Fantasy Football Week 6: Soft Defenses for Your Stars To Exploit
Everyone loves cupcakes; they're soft, sweet, compact, and just about perfect.
That's true in sports, as well. Ask Nebraska if they like playing cupcakes on their schedule.
As a fantasy football participant, you should love cupcakes as much as the players do. Soft, chewy defenses can be the difference between losing by three points and winning by five or six.
We're bringing you the 10 players who stand to benefit most from cupcake defenses, 5 running backs and 5 pass catchers. Using our patented "Cupcake Meter", we're showing you who has the best matchups in Week 6, and breaking down why they're so soft.
Rushing Cupcake Eater 5: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
1 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Peterson loves feasting on soft run defenses, but he's also not terribly picky, racking up yards against even the best defenses in the NFL.
Who's the Cupcake: The Vikings get the Dallas Cowboys, who have been a mess in stumbling to 1-3 this season.
Cupcake Meter: 5.5 out of 10. Dallas ranks ninth against opposing rushers, but has been gashed by both Houston and Tennessee the last two weeks. Peterson is certainly on par with Chris Johnson and Arian Foster, so their scary numbers still look pretty tasty to Peterson.
Passing Cupcake Eater 5: Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans
2 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Britt is a fantastic redzone threat, and has developed into a semi-reliable deep threat, as well. The Titans' wideout isn't worth a play every week, but he loves him some cupcakes.
Who's the Matchup: Jacksonville's defense is incapable of stopping anything whatsoever, but they rank dead last against opposing wideouts.
Cupcake Meter: 6.5 out of 10. The Jags' defense might be dead last against the pass, but they're also terrible against the run, and this team prefers to rush the football before they throw it. Even so, when they throw the ball, expect the big, rangy Britt to get plenty of targets this week.
Rushing Cupcake Eater 4: Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans
3 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Chris Johnson is the definition of a cupcake eater in 2010. He has thrived against the worst of the NFL's run defenses, and struggled against the league's elite stoppers.
Who's the Cupcake: Jacksonville's 19th-ranked defense comes to town this week, but their stats have been inflated a bit by matchups with poor running teams.
Cupcake Meter: 6.5 out of 10. The Jags' defense has been a sorry mess in 2010, but their run defense hasn't been completely awful thus far. Still, with a talent like Johnson in the backfield, expect Jacksonville to struggle.
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Passing Cupcake Eater 4: Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers
4 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Davis is the kind of talent who is tough for even the stingiest of defenses to stop, with his combination of size, speed and hands. When he goes against a soft defense, he's almost a lock to have a big game.
Who's the Cupcake: Oakland's defense has been one of the NFL's softest against opposing tight ends, ranking 29th against the position in 2010.
Cupcake Meter: 6.5 out of 10. Given the Raiders' struggles against opposing tight ends in 2010, Davis should get a higher rating on the meter. But nothing about the 49ers' passing game has made much sense so far this year, although it did show signs of order and reason last week.
Rushing Cupcake Eater 3: Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons
5 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: With the kind of work Turner gets in the Falcons' offense, cupcakes are battered into submission by his powerful rushing style. But Turner's explosive too, and he loves gouging chewy defenses on big plays.
Who's the Cupcake: Philadelphia's defense ranks 26th against opposing running backs in 2010, but that seems high, given their play. They're vulnerable to the big play, and don't have the strength up front to stop a runner of Turner's caliber.
Cupcake Meter: 7.5 out of 10. Turner has found the end zone just once this season, but Philly loves to give up rushing touchdowns. He ought to have a fantastic game.
Passing Cupcake Eater 3: Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers
6 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Floyd has shown flashes of brilliance in 2010, but has yet to go through a stretch of consistent excellence. That being said, he's definitely a fan of cupcakes, as San Diego's go-to wideout.
Who's the Cupcake: St. Louis ranks 22nd agains opposing wideouts, but got flat out torched by the Lions offense last week. They're vulnerable, and Floyd's a fantastic deep threat.
Cupcake Meter: 7 out of 10. Floyd should feast in this matchup, but there is a chance quarterback Philip Rivers spreads the ball around this week.
Rushing Cupcake Eater 2: Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, New York Giants
7 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Bradshaw is one of the NFL's most explosive backs, and he's done his best work against the league's most vulnerable defenses.
Who's the Cupcake: The Lions defense has been completely and totally inept in 2010, ranking 31st against the rush, to go along with their awful pass defense. They give up big plays by the bushel.
Cupcake Meter: 8 of 10. Bradshaw's explosive, and the Lions give up big runs on a regular basis? If Brandon Jacobs doesn't poach carries from him, he'll have a fantastic game this week.
Passing Cupcake Eater 2: Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
8 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Wayne is supremely talented, and loves to feast on cupcakes. Look no further than Week 4's clash with Jacksonville as proof.
Who's the Cupcake: Washington's pass defense has been positively atrocious, and they've gotten smoked in just about every game this season. Wayne should have no trouble munching on this matchup.
Cupcake Meter: 9 out of 10. Washington can't stop anyone in Indy's offense, and Peyton Manning will look for Wayne early and often.
Rushing Cupcake Eater 1: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers
9 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Gore's got the versatility and talent to exploit both passing and rushing cupcakes, and he's flashed his talent regularly in 2010.
Who's the Cupcake: The Raiders rank dead last against opposing rushers in 2010, making them the softest, most delicious cupcake in the NFL.
Cupcake Meter: 10 out of 10. Gore has been fantastic in 2010, and with a soft Oakland defense out there, he should have a game to remember.
Passing Cupcake Eater 1: Anquan Boldin, WR, Baltimore Ravens
10 of 10
Why He's a Cupcake Eater: Boldin has torched talented defenses in 2010, so when he gets a cupcake, he thoroughly enjoys it.
Who's the Cupcake: The New England PAtriots have looked helpless against the pass in 2010, ranking 27th against opposing wideouts. They were burnt to a crisp by Miami's Brandon Marshall in Week 3, so imagine what Boldin can do.
Cupcake Meter: 10 out of 10. The perfect storm of elite receiver, cupcake defense, and a lack of reliable alternatives make Boldin a fantastic play in Week 6.
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