Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 6: Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and More

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace caught nine passes for just 76 yards and one touchdown through his first four 2017 games.

In Week 5, however, Wallace broke out to the tune of three catches for 133 yards as he took the top off the Oakland Raiders secondary.

It's easy to play the Monday morning quarterback, but in hindsight, predicting a good Week 5 for Wallace wouldn't have been a ridiculous assertion.

Teams have beat Oakland deep numerous times this season, notably by Washington Redskins wide receiver Josh Doctson (52-yard touchdown) and New York Jets wideout Jermaine Kearse (34-yard touchdown). Also, through Week 4, the Raiders were ranked fifth-worst in pass defense DVOA, per Football Outsiders.

Therefore, it's important to be forward-thinking when making fantasy football decisions.

We'll try our best to predict the future below by picking some sleepers who have good matchups. Then, we'll follow the analysis up with some predictions.

Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and Projections

New York Jets QB Josh McCown and WR Jermaine Kearse

The New England Patriots are 9.5-point favorites over the New York Jets on Sunday, per OddsShark. If the game script is such that the high-octane Pats jump out to an early lead, then Gang Green may be forced to throw often to stay in the game.

Therefore, quarterback Josh McCown and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse could be connecting on a few passes, much like they did for two scores against the Oakland Raiders in a 45-20 blowout in Week 2. Kearse has three touchdowns on the year in just five games, as he's developed a good rapport with the veteran McCown early.

Cleveland Browns RB Duke Johnson Jr.

The same idea expressed above exists for Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson.

Cleveland is a 9.5-point underdog to the Houston Texans. If Houston's suddenly dominant offense lights up NRG Stadium, then the Browns are going to be forced to go to the pass, meaning third-down back Duke Johnson could be seeing a ton of action.

Johnson already has 23 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in five games, and he's seen an average of six targets in the past three. He should be a huge asset in point-per-reception leagues this week.

Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers, WR Tyrell Williams and WR Travis Benjamin

The Oakland Raiders have some issues in the back end of their defense, as noted by Wallace's aforementioned performance.

Unfortunately for Oakland, the deep threats don't stop Sunday, as Chargers wideouts Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin are both capable of making big plays.

Williams hauled in a 75-yard touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago, and Benjamin caught in a 44-yarder against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. One (or both) of those receivers could be line for big games, alongside quarterback Philip Rivers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson

Outside of shutdown cornerback Patrick Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals have serious issues on the back end of their defense.

They've been beaten for huge plays by Dallas Cowboys wideout Brice Butler (two catches for 90 yards and a touchdown) and Philadelphia Eagles wideouts Nelson Agholor (72-yard touchdown) and Torrey Smith (59-yard score).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson is his team's deep threat, and he's just missed connecting with quarterback Jameis Winston on a few monster plays (he broke out last Thursday with five catches and 106 yards, though).

At some point, those two are going to connect for a huge touchdown. This might be the week against a vulnerable Arizona defense, especially considering that Peterson will likely be preoccupied with star wide receiver Mike Evans.

Houston Texans TE Ryan Griffin

The reasoning for this pick is simple, and it's expressed via this tweet from DraftKings analyst and FantasyLabs writer Adam Levitan:

Four of those five tight ends have had productive days. The lone exception is Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle, but that's in part because wideout T.Y. Hilton was left wide-open all day in a 31-28 win, so quarterback Jacoby Brissett took what the defense gave him and kept hitting his No. 1 target for big gains.

Griffin isn't the Texans' first (he may not even be top-five) scoring option, and he has only averaged four targets per game this year.

As said in the introduction, though, we need to look forward and see if the matchup is right. Simply put, Cleveland has issues against defending this position, so anyone who isn't a strict blocking tight end could be in line for a productive outing. Don't be surprised if Griffin does well.