What You Need to Know From Week 6

Photo: USA Today Sports

TB @ PHI

• Antonio Brown is still looking like the #1 receiver in this offense. Mike Evans is living up to his boom/bust tag, while Chris Godwin has devolved into a possession receiver.
• Leonard Fournette becomes more central to this offense every week, this time posting his first two touchdown game. He’s turned into a fantasy RB1 before our very eyes.
• Jalen Hurts continues to play mediocre football but put up good fantasy numbers. The bottom could drop if the Eagles start losing because of him and the team feels the need to replace him. The offense isn’t meeting him halfway, but the poor defensive play should continue to give him favorable game scripts. It might be time to sell in 2QB/Superflex dynasty if you have a good QB3.
• Miles Sanders recaptured control of this backfield, but it won’t amount to much if they don’t stick with the run, and they haven’t all season.
• Zach Ertz had a good game because he didn’t have to compete with Dallas Goedert for targets. Once Goedert is off of the covid list, he’ll have the same benefit since Ertz was traded to the Cardinals after the game.

MIA - JAX

• Tua Tagovailoa looked sharp in his return from a rib injury and certainly good enough to support the value of Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki, at least when the Dolphins are facing a defense like the Jaguars. They are in Week 7 when they face the Falcons.
• Myles Gaskin went back to being a footnote in the offense, we can move on from him.
• Trevor Lawrence trusted Marvin Jones on a long ball and Jones converted in hopefully a sign of more to come in the passing game.
• Jamal Agnew’s role in the offense is keeping Laviska Shenault from breaking out, but at least Lawrence had a high volume passing game, although the Dolphins missing both of their starting corners might have had something to do with that.

MIN @ CAR

• The Vikings let Kirk throw this week and he created big numbers for himself, Adam Thielen, and even K.J. Osborn. There was a bigger game there for Justin Jefferson if a few things had broken his way.
• Dalvin Cook handled a huge workload and looked like he was all the way back from his ankle injury.
• The Vikings keep finding ridiculous ways to win or lose games. This time it was an Osborn walkoff touchdown in overtime.
• Sam Darnold was mostly bad in this one, and so was Robby Anderson. It’s still D.J. Moore or bust in this pass offense.
• Chuba Hubbard was the main man in the backfield even though the Panthers trailed for a lot of the game because Rodney Smith was released last week.

LAC @ BAL

• The Chargers offensive line got whooped in this one and never gave anyone in the offense a chance to have a good fantasy day. They go into their bye looking to fix this problem and we should be watching to see if the Ravens defense is breaking out.
• Lamar Jackson didn’t have to throw as much but when he did he targeted Rashod Bateman about as much as he did Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown in a good sign for Bateman’s potential value.
• Latavius Murray and the running game had one of their better days this year in the romp, but Murray hurt his ankle, so it could be Le’Veon Bell, Devonte Freeman, and Ty’Son Williams in the backfield against Cincinnati in Week 7. The Chargers run defense is still bad, but the Ravens offensive line also performed well.

LAR @ NYG

• It looked easy for Matthew Stafford and the Rams passing game, especially once again Cooper Kupp. Sam Darnold will try to get right against the Giants this week.
• Darrell Henderson is set up for a big stretch with the Lions, Texans, and Titans up the next three weeks. He scored twice in this one and that might become the norm.
• Kadarius Toney was on his way to another huge game but promptly reinjured his ankle and is likely to miss time, setting up Sterling Shepard for a lot of cheap PPR points.
• Devontae Booker got enough usage in the passing game to bail out teams that played him in PPR leagues, but he’s not likely to be a big asset even if he starts again this week against the Panthers.

HOU @ IND

• Davis Mills continues to acquit himself with solid play, and certainly good enough to support the value of Brandin Cooks, although Tyrod Taylor is set to return this week or next.
• T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell both had big plays in the deep passing game and both got hurt. Campbell’s foot issue could be season ending while Hilton’s quad issue could affect his Week 7 availability. Michael Pittman should bounce back against the 49ers.
• Mo Alie-Cox had third score in three weeks to show his viability as a Week 7 waiver wire fill in.
• Jonathan Taylor had two carries in the first half but busted a long touchdown run in the second half to come through again for fantasy teams.

