Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 6: Choosing Top Fantasy Football Locks and Flops

Perceptions of NFL players can change in a heartbeat.

Take the case of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Throughout his run with Chicago, he has largely been thought of as a talented, physically gifted underachiever. There has also been a perception that because he tends to keep a sour look on his face that he may not care as much as some other quarterbacks.

That may not have been fair, but Cutler has had a tendency to throw interceptions and fumble the ball, and often at inopportune moments. Last year, he threw 18 interceptions, and that was more than any other quarterback in the league. He also fumbled 12 times.

Cutler did not start the season as if things were going to change very much, as he threw key interceptions in each of the first two games of the season, and he also suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 against Arizona that prevented him from playing in the following game at Seattle. 

He returned sooner than anticipated in Week 4 against Oakland and led the Bears to a comeback victory over the Raiders. Then, he did the same in Kansas City against the Chiefs. He threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, and did not throw an interception.

Cutler and the Bears go to Detroit this week, and he should continue to pick up his performance. The Lions have the 22nd-rated defense in the league, and they have not won a game yet. Cutler should have the time to throw the ball or buy time with his athleticism and create on the move.

Of course, he would be an even better play if wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) could return to the lineup. But according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, Cutler is not sure when Jeffery will be back.

"

#Bears QB Jay Cutler on when WR Alshon Jeffery will return: “That’s a great question. I have no idea. I wish I knew. But I don’t know.”

— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 15, 2015"

In this piece, we take a look at our fantasy locks and flops for Week 6. As usual, we try to stay away from obvious advice like putting Aaron Rodgers or Rob Gronkowski in your lineup.

Position	Player	Team	Opponent	Lock/Flop
QB	Jay Cutler	Chicago	Detroit	Lock
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Buffalo	Cincinnati	Flop
QB	Blake Bortles	Jacksonville	Houston	Lock
RB	Ronnie Hillman	Denver	Cleveland	Lock
RB	Isaiah Crowell	Cleveland	Denver	Flop
RB	LeGarrette Blount	New England	Indianapolis	Lock
WR	Mike Wallace	Minnesota	Kansas City	Lock
WR	Brandon Marshall	N.Y. Jets	Washington	Flop
WR	Marvin Jones	Cincinnati	Buffalo	Lock
TE	Eric Ebron	Detroit	Chicago	Lock
TE	Jimmy Graham	Seattle	Carolina	Flop

Top Locks

RB Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos

It has become fairly well-established that Peyton Manning is not going to return to the form he had just a couple of years ago when he threw 55 TD passes and was the dominant quarterback in the league. He seems to understand that fairly well and is content to let Denver's staunch defense take over and shut down opponents on a consistent basis.

The Broncos still need some offense, and in addition to Manning's short passing, they need their running game to produce. While most expected C.J. Anderson to serve as the Broncos' No. 1 option in the backfield, Ronnie Hillman has outgained Anderson 212-139, and his yards per carry is 4.6, considerably better than Anderson's 2.6-ypc mark.

This could be a big week for Hillman since the Broncos travel to Cleveland. The Browns are struggling defensively, and they have been awful against the run. They are 31st in that area, and head coach Gary Kubiak needs to attack with his ground game throughout.

Hillman should eventually hit one or two big plays in this game. It may not happen in the first quarter but if the Broncos stick with it, they should have a good running day. Look for Hillman to run for 80-plus yards and score at least one touchdown.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

WR Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have won both of their home games relatively easily, and now they get the beaten-up and battered Kansas City Chiefs coming to pay them a visit in Week 6.

The Vikings are coming off of their bye week, and they should be prepared to get right after visitors who have lost four games in a row. What makes it even worse for Kansas City is that their last loss came at home against the Chicago Bears, and they also lost star running back Jamaal Charles to an ACL injury.

The season seems lost for the Chiefs with 11 games to go. Head coach Andy Reid has to find a way to rally his team, but it will not be an easy sales job.

The Vikings are not a prolific passing team, but this may be a game where offensive coordinator Norv Turner lets Teddy Bridgewater cut it loose. If he does, Mike Wallace should be the beneficiary.

Wallace has caught 20 of the 24 passes that have been targeted his way, and he leads the Vikings in receptions. Wallace is also a speedster, but he is averaging just 11.7 yards per catch and has just one touchdown.

It could break his way against Kansas City because the Chiefs have been struggling quite a bit against the pass. They rank 27th in yards allowed, and that should give Bridgewater the opportunity to hit Wallace with regularity. Look for him to have more than 80 receiving yards and at least one TD catch.

TE Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions

The Lions have had a difficult time accomplishing anything positive with their running game to this point in the year, and the Bears have been surprisingly good against the run.

After getting run over on the defensive side of the ball for each of the last two seasons, the Bears rank fourth in yards allowed, and that means defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has brought about a significant improvement. 

Head coach Jim Caldwell has to find a way to end his team's winless streak, and that means he needs to find a way to attack the Bears. Chicago can't let Calvin Johnson run free or get started early in the game, and the same holds true with No. 2 receiver Golden Tate.

The Bears can't double-cover everybody, and that means tight end Eric Ebron should have an opportunity to cause a lot of damage.

Ebron has been targeted 22 times, and he has caught 15-179-2. Look for him to improve on those figures and catch at least seven passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Ebron will likely be an afterthought for the Bears defense, and Matthew Stafford will find him.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Fantasy Flops

QB Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Tyrod Taylor is going to try to give it a go this week against the Cincinnati Bengals despite an injured left leg. 

While it's not likely he will be ruled in or out until the official announcements Sunday morning, we are comfortable saying that this is a game where you want to avoid putting Taylor in your lineup.

Not only do you run the risk of him being a late inactive, he's simply not going to have his best game against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that is going to try to hem him in. With the injury, he is not going to be able to leave the pocket with his normal explosiveness. 

Even if he plays, he won't throw for more than 150 yards and a touchdown. 

The Bills have been following a win-loss-win-loss pattern, and after beating the Tennessee Titans last week, they will likely fall short against Cincinnati.

RB Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns

If this was any other week, we might tell you to give strong consideration to Isaiah Crowell as a legitimate fantasy consideration. But the Cleveland Browns are playing the Denver Broncos this week, and the visitors from the Mile High City have the top-ranked defense in the league.

Crowell is a top-effort guy who gets the most out of every carry. He's not a brilliant talent, but his effort is commendable. He has rushed for a team-high 240 yards. Crowell is averaging 3.9 yards per attempt, and he has one touchdown.

The Denver defense will likely whip the Cleveland offensive front and hold that running game in check. Crowell is not likely to run for more than 50 yards, and he won't get in the end zone. Keep Crowell on your fantasy bench this week.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

WR Brandon Marshall, New York Jets

Brandon Marshall has been everything the Jets could have asked him to be so far this season.

He has already caught 30 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. His size and speed make him a viable target heading into most weeks.

But the Jets play the Washington Redskins this week, and we sense a large dose of overconfidence coming from the New Yorkers. The Jets are rested after their London trip, and they think that if they just show up, they will roll over Washington. The Jets have the 24th-rated pass offense in the league.

The Redskins have been surprisingly competitive in all of their games this year, and they have won two of them. They have the sixth-ranked defense and the eighth-best pass defense. They are going to put good pressure on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and that will prevent Marshall from making more than one big play. 

Keep him on your bench.