 sacks, and will be nursing a bad
shoulder. Wentz is a borderline QB1 with a risk/reward tag.
Ever since playing 49 snaps in Week 1, Gibson has seen his usage
dip each successive game, bottoming out with 20 of 63 offensive
snaps in Week 5. He also logged a season-low three carries (six
fewer than Robinson), and his 3.2 yards per carry on the year
don’t inspire much confidence. I already touched on Chicago’s
woeful run defense, but if his role continues shrinking it may
not be enough for Gibson to post playable value. As a flex he’s
worth the risk. As anything more, it’s a bad gamble.
WAS FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.11
WAS FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.16
WAS FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.5
WAS FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.25
Chicago’s passing game has shown incremental improvement over
the past two weeks, and Mooney has led the charge (such as it
is). He had 94 yards on four grabs in Week 4 (23.5 yards per catch)
and then 52 on two receptions (26.0 YPC) this past Sunday. It
feels like the Bears are opening things up a little bit more,
and the Commanders have been a middling group to date. Mooney
is playable here as a risky flex with a WR3 ceiling.
Of the Bears’ 50 offensive snaps in Week 5, Montgomery
played 36 to Herbert’s 14 as the second-year back again
faded into obscurity despite producing 234 yards and a pair of
touchdowns in Weeks 3 and 4 when thrust into the No. 1 spot. Washington
sits 14th in run defense (110.6 yards per game), and it’s
hard to see a path to value for Herbert against them that doesn’t
involve another injury to (or trade of) Montgomery.
It’s going to be rare that Kirk Cousins really delivers
high-end fantasy production, but a matchup like the one he’ll
face against the Dolphins this week could be exactly what he needs
to make it happen. The Dolphins have admittedly faced a tough
quarterback schedule, but they’ve given up at least 14 fantasy
points to every quarterback they’ve faced this season. Not
only that, but they’ve only forced one interception so far,
making Cousins a very safe play even if he doesn’t end up
producing truly difference-making numbers in this contest.
Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen isn’t much of a fantasy superstar
these days, but he’s being talked about like he’s a complete bum
in some circles and that’s not right either. Thielen has been
disappointing thus far, but his peripheral numbers are still decent.
He’s been targeted at least seven times in four straight games
and he now faces a Miami defense that has had some struggles against
opposing slot receivers this season, including when they gave
up a seven-catch, 76-yard, one-touchdown day to Bills slot receiver
Isaiah McKenzie earlier this year. Thielen is still playing almost
every snap for the Vikings, with roughly two-thirds of those snaps
coming from the slot, so look for him to a focal point of the
Minnesota offense in this one.
A potentially good day from Kirk Cousins will lift all of the
Vikings offensive weapons against Miami, but it’s hard to
believe that even a big game from his quarterback would help Irv
Smith become a fantasy option this week. Smith has failed to reach
double-digit fantasy points in all but one game this season and
the only game he did get to that number was in Week 2 when he
scored a touchdown against the Eagles. Most of the tight end landscape
is essentially touchdown-or-bust, but Smith just isn’t involved
enough for the Vikings to be in seasonal lineups right now.
MIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.14
MIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.11
MIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.18
MIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.11
Running back Raheem Mostert will carry a “questionable” designation
heading into this weekend’s contest as he recovers from a knee
injury, but the running back returned to practice on Thursday,
telling members of the media that the knee is fine and he intends
to play against the Vikings. Mostert really took over the Dolphins
backfield in Week 5, rushing the ball 18 times for 113 yards and
a touchdown, while now backup Chase Edmonds carried the ball just
once and was even out-snapped by Myles Gaskin. Mostert appears
to be the back to own in this offense and while the quarterback
situation remains ugly, that could play into Mostert’s hand a
bit as the team looks to lean more heavily on the running game
than they otherwise would.
It’s been a rocky past few weeks for Waddle, particularly since
Tua Tagovailoa went down with a concussion. Waddle’s past two
games combined were worse than any of his first three from a fantasy
standpoint and perhaps most concerningly, he’s been targeted just
nine times over that stretch. The Dolphins did get completely
blown out by the Jets in Week 5 so there’s some hope that the
coaching staff will realize that they need to start prioritizing
getting the ball into his hands again, but he’s a risky start
right now as long as the quarterback situation in Miami remains
as sketchy as it has been.
