Passing
Game Thoughts: Last week I mentioned Brian Hoyer was only
the second Bears’ quarterback ever to throw for over 300
yards in three straight games. Even after facing a tough Jaguar
defense last week, he’s now the only Bears’ quarterback
to have done it in four consecutive games. Hoyer is also doing
a good job protecting the football, as he has yet to throw an
interception as a Bear. Unfortunately, while this offense is racking
up yardage, it is not resulting in touchdowns. In fact the Bears
No. 1 WR, Alshon Jeffery, has yet to find the endzone. I guess
some would argue that Cameron Meredith is the team’s real
top wideout, and the second year player has finished in the fantasy
top 10 at the position in both of the weeks he has started in
place of Kevin White. Against a less than stellar Packer pass
defense that streak could continue. The Packers are allowing 266
passing yards and two passing touchdowns per game on average,
and Hoyer comes in as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league.
GB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.11
GB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.32
GB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.1
GB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.8
Running Game Thoughts: Jordan Howard has made the most of the
opportunity created when Jeremy Langford suffered a knee injury,
but despite scoring his first rushing touchdown last week his
fantasy owners should have some concerns about his usage. In his
first two starts the rookie played on 93% of the team’s
snaps but with Ka’Deem Carey back he was only on the field
for 69% of the snaps. More concerning was that he was outgained
by 16 yards despite seeing six more carries. This week he’ll
face the best defense he’s seen all season. The Packers
were gashed by fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott last week but on
the season they are only allowing 72.4 rushing yards per game.
Without the heavy volume and facing a tough run defense, Howard’s
expectations should be lowered this week. The waiver wire darling
is no longer a sure fire fantasy RB1, for this week at least.
Passing Game Thoughts: Aaron Rodgers’s struggles continued
last week against Dallas, and he is shocking only 25th in the
league in passing yards per game, with a career low 6.5 ypa. Jordy
Nelson is still finding the end zone at least but is averaging
only 12 yards per reception and hasn’t shown his pre-ACL
tear explosion this season. Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery have
benefitted from the injuries suffered in the Packer backfield,
working as running backs coming out of the backfield to rack up
targets and receptions. With Lacy out as well as Starks, that
trend should surely continue this week. The Bears have played
well against the pass this season (233.5 ypg), but the Packers
will have little choice but to throw the ball this week. The volume
alone should make all Green Bay pass catchers good options this
week.
CHI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.21
CHI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.20
CHI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.18
CHI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.21
Running Game Thoughts: Eddie Lacy is out this week and it’s
possible his absence could last much longer. The Packers traded
for Chiefs backup Knile Davis and UDFA rookie Don Jackson could
be called up from the practice squad. It’s hard to determine
how either back will be used, but on a short week and with Davis
learning a new system it’s hard to imagine him seeing much
work. Avoiding both would likely be the best choice, but Jackson
could be a decent desperation play for this week. The biggest
short term beneficiary is likely wide receiver Ty Montgomery who
played some running back in college and saw extensive usage as
a receiver out of the backfield last week. He should see heavy
targets once again.
Passing
Game Thoughts: I remember reading about the Vikings trade
for Sam Bradford and laughing at the conditional pick being higher
based on how far the Vikings advance in the playoffs. Fast forward
two months and I don’t think there’s much of a debate
over who the best team in the NFC is. A lot of the credit has
to go to Bradford. In the four games he’s started since
taking over, Bradford has thrown a touchdown in each of them and
has yet to turn the ball over. He looked to be turning Stefon
Diggs into a true WR1, but after amassing 295 yards on 16 receptions
in the first two weeks, Diggs totaled just 87 yards on 9 receptions
in the next two. He missed Week 5 with a groin injury, but is
expected back this week. That’s the good news. The bad news
is he’s running into the Eagles lockdown secondary. They’ve
surrendered just five passing touchdowns this season and allow
only 207.4 passing yards per game. Adam Thielen and Cordarrelle
Patterson both stepped up in Diggs’ absence and while I
like both as players, the matchup is unlikely to allow either
to get going.
PHI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.32
PHI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.16
PHI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.28
PHI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.31
Running Game Thoughts: The Eagles somehow allowed Matt Jones
to rush for 135 yards on 16 carries last week. The Redskins have
a far better offensive line than the Vikings, but Jones’
success is encouraging for the outlook of Jerick McKinnon this
week. McKinnon has looked good on tape, but the space just hasn’t
been there yet. He’s failed to reach a 3.0 ypc in two of
his three games since taking over for Adrian Peterson. The Eagles
allow a generous 4.8 yards per carry to opposing rushers, but
given the Vikings offensive line and the fact that Matt Asiata
doesn’t spend nearly as much time on the bench as he should,
McKinnon is just an RB2 in this one.
Passing
Game Thoughts: As I’m reviewing the stat line of
last week’s game, I’m trying to figure out how the
Redskins didn’t win by 30 points. Carson Wentz’s hall
of fame induction should be put on hold for another week. Although
he didn’t lose the game, he didn’t win it. In fact,
he didn’t really do anything. Wentz completed half his passes
for 179 yards. He went back to targeting Jordan Matthews more
than the rest of his receivers, but it didn’t translate
into much (3-75-0). Zach Ertz laid a large egg with just one catch
for 22 yards. This was a spot we expected the Eagles to produce
more. They didn’t. And now things are going from bad to
as worse as possible. I would argue the Vikings have the best
defense in the league. Their pass defense has the best touchdown-turnover
ratio in the league (four touchdowns allowed, seven interceptions).
They are home and coming off a bye. If possible, you should consider
benching all Eagles this week.
MIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.23
MIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.23
MIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.31
MIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.22
Running Game Thoughts: It’s time to completely give up
on the Eagles running game. The funny part is the Eagles ran the
ball well last week. It was just completely unpredictable. Darren
Sproles led the Eagles with 23 snaps played, but he barely touched
the ball (four carries, one target). Ryan Mathews played one more
snap (11) than Wendell Smallwood (10) and two more than Kenjon
Barner (8). Mathews performed well (9-60), but the workload is
nowhere near where it needs to be. Also, no one runs on the Vikings.
