This week in Fantasy Football, we’re reminded once again how brutal of a game football can be. Whether you were sporting Odell Beckham, Ty Montgomery, Dalvin Cook, or the Dallas Cowboys, sometimes you have to sit back and remember that this is Aaron Rodgers’s world and we’re all just living in it.
One of the biggest stories of the weekend was the tragedy that is the New York Giants’ wide receiving corps. After Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard were both sidelined with foot and ankle injuries, OBJ caught his already-injured left ankle under a defender while coming down with the ball. Giants fans looked on in horror as the No. 1 wide receiver was carted off the field. Beckham will undergo surgery this week to address his fractured ankle and has been placed on the IR. With a heavy heart, I must say Beckham is safe to drop and you should look towards Shepard or tight end Evan Engram who have each proved themselves as competent pass catchers.
The Vikings came out of Soldier Field with a win last night, but unfortunately the most interesting thing to come from that game was the debut of the new Star Wars trailer. Sam Bradford started under center before being replaced by Case Keenum after going 5 of 11 for 36 yards. Jerick McKinnon was able to find his footing in both the running and passing game, proving he’s the more athletic back between himself and Latavius Murray. This is nothing new to us but Murray is still considered the lead back. McKinnon is available in 70 percent of ESPN leagues and should be played in matchup-dependent situations.
Mitchell Trubisky made his debut at quarterback for the Bears on Monday night. The rookie was extremely average throwing for 128 yards, a TD and a pick. The only thing I can really take from this is the up in stock for tight end Zach Miller. He led the team in targets while hauling in 3 for 39 yards and a touchdown. Tight ends typically serve as nice little safety blankets for inexperienced quarterbacks and if you’re a Charles Clay owner (who will be out for multiple weeks), Miller could be a steady start.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce suffered a big hit before falling to the ground on Sunday night versus Houston. He went out of the game before coming back in and then eventually failing to make an appearance in the second half. The Chiefs have subsequently announced that Kelce has a concussion and his progress should be monitored throughout the week.
Bilal Powell left the game with a calf injury after taking the reins of the Jets’ backfield. His progress will be updated throughout the week, but with Matt Forte still dealing with turf toe, I expect Elijah McGuire to see another bump in workload.
Running back Terrance West started the game well but went down with a calf injury. In his absence, the Ravens turned back to Javorius Allen who had a huge game with 21 carries for 73 yards and score, virtually forgetting about Alex Collins who put up just 55 yards on 12 carries. This Baltimore offense has been something I’ve been staying away from for a few weeks now. We’ll see if West is to miss any more time, but while these running backs are worth a roster spot, it’s unclear who the favorable starter is.
Dolphins’ wide out DeVante Parker is said to have suffered a sprained ankle. He’s an explosive player that helps a very unenthusiastic Jay Cutler find open targets. If he misses any games, Jarvis Landry will most likely see an ever larger workload as he is already ninth in the league for targets with 43 on the season.
The seemingly superhuman Rob Gronkowski can bulldoze mere mortals and has only been slowed down by injuries in the recent years. A thigh contusion kept the tight end out of Thursday night’s competition against Tampa Bay. He is, however expected to be set to play in Week 6.
Doug Martin is officially back and the Bucs showed no hard feelings between themselves and the 2012 first round pick. He’s a must-start for the rest of the season and I’m keen on dropping Jacquizz Rodgers to the waiver wire.
The Seattle Seahawks’ backfield is a mess that can’t get over a horrendous offensive line, and not worth much more than this sentence right here.
Joe Mixon finally found his way to the end zone with 15 carries and 51 yards on the ground. The Bengals have continued to utilize Mixon ever since their offensive revamp in Week 3 and this will continue as he faces some more favorable defenses in the weeks to come. He’s the 32nd ranked running back and should be owned in every league, but I would try buying him for a fair price before he blows up for a huge game.
If you’re an Odell Beckham owner and really itching for a solid wide receiver to take his place, I’d look towards Chargers’ wide out Keenan Allen. He’s third in the league for targets, trailing only Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins. When Keenan Allen is Keenan Allen, he’s Keenan Allen. He’s proven himself against a tough schedule and with the 1-4 Chargers likely to be trailing for the majority of the time, he’s got a high upside down the road.
Sign: Jerick McKinnon, as I said before, proved himself last night as the more competent running back in the Vikings’ backfield. It was a good matchup against the Bears, but he could serve as a reliable flex option or RB2 in the right matchup. He’s available in 70 percent of ESPN leagues.
Sign: Marlon Mack is making his move to take over in the Indianapolis Colts backfield. Frank Gore is 34 and can’t be a lead back forever. Mack ran nine times for 91 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and his workload should only improve when Andrew Luck returns. He won’t take over the job completely but I believe he’s worth a roster spot.
Sign: Orleans Darkwa may just be what the Giants have been looking for on the ground. He ran for 69 yards and a score on eight touches after replacing Paul Perkins.
Sign: Carolina tight end Ed Dickson has continued to see an increase in work in the absence of Greg Olsen. Sunday he hauled in five receptions for a career-high 175 yards. The Lions have been one of the best passing defenses in the league but with another depleted receiving corps, Cam Newton should continue targeting Dickson.
Start: Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. is ironically the Browns’ best wide receiver. He’s already hauled in 23 catches for 270 yards and a score through five games. This weekend he takes on the Houston Texans who won’t have any trouble on offense, but continue to struggle with an injury-riddled defense.
Start: If you’re like me and find yourself streaming a quarterback every single week, the Jets matchup is an appealing one. I never thought I’d find myself putting a New York Jet into my lineup, but this weekend they face the struggling New England defense. With Tom Brady under center you can almost guarantee that New York will be playing catchup, and that means watching Josh McCown and Jermaine Kearse connect on some sweet-sweet touchdowns.
Week 6 Byes: Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Seahawks
Tweet me @kevin_roark for all your Fantasy Football questions!