If Gesiski could only muster up one fantasy-relevant day during
Tua’s monstrous early-season start, it should come as no
surprise that he’s been completely dead over the past two
weeks without the team’s starting QB. Gesicki has now been
held to four or fewer targets in every game this season and that
type of volume just isn’t going to produce high-level fantasy
production in any offense.
Let’s start with a question: have you seen the Cleveland Browns
attempt to tackle this season? If yes, you probably have a good
idea as to why Stevenson is here. Making his outlook all the rosier
is the expected absence of Damien Harris (hamstring), who hurt
his hamstring in Week 5. With Harris out, Stevenson shouldered
the load to the tune of 25 carries and 161 yards in a win over
the Lions. Stevenson should again be the primary back in Cleveland,
and he’s a legit RB2 with borderline RB1 potential.
Meyers returned from a two-game absence due to a knee injury
in Week 5 to easily lead the team in receiving against Detroit,
hauling in seven of eight targeted passes for 111 yards and a
touchdown. His workload dwarfed the likes of Nelson Agholor and
DeVante Parker, neither of whom caught a pass, and Meyers proved
to be the favorite target of Bailey Zappe, who may start again
if Mac Jones (ankle) is out. The only hesitation with Meyers is
the possibility of the Pats really leaning heavy on the ground
game, but even then, he’s a low-end WR3.
Fade: N/A
NE FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.13
NE FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.27
NE FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.15
NE FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.12
After doing next to nothing in Weeks 1 and 2, Njoku has posted
a combined 20 catches, 250 yards, and a touchdown over the last
three games. That has given Jacoby Brissett a second reliable
option to go with Amari Cooper -- it has also moved Donovan Peoples-Jones
into a tertiary role. At a time where there are precious few reliable
fantasy tight ends available, Njoku is rapidly approaching no-brainer
status. For this week, he gets the favorite tag as a midrange
TE1.
If there’s one thing history has taught us about Bill Belichick,
it’s that he wants to take away your No. 1 option. In the passing
game, that’d be Cooper, who leads the team in receptions (27),
yards (304), and touchdowns (3). What keeps the veteran out of
the fade area is twofold: 1) Belichick’s focus could be on Chubb/Hunt,
allowing both Cooper and Njoku room to work, and 2) he’s been
very good at home (and very bad on the road) this season, and
Week 6 is in Cleveland. Pencil him in as a mediocre WR3.
Over the last two weeks, Wilson is averaging 5.5 yards per carry
on 17.5 carries per game. He posted 120 ground yards against the
Panthers last week and this week stares down a Falcons defense
that has allowed five rushing TD’s and is yielding 4.6 yards per
carry and the 5th-most fantasy points per game against RB’s. He
doesn’t do much in the receiving game, and doesn’t get much red
zone work, but he’s a solid RB2 in a run-first offense every week.
Garappolo has posted six total touchdowns since Week 2 and has
just two giveaways, and the Niners just keep on winning. Unfortunately,
he plays for a coach that loves to run the ball, and Jimmy G’s
253 passing yards last week against the lowly Panthers represented
a high-water mark. That’s not going to get it done for most fantasy
owners. The Falcons do represent a decent matchup, giving up the
10th most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
The Falcons are allowing 11.0 fantasy points per game to TE’s
this season, which could spell opportunity for Kittle this week,
but he has yet to eclipse 50 receiving yards in a game, and he
still hasn’t found the end zone. Maybe that means he’s
due, but the volume here is not something you can count on. He’s
had targets of 5-4-6 the last three weeks.
SF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.32
SF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.24
SF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.26
SF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.31
London has clearly carried the target load for this team as HC
Arthur Smith is committed to the run, but also committed to pushing
the ball downfield off play action. London’s got at least seven
targets in four of the first five games, making him the best Falcons
fantasy play this week as a flex option. The 49ers have given
up 100-yard receiving days to Tyler Lockett and Cooper and also
allowed Courtland Sutton a 8-97-0 line in Week 3.
The 49ers are the best team in the league against the run, allowing
just 3.0 yards per carry. I’ve been on Allgeier since the preseason,
but even getting the bulk of the work in a run-first offense,
he’s still sharing the load with Caleb Huntley, and averaging
well-under 15 totes per game. Facing the 49ers who allow just
over 12.0 fantasy points per game to RB’s this season isn’t appealing.