No one really does anything against the Vikings. Eagles backs
are off limits this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Tyrod Taylor put on a showcase last week
with 179 yards passing and 68 yards rushing. When the rushing
numbers are there, Taylor is a QB1. The Dolphins somehow erased
the vaunted Steelers offense last week so there is some cause
for concern. However, Taylor spread the ball around quite well
with Charles Clay and Robert Woods accounting for half of Taylor’s
26 targeted passes. Woods has topped five receptions in three
of his last four games and is turning into a passable WR3/flex
option for those in need. Woods was in a walking boot Wednesday
so make sure he’s active before starting him. Clay left
last week’s game with an ankle injury after already nursing
a knee injury so monitor his progress as well. As long as he plays,
he’s a fine TE in a year where they’re all the same
after Gronk, Olsen, Graham, and Reed.
MIA FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.18
MIA FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.21
MIA FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.8
MIA FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.13
Running Game Thoughts: Sometimes it’s just too obvious.
But just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it isn’t
true. “Shady is a virtual lock to make it five straight
(100-yard games against SF) and should contend for top RB honors
in week 6.” – from last week’s ITM column. I’d
say 140 yards and three touchdowns works. The biggest positive
from last week’s game is that McCoy’s gruesome looking
knee injury not only wasn’t season ending, but cost him
all of ten minutes of game action. As fate would have it, after
narrowly escaping disaster last week, McCoy pulled up lame at
practice on Wednesday and now has a hamstring injury of currently
unknown severity. The Dolphins, despite their strong defensive
effort last week, didn’t do much to slow down Le’Veon
Bell. The Bills now go from facing the No.32 run defense to the
No.31 run defense. Shady would be a top three option if active,
but he’s closer to doubtful than questionable. Mike Gillislee
is a very capable backup with a 5.8 career ypc and will slide
in as a solid RB2.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Ryan Tannehill made it two straight and
three total games on the season without a touchdown pass last
week. As for the positives, he went back to what works –
targeting Jarvis Landry. Landry led the team in targets (9), receptions
(7), and receiving yards (91). Even in bad matchups, Landry should
be good for PPR WR2 numbers. This week most certainly qualifies
as a bad matchup. The Bills have forced more interceptions (6)
than touchdowns allowed through the air (3). Yes, that’s
good for tops in the league in passing score defense. Landry will
be fine. Just don’t expect his touchdown drought to end
this week.
BUF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.30
BUF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.18
BUF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.20
BUF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.30
Running Game Thoughts: Holy Jay Ajayi. Where did that come from?
In what will likely go down as the best game of his career, Ajayi
handled a career high 25 carries for a career high 204 yards and
two touchdowns. Just. Wow! Arian Foster returned last week, but
Foster is done. The Dolphins backfield is still a bit of a logjam,
but Ajayi certainly has earned himself a shot at sole possession
of the starting job. He needs to be picked up wherever he was
dropped even though I think last week was a sizable fluke. The
Bills allow 103.2 rushing yards per game and have allowed six
rushing scores on the season. This isn’t the worst matchup,
but not one where I would expect Ajayi to excel. I caution those
with Ajayi to not overreact by starting him over guys he shouldn’t
be starting over.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Only the Lions have a worse touchdowns allowed-interceptions
forced ratio than the Jets (17-3). This matchup could hardly be
much better for Joe Flacco. But, of course, Flacco showed up to
work this week with a right shoulder injury and has not practiced
as of Thursday. All bets are off if Ryan Mallett is forced to
take the field, no matter how generous the Jets pass defense might
be. If Flacco does go, he will likely be less than 100% and brings
with him one of the most inefficient passing games in the league.
Flacco averages a mere six yards per attempt and despite having
attempted 264 passes, he’s thrown just five touchdowns.
The volume will certainly be there against the Jets, but Flacco
has proven incapable of taking advantage of it. With Steve Smith
out again, Mike Wallace is a decent ceiling option given the Jets
propensity for getting beat deep. The Jets also struggle to cover
the tight end so the model of all floor, no ceiling, Dennis Pitta,
is a solid option as well.
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.6
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.13
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.2
NYJ FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.9
Running Game Thoughts: I have to hand it to Terrance West. He’s
been quite the revelation this season in Baltimore. West’s
workload started to increase in Week 4. Since then, his lowest
single game rushing total is 87 yards and he’s found the
end zone three times. There is no timeshare – Terrance West
dominates the backfield touches. The Jets are quite the imposing
foe, however. Even after being completely eviscerated by David
Johnson last week, the Jets still are allowing only 3.4 yards
per carry to opposing rushers on the season and DJ’s three
touchdown explosion increased the Jets touchdowns allowed total
to a whopping four. West will be very dependent on volume and
could benefit from carries near the goal line, but he’s
more floor than ceiling this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: On September 25, 2016, Ryan Fitzpatrick
morphed into Ryan Pickspatrick. We never saw Ryan Fitzpatrick
again. He officially hit rock bottom last week when he was mercifully
removed from the game in favor of Geno Smith, who has since been
named the starter going forward. I would imagine this is the last
we see of Fitzpatrick this season as similar to the Cowboys last
year, in a lost season, the Jets will experiment with their younger
options (Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg), if (read: when) Smith
fails to perform well. Smith started 30 games from 2013-2014.
He has never thrown more touchdowns than interceptions in a season
(his 2:1 ratio in one game last year does not count) and has turned
the ball over a total of 42 times in 32 career appearances. It’s
also worth noting that he did not direct a single pass Brandon
Marshall’s way after taking over last week. Marshall is
still a high level receiver, but the Jets offense and Geno Smith
cap his ceiling. Quincy Enunwa has been a complete afterthought
since Eric Decker went down. The Ravens lost what looked like
half their defense last week to injury. They are now starting
practice squad guys at defensive back. The opportunity is there
to exploit, but I just don’t think Smith is capable.
BAL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.19
BAL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.31
BAL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.3
BAL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.28
Running Game Thoughts: The wheels have completely fallen off
for Matt Forte. He’s now splitting carries with Bilal Powell
and is fully behind Powell in the passing game. Powell out-snapped
Forte last week and has outperformed him for a couple weeks now.
