Fantasy Football 2014: 5 Week 6 Sleepers to Start in a Pinch

Red ink crept onto fantasy football rosters like a blood moon last Sunday. Owners must scour the waiver wire with Calvin Johnson, Rashad Jennings and Montee Ball headlining the Week 6 injury report. Look to sleepers like Odell Beckham Jr., Joe Flacco and Branden Oliver to restore peace of mind under an ominous sky.

Jimmy Graham’s injury status is also troubling, but his owners have a week to sort that out since the New Orleans Saints are on bye. The Kansas City Chiefs join them as the only two teams off this weekend.

A sleeper in this context is any player available in approximately 50 percent or more of ESPN Fantasy leagues with a favorable matchup.

Team Defense/Special Teams: Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Baltimore’s once fearsome defense lost its teeth when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed left, evidenced by a 16.3 percent ownership rate in ESPN leagues.

But this Ravens crew proved they deserve some respect as the first defense to hold the dangerous Indianapolis Colts offense under 24 points this season. Andrew Luck’s 19 points was the second-lowest total this year for the league’s leading fantasy QB.

Mike Glennon posted two decent starts in Josh McCown’s absence—averaging 16.5 points per game. But rookie wide receiver Mike Evans is out with a groin strain, limiting the Buccaneers options to spread the field.

Tampa Bay is also the third-most generous offense to opposing D/STs, surrendering 10.8 PPG.

This Ravens D won’t conjure up images of past dominance, but it should help out in a pinch this week.

Honorable Mention

Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins; Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.

Week 5 Results

Pittsburgh Steelers, finished in fourth place with 16 points; Philadelphia Eagles, tied for second with 18; Cleveland Browns, tied for 18th with three. Further proof you can find a useful and available D/ST on the waiver wire every week.

Tight End: Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

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Owners won’t have to wait long to see if Allen continues his 10th-ranked 8.6 PPG pace with a Thursday night kickoff against the Texans.

The only factor limiting Allen from true TE1 consideration is his Colts teammate Coby Fleener. Fleener has 21 targets to Allen’s 20, totaling 24 points through five weeks.

But Allen dominates Fleener in every other category: 15-11 in receptions, 204-139 in yards, 4-2 in touchdowns. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rates Allen a full five points ahead of Fleener—2.0 to -3.0. Allen’s superior run/pass-blocking scores reveal why he also beats Fleener in snap counts: 271-247.

Yet Fleener is owned in 15.7 percent of ESPN leagues to Allen’s 11.6.

Houston appears to be a tough matchup, ranking fourth in TE points allowed, but really they have just been successful keeping elite TEs out of the end zone. Daniel Fells benefited from the attention to Larry Donnell when he nabbed a score against Houston in Week 3.

Expect Allen and Fleener to similarly divide and conquer against the Texans this week, with Allen taking the slight advantage.

Honorable Mention

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns; Niles Paul/Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals.

Week 5 Results

Heath Miller, tied for 14th with four; Owen Daniels, tied for eighth with seven; Garrett Graham, tied for dead last with zero. If you started Graham and took the goose egg, just tell your friends you thought he was Jimmy and move on.

Wide Receiver: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

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Beckham’s persistent hamstring injury kept the third WR taken in the 2014 NFL draft near rock bottom in fantasy ownership: 3.8 percent.

His first-round counterparts boast much higher ownership rates: Sammy Watkins (96.8), Kelvin Benjamin (87.6), Mike Evans (64.7) and Brandin Cooks (64.6).

But Beckham dazzled in his NFL debut, posting four catches on five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. The rookie gladly shook the “bust” label that haunted him, as quoted by Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News:

"

Ahhh ... words can’t even describe it. To be out this long and to have to deal with the adversity I’ve had. To be able to score in my first game, it’s just great to get that under your belt and get that off your chest.

Anytime you’re out and injured and what you love to do is taken away from you, it challenges your character as a man. I’d hear about it every day. It was a constant reminder that when I get the opportunity, I’ve got to make the most of it because you never know when the last one will be.

"

Beckham—along with Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Larry Donnell—completes a prolific quartet of receiving options for Eli Manning and the resurgent Giants offense. Owners will reap early rewards because New York faces an Eagles defense that is the league-worst in WR PA.

Honorable Mention

Rueben Randle, New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles; Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants; Devin Hester, Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears.

Week 5 Results

Brian Quick, tied for third with 20; Rueben Randle, tied for 19th with nine; Eddie Royal, tied for 50th with four. Quick is the second-highest-trending pickup joining 20.9 percent of ESPN leagues, but he should be owned in 100 percent because he's the lone bright spot on an otherwise dim Rams offense.

Running Back: Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders

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Few outside of San Diego probably realized what the Chargers already knew about their undrafted free agent from Buffalo.

San Diego didn’t panic when Ryan Mathews sprained his MCL and Danny Woodhead was lost for the season. They simply promoted Donald Brown and Oliver to each player’s respective role and moved on.

Then Brown suffered a concussion in Week 5 against the Jets. Oliver captured the unlikely role of RB1 hero at 5’7”, 208 pounds facing a stiff Jets run defense. His 29-point breakout was good for fourth among all fantasy players, behind only Demaryius Thomas (34), Russell Wilson (34) and Peyton Manning (31).

Oliver’s college roommate Khalil Mack told SF Gate’s Vic Tafur:

"

I wasn’t surprised when I saw that at all. It was only practice in college, but he is the best running back I ever played against in my life. He’s quick, can lower his shoulder, can catch and can block.

"

Oliver will continue to shine in the short term against Mack and his Raiders’ 28th-ranked RB PA. His long-term prognosis is positive as well, considering he will assume the role of Woodhead when and if Mathews fully recovers. Woodhead finished 21st with 8.3 PPG in 2013.

Oliver is already averaging 7.0 PPG for the season, even though he’s only played one full game. He’s only owned in 0.7 percent of ESPN leagues, so go steal him before your fellow owners notice.

Honorable Mention:

Andre Williams, New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles; Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos at New York Jets.

Week 5 Results

Justin Forsett, 10th with 15; Isaiah Crowell, tied for 58th with one; Lorenzo Taliaferro, tied for 58th with one. Hey, I picked the right headliner, so I’d say this prediction worked out pretty well.

Quarterback: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Folks are beginning to notice the Ravens’ proficiency on offense behind first-year coordinator Gary Kubiak. Flacco is available in 66 percent of ESPN leagues, but he’s the hottest QB add, joining 15.1 percent of leagues in the last week.

Baltimore powers on in spite of losing Dennis Pitta to a hip injury and cutting Ray Rice for his off-field behavior. Flacco is currently tied for 17th among fantasy QBs with 14.2 PPG.

The Ravens travel to Tampa Bay this week, facing the league’s 23rd-ranked defense in QB PA. The Buccaneers yielded 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns to Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees in each of the last three weeks.

Flacco makes a nice emergency fill-in with Brees on the bench for the bye week.

Honorable Mention

Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals; Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.

Week 5 Results

Eli Manning, tied for 13th with 16; Joe Flacco, tied for 30th with 7; Alex Smith, tied for 24th with 13. It was a tough week for sleeper QBs, but I’ll take the mulligan with no significant byes or injuries.

Continue to monitor the injury wire as things develop this week, using this list as your guide for a lineup hole you just didn’t anticipate.