Pitts has been nursing a hamstring injury the last two weeks
and the Falcons just don’t throw the ball his way very often
(22 tgts in four games). Even if they did, the Niners are the
best in the league against fantasy TE’s, allowing just over
2.0 points per game. Pitts was limited in practice Wednesday and
Thursday.
A week ago, the Steelers allowed Josh Allen to amass 424 yards
and 4 TDs through the air despite playing just two snaps into
the fourth quarter. While Brady clearly lacks Allen’s athleticism
and arm strength, the ageless one has attempted 146 passes over
his last three games, assuaging any fears brought up by Weeks
1 and 2 when the team featured the ground game (Brady threw just
61 passes combined in those). You can’t view the veteran as a
no-brainer anymore, but this should be a solid QB1 week.
Despite missing three of the last four games with a knee injury,
Jones’ name still carries some de facto appeal, and he continues
to appear in weekly rankings at numerous fantasy sites. If he’s
good to go this week -- which is far from clear after GM Jason
Licht referenced “playing the long game” with Jones’
health -- the longtime Falcon should be held in reserve. He has
just four catches on the season, and only one since the opener.
TB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.21
TB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.30
TB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.19
TB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.6
Listing Johnson as a no-brainer represents a controversial take
at this stage, but after he was targeted 13 times in Kenny Pickett’s
first start it feels like he has earned the benefit of the doubt
for at least one more game. The player that led the Steelers in
receiving last Sunday wasn’t Johnson, however, it was Pickens
(6-83-0) for a second straight week. The rookie has shaken off
a slow start to haul in a dozen passes (on 16 looks) over the
past two games, and he should offer low-end WR3 or flex value
versus Tampa Bay.
Although Tampa Bay’s vaunted run defense has taken it on the
chin somewhat over the past couple of weeks, they’re eminently
capable of duplicating what they did in the first three games
when they allowed 79.3 yards per game on the ground. For his part,
Harris has struggled to get going, finishing with less than 60
yards rushing in four of the club’s five games. The emergence
of Jaylen Warren, who had 38 snaps last week to 37 for Harris,
is also a bit of a concern. Play Harris as no more than an RB3
this weekend.
One thing is clear in this Bengals’ offense. Chase is going to
get his. Regardless of yards or scoring opportunities, Chase is
going to see the ball and has three double-digit target games
already on the 2022 resume. With Saints CB Marshon Lattimore nursing
an abdominal injury, Chase could be in line for some big-time
volume and production. New Orleans has given up big production
to Justin Jefferson (10-147-0) and the Seahawks duo of DK Metcalf
(5-88-1) and Tyler Lockett (5-104-2).
Mixon continues to get the bulk of the work out of the backfield
as both a runner and a receiver, but his touches are down slightly
(17 against BAL) and Samaje Perine’s role seems to be growing
(39% snap share in Week 5). The Saints traditionally have been
tough against the run, but have struggled this season, allowing
4.6 yards per carry. Mixon a solid RB1 play every week, but this
one could go either way.
Boyd is fifth on the team in targets behind RB Joe Mixon and
TE Hayden Hurst in addition to fellow wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and
Tee Higgins (ankle). Even with Higgins out with an ankle injury
last week, Boyd failed to make much of an impact, fantasy or otherwise.
Higgins missed practice Thursday and if he ends up sitting, you
could talk yourself into Boyd but I’d look for better options.
CIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.27
CIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.31
CIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.29
CIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.10
When healthy, Kamara is the one player who drives the Saints
offense, as he showed last week with his 100-yard rushing effort
on 29 touches. A true dual threat, he will be leaned on heavily
this week as the Saints work through injuries to QB Jameis Winston
(back) and WR’s Chris Olave (concussion), Michael Thomas (toe),
and Jarvis Landry (ankle). Both Thomas and Landry missed practice
on Thursday. On the downside, the Bengals have given up the 2nd
fewest fantasy points to running backs but volume alone should
carry Kamara into RB1 territory.
The run game will continue to be a focus for the Saints while
they deal with a litany of injuries at the QB and WR positions,
and Hill proved last week that he can be a big part of that. However,
it’s hard to fathom Hill maintaining that kind of production
week in and week out. His 30% snap share was the highest share
he’s seen this season and scoring three times on 9 rushing
attempts isn’t sustainable. I’m not sure he’s
a reliable fantasy play.