Forte has been a mainstay as an RB1 for a long time, but he looks
to be just about done. The Jets did nothing on the ground last
week and the Ravens have actually been even stingier than the
Jets in rushing yards allowed at a league low 69.7 per game. It’s
hard to predict how the Jets will plan their offense this week
given the change at QB, but they are unlikely to do much on the
ground.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Anyone reading this article should know
by now that the Falcons pass defense is one of the best units
for your fantasy players to play against which makes Philip Rivers
one of the safest quarterback plays of the week. The Chargers
could use a bit of good luck after losing several key weapons
on offense earlier this year. It sure looks like Hunter Henry
has taken over as the Chargers’ best fantasy tight end.
Antonio Gates has had a nice run but he is playing hurt these
days and can’t be trusted as a weekly fantasy performer.
Travis Benjamin lost practice time this week to a knee injury.
It isn’t considered to be serious enough to keep him from
playing in a very ideal situation. He would be a quality WR2 if
given the green light but kickoff isn’t until later in the
day so plan accordingly. Tyrell Williams is doing an admirable
job since taking over as a starter and has caught 8 of 9 passes
over the past two weeks. He and Rivers are starting to gel and
the team is expected to pass the ball plenty in Week 7, so Williams’
WR2 upside should be deployed in most leagues.
ATL FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.3
ATL FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.9
ATL FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.19
ATL FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.4
Running Game Thoughts: It is ironic to note that Melvin Gordon’s
rookie campaign was highlighted by his inability to score and
now his sophomore campaign is starting to make him look like a
touchdown dependent player despite receiving elite touches on
a consistent basis. The good news for Gordon’s owners is
that this week’s opponent is allowing the ninth most fantasy
points to running backs. Based on opportunity and match up he
should be a RB1 this week but he is sporting a paltry 3.2 YPC
over his past three games. As long as the team continues to roll
him out there he will have a chance to be a productive RB2 especially
against weak rush defenses like Atlanta. Dexter McCluster could
be worked into the mix more now that he is over a hamstring injury
and the team also has Kenneth Farrow in a reserve role but neither
can be counted on until this team adopts a RBBC approach.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Atlanta offense starts with the lineman
up front where Alex Mack has been stellar. The Falcons solid running
game is allowing Matt Ryan to make smart throws and keep his rebound
fantasy season chugging along. As if you needed more of a reason
to get Ryan into your starting lineup, he squares off against
a San Diego team that has allowed four of six quarterbacks to
eclipse the 300-yard barrier. The Chargers secondary lacks a shut
down corner capable of handling Julio Jones so expect a lot of
double coverage in his direction. Matt Ryan has started to turn
towards Mohamed Sanu more over the past two weeks but he has only
converted half of his targets into receptions. Eventually Ryan
and Sanu will get on the same page and post a great game but I’m
not sure they are there just yet. Justin Hardy, Aldrick Robinson
and Taylor Gabriel have seen similar snap counts on the season
but none of them have been able to emerge as a useful third receiver
for fantasy owners. The same holds true for tight end Jacob Tamme,
who has only notched one worthwhile fantasy game on the year.
SD FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.8
SD FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.6
SD FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.17
SD FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.12
Running Game Thoughts: Devonta Freeman has turned out to be a
worthy RB2 despite seeing his touches dip compared to last year.
Freeman’s ability to contribute in the passing game has
helped to offset his lack of touchdowns (2) but his odds of reaching
pay dirt improve this week. The Chargers give up plenty of touchdowns
(seven so far via the run) and face the NFL’s highest scoring
team. I’d imagine the Falcons will want to run the clock
once they have the lead which would improve the chances of both
Atlanta running backs to be among the top 25 players at their
position when the curtain shuts on Week 7. To date, the offensive
playing time has been split fairly evenly between Freeman (55
percent) and Coleman (45 percent) and it has led to one of the
ten best rushing units in the league. The lack of a true number
one running back will always add some degree of risk when inserting
either or both of these players into your lineup. However, in
a game featuring two poor defenses and competent offenses I’m
rolling the dice.
Passing
Game Thoughts: It’s no secret that the Colts love
to use tight ends but ever since Andrew Luck took over it has
been a nightmare for fantasy owners trying to figure out which
tight end to choose. Now that Dwayne Allen has exited stage left
with an ankle injury, Jack Doyle is poised to receive the lion’s
share of the tight end workload. Assuming Erik Swoope or newly
signed TE Chase Coffman doesn’t somehow ruin things; Doyle
might be the team’s best scoring threat inside the ten yard
line against this defense. Doyle could be in for a busy day considering
the injuries this offense is dealing with heading into this game.
Donte Moncrief remains out with a shoulder injury and Quan Bray
was placed on the IR this week. T.Y. Hilton (hip) and Phillip
Dorsett are not locks to play which could force Chester Rogers
and Devin Street (signed off the Patriots practice squad) into
prominent roles on Sunday. Rogers presents the best fantasy option
of the bunch and could be useful in deep leagues if Hilton doesn’t
play. The Titans have only allowed one 300-yard passer (Cody Kessler
last week) and rank fifth in the NFL for sacks of the quarterback.
The match up combined with a banged up set of receivers don’t
paint a rosy picture for Andrew Luck’s fantasy prospects
pushing him down my rankings this week.
TEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.27
TEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.27
TEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.25
TEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.20
Running Game Thoughts: The Colts rode a vintage Frank Gore in
Week 6 (20 carries for 111 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown
plunge) but will need to find another route in order to come out
victorious in this game. The Titans stingy defense has only allowed
two runners to top 50 rushing yards on the year (Lamar Miller
and DeAndre Washington). Gore offers fantasy owners reliable touches
for a flex option but there is too low of a ceiling this week
to label him a starter in most formats. Josh Ferguson is the only
other player in this backfield worth considering this weekend.
