Chark has been a revelation this season, scoring a touchdown or
reaching 70 yards in 4 of the first 6 weeks of the year. Things
were rough last week against a scary New Orleans secondary, so
facing the decimated Bengals defense should be a breath of fresh
air. Cinci is down both of their starting corners and Minshew
should have plenty of time to find his favorite receiver. He leads
the Jags by a mile in receiving yardage and touchdowns, and has
done more with his looks than anyone else on the team, catching
nearly 70% of his targets. The blow-up potential this week is
high, making Chark a high end WR2
The fantasy position in general is a mess, and Ertz has contributed,
falling well short of expectations to start the season. At this
point last season Ertz already had three 100-yard games, and three
games of 10+ receptions. Unfortunately 2019 hasn’t been as lucrative,
as Ertz has yet to reach those numbers even once so far this season.
But this is the biggest game of the year for the Eagles with first
place on the line. Dallas hasn’t exactly faced a murderer’s row
of tight end talent this season except for Week 1 when Evan Engram
torched them for over 100 yards and a score. If D-Jax can manage
to play this week, that should open things up over the middle for
Ertz, stretching the defense vertically. It’s quite possible the
monster weeks never materialize, but I think Ertz makes a few big
plays this week, and cements himself as a top-3 option.
No.2 receivers have absolutely feasted on the Ravens this season,
as Christian Kirk, Mecole Hardman, Jarvis Landry, and Auden Tate
have all gone for over 90 yards or a score over the first six weeks.
It’s been so bad Baltimore dealt for chronically underachieving
Marcus Peters this week to try and stem the bleeding. I anticipate
the Ravens doing everything in their power to keep Tyler Lockett
from beating them. Keep in mind that this is a “revenge” game for
Earl Thomas and he’s going to look to make plays against a team
he has a serious grudge to settle. Metcalf has a super narrow route
tree, but his physicality and speed should get him behind the defense
enough to make a big play or two downfield. Even with limited targets,
he’s getting consistent chances in the red zone and it only takes
a few receptions to make a big stat line. 80+ yards and a score
make Metcalf an upside WR3 this week.
Grab Some Pine
49ers Wide Receivers @ WAS
No team passes less than the 49ers, as they drop back to throw
on only 43% of their plays. The heavy emphasis on running the
football, and the way they deploy their receivers means not a
single 49er wide receiver ranks in the top 65 in standard scoring.
Rookie Deebo Samuel leads the receivers with only 15 receptions.
With George Kittle the first option in an offense that rarely
throws, it’s a fool's errand starting any of these guys.
This formula has the 49ers undefeated and game scripts are going
to have to shift monumentally for things to change.
Coutee came into the season with expectations as an explosive
No.3 receiver for a high volume passing offense. The wind was taken
out of the sails after an early season injury slowed him down, but
the addition of Kenny Stills put a further damper on expectations.
In fairness the Texans have tried to get him involved, but the bubble
screens and slants haven’t amounted to much. It doesn’t help that
the Texans are suddenly utilizing two tight ends to some success.
Coutee is just too far down on the pecking order to warrant a starting
spot on your team.
The return of Sam Darnold has resurrected Anderson’s fantasy
value, but don’t get carried away by his 5-125-1 line from
last week. Remember, 92 of those yards came on one play, and New
England has laid waste to opposing offenses all season. They’ve
allowed only 1 passing touchdown, and in his last three games
against the Pats, Anderson has totaled 106 yards on 9 receptions.
The Jets offensive line will be overmatched, and this has the
makings of a Jamison Crowder/Le'Veon Bell short passing attack.
There will be plenty of exploitable matchups for Anderson down
the stretch, but this isn't one of them. Don’t be guilty
of chasing points here this week.