Dalton was fine in place of Winston the last two weeks, but he’s
another player who isn’t a consistent lock-down fantasy
play. Neither is Winston. Dealing with a host of injuries, from
his knee, to his ankle, to his back, he’s been out of the
lineup for two weeks and has not had a chance to find his rhythm
yet this season. I’m staying away from the Saints QB’s
altogether against a Bengals defense that’s only given up
four passing TDs this season.
With Rashod Bateman still looking very questionable for this
weekend’s contest, the Ravens could again be sending out a depleted
wide receiver group, but one that was led by Devin Duvernay in
Week 5. Duvernay caught five of the seven targets that came his
way for 54 yards and he has now finished with at least nine points
in every game this season, even if one of the games was saved
by him getting a return touchdown. Duvernay was the only Ravens
wide receiver who saw more than two targets against the Bengals
a week ago and while the Giants have been a pretty good defense
against opposing wide receivers, Duvernay is worth a look in deeper
leagues especially if Bateman sits.
This one hurts because it really looked like everything was trending
way up for Dobbins heading into Week 5, but something happened
that caused the Ravens to put the brakes on, particularly late
in the fourth quarter when it was journeyman Kenyan Drake who
was on the field rather than Dobbins when the game was on the
line. This led to Dobbins seeing just eight total touches on the
day and while he did rush for a respectable 44 yards on those
attempts, this sudden and unexpected split backfield makes Dobbins
a risky play against a Giants defense that just got done containing
Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
BAL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.1
BAL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.12
BAL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.2
BAL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.15
A beaten-up Giants wide receiver group has led to some interesting
fantasy implications as the team may again be without a majority
of their regular starting pass catchers this weekend. The same
was the case in Week 5 when Slayton stepped up in a big way, catching
six passes for 79 yards in the Giants’ surprise road victory over
the Packers. While Slayton finished third on the team in snap
count at WR, Slayton was the only Giants pass-catcher - other
than Saquon Barkley - who saw more than three targets in that
contest. Now he faces a Ravens defense that has given up the second-most
fantasy points to opposing wide receivers so far this season.
We’ll want to keep an eye on the activity of the other Giants
pass catchers, but if it’s Slayton alongside the likes of Richie
James, Marcus Johnson and David Sills, then this might be a good
time to give him a shot in deeper formats.
The wide receiver injuries in New York aren’t just affecting
the receivers themselves, but also quarterback Daniel Jones as
Jones has now failed to throw a touchdown pass in three straight
contests. He has, however, remained a relatively decent fantasy
option as his under-the-radar rushing has allowed him to deliver
at least 12 fantasy points in every game so far this season. This
week he faces a Ravens defense that has given up more fantasy
points to opposing quarterbacks than any other team, so those
in need of a bye week fill-in or an injury replacement could do
worse than the Giants’ signal caller.
Hall is coming off a monster performance in Week 5, posting 197
total yards on 20 combined touches. The problem is he only logged
one of the team’s five rushing TDs, watching as Michael Carter
swooped in for two and Zach Wilson called his own number on another.
Still, Hall looks like the real deal and is teetering on no-brainer
designation if he’s not there already. The Packers have had real
trouble with the ground game at times this season, allowing 4.8
yards per carry. With Hall a capable receiver as well, the rookie
checks into this matchup as a solid RB2 with RB1 upside.
Moore leads the team’s skill players in snaps for the season,
averaging 62 per game, which amounts to 86.1 percent. The production
hasn’t been there with a 16-203-0 line for the season, but
despite Green Bay sitting second in pass defense on the year,
the Packers have had issues with crossing routes, so this might
be a week where Moore gets his season jump started. Then again,
perhaps Green Bay’s struggles against a short-handed Giants
squad will bring about some adjustments. Moore has a low floor
to be sure, but the ceiling is higher than you might think.
In two starts since returning from his knee injury, Wilson has
averaged 231 yards, 0.5 TDs, and 1 INT per game. Individually,
the Packers have talent at all three levels, and an upset loss
to the Giants might serve as a wake-up call for a team that had
sleepwalked to a 3-1 record to open the year. Plus, for whatever
struggles they’ve experienced, Green Bay has only allowed
177 yards per game through the air and four total TDs. This isn’t
a week to try your luck with Wilson.