His ten touches in Week 4 are starting to look like the outlier
as he has only managed 17 combined touches over the rest of the
year.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Marcus Mariota has the third most fantasy
points over the past three weeks and he is doing it with precision
and efficiency rather than volume. I’m not going to cast
the Titans signal caller as a top ten option for the remainder
of the year, but he offers plenty of appeal if your team’s
top passer is on a bye week. The team finally acknowledged Tajae
Sharpe’s inability to get open in this offense but he still
led all Titans receivers with offensive snaps played. Unfortunately,
he failed to catch a single pass. Rishard Mathews has scored in
each of the past two games and has been the most consistent fantasy
receiver on this team. The roller coaster ride that is Kendall
Wright may be on the upside again. Wright’s eight-catch
133 receiving yard performance last week should warrant more playing
time but fantasy owners may want to pump the brakes before slotting
Wright back into the lineup. Delanie Walker made me look bad last
week by only netting two targets. There are not many passes to
go around in this offense so Walker’s owners may lose out
if Wright becomes a bigger part of the offense moving forward.
I’d still double-down on the Walker with Mariota playing
at a high level in a favorable match up.
IND FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.10
IND FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.3
IND FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.26
IND FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.10
Running Game Thoughts: Take a team built to run the ball and
play them against one of the seventh worst rush defense (based
on rushing yards and touchdowns allowed) and you get an ideal
fantasy scenario. That’s exactly what DeMarco Murray owners
like to hear. He came away with a touchdown, but Murray was held
without a catch for the first time of the year against the Browns.
He’s reeled off three straight games with over twenty carries
to push him up to sixth in rushing attempts and fourth in rushing
yardage. With Murray hogging all the carries, Derrick Henry has
been a spectator. The rookie rusher has logged a combined 12 carries
over the past three weeks and is locked into a handcuff role.
Passing
Game Thoughts: After being slowed down by the Chiefs, the
Raiders’ passing attack will try to bounce back in a favorable
match up against the Jags. Derek Carr had a poor game in Week
6 with several bad throws leading to an underwhelming 225 passing
yards, one touchdown and one interception. That should change
this week on the road as the team will need to rely on its receiving
duo of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Over the past three
weeks, both players rank as top ten fantasy players at the position
and there isn’t any reason to expect a dip in production
for Week 7. Jacksonville has allowed the ninth most fantasy points
to receivers this season but has had modest success with their
pass rush with twelve sacks in five games. Clive Walford has been
a forgotten man in this offense. After showing promise with six
receptions in Week 2, he has tallied a total of six catches over
the past three weeks combined. I don’t think this becomes
a full blown shoot out as both teams try to establish the running
game but there should be enough scoring to make this a good game
to exploit for fantasy purposes.
JAC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.14
JAC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.25
JAC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.9
JAC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.29
Running Game Thoughts: Latavius Murray (toe) returned to practice
this week. The team has not indicated whether or not he will play
but it certainly seems like he will be available. Murray hasn’t
seen more than ten carries since Week 1 and is now coming off
a delicate injury with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard around
to steal carries. Washington wasn’t very effective in his
short window of opportunity without Murray in the lineup-averaging
about 50 total yards per game. The lack of production and possible
return of Murray have the rookie’s fantasy value at its
lowest heading into a contest against a defense that has only
allowed 27.5 receiving yards per game to running backs. Until
Murray gets back on track, this backfield doesn’t offer
much for fantasy owners.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Allen Robinson is seeing twice as many targets
in home games than he is on the road. If that trend continues
he should mop up this week with ample targets against the league’s
worst pass defense (312 passing yards allowed per game). Allen
Hurns (shoulder) missed practice Wednesday and Thursday and figures
to be at less than full strength if he plays. That should open
the door for tight end Julius Thomas to right the ship after a
few lackluster weeks but he is still dealing with an ankle issue
(was listed as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice).
Consequently, Marqise Lee should be given a long look by anyone
needing a receiver this week. A former second round draft pick
by the club in 2014, Lee has caught 22 of 30 balls thrown his
way this year and has steadily become more involved in the offense.
After playing in only 50 percent of the team’s offensive
snaps in Week 1 he has topped 70 percent in each of the past two
games. After throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in the
team’s first three games, Bortles has a 3:1 touchdown to
interception ratio in his last two outings. Given the friendly
opponent, Bortles gets a bump into QB1 range and may be a better
option for Week 7 than more proven names like Andrew Luck or Russell
Wilson.
OAK FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.4
OAK FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.4
OAK FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.5
OAK FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.5
Running Game Thoughts: The team simplified their approach to
the running game last week and it finally produced the type of
results that I expected prior to the season. Leaning on the strengths
of Chris Ivory and T.Y. Yeldon the Jacksonville backfield produced
two flex worthy players against the Bears for the first time all
season. Ivory was able to convert near the goal and Yeldon provided
a spark in the passing game. This isn’t a ringing endorsement
by any means but it is a step in the right direction and that’s
good news for fantasy owners this week. Oakland’s defense
has given up the second most rushing yards and eighth most receiving
yards to running backs this season so both runners should find
some room when given the chance. The playing time was roughly
a 60/40 split with Yeldon getting the start and the upper hand
in total offensive snaps last week versus the Bears. I’d
expect a similar split against the Raiders and definitely look
for Yeldon to provide RB2 while Ivory maintains appeal as a flex
option in all formats.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Lions are allowing 27.6 fantasy points
per game to opposing quarterbacks making them the best weekly
matchup at the position. Kirk Cousins started the year off slowly
but has bounced back during the last four weeks and should be
primed to have a big day. The Lions have been almost as good of
a matchup for tight ends having allowed 7 touchdowns to the position
this season. Even fringe fantasy players like Jack Doyle, Lance
Kendricks, and Richard Rodgers have scored against them. With
Jordan Reed still in the concussion protocol, Vernon Davis is
a good pick up for those owners streaming the position –
but the latest news is that Reed is participating in individual
drills so he may get cleared in time to play. This game has “shoot
out” written all over it, so all pass catchers should at
least be given some consideration.
DET FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.1
DET FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.26
DET FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.6
DET FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.3
Running Game Thoughts: Washington ran all over Philadelphia last
week, finishing with 230 yards on the ground, but has not been
very effective running the ball otherwise. Matt Jones had 135
yards last week but totaled only 298 yards in the other five games.
