Looking for an edge in your Week 6 fantasy football matchup?Here are nine last-minute thoughts heading into the weekend.
Give Sam Darnold a few more weeks
The New York Jets quarterback was out for a month with mononucleosis. He’s back this week against Dallas. That’s going to help an offense that was terrible with replacements Trevor Siemian and Luke Falk. But Darnold alone isn’t going to cure all that’s wrong with the Jets. As running back Le’Veon Bell said, “We can’t expect Sam to just go out there and be Superman.” That’s very true. Darnold is over an illness that saps strength and energy, but he might not be all the way back physically. Plus, he’s playing on a very bad offense.
Kerryon Johnson poised for big game vs. Packers
The Detroit running back is the feature back, but he has only one 100-yard rushing game and only one touchdown this season. There’s a good chance that will change against Green Bay. The Packers are allowing the league’s third-worst yards-per-carry average (5.16).
Philip Rivers will chew up Pittsburgh’s blitz
The Chargers quarterback is coming off an uncharacteristically bad game. In a loss to Denver, he threw for a season-low 211 yards and was intercepted twice. But that won’t continue this week against Pittsburgh. The Steelers have blitzed more than all but three other teams this season. Meanwhile, Rivers has thrived against the blitz this season. He’s completed 27 of 39 passes for 378 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions when facing at least one extra pass rusher.
Malcolm Brown could be worth a start
The status of Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is up in the air as he deals with a quad injury. If Gurley is out or limited, you might be wise to play Malcolm Brown. Sure, he has only 26 carries for 114 yards this season. But that’s because Gurley has been getting the bulk of the carries. When Gurley was injured last year, Brown stepped in and did well. Despite the uncertainty about Gurley’s knee in the offseason, the Rams didn’t go out and get a running back to move ahead of Brown. Coach Todd McVay has a lot of confidence in Brown. Just don’t expect him to catch a lot of passes. Brown has only one reception this season.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield will connect
When the Browns traded for Beckham last offseason, this looked a dream pairing. Mayfield set a rookie record with 27 touchdown passes last year, and Beckham had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Giants. They were supposed to form one of the league’s most explosive passing combinations. Instead, they’ve been rather pedestrian. Beckham has been held to 23 catches for 335 yards and one touchdown. The Browns play the Seahawks this week, and that’s no easy task. On Thursday, Beckham said he’ll be happy to take on a greater workload. Mayfield and the coaching staff need to listen to that right away. Beckham hasn’t pouted yet, but he has the personality to do so and could become a distraction if things continue the way they are. Beckham’s involvement needs to increase now.
Sit Carson Wentz if you’ve got an alternative
Throw out the Philadelphia quarterback’s numbers from his game against Washington in the season opener, and he’s averaging only 209.8 passing yards per game. He’s completed less than 60 percent of his passes in each of his past four games. Plus, he’s got an unfavorable matchup this week as the Eagles travel to Minnesota and face a solid defense.
Play Austin Ekeler ahead of Melvin Gordon
The Chargers have two good running backs now that Gordon is back from his holdout. Gordon will emerge as the feature back in time. But Ekeler is a better fantasy play this week because of his receiving skills. Ekeler leads all NFL running backs with 39 catches for 356 yards this season. Pittsburgh has allowed more receptions by running backs than all but five teams.
Dak Prescott will bounce back
Dallas has lost its past two games, and Prescott has thrown four interceptions after throwing only two in the first three games. Yeah, Prescott did throw for 463 yards in last week’s loss to Green Bay. But that number was dampened by the fact that Prescott threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. In Dallas’ first three games (all wins), Prescott completed 74.5 percent of passes and averaged 306.7 passing yards. The Cowboys should get another win this week. They’re playing the Jets. Prescott might not throw for 463 yards again, but he’ll be much more efficient.
Adrian Peterson will look like his old self
It may be for only one week, but the Washington running back is going to look like he did in his glory days in Minnesota. That’s mainly because the Redskins play the Dolphins, who haven’t been able to stop anything. Even after the Miami game, Peterson could continue to be a fantasy factor. Interim coach Bill Callahan said this week that Peterson hasn’t had a chance to get into a rhythm. That’s very true. Peterson has only 40 carries for 108 yards with only four first downs. Callahan has a history of favoring the running game, and he’s going to get Peterson more involved.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