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.15
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.17
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.20
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.17
Outside of isolated stretches, the reigning back-to-back MVP
has looked nothing like a contender for a third consecutive award
this season. Through five weeks, Rodgers has yet to surpass 260
yards passing in a game or throw more than two TDs amid growing
criticism that he’s missing open receivers (most notably
the rookies). Perhaps no one carries a grudge like No.12, though,
and coming off a bad loss to the Giants where Green Bay failed
to score a point offensively in the second half, Rodgers might
be gearing up for one of his patented “why don’t you
all STFU now” performances. Then again, we might see a renewed
focus on the run. I’m going with the former, though, and
advocating for Rodgers as a low-end QB1.
Although Doubs didn’t get a lot of looks in Week 5, there were
plenty of All-22 shots circulating on Twitter in the aftermath
that showed the rookie was getting open. His playing time shot
up in Week 3 and has remained high with only Allen Lazard (59
of 63) logging more snaps than Doubs (54) in London. If Rodgers
is dialed in and determined to quiet his critics, then Doubs could
be one of the prime beneficiaries. Conversely, if it’s a big dose
of Jones and Dillon, it might be another quiet day from the fourth-round
pick. Pencil him in as your WR3 and take your chances.
QB Trevor Lawrence has been seeing a lot of Cover Two in recent
weeks, and his response has been to target the under routes in
the middle of the field. That should mean some extra work for
WR Christian Kirk out of the slot, but that hasn’t been the case.
With the Colts boasting one of the best run defenses in the league,
this could be a breakout matchup for the Jags’ tight end who saw
10 targets last week against Houston for a 6-69-0 line.
Kirk (3 tgts) is coming off his lowest targeted game of the season.
His second lowest (6 tgts) came against this week’s opponent
in Week 2. The Colts are very good against the run, so that could
mean more balls Kirk’s way, and he is the clear leader in
targets on this team, but QB Trevor Lawrence has struggled recently,
and I see a reined in passing attack until he gets things under
control.
Over the last two weeks, Lawrence is barely averaging 50% on
his passes and has three INT’s to just two TD’s. He
has yet to pass for 300 yards in a game or average 8.0 yards per
attempt in any game this season. In addition, his accuracy has
suffered, especially on perimeter passes against the Cover Two
schemes teams are employing. Expect more of the same this week
as Lawrence figures out what opposing defenses are trying to do
to him.
JAC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.24
JAC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.10
JAC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.25
JAC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.26
Ryan has struggled all season, particularly recently. He had
just 195 passing yards with 0 TD and 3 INT against these Jaguars
in Week 2, but that was without his top WR’s, Michael Pittman
Jr. and Alec Pierce. I don’t think a player as smart and as experienced
as Ryan gets shut down like that again in his second look at this
team, and with Pittman and Pierce on the field, he’s due for a
breakout, making him a sleeper streaming option this week.
The entire offense runs through Taylor and everybody knows it.
The Jaguars are allowing less than 4.0 yards per carry and will
be focused on the Colts’ back, making for some tough sledding
for Taylor. With that being said, he’s a workhorse and always
in play if you have him rostered. Taylor was limited in practice
on Thursday so check his status this weekend.
Update: RB Jonathan
Taylor and Nyheim Hines have been ruled Out. Deon Jackson and
Phillip Lindsay will share the running back duties.
With the exception of a strong showing against Tennessee in Week
4 (6-85-2), Alie-Cox has been a non-factor in the passing game
and had just one catch on three targets against Jacksonville in
Week 2. The Colts are using three tight ends with Alie-Cox playing
on 44% of the snaps last week, rookie Kylen Granson playing 48%
and Jelani Woods playing 29%.
Murray (only 6 passing TDs) currently sits as the QB10 in fantasy
points per game behind the likes of Carson Wentz, Geno Smith and
Jared Goff. The offense doesn’t have an abundance of playmakers
outside of Marquise Brown and the running game is non-existent.
That said, the Seahawks are a team that can be exploited. They’ve
given up 31 points per game and rank third worst in total defense.
We might see Murray take on a bit more of the rushing load with
the majority of their running backs banged up. This could easily
be Murray’s best fantasy game of the young season.
Ertz isn’t going to give you a lot of YAC, but he is seeing
volume (three games with 10+ targets) and you won’t find
a better matchup.