Head Coach Jay Gruden prefers to move the ball through the air,
which plays out well in a game where they are facing a team that
has allowed 17 passing touchdowns and not a single rushing score
on the season. Given Gruden’s penchant for the passing game,
the opponents defense and the opponents potent offense, it’s
hard to be comfortable chasing Jones’ points from last week.
With that said, it should at least be a close game, so Jones’
should remain part of the game script for all four quarters.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Matthew Stafford has thrown at least 3 touchdown
passes in four out of six games this season. While he’s
been on fire (4 touchdowns last week), he’s facing a Washington
passing defense that hasn’t allowed a quarterback to finish
any better than QB16 since opening weekend. The Redskins have
only allowed 6 passing touchdowns in six games. While it would
be difficult to sit Stafford, there may be better options this
week. Marvin Jones on the other hand has cooled off tremendously.
He saw 21 targets from Stafford during the first two weeks, but
has seen only 26 during the last four games. Golden Tate and Anquan
Boldin picked up the slack last week. Boldin continues to defy
father time, and his big body has helped ease the pain of Eric
Ebron missing from the line-up, especially in the red zone.
WAS FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.25
WAS FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.7
WAS FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.22
WAS FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.19
Running Game Thoughts: Theo Riddick and DeWayne Washington both
missed last week’s game opening things up for second year
runner Zach Zenner. Zenner saw 16 touches with Justin Forsett
being the only other option and still learning the offense after
just signing during the week. Zenner was effective, rushing for
58 yards and adding 19 more through the air. Washington could
be back this week, and while he was ahead of Zenner on the depth
chart prior to his injury he likely wasn’t secure enough
to guarantee he goes back in front of Zenner. With Riddick potentially
coming back into the mix as well, a great matchup for fantasy
owners could be ruined by the uncertainty of how the backfield
touches will be split. Washington is allowing 124 rushing yards
per game and have yielded 8 rushing touchdowns. They have been
carved up most weeks, and that could continue this week if Detroit
cannot move the ball through the air. The problem for fantasy
owners is that the pie could be split any number of ways.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Tom Brady has showed no signs of rust in
his two games back since his four-game suspension, and will face
a team built for him to pick apart this week. The Steelers are
allowing 293.7 passing yards per game, and while they have kept
outside receivers in check, they have been eaten alive by the
short passing game. Of course the Patriots run the short passing
game offense better than anyone which should mean nice fantasy
days for Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and James White. The Gronk
has seen back-to-back 100 yards days since his buddy Tom has been
back, and a third consecutive one would not shock anyone. Running
back James White has also seen his role increase since Brady has
been back seeing 53.3% of the team’s snaps and 15 targets
during the last two weeks. With the Steelers’ offense less
likely to sustain drives without Ben Roethlisberger under center,
the Steelers lack of a pass rush, and the plethora of weapons
at Brady’s disposal this Sunday be a long day for the Pittsburgh
secondary at Heinz Field.
PIT FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.20
PIT FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.5
PIT FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.27
PIT FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.16
Running Game Thoughts: On the flip side to James White, bruising
runner LeGarrette Blount has seen his team’s offense grow
less dependent on him since Brady’s return. He’s still
finding the endzone to the delight of his fantasy owners but has
only gained 87 yards during the last two weeks. With the success
the Patriots will likely have moving the ball through the air
and the Steelers solid run defense (101.2 ypg) anyone starting
Blount this week will need to hope for yet another one-yard plunge
into the endzone – and frankly that is well within the realm
of possibility.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Steelers will be without Ben Roethlisberger
this week (and likely a few more) which will obviously be a detriment
to the passing game and the Pittsburgh skill position players.
Landry Jones is coming off a poor preseason but showed to be adequate
last season in his one start filling in for backup Michael Vick.
Antonio Brown owner’s cannot be happy after remembering
how the stud wide receiver became a dud wide receiver last year
when Ben went down, but should take some solace that Brown was
much better with Jones under center than the disaster he was with
Vick at quarterback. Brown caught 6 passes for 124 yards from
Jones last season in his only start. His floor and ceiling get
lowered without Roethlisberger, but Brown could still manage a
decent showing. The rest of this passing game is most likely better
off left on your bench however.
NE FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.16
NE FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.24
NE FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.23
NE FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.14
Running Game Thoughts: Le’Veon Bell should be a nice dump
off target for his young quarterback even if he can’t find
much running room. Bell has 177 receiving yards since his return
from suspension so even if he’s shut down on the ground
he can still have a big fantasy day. The Steelers will likely
have no choice however but to try and establish the run in order
to protect Landry and to keep the Patriots offense on the sideline.
Last season when Ben missed time the offense became more run heavy
than usual. In those four games the Steelers ran the ball 51%
of the time, instead of the 32.8% of the time they ran the ball
when Big Ben was under center. Not that Bell owners need to be
told to keep him in their line-ups, but the volume will be there
so there’s no need to worry.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Coach Hue Jackson has protected his third
round rookie quarterback by designing a passing game built on
short passing routes, and as a result Cody Kessler not been as
overmatched as expected. In fact last week, he was downright impressive
finishing as a top 10 QB, with 336 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor has made a true difference
with his run after the catch abilities and red zone presence but
a hamstring injury will likely force him out this week. If Pryor
sits out only big tight end Gary Barnidge will be any kind of
fantasy option whatsoever despite the Browns facing a Cincinnati
team that has allowed 14 passing touchdowns on the season.
CIN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.7
CIN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.10
CIN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.21
CIN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.6
Running Game Thoughts: The Browns rushing attack has been in
a slump. The team was averaging 143 yards per game during the
first four weeks, but that has dropped to 33.5 yards per game
over the last two games. Hue Jackson wants to run the ball, but
when your team is falling behind big early and often it’s
hard to practice what you preach. As one would expect based on
the preceding, Isaiah Crowell who started the year off as one
of the NFL’s leading rushers has been non-existent over
the past two weeks. The Browns now face a Bengals team allowing
108 rushing yards per game this season, but have just allowed
one runner to exceed 50 yards over the last four games. With Cincinnati
likely jumping out to an early lead it’s not likely the
running game turns it around this week.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Andy Dalton has been a top 10 fantasy quarterback
thus far, but the Cincinnati passing game has yet to break out.
