The sixth Sunday of the NFL season featured one other improbable efficiency from Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle, one other landing from Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens, and continued growth from precocious New England Patriots QB Drake Maye as a top-10 fantasy possibility. Oh, there have been accidents, too, with wonderful broad receivers Puka Nacua (ankle), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) leaving video games prematurely. Fantasy managers should monitor their standing for the upcoming week.
Every Monday, earlier than the present NFL week ends, we’ll establish gamers obtainable in at the least 50% of ESPN customary leagues worthy of your consideration, from customary codecs to deeper choices. The NFL is a weekly league, and participant valuation and roles seldom stay stagnant. It doesn’t matter the way you purchase gamers on your fantasy rosters, simply that you just get them.
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (34.4% rostered): This isn’t the primary time we’ve mentioned Dart on this house, although fantasy managers remained quite tepid with curiosity. Dart was lively in fewer than 10% of ESPN customary leagues in Week 6. That should change after Dart scored 23.6 factors in a surprising win over the beleaguered Philadelphia Eagles. Though Dart stays an unfinished product as a passer, he has notably rushed for greater than 50 yards in every of his three begins, scoring touchdowns in two of them. That is sufficient to make him related in fantasy. A highway recreation in Denver this week won’t be as a lot enjoyable as going through Philly, however Dart boasts plain QB1 potential in fantasy this season and needs to be rostered in lots of extra leagues.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (23.1%): Some fantasy managers simply refuse to consider in Darnold regardless of his stable numbers. Darnold scored 20.0 factors on Sunday towards the Jacksonville Jaguars, and after a tough Week 1 outing, he’s averaging practically 20 PPG over his previous 5 video games. He and the Seahawks face the Houston Texans in Week 7. Given his numbers, it’s arduous to counsel something however Darnold being underrated in fantasy. He confirmed us his capacity final season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he’s performing equally this season.
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Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (27.1%): Somebody needed to decide up the working again duties with starter Omarion Hampton (ankle) shelved, and we had a good suggestion it will be some mixture of Vidal and Hassan Haskins. Most sided with Haskins (49.7%), since he performed at Michigan for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Mistaken alternative! These coaches simply hold everybody guessing! Vidal loved a far better efficiency, turning 21 touches into 138 yards and 22.8 factors. Haskins had seven touches. Add Vidal for Week 7 towards the Indianapolis Colts, whereas noting Hampton may miss extra time than initially anticipated.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (23.6%): Spears (ankle) made his season debut in Week 5 with little statistical consequence. In Week 6, he turned 9 touches into 50 yards and 9.0 factors, outpacing starter Tony Pollard, who scored 6.7 factors on 12 touches. The elusive Spears does his greatest work catching passes, and maybe the Titans will use him much more in Week 7 towards the Patriots. For now, Pollard buyers have little to fret about.
Bam Knight, Cardinals (5.6%): We featured Michael Carter on this house final week, as he seemed to be the Arizona working again of alternative with James Conner and Trey Benson sidelined. On Saturday, a day earlier than going through the Colts, quite stunning phrase got here that the Cardinals supposed to provide Knight, together with his third NFL group earlier than his twenty fifth birthday, an opportunity at first-team quantity. Knight scored a landing and notched 12.4 factors on his 12 touches Sunday, however he didn’t differentiate himself a lot from Carter, who scored 8.4 factors on 11 touches. Knight is more likely to be a bit overrated this week for the sport towards a tricky Packers staff.
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Steelers starter Jaylen Warren (knee) returned from a number of weeks off and scored 8.3 factors towards the Browns. In the meantime, Kenneth Gainwell (56.8%) caught six passes (although for less than 14 yards), however his total output was 9.6 factors. This stays a timeshare, with Warren clearly the popular alternative. Though Gainwell has reached double-digit factors in just one recreation, he continues to matter at a weak place in fantasy.
The Vikings and Texans loved the bye in Week 6, and all 4 of the working backs for these groups related to fantasy stay rostered in additional than 50% of leagues. Nonetheless, verify your league for Texans Nick Chubb (68.2%) and Woody Marks (59.7%), as they face the Seahawks this week. They nonetheless come most well-liked to Browns backups Jerome Ford (24.9%) and Dylan Sampson (14.3%), who mixed for 12.4 factors in Sunday’s loss.
Kayshon Boutte, Patriots (7.0%): Boutte was featured on this house after his stable Week 1 outing, during which he caught six passes for 103 yards towards the Las Vegas Raiders. Then Boutte caught a measly seven passes for 105 yards over the subsequent 4 video games, making his opening-week output look mighty aberrant. Effectively, the quite inconsistent Boutte returned to relevance Sunday towards the New Orleans Saints, catching all 5 of his targets for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Does any of this imply Boutte may have an enormous Week 7 recreation towards the Titans? Nope, however QB Drake Maye is terrific, and the Titans, effectively, usually are not. Pats teammate DeMario Douglas (6.7%) scored 16.1 factors Sunday, and he additionally will get to face the Titans!