Every running back not named Benjamin was injured in Arizona’s
Week 5 game against the Eagles. We’ll have to wait and see if
James Conner (ribs) will play, but it sounds like he is going
to sit, which makes Eno certainly worth a look as Flex or RB2
option on sheer volume alone. The problem is, this running game
is in the bottom third of fantasy points scored with nobody topping
59 rushing yards in any game. With Seattle giving up 29.3 fantasy
points per game to running backs, the matchup is nice. Just keep
an eye on Conner’s status.
The ol’timer is certainly on the field a lot, playing 73% of
the snaps in Week 5 against the Eagles but he isn’t producing.
His 3-20-0 line last week was his best fantasy output of the season
and with Rondale Moore back, Green is now fourth in line for targets
behind Brown, Ertz and Moore. It’s not going to get any better
for 34-year-old either when DeAndre Hopkins comes back next week.
ARI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.8
ARI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.21
ARI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.21
ARI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.2
The Seattle passing game is in a good spot this week. Not only
has Geno thrown at least 2 touchdowns in four out of five games
this season but he’s finished as a top 10 QB the last three weeks.
Arizona’s D has been generous to quarterbacks, giving up the 8th
most fantasy points to the position. The third receiver spot is
non-existent for this team, meaning the majority of looks are
being fed to Metcalf and Lockett making them priority plays in
a game with the second highest total of the week. Both Metcalf
(43) and Lockett (40) rank among the top 20 in targets at the
position and both are in the top 15 in receiving yards.
I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the Seattle tight ends
cracks the top 12 this week, but trying pick between the two isn’t
good process and they’re not seeing enough targets individually
(Fant 16, Dissly 15) to recommend them. It’s a tempting
spot, given the Cardinals are giving up the 2nd most fantasy points
to the position, so if you have a good read on who will be getting
looks from Geno, then go for it. Otherwise, look elsewhere for
your dart-throw tight end.
On the plus side, Moore has seen 37 targets this season which
ranks 26th among wide receivers plus five rushing attempts which
gives him a nice extra boost to other wideouts in his range. However,
he’s only caught 17 passes for a 46% catch rate which tells you
how bad Baker Mayfield’s quarterback play has been. The switch
to P.J. Walker can’t be too much worse but to expect a drastic
change in this passing offense is wishful thinking. The Rams have
struggled against wide receivers this season (4th most fantasy
points allowed) so there is some glimmer of hope for Moore, just
cap your expectations at a Flex option.
We can’t expect the Carolina passing attack which ranks 28th
in yards to support two fantasy wideouts and that leaves Robbie
a dying fantasy asset this season. He posted a nice 5-102-1 game
in Week 1 but hasn’t topped 32 receiving yards in a game since.
With Christian McCaffrey soaking up 21 targets the last two games,
there isn’t enough volume for Anderson to be a fantasy consideration.
Update: RB Cam
Akers has been ruled Out. RB Darrell Henderson is a viable RB2/Flex
option.
CAR FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.17
CAR FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.7
CAR FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.17
CAR FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.18
The Rams tight end leads with position in targets (48) and receptions
(33) after five weeks and currently sits as the TE7 (if you include
Taysom Hill) without a touchdown to his name. It’s clear, he’s
the second option for Stafford behind Cooper Kupp as the Rams
are trying to get the ball out quick to mitigate their offensive
line problems. Carolina has been playing reasonably well on defense
and just moved their defensive passing game coordinator into the
interim head coach position. They represent a neutral matchup
for Higbee who is playing on 95% of the snaps week in and week
out.
Through five games Stafford has 5 touchdowns and 7 INTs. Ouch.
For context, at this time last season, the Rams quarterback had
12 TDs and 3 INTs. He’s feeling the pressure from a porous
offensive line and has taken a league-high 21 sacks, tied with
Matt Ryan. It’s hard to compile fantasy stats on your back.
On the bright side, Cooper Kupp is still on this team and the
Rams are favored by 10 points against a team that just fired its
head coach. There is no running game to speak of so if the Rams
do score a few points and win, it’s likely going to be through
the air.
It’s not happening folks. You can provide all the explanation
you want but the Rams are struggling in pass protection and Robinson
is stuck on the outside seeing low percentage targets and hasn’t
been able to connect with Stafford on a consistent basis around
the goaline. He’s posted a 12-107-1 line on 23 targets… in five
games and fellow wideout Ben Skowronek has more catches and yards
on a similar number of targets (24). The Panthers are middle-of-the-pack
against wide receivers but at this point, I’d wait until Sean
McVay gets this offense turned around before putting Robinson
in my lineup.
If you’ve followed Davis’ usage this season, you
know he’s basically been an every-down player, seeing the
field for at least 95% of the snaps his three games prior to last
week’s blowup spot against the Steelers. That kind of usage
is hard to ignore and why you can’t sit him, especially
when you quarterback is Josh Allen and you’re in a game
with the highest point total of the week. We all remember last
year’s playoff game when Davis went off for 8-201-4 against
this defense. This contest is ripe for big plays and that fits
right into Davis’ game.
Singletary played on 54% of the snaps last week in Buffalo’s
blowout win of the Steelers. In a more competitive game against
the Ravens in Week 4, Singletary played 88% of the snaps. If we
expect this game to be close, then Singletary should be a factor
all four quarters. There are volume concerns as the Bills’ leading
rusher has topped out at just 11 carries (Wk4) and is averaging
just 12 touches per game. The Chiefs are going to missing their
fastest linebacker Willie Gay Jr. which should give Singletary
room to roam. I’m leaning toward the positive side of this fence.
The Bills third wide receiver slot is a valuable one but the
return of Isaiah McKenzie isn’t going to leave enough room for
the rookie to shine. In fact, Shakir’s solid performance last
week (3-75-1, 5 targets) may put a damper on McKenzie’s value
if the Bills choose to rotate the two instead of sticking with
one or the other. KC has given up the 7th most fantasy points
to wide receivers and their man-coverage tendencies can lead to
big plays for opposing wideouts, but the usage concerns should
keep Shakir on your bench.
BUF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.30
BUF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.25
BUF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.27
BUF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.27
Apologies to the Rams in Week 1, but this will be Buffalo’s
first true test against a good passing team. Tennessee, Baltimore
and Pittsburgh aren’t scaring anybody with their quarterback
play and while Miami has two premiere wideouts, the jury is still
out on Tua. Mahomes has been spreading the ball around to his
wideouts and MVS seems to be the most likely of the group to break
a big play. He’s totaled 9 catches for 153 yards over the
last two weeks but has yet to find the endzone. I’ll go
out on a limb and say the former Packer does find paydirt this
week.
Speaking of not finding the endzone, JuJu has seen 8 targets in
four out of five games but joins MVS in the zero-TD club. He’s
getting shorter looks than MVS and is playing second and third
fiddle to Kelce and CEH around the goaline. Still, he leads the
KC wideouts in targets (35) and snap percentage (86%) through
five weeks. He’s a viable flex options but hasn’t
been the solid WR2 we hoped he would be during the pre-season.
We know CEH has been living off efficiency early in the season
and scoring 5 TDs in five weeks certainly helps your fantasy line
but isn’t sustainable… especially when Andy Reid is utilizing
Jerick McKinnon at a decent clip. In fact, McKinnon out-snaped
CEH 38-31 last week. Would you be surprised if that happens again?
Buffalo has been decent against the run, allowing the 8th fewest
fantasy points to running backs. No back against the Bills has
rushed for more than 47 yards including Derrick Henry, J.K. Dobbins
and Najee Harris.
The Cowboys continue to win despite a lack of passing game production,
but there’s still reason to have hope for wide receiver
Michael Gallup in this one. Gallup has only been targeted eight
times in his two games since returning, but both of those games
came against teams that were completely unable to put points on
the board against the Cowboys defense. With the Philadelphia offense
on the other side of the field, there’s a very real chance
that Dallas will be forced into a game script situation which
leads to a significant increase in passing game volume. That would
be huge for Gallups’ chances, as the Eagles have already
given up eight different double-digit PPR fantasy point days to
opposing wide receivers so far this season.
While the volume continues to be there for Ezekiel Elliott and
the explosiveness continues to be there for Tony Pollard, it’s
tough to trust either of the Cowboys’ backs as they head
into a big road game against the Eagles. The Cowboys are on a
four-game winning streak which has allowed them to lean heavily
on their running game, but even that hasn’t led to much
fantasy production from this due, aside from a touchdown here
or there. If the Eagles offense continues to produce at anywhere
near the level they have been, the Cowboys will almost certainly
have to pass the ball much more in this game than they have in
any other contest since their Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers. Neither
Elliott nor Pollard have been very involved in the passing game,
so fantasy managers are essentially banking on touchdown-or-bust
from this backfield.