Dalton has only throw for 6 touchdowns this season (one rushing),
but he’s thrown for 1,757 yards already as the Bengals have
often been in furious comeback mode. Big tight end Tyler Eifert
should finally make it back this week, which should help Dalton
out in the red zone where he’s struggled this season. The
Cleveland Browns on the schedule should help as well as they are
allowing 285.3 passing yards per game and have allowed 16 passing
touchdowns this season.
CLE FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.2
CLE FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.11
CLE FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.13
CLE FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.1
Running Game Thoughts: The Bengals have been blown out by the
Cowboys and the Patriots the last two weeks, skewing the snap
counts seriously in favor of passing down back Giovani Bernard.
As a result Bernard has out snapped Jeremy Hill 98 to 36 during
those two games. That should balance out this week, as the game
script should allow for Hill to see a good amount of carries in
a game where the Bengals should at worst remain close and at best
have a substantial lead in the second half. However his owners
should keep in mind that a shoulder injury has slowed him down
and that the Browns have actually played fairly well against the
run (118 yards per game).
Passing
Game Thoughts: The New Orleans offense continues to be
one of the most pass-happy in the entire league as quarterback
Drew Brees threw his 14th touchdown pass of the season this past
week against the Panthers. The primary beneficiaries of Brees'
big numbers – at least in recent weeks – have been
wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Michael Thomas. The rookie, Thomas,
has now caught a touchdown pass in each of his past three games
and he has now all but officially surpassed Willie Snead on the
depth chart at least in terms of snap count. Since Snead's huge
Week 1 performance, he has failed to reach 60 yards in any contest
and has scored just once in his previous four contests. Cooks
is still the team's top target and should be used in almost any
matchup due to his high ceiling, but he has shown that he also
has a fairly low floor, even in games where the Saints are successful
in throwing the ball. One thing to be a bit concerned about in
this matchup against the Chiefs is that the Saints offense has
historically seen a significant dropoff in production when on
the road, particularly against good pass defenses. The Chiefs
have given up the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks
this season and have only given up more than one passing touchdown
in one contest. It'd be tough to bench your Saints receivers,
even tight end Coby Fleener who has been playing well as of late,
but temper your expectations in this matchup.
KC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.22
KC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.15
KC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.12
KC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.27
Running Game Thoughts: He continues
to touch the ball between 15 to 20 times just about every week,
but Mark Ingram owners are still waiting for him to break out,
particularly in standard scoring formats. Ingram's one rushing
touchdown certainly has been disappointing through the Saints'
first five games of the season, but does have a bit of an opportunity
in this week's matchup against the Chiefs. Kansas City has given
up an average of 110 rushing yards per game so far this season
and they've given up four total touchdowns in five games to the
position as well. Be in notice, though, that New Orleans could
end up giving John Kuhn the close goal line rushing attempts as
they did in Weeks 3 and 4 when Kuhn scored a whopping three touchdowns
on four total carries – all within two yards of the goal
line. If this continues to be a trend, it might be time to bump
Ingram down to a low-end RB2 option.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The lack of real upside makes Alex Smith
a very difficult quarterback to trust for fantasy purposes. His
lack of fantasy success even in relatively easy matchups like
the one he faced this past week in Oakland is an example of what
can happen in this Kansas City offense. Although Smith completed
86.4 percent of his passes, he threw zero touchdowns and he has
not rushed for more than 15 yards in any game so far this season
– a surprising contrast from 2015 when he averaged over
30 rushing yards per game. Smith isn't much of a fantasy option
other than in two-QB leagues, but his lack of fantasy production
is absolutely killing his top two targets, Jeremy Maclin and Travis
Kelce. Kelce has been held under 35 receiving yards in three of
his past four contests while Maclin hasn't scored a touchdown,
gone over 80 yards or caught more than six passes in a game since
Week 1. The Saints defense is terrible and they've given up at
least 300 yards passing in four of their five contests along with
multiple touchdown passes in three straight contests, but it wouldn't
be surprising to see Smith and the Chiefs fail to reach either
of those numbers.
NO FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.9
NO FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.1
NO FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.10
NO FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.15
Running Game Thoughts: The health
and usage of running back Jamaal Charles continues to be the most
interesting fantasy story in Kansas City. The star running back
has historically been the bell cow back for the Chiefs, but he
has continued to take a back seat to Spencer Ware even now that
he is supposedly healthy. Charles was on the field for just 23
percent of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in Week 6 while Ware saw
62 percent of the snaps. While those numbers are likely to even
out over the coming weeks, the worry for Charles owners is that
he might never get his role back as the team's primary ball carrier.
The New Orleans defense is absolutely terrible – in fact,
the worst in the league in terms of fantasy points per game given
up to the position – so there is room for both to have a
successful fantasy day. Still, playing either Charles or Ware
right now is a bit of a risk due to the questions surrounding
their usage.
Giants @ Rams
(Twickenham stadium in London) - (Caron)
Passing
Game Thoughts: Coming off of a huge late-game comeback
victory, Eli Manning and the Giants will travel across the pond
to play against the Rams at a neutral field in London. Manning
has been up and down so far this season, but his top wide receiver,
Odell Beckham Jr., has really been putting the team on his back
– especially this past week. Beckham's monstrous 222-yard
game against the Ravens in Week 6 reminded us why he's one of
the top players in all of fantasy football and must be started
no matter the matchup. Unfortunately, the uptick in usage for
Beckham Jr. has led to some truly mediocre performances from the
team's other two top targets, Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz.
While both players have been on the field for nearly every offensive
snap, they just don't appear to be on the same page with Manning.
The Rams defense has allowed 10 passing touchdowns in their past
four contests, though, along with an average of 281 yards per
game over that span; so there is plenty of reason to like Manning
and Beckham Jr. It might be possible to even consider Shepard
or Cruz in deep formats.
