Making the Call on Week 6's Toughest Fantasy Lineup Decisions
We finally had a half-decent Thursday Night Football game—though the 24-0 lead the Houston Texans spotted the Indianapolis Colts almost derailed any chance of that—and with it came some interesting fantasy performances.
None of those was more notable than that of Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, who nearly broke a franchise record with 223 receiving yards to go with a touchdown. Had this article included Thursday night's participants, it might have highlighted Hilton over Reggie Wayne, who had a quiet night.
After all, that's how I had them ranked for this week.
There is still time to sift through some of the tougher decisions for Week 6, though.
Start: Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans
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Last week, undrafted rookie Branden Oliver shined for the San Diego Chargers. Could this be the big one for rookie Bishop Sankey?
Unlike Oliver, the Tennessee running back had a high draft position—he was the first one taken in the 2014 NFL draft, in fact. He has been toiling behind laborious plodder Shonn Greene for much of the season, however, unable to do much in the fantasy realm aside from a nice week in Indianapolis, when he ran for the only touchdown of his young career.
Greene is iffy for Tennessee's Week 6 tilt against the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. Sankey's stock depends on Greene's status, but it seems likely the veteran will miss this Sunday's matchup, or at least be limited.
That would be excellent news for Sankey and his fantasy owners, as he should take over as the lead back in Greene's absence.
Fantasy Prediction: 21 attempts, 95 yards, one TD; two receptions, 15 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: Sankey is a good option this weekend, particularly if Greene is out with his balky hamstring.
Sit: Matt Asiata, RB, Minnesota Vikings
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Still think Matt Asiata is a good idea? You shouldn't.
If last week's debacle against the Green Bay Packers wasn't enough, Asiata is taking his sparkling 3.7 yards-per-carry rushing average into a matchup against a good defensive front.
The Detroit Lions are allowing just 3.2 yards per carry, good for fourth in the league. It's an awful matchup for a guy who needs space to be serviceable.
Unless you are desperate at running back, Asiata is just a bad idea.
Fantasy Prediction: 14 attempts, 45 yards, zero TDs; one reception, 15 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: Banking on Asiata means banking on a touchdown, and the Lions tend to be pretty stingy against the run.
Start: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
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Ryan Tannehill had one of the best performances of his career in Week 4, though it came against the lowly Oakland Raiders.
The Miami Dolphins are coming off a bye, presumably having taken advantage of the extra week to be ultra-prepared for the Green Bay Packers. Of course, if they perform anything like the Cincinnati Bengals did coming off their bye, this could be a bloodbath in Miami.
Tannehill is set up nicely to build on that strong London performance, however, going up against a passing defense that has been generous to opposing quarterbacks not named Christian Ponder. Well, actually, Ponder scored more than Matthew Stafford thanks to the unexpectedly defensive struggle the Packers and Detroit Lions waged in Week 3.
Before that, though, now-defunct Geno Smith had a fantastic game that could have been better had a long touchdown pass not been nullified by a bad timeout.
Tannehill may not be a top option, but he should have a nice day on the wings of performances from his pass-catchers—Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Charles Clay and even Lamar Miller.
Fantasy Prediction: 21-of-35, 275 yards, two TDs, one INT; 15 rushing yards, zero rushing TDs
Final Verdict: The Dolphins might be passing the ball a good bit this week, especially if the Packers get up big. Tannehill will make for a nice stopgap starter.
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Sit: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
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This might be self-evident, but Tony Romo is a rather risky proposition in the fantasy realm this week.
Romo is playing well, to be sure, but how well will he have to play to overcome the Seattle Seahawks defense and the 12th Man?
Yes, that defense allowed 157 yards and a touchdown to DeSean Jackson last week—giving Kirk Cousins a passable stat line in the process—but that was then, and this is now. The Dallas Cowboys head to the Pacific Northwest to face the region's juggernaut on its home turf, where it has been far more dominant in recent years.
The Cowboys have been a revelation this season—on both sides of the ball—but it might be too much to ask Romo to give you a quality start this week against Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Co.
Fantasy Prediction: 23-of-37, 250 yards, two TDs, two INTs; 10 rushing yards, zero rushing TDs
Final Verdict: His stat line may be serviceable, but Romo is just not worth the risk against Seattle this week.
Depends: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Miami Dolphins
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This isn't Miami Dolphins week, but it is certainly a nice matchup for many involved in that offense.
Running back Knowshon Moreno has been practicing, looking likely for this weekend's game, barring any setbacks or a decision that he simply doesn't like the elbow brace, as tweeted by ESPN.com's James Walker.
The Packers defense is giving up 4.6 yards per carry on the year, eighth worst in the league. They are in the middle of the pack when looking at just running backs—4.3 yards per carry—but they have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to the position thus far.
It might be a bit risky to start Moreno since he could have a limited workload, but this isn't a leg injury from which he is returning; it's an elbow issue, and he will be wearing that aforementioned brace.