DAL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.28
DAL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.29
DAL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.14
DAL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.23
While A.J. Brown remains the team’s top wide receiver this
season, second-year pass catcher DeVonta Smith has really been
stepping up as of late. He’s now caught at least seven passes
in three of his past four contests, including a season-high 10
catches this past week against the Cardinals. He’s played
the most snaps of any Philadelphia wide receiver in all five games
they’ve played this season and he should be an important
part of the team’s passing game this week against the Cowboys.
The Dallas defense is very good, but if there’s a spot to
exploit them, it’s definitely out wide.
Like Ezekiel Elliott on the opposite sideline from him this week,
Philadelphia’s Miles Sanders has continued to see the type
of volume that makes him almost impossible to bench for fantasy,
although the results have been a bit scattered. Sanders has touched
the ball at least 15 times in every game this season, however,
and he even had 29 touches two weeks ago against the Jaguars which
alone makes him a must-start for most teams, but the Cowboys defense
has been smothering against opposing running backs this season.
They’ve given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the
position and only Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette have delivered
more than 12 fantasy points in a game against them.
With the injury to Javonte Williams the veteran Gordon finds
himself in a lead-back role for the Broncos facing a Chargers’
defense that’s given up the most fantasy points to running backs
this season including 8 touchdowns. Three running backs (James
Robinson, Dameon Pierce and Nick Chubb) have topped 100 yards
rushing against the unit and Clyde Edwards-Helarie posted 118
rushing and receiving yards combined. Gordon will cede some work
to Mike Boone, who played 41 percent of the snaps in Week 5, giving
Boone some Flex appeal in this Monday night matchup.
Outside of Jacoby Brissett in Week 5, the Chargers-D has given
up at least two passing TDs to each quarterback they’ve
faced. The problem, Russell Wilson has thrown just 4 touchdowns
in five games and the Denver offense on the whole is mediocre
at best. Wilson’s current 59.4 completion percentage is
a career low and now he appears to have a minor shoulder injury
that’s limiting him in practice this week. Jeudy has a couple
TDs to his credit and has seen some deep looks from Russ, but
the chemistry isn’t there yet. I’d be looking for
other options if you have them, like Geno Smith at QB or Romeo
Doubs at WR.
Pre-season sleeper favorite Albert-O has been demoted to third
in the rotation behind Saubert and Tomlinson and with the top
two splitting snaps at fairly even rate, there isn’t much to chew
on at the tight end position in Denver. Perhaps rookie Greg Dulcich
(hamstring) who has above-average receiving chops will spark some
life whenever he’s able to return.
DEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.31
DEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.23
DEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.31
DEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.16
We haven’t seen Keenan Allen on the field since Week 1, and in
his absence, Mike Williams has taken over with three 100-yard
receiving efforts and three games with double-digit targets. He’s
14th in FPts/G and 13th in targets among wide receivers. The Broncos
have been stout against receivers allowing the second-fewest fantasy
points to the position. If you’re concerned about WR-CB matchups
(I’m not), Williams will likely see a lot of Patrick Surtain in
this game.
Everett has been a pleasant surprise at a position baron of options
with two touchdowns and he ranks 8th among tight ends with 29
targets right along side Dallas Goedert and David Njoku. The return
of Donald Parham who is a competent receiving tight end may muddy
the waters for Everett and the Chargers also are playing Tre McKitty
(51% of snaps last week) in certain situations. I wouldn’t be
benching Everett this week but his upside might be capped more
than normal.
Keenan Allen got in some limited work at practice and will likely
be listed as Questionable for Monday night. However, given the
nature of his injury and we probably won’t know his true status
until Monday, he won’t really be a fantasy consideration this
week unless you have Josh Palmer to fall back on. But…
Palmer’s has been a tantalizing consideration while Keenan
Allen’s been out but just hasn’t delivered the goods
outside of a 6-99-0 line in Week 3 against the Jaguars. We’ve
already noted the Broncos are locking down wideouts thus far and
given Palmer’s usage may be impacted by the return of Allen,
this is a situation to avoid.