LAR FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.12
LAR FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.17
LAR FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.7
LAR FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.18
Running Game Thoughts: Rashad Jennings
was back on the field in Week 6, but his usage remained low as
he saw fewer snaps than even Bobby Rainey. That could have been
due to the gameflow which saw Eli Manning throw the ball 46 times,
but the split snaps would seem to indicate that neither player
is going to be a particularly great fantasy option. The Rams have
been fairly good against opposing running games so far this season,
having held opposing backs to 70 or fewer yards on the ground
in three of their six contests, including this past week against
the Lions. With the Giants all but giving up on their running
game at the moment, this doesn't seem like a great game to be
trusting Jennings or Rainey, perhaps other than in PPR formats
where Rainey could be a low-end flex option.
Passing
Game Thoughts: He hasn't been much of a fantasy option
so far this season, but Case Keenum broke out with a huge game
this past week against the Lions as he completed 27 of his 32
pass attempts for 321 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.
This type of gameflow would typically indicate high usage from
Tavon Austin, but it was actually Kenny Britt who performed the
best, catching seven passes for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Britt has now caught four or more passes in every contest, for
67 or more yards receiving in all but one game. Britt appears
to have taken over as Keenum's favorite target and could be an
interesting Flex option against the Giants. The other Los Angeles
receivers should probably be on fantasy benches this week, even
in what could be a game the Rams have to pass quite a bit.
NYG FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.26
NYG FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.19
NYG FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.14
NYG FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.24
Running Game Thoughts: Todd Gurley
has certainly been a major fantasy disappointment so far this
season, but there is still hope that he could turn things around.
His usage continues to be extremely high as he's touched the ball
at least 18 times in every game this season, which gives him one
of the highest floors of any back in the entire league despite
being in a bad offense. The other big positive with Gurley is
that the Rams have no problem giving him the ball repeatedly when
they're close to the end zone and he's really not giving up much
playing time at all to other backs in the offense. If the Rams
are going to win this game, they're going to need to control the
clock and keep the Giants' high-powered offense off the field.
In order to do that, they'll need to feed Gurley early and often,
which should mean 20 or more touches for him in this game. Against
a New York defense that has allowed 86 or more rushing yards in
all but one game, that seems like a good recipe for a nice fantasy
day from Gurley.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The Buccaneers placed wide receiver Vincent
Jackson on Injured Reserve this past week after the receiver suffered
a torn ACL. While Jackson himself was only borderline rosterable
at the time, the injury does negatively affect the fantasy potential
of quarterback Jameis Winston. On a positive note, those who roster
Mike Evans can expect that the superstar receiver will see an
even bigger share of his already extremely high target percentage.
Two other players who could benefit from this situation are wide
receiver Adam Humphries and tight end Cameron Brate. Humphries
had seen his targets drop substantially over his past two games
since his explosive nine catch game in Week 3, but he should be
in line for additional snaps and targets now that Jackson is out.
Brate, on the other hand, could see more targets particularly
near the red zone where his big frame can at least come close
to mimicking that of Jackson. San Francisco has given up at least
two touchdown passes in five straight games, even against some
less-than-stellar passing games, so Winston isn't a bad option
if you're in need this week.
SF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.15
SF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.2
SF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.16
SF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.11
Running Game Thoughts: Running back
Doug Martin was expected back this week, but suffered a setback
that will likely keep him out an additional week or two. That
isn't great news for the already depleted Tampa Bay backfield,
but it is good news for those who decided to pick up Jacquizz
Rodgers this past week. Rodgers exploded into fantasy relevance
in Week 5 with a 30-carry performance for 101 yards against the
Panthers. He was also second on the team with six targets in the
passing game. The Tampa Bay coaching staff has said that they
have full confidence in Rodgers, so expect him to a have a high
usage against the 49ers in this contest. San Francisco has been
the league's worst defense against the run so far this season,
having given up an average of nearly 150 yards rushing per game.
Rodgers might not be a superstar, but he's a great RB2 this week
with RB1 upside.
Passing
Game Thoughts: He's not the most efficient passer, but
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains an interesting fantasy
option primarily due to his legs. While he only passed for 187
yards and one touchdown against the Bills in his first start of
the 2016 season, Kaepernick rushed for 66 yards on just eight
carries. The 49ers aren't likely to win many games this season,
but that shouldn't stop fantasy owners from taking a chance on
Kaepernick when they're in need. He does have a low floor if he
doesn't perform well in the running game, so there is plenty of
risk involved, but few widely available quarterbacks have a higher
ceiling than Kaepernick. Unfortunately, his receivers aren't worth
much fantasy consideration at this point. Tampa Bay has given
up two or more passing touchdowns in all but one game this season,
but there's a good chance that they keep Kaepernick in check in
the passing game.
TB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.17
TB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.8
TB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.4
TB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.23
Running Game Thoughts: One of the
biggest fantasy stories of the week came out of the San Francisco
backfield, as running back Carlos Hyde suffered a shoulder injury
and will miss Week 7 and possibly additional weeks beyond that.
With Hyde out, the 49ers will likely utilize a running back by
committee approach, led by Shaun Draughn and Mike Davis. Draughn
was the team's workhorse back in 2015 when Hyde missed time. Draughn
would be a solid fantasy option if this was the same situation,
but with Davis getting the majority of snaps once Hyde went out
in Week 6, it seems very likely that this will be a fairly even
split. Tampa Bay hasn't been great against opposing running backs
this season so there is some upside here, but given the situation,
it would be wise for fantasy owners to avoid this situation if
at all possible.
Passing
Game Thoughts: He hasn't been completely terrible, but
there's no doubt that Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has been
a disappointment from a fantasy standpoint so far this season.
With one or zero touchdowns thrown in all but one game this season
and a surprising lack of rushing attempts, Wilson's production
has made him no better than a QB2. With that has come some expected
regression from wide receiver Doug Baldwin who has had two big
performances, but been held to four or fewer catches in the team's
other three contests. Surprisingly, it has been tight end Jimmy
Graham who has been the team's best threat as of late, catching
six passes in each of his past three contests, including 89 or
more receiving yards in all three. Graham is back to being a TE1
even against an Arizona defense that is currently allowing the
fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends so far this season.