Josh Downs, Colts (41.5%): Downs has reached double-digit factors in three of six video games to date. These are those during which he has seven or extra targets from resurgent QB Daniel Jones. Within the different three video games, Downs has not been focused a lot, so he has not accomplished a lot. We will’t make certain Jones will goal Downs this week towards the Chargers, however at this level, fantasy managers have to belief Jones, and Downs feels a bit too obtainable. As well as, the Colts face the Titans in Week 8.
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Harrison won’t play in Week 7 towards the Packers, which suggests extra consideration for Michael Wilson (3.9%), Zay Jones (0.1%) and Greg Dortch (0.2%). Yeah, it’s not precisely a Corridor of Fame crew for a Cardinals QB (to be named later) to throw to with out Harrison (although TE Trey McBride may see 20 targets in Week 7). Jones scored 12.9 factors in Sunday’s loss, however Wilson has been concerned within the offense all season, and he feels extra more likely to matter.
Equally, we have no idea if Buccaneers rookie star Egbuka might be obtainable to play on “Monday Evening Soccer” towards the Lions. Tez Johnson (0.0%), a rookie chosen within the seventh spherical from Oregon, made the spotlight reels together with his 45-yard, fingertip landing, however it was his solely catch Sunday. Kameron Johnson (0.0%) performed extra snaps and noticed 4 targets, changing one right into a landing. We suggest veteran Sterling Shepard (14.8%) first, then Kameron Johnson, however whereas Bucs head coach Todd Bowles already dominated out Chris Godwin Jr. and RB Bucky Irving out for Week 7, for all we all know Egbuka, and Mike Evans (hamstring) may nonetheless play. It’s early within the week, however make plans in case neither can go.
San Francisco 49ers reserve Kendrick Bourne caught 10 passes for 142 yards whereas filling in for Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings in Week 5, scoring a cool 24.2 factors. He adopted that up on Sunday with 5 catches for an additional 142 yards and a still-cool 19.2 factors. Bourne, 29, has been round for some time and by no means surpassed 800 receiving yards in a season. At this charge of 142 yards per recreation, he would get there effectively earlier than Thanksgiving. It’s attainable the 49ers QB (to be named later) will ignore Bourne when everybody else turns into wholesome (together with TE George Kittle), however take an opportunity for Week 7 towards the Falcons.
Texans rookie Jayden Higgins (22.9%) caught 5 passes on six targets over the primary 4 video games of the season previous to the bye week, after which in Week 5 towards the Ravens he caught 4 passes on as many targets. Maybe star Nico Collins is the lone Texans WR price counting on, however Higgins was a improbable faculty participant at Iowa State and a second-round draft decide. He ought to matter quickly.
Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (29.1%): This isn’t actually an rising passing recreation to put money into (but), however Fannin caught 7 of 10 targets from fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel towards the Steelers, and a few of them got here after beginning TE David Njoku (knee) left early. Maybe Njoku will miss a while. Fannin has scored double-digit factors in three of six video games, and the Browns face the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
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Raiders star Brock Bowers (knee) has missed consecutive video games, a lot to the chagrin of fantasy managers who anticipated one other monster season. Backup Michael Mayer (3.1%) caught 5 of seven targets for 50 yards and a landing on Sunday, his 16.0 factors eclipsing any efficiency from Bowers this season. There won’t be controversy for the Raiders, for Bowers is the starter when wholesome, however Mayer is the one wholesome one for this week.
Seahawks starter AJ Barner (10.1%) continues to supply fantasy-relevant numbers, however managers proceed to depend on underachievers akin to Njoku and the Ravens’ Mark Andrews. Barner scored 10.1 factors towards the Jaguars, the fourth time in 5 weeks he reached double digits. His isn’t main quantity, and his landing charge is a bit excessive, however you’ll be able to belief him in Week 7 and drop him for his bye in Week 8.
Bye weeks proceed in Week 7 with the Buffalo Payments and Baltimore Ravens taking off. For the Payments, fantasy managers may want to half with WRs Keon Coleman (75.5%) and Khalil Shakir (76.8%), together with TE Dalton Kincaid (78.7%). In every case, it will be extra prudent to maintain these gamers in your bench quite than dumping them for one-week fixes, in case you may also help it. This stays one of many high offenses within the league. Transfer on from the Payments D/ST (62.1%), although.
The bye week comes at a great time for the struggling Ravens, who may get QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) again for Week 8 towards the Bears. Fantasy managers should hold RB Derrick Henry and WR Zay Flowers by way of the bye as effectively. That’s not the case with veteran TE Mark Andrews (84.3%), who scored 6.6 factors on Sunday and boasts greater than half of his season complete from one Week 3 recreation. In the meantime, why is the Ravens D/ST (41.0%) nonetheless so in style? Solely the Cowboys D/ST has been worse for fantasy!
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The Browns proceed to battle to attain factors, so though the Dolphins don’t precisely play superior protection, the Miami D/ST (2.5%) unit seems to be a helpful streamer for Week 7.
The Giants D/ST (18.3%) scored 8.0 factors within the victory over the Eagles, and it’ll face a Denver Broncos offense that scored just one landing in Week 6. The Giants have registered three or extra sacks in half their video games, they usually create turnovers. Go along with the Giants over the scuffling New York Jets (9.1%), who face the seemingly simpler opponent within the Panthers. The Panthers have scored 57 factors over the previous two video games and have Dowdle and star rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan.