No, I didn’t know that some of the highest scorers in fantasy this week would be defenses, a 34-year-old wide receiver or a 32-year-old running back. Regardless, it was a treat to see Adrian Peterson show that he can still average over five-yards a carry, while Larry Fitzgerald can show up on the 2005 NCAA Football video game cover and still play at an elite level 12 years later.
One of the biggest stories of Week 6 was an unfortunate one. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers suffered a break in his right collarbone Sunday afternoon after a sack drilled him into the ground, landing him on his right shoulder. He’s expected to miss a good chunk of time, if not the rest of the season. If the break doesn’t require surgery, he has a chance of returning to the field before fantasy playoffs, but that’s not likely. He broke a collarbone before in 2013 and was out for 7 weeks.
If you’ve found yourself in this situation, the key is to not panic. Replacing a quarterback is much easier than replacing, say, Odell Beckham Jr. or Ezekiel Elliott. Eli Manning is averaging 15.8 points per game and is owned in just 44 percent of ESPN leagues. Mind you, he’s lost OBJ and a few other receivers, but he’s built rapport with tight end Evan Engram and the offensive line showed Sunday night that they may be able to handle themselves. Jared Goff also holds a spot in the top 15 fantasy QBs while averaging 14.8 points per game and is owned in just 20 percent of leagues. I picked up Carson Palmer, who leads the league in passing attempts and is owned in 59.1 percent of leagues, last week.. I like Palmer the most going forward due to his sheer volume and the fact that Adrian Peterson’s successful rushing added a dimension to the Arizona offense. Plus, they finally have two crucial pieces of their offensive line back on the turf.
As for Green Bay’s other offensive weapons, I think they still hold value. Jordy Nelson averages 18 fantasy points per game with Aaron Rodgers under center as compared to 15 points per game without him. Running back Ty Montgomery played Sunday despite broken ribs, and although it looks like the Packers will proceed with a time share in the backfield, Montgomery and Aaron Jones should, if anything, get more opportunities in Rodgers’s absence.
Teddy Bridgewater was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list in Minnesota. He’s expected to start practice Wednesday which will begin a three-week clock for the Vikings to decide whether to move Bridgewater to the 53-man roster or place him on the IR. We’ll have to stay updated with news from Vikings practices because if Bridgewater appears to be in good form and the Vikes are itching to start him, he could be on the field come Sunday.
Andrew Luck underwent a right shoulder injury earlier this year after aggravating a 2015 injury numerous times. In January, Colts’ owner Jim Irsay said Luck would be ready for the regular season. Six weeks in and that clearly isn’t the case. However, last week Luck began running 7-on-7 drills. Barring any setbacks, the general rule of thumb is to expect a quarterback on the field 2-3 weeks after beginning practice. Best case scenario, we could expect Luck back in action for Week 8 at Cincinnati.
Reports came out Monday that Steelers’ wide receiver Martavis Bryant has requested a trade from Pittsburgh. He tweeted something to debunk the rumor but if the story is true, it wouldn’t be surprising. For the fourth-straight week now he has logged fewer snaps than rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster who continues to outshine him. Bryant has a history of suspensions and behavioral issues and not many teams would be willing to take on the burden. Owned in over 80 percent of ESPN leagues, he’s obviously a popular player despite the fact he’s averaging just 2.8 receptions and 38.5 yards per game. If he doesn’t get his act together soon, I’d say he’s safe to drop because he’s just not getting things done.
On Sunday night, Broncos’ wide out Emmanuel Sanders took an awkward low hit that ruled him out for the remainder of the game. He’s now week to week with a sprained ankle and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chargers. Demaryius Thomas also went down for a time but eventually came back into the game despite his hobbling.
Tampa Bay signal-caller Jameis Winston suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and let Ryan Fitzpatrick finish Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals. The former Florida State Seminole is now day-to-day and it’d be a safe bet to pick up another QB just in case.
Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Jordan Matthews underwent thumb surgery to stabilize an injury suffered in Week 4. He’s now day-to-day and the team will see what his availability is like for Sunday. There’s a good chance Matthews is available in your league as he’s owned in just 23.6 percent of ESPN leagues. With the loss of Charles Clay for the season, no one has stepped up to the plate in Matthews’ absence and he should return as one of the main targets.
Redskins’ running back Rob Kelley is set to return to practice this week. After his long string of injuries and a bye week, several fantasy owners have forgotten about him and now he’s owned in just 62 percent of leagues. He’s not the best back, but he is a starting running back that’s possibly available in your league. Samaje Perine hasn’t shown anything since he took over in Week 2 to show that he deserves that starting role. Chris Thompson took a season-high 16 carries for 33 yards last week against San Francisco, but I believe he’ll remain primarily a receiving target when Kelley returns.
Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill was listed with a neck injury after taking a big hit on Sunday. On the short week, he’s day-to-day for Thursday night so stay updated with his practice this week.
Golden Tate went down and is expected to a miss a few weeks. The Lions have a bye this weekend which will give him some rest, but it should be noted that in his absence Marvin Jones Jr. racked up six receptions for 96 yards and a score. Jones is most likely already owned in your league but if Tate misses any time, he should be added.
Sign: If it wasn’t clear last week, it was this week when the New York Giants leaned on Orleans Darkwa to be their No.1 back. He racked up 21 carries for 117 yards against the lockdown Denver defense. Rookie Wayne Gallman is averaging over 10 carries the past three weeks but Darkwa is more of a downhill runner that I’d have favored as the goal line back. At the very least, he’s a nice stash on your bench and is owned in a shocking 4.5 percent of leagues.
Start: Any defense facing a team with a backup quarterback. Brian Hoyer lost his job in San Francisco to C.J. Beathard who actually did well against Washington, despite the absence of Josh Norman. He collected 245 yards and a score while throwing just one interception. Kevin Hogan isn’t any better than DeShone Kizer and threw for 140, a score and three picks. If Ryan Fitzpatrick starts in place of Jameis Winston, he’ll have a tough time against a solid Buffalo defense. Brett Hundley took over for Aaron Rodgers and also threw three picks. This week he faces a New Orleans defense that scored three touchdowns on Detroit.
Start: Now, I know he hasn’t been playing particularly well this season, but Matt Ryan faces a New England defense that still hasn’t figured things out. Last week they gave up a season-high 20.3 points to Josh McCown. Now there’s a small chance that Ryan is available in your league, but try to buy him on the low if you need to stream a quarterback this week.
Pro Tip: It’s about that time of the season where we know whether or not we’re in contention for the fantasy playoffs. Try taking a look at what players have the easiest schedule ahead and buying low on them if they’re going through a rough patch of competition.
Tweet me @Kevin_Roark with all your Fantasy Football questions!