The reality is that, with the exception of Martellus Bennett,
the Cardinals just have not faced many threats at the position,
so Graham owners shouldn't be scared off. The Cardinals have been
great against opposing passing games in general, however, which
should give owners of Wilson and Baldwin some pause this week
in what could be another difficult day up against one of the league's
top secondaries.
ARI FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.24
ARI FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.28
ARI FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.24
ARI FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.32
Running Game Thoughts: Christine
Michael continues to perform well in the absence of Thomas Rawls
and that should continue this week as the Seahawks will likely
continue to lean heavily on him. Michael has touched the ball
21 or more times in three straight contests and with the Seahawks'
passing game struggling a bit, there's little reason to believe
that he won't approach those numbers again this week. The Arizona
defense is definitely improving, however, and they've given up
the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running
backs so far this season. Michael does have RB1 upside due to
his usage, but he's more of an RB2 for now. C.J. Spiller does
have some value in PPR formats, but unless the Seahawks fall far
behind and have to pass the ball on every down, his upside is
fairly limited.
Passing
Game Thoughts: The difficult-to-predict Arizona passing
game continues to confuse fantasy owners as the only receiver
who seems to get consistent high usage is veteran Larry Fitzgerald.
The team's other four receivers – Michael Floyd, John Brown,
Jaron Brown and J.J. Nelson all saw the field for at least 20
percent of the team's snaps in Week 6, but none went over 65 percent.
Floyd seems to have fallen behind John Brown on the depth chart,
but not significantly so, and their overall target numbers still
remain relatively close. Carson Palmer appears to still be dealing
with a bit of a hamstring issue and that combined with the dominant
Seattle defense should give fantasy owners some concerns heading
into this weekend's game. It's not often that it's wise to avoid
the Arizona passing game, but it might not be such a bad idea
against Seattle's fourth-ranked fantasy pass defense.
SEA FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.31
SEA FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.30
SEA FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.29
SEA FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.25
Running Game Thoughts: David Johnson's
fantasy MVP-like season continued this past week as the back topped
100 yards on the ground for the second straight week and added
three touchdowns. Johnson now leads the NFL with eight rushing
touchdowns and is well on his way to being the top-scoring fantasy
running back this season. It'd be almost impossible to find a
situation where benching Johnson would make sense, but this is
a tough matchup against a Seattle defense that has given up the
second-fewest rushing yards this season and only two total rushing
touchdowns. Still, Johnson's usage in the passing game in addition
to his high-end rushing numbers, make him as close to matchup-proof
as you're going to find at the running back position.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Fantasy matchups don't get much tougher
than the one that Brock Osweiler and the Texans face in Week 7
against the Broncos. Denver has given up the sixth-fewest fantasy
points per game to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, including
just four total touchdown passes against in six games. That includes
games against the likes of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan
and Philip Rivers. Needless to say, Osweiler hasn't looked like
any of those superstar passers so far this season and it has greatly
affected the fantasy production of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins has been held to five or fewer receptions in four of the
Texans' first six games this season and he's only scored one touchdown
since Week 2. Hopkins still has fantasy upside given his high
target numbers, but it's going to be tough to find much separation
against the likes of Chris Harris and Aqib Talib. Rookie Will
Fuller, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is expected to
play on Monday night but will not likely be at full strength.
Fuller missed Week 6 and was held to just one catch in Week 5,
so it's highly risky to put him in lineups against a defense as
good as Denver's. One player who should be on fantasy radars but
perhaps not in lineups this week is tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz.
Fiedorowicz has caught at least four passes in three straight
contests and scored twice over the Texans' past three contests.
If he can continue to emerge, he'd give Osweiler an additional
target particularly in the red zone where the Texans where the
Texans currently rank 31st in scoring efficiency.
DEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.28
DEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.12
DEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.32
DEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.17
Running Game Thoughts: After a terrible
Week 5 against Minnesota, Lamar Miller owners were happy to see
their running back get back on track in a big way against the
Colts in Week 6. Miller's 149 yards and a touchdown on the ground
were complemented by his three catches for 29 yards and a dazzling
touchdown in the receiving game. While the Denver defense is certainly
no pushover, they've been substantially better against the pass
this season than they have been the run. Opposing running backs
have rushed for an average of 87 yards per game and Denver has
given up a total of six touchdowns to the position on the year.
Miller touches the ball as much as almost any back in the league,
so lock him in as a solid RB1 even on the road against the Broncos.
Passing
Game Thoughts: Trevor Siemian isn't much of a fantasy contributor,
but what most of us are looking for is for him to continue to
lock in on his top two receivers, Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius
Thomas. He's done a good job of that so far this season as Thomas
and Sanders have both caught three or more passes in every game,
but their upside remains tied to the Denver offense moving the
ball a bit more efficiently than they have so far this season.
This past week, Siemian and the Denver coaching staff were much
more interested in spreading the ball around as seven Denver receivers
saw four or more targets in the contest, but don't look for that
to be the norm. The Broncos will likely run the ball heavily in
this game as they won't likely fall behind too far on the scoreboard
against a bad Houston offense. Look for Sanders and Thomas to
again dominate the targets, making the other members of this passing
game pretty much irrelevant for fantasy purposes. Until Denver
starts putting more points on the board, however, Sanders and
Thomas are still only WR2 options.
HOU FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.29
HOU FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.14
HOU FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.30
HOU FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.26
Running Game Thoughts: The Denver
backfield looked like it was going to be the C.J. Anderson show
early in the season, but rookie Devontae Booker has certainly
been making a strong case for additional playing time as he continues
to eat into Anderson's workload. Anderson has seen his fewest
number of carries of the season – 11 and 10 – over
the past two weeks, while Booker has now touched the ball at least
seven times in each of the past three games. Booker is still only
on the outside looking in for fantasy purposes, but his usage
is severely limiting Anderson's upside. Add to that the fact that
Booker is averaging 4.7 yards per carry to Anderson's 3.5 and
it's easy to see why the rumblings of a running back by committee
approach are beginning to get louder. The Texans are averaging
100 yards given up per game on the ground and the Broncos are
a run-heavy offense, so Anderson is still a low-end RB1 or high-end
RB2 option, but don't be shocked if he gives up 10 or more touches
to Booker this week.
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