KC @ WAS

• Patrick Mahomes II was excellent and relaxed. He made plays with his secondary receivers in addition to feeding Kelce and Hill.
• Darrel Williams wasn’t efficient, but he scored twice in the win and should be in lineups going forward.
• Taylor Heinicke had another poor game, this time against a poor defense, so you have to wonder if we are going to see Kyle Allen or Ryan Fitzpatrick soon.
• Antonio Gibson missed parts of this game with that shin stress fracture and he might be missing time, turning this backfield over to J.D. McKissic and Jaret Patterson.
• Terry McLaurin was able to play through his hamstring injury, but Ricky Seals-Jones was the only part of the Washington passing game that came through. Seals-Jones is a good streamer again this week.

GB @ CHI

• The Packers offense is going to be Rodgers to Adams and Aaron Jones with A.J. Dillon sprinkled in. It ain’t happening for anyone else in a Packers uniform right now.
• Dillon’s pass game involvement dwindled to zero after catching four balls, including a touchdown in Week 5.
• Justin Fields had one good drive to tighten the game with the Bears behind by ten, but the pass game and Fields fantasy prospects (and the Bears receivers) continued to look like a mess.
• Khalil Herbert was outstanding and should have a good role even when Damien Williams returns, but the Bucs are up in Week 7, so it’s a bench game for him in fantasy leagues.

CIN @ DET

• Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are low ceiling, low floor plays as long as the Bengals are competitive and Ja’Marr Chase is dominating in the downfield passing game.
• Joe Mixon looked great and showed no ill effects from his ankle injury. He might be ready to take off and finally fulfill the potential we have seen come and go.

ARI @ CLE

• A.J. Green made Week 5 the blip with a good performance that shrugged off worries that his return to fantasy relevance isn’t going to last.
• Rondale Moore didn’t come through for fantasy teams and the acquisition of Zach Ertz could make his 56% snap share a season high.
• Baker Mayfield got banged up and might not play in Week 7, but a healthy Case Keenum is arguably an upgrade from a hurt Mayfield.
• Odell Beckham looked good until his hurt his shoulder. He returned to the game, but is uncertain for Week 7.
• Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a hail mary and a second score to show he might be the #1 receiver in this offense going forward. Don’t let him sit on the waiver wire.
• Kareem Hunt left with a calf injury that landed him on injured reserve. D’Ernest Johnson will get the Week 7 start with Nick Chubb still sidelined by a calf injury of his own.

DAL @ NE

• Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career and will have a high fantasy ceiling when the Dallas defense is forcing him to open up the offense.
• Mac Jones grew up in this one, throwing a pick six to Trevon Diggs, then going at Diggs the very next play for a 75-yard go ahead score to Kendrick Bourne.
• Damien Harris and the Patriots running game was strong, and Rhamondre Stevenson scored to possibly get out of the doghouse and provide some speculative Harris injury upside on our benches.
• Jakobi Meyers finally scored but had it called back by a holding penalty. He is underrated in every way.
• Hunter Henry is clearly the Patriots tight end that you want to carry.

LV @ DEN

• The Raiders looked like a team that had a Jon Gruden-sized weight lifted from their shoulders, including Derek Carr hanging into make courageous deep throws to Henry Ruggs. The whole offense looked uplifted against Vic Fangio’s sinking Broncos defense. Everyone in this offense could be on the upswing.
• Teddy Bridgewater had good garbage time numbers, including his first big game throwing to Noah Fant, but the nature of this lopsided loss could get Drew Lock on the field sooner or later if this team doesn’t turn things around.

SEA @ PIT

• Geno Smith wasn’t bad, but he was harassed for five sacks, and Alex Collins was only part of the offense that worked for a sustained stretch in the narrow loss.
• Chase Claypool’s role and weekly ceiling is going to be variable, especially with rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth playing well. Only Diontae Johnson is a clear everyweek play from this passing game as the Steelers head into their bye.

BUF @ TEN

• The Bills lost because they couldn’t convert a late fourth and 1.
• Josh Allen had a good game with Cole Beasley, who is living up to his boom/bust pattern from last season.
• Dawson Knox broke a bone in his hand but may not miss any time since the Bills are on their bye this week.
• Zack Moss and Devin Singletary returned to a more even split in bad news for the predictability of this fantasy backfield.
• Derrick Henry is something out of a nightmare or a dream depending on whether you are a defense or a fantasy player with Henry in your lineup.
• Julio Jones got hurt again, setting up A.J. Brown for a big day against the Chiefs in Week 7.