Last we saw Moreno before his injury, he was annihilating the New England Patriots to the tune of 134 rushing yards and a touchdown. That may be a bit of wishful thinking, but a strong showing is in the cards if he starts.
Fantasy Prediction: 16 attempts, 70 yards, one TD; two receptions, 25 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: Moreno should be back this week, and he should resume his role as a workhorse if he is healthy enough to play.
Flex Only: Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos
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The time has finally come for Ronnie Hillman to shine, right?
Denver's diminutive running back should finally get his opportunity this week with Montee Ball out with a groin injury. The questions are how much of an opportunity that will really be, and how effective will he be in his role.
Hillman is certainly the starter, at least for this week. Having Peyton Manning under center is a boon for any starting running back, given opposing defenses will have their hands full trying to stop that passing game.
The New York Jets, meanwhile, are licking their wounds from the thrashing they received at the hands of Branden Oliver and the San Diego Chargers last week. Before then, New York boasted the top run defense in the league.
It might have been a bad week, but that defense still has a fearsome front seven that should limit Hillman's effectiveness.
Then there is the real chance that C.J. Anderson or Juwan Thompson significantly eat into Hillman's touch count. Anderson flashed his potential earlier this season, and Thompson scored last week.
Fantasy Prediction: 13 attempts, 50 yards, zero TDs; four receptions, 35 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: It's a tough matchup for Hillman, and we're a bit hazy on how exactly the Denver Broncos will use him with Montee Ball out. Beware of starting him this week.
Start: Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants
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The New York Giants square off against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles this week in a tantalizing matchup that could feature a ton of points. The Eagles are favored by three with an over-under set at 50, so Vegas seems to lean toward a shootout.
That benefits fantasy owners of players on both squads, but no position benefits more than wide receivers on the New York side. That's because the Eagles sport one of the worst defenses in the league—at least when it comes to allowing yards and points—and receivers have scored plenty against them.
In fact, the Eagles have given up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
Victor Cruz is an obvious beneficiary, even if he hasn't scored much in recent weeks. If you are wringing your hands about Rueben Randle, have no fear—he should be in for a big week himself.
Fantasy Prediction: five receptions, 85 yards, one TD
Final Verdict: This is an excellent matchup for Randle and must be exploited.
Flex Only: Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants
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Odell Beckham Jr. made his rookie debut last week in a big way, notching four receptions for 44 yards and a score against the Atlanta Falcons.
He should therefore automatically be in starting lineups this week against a hapless Philadelphia Eagles pass defense, right? Not so fast.
A solid debut may well have augured big things for the first-round pick, but unproven commodities can be quite erratic when it comes to putting up numbers on a weekly basis. We're not sure what we're going to get out of Beckham until we see more, particularly with Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Larry Donnell around to steal targets.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have given up a ton of fantasy points that have mostly gone to No. 1 or No. 2 receivers on opposing teams. While Beckham and the Giants could certainly break that mold, it seems Cruz and Randle are set to be the biggest beneficiaries of this tasty tilt.
Fantasy Prediction: three receptions, 40 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: Beckham could put up big numbers against the Eagles, or he could fade into the background. He is too volatile to be considered anything but a flex or WR3 option.
Start: Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego Chargers
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Looking for a tight end to fill the void Jimmy Graham has left in your lineup due to a bye? Or, perhaps, are you looking for a quality streaming option in your tight end roulette?
This week, Ladarius Green might be your man.
True, he has been an abject disappointment for fantasy owners thus far this season, a promising talent turned to ash for anyone who may have drafted him early. Antonio Gates has resumed his role as fantasy terror in that offense.
Green is quietly ready to break out in 2014, however.
After getting six targets in Week 3—catching four of them for 64 yards against the Buffalo Bills—Green was sidelined with injury before returning to the tune of just one catch for eight yards last week. He was robbed of a touchdown on a penalty, however.
This week, Green goes up against an Oakland Raiders defense that is sure to key on Gates, Keenan Allen and Branden Oliver, which could leave him plenty of space to operate. Quarterback Philip Rivers has shown a propensity to find the open man.
Fantasy Prediction: four receptions, 65 yards, one TD
Final Verdict: Green is due for his breakout, including a touchdown. Despite having only faced one quality tight end, the Raiders have given up a fair number of fantasy points to the position this season.
Sit: Niles Paul and Jordan Reed, TE, Washington
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It will be interesting to see what we get out of the tight end position in Washington. For now it seems like a whole lotta nothing.
Niles Paul suffered a concussion in Week 4, which may have contributed to his awful Week 5 output. Jordan Reed, meanwhile, is set to come back this week after missing the last several with a hamstring injury.
We have seen both these guys put up nice numbers in the past, but determining who will get the most opportunities when both are healthy will require some tea leaves or a crystal ball.
Paul Prediction: three receptions, 45 yards, zero TDs
Reed Prediction: two receptions, 20 yards, zero TDs
Final Verdict: There is too much uncertainty between Reed and Paul to make a definitive pick to start this week.
All fantasy statistics courtesy of FFToday.com. All odds courtesy of OddsShark.com.
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