With one major exception, Week 5 was an all-around solid week for the quarterback position in fantasy. A total of nine QBs threw for over 300 yards, which is the second most this season behind 10 in Week 3. One of those nine players was Ben Roethlisberger. Not surprising, right? Well, he paired five interceptions with his 300-yard effort. Oh yeah, no touchdowns, either. Big Ben just hasn’t looked the same this season and is definitely not worth starting in single-QB leagues anymore.
On the other end of the spectrum last week was rookie sensation, Deshaun Watson. This is a kid I’ve been hyping each and every week, and he hasn’t disappointed yet. Last week was his toughest test yet as a pro, and he passed with flying colors, putting up 261 yards and five touchdowns on the Kansas City Chiefs,
We have four more QBs on a bye this week, but there are still plenty of good options to choose from,
On a Bye
Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Tyrod Taylor, and Andy Dalton.
2017 NFL Team Passing Defense Statistics
Favorable Week 6Matchups
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans vs Cleveland
Poor Cleveland Browns. I really feel bad for them since they have to face the hottest QB in the NFL this week. In case you haven’t noticed, Deshaun Watson is a fantasy point scoring beast that cannot be stopped. Even a strong Kansas City Chiefs defense was no match for Watson. And if Watson can shred the Chiefs defense, just imagine what he can do to the porous defense they’ve assembled in Cleveland.
On the season, Cleveland is allowing league highs in both completion percentage (74%) and QB rating (112.4). In addition, they have allowed the 2nd most passing touchdowns and have only picked off three passes so far.
So, we’ve established that Cleveland can’t defend the pass. However, Watson is much more than just a passer. Even with not playing much in Week 1, he still leads all NFL QBs in rushing yards with 179. Surprisingly, Cleveland has been solid against the run this season, allowing only 2.9 yards per carry. They have allowed four rushing touchdowns, though, so there’s a glimmer of light for Watson to gain some fantasy points on the ground
Overall, this Cleveland defense just isn’t that good, and Watson should put on another clinic this weekend. My colleague, Ryan Cook, has him 8th in his Week 6 rankings. I like Watson more than that this week. Fire him up as a bonafide QB1 that very well could post top-five numbers at the position.
Week 6 Projection: (Passing) 300 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. (Rushing) 40 yards, 1 TD.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona
It’s fair to say that Winston hasn’t performed up to expectations so far this season. He hasn’t been bad by any means, but more was expected after his performance in 2016. His overall stats are decent, but he’s really had only one game in Week 4 where he put up a lot of fantasy points. The other three games have been average at best. This week will be a great chance for Winston to break out against a subpar Arizona passing defense. The Cardinals are allowing an average of two touchdown passes per game and have picked off only four passes through the first five games.
Another positive factor for Winston’s fantasy value this week is that Arizona has a strong run defense. They’ve allowed only 3.3 YPC (4th lowest in NFL) and three rushing touchdowns this season. The game plan should be for Winston to throw and throw a lot this weekend. He’s been a borderline QB1 this season, but feel safe starting him as a top-10 QB option on Sunday.
Week 6 Projection: 280 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants
Fresh of a bye, Siemian and the Broncos get a favorable matchup at home on Sunday night against the winless New York Giants. Coming into the season, the Giants appeared to have a strong defense on paper, but that hasn’t been the case through the first five games of the season. This defense has picked off only one pass and has recorded the 3rd fewest sacks with eight. Bottom line is that Siemian is going to have a lot of time to throw, and when you get a lot of time in the pocket, good things usually happen.
I’ll admit I was skeptical of Siemian’s strong start to the season due to his previous inconsistency. To start the season, he shouldn’t have even been considered a starter in 2-QB leagues. After 888 yards and eight total touchdowns through the first four games, he’s now startable in those 2-QB leagues. With four teams on byes this week, Siemian makes for a strong play as a QB2 and a decent DFS option if you don’t want to spend big bucks on a QB.
Week 6 Projection: 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Unfavorable Week 6 Matchups
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville
Let me start here by going back to Week 5. In this article last week, I listed Ben Roethlisberger in the unfavorable matchup section. He did manage to rack up 312 yards but also threw five interceptions. Yes, you read that correctly. That’s now a whopping 10 interceptions total on the season for this Jacksonville defense.
Jared Goff has been having a fine season, but he’s nowhere near the caliber of a passer that Big Ben is. He currently ranks 7th in passing yards and has thrown seven touchdowns to only three interceptions. I think it’s safe to say that TD/INT ratio is going to level out a good amount this week.
Another area I pointed out last week is how Jacksonville hasn’t been able to stop the run so far this season. They’ve allowed the most yards per attempt, second most total rushing yards, and are tied with the Bears for the fourth most rushing touchdowns allowed with five. I fully expect a similar game plan for the Rams this week, and that is to pound the rock with Todd Gurley. Goff should be valued as a back-end QB2 this week and nothing more.
Week 6 Projection: 240 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs vs Pittsburgh
Coming into this season, Alex Smith was probably the most average and most boring QB in the NFL. This former #1 pick has never lived up to the hype that comes with that draft slot. He’s never been bad, but he’s never been more than just okay, either. Until this season, that is. As it stands today, Smith has been a top-5 QB along with the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, and Deshaun Watson. It’s funny what can happen when you give a guy some legit receiving weapons to work with.
Smith is currently 3rd in passing yards and has an 11/0 TD/INT ratio. Those 11 touchdowns are also good for 3rd most in the NFL. However, this week is going to be his toughest test of the season against a stout Pittsburgh passing defense that has allowed only three passing touchdowns and an average of 140 passing yards per game. Pittsburgh’s run defense is amongst the league’s worst, so expect a lot of Kareem Hunt and not a lot of Alex Smith this week.
Week 6 Projection: 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Eli Manning, New York Giants at Denver’
This one couldn’t be more obvious. Denver once again has a very strong defensive unit, and Eli Manning has nobody of note to throw the ball to this weekend. Both Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall are on injured reserve, and Sterling Shepard isn’t expected to play for a few weeks at least. That leaves Roger Lewis, Evan Engram, and a bunch of crap. That doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence for Eli’s fantasy owners.
There’s really no need to dive too deep here. Eli has no one to throw to, and Denver is one of the best defenses in the NFL. That’s all that needs to be said. I wouldn’t even use Manning in 2-QB leagues this week.
Sleeper of the Week
Josh McCown, New York Jets vs. New England
So here we are in Week 6. Somehow, the New York Jets are 3-2, and I have no freaking idea how. However, they have been receiving steady QB play from veteran signal caller Josh McCown. Through five games he has thrown for 1,020 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s even run one in for good measure. This week, he gets the pleasure of going up against New England’s pathetic excuse for a passing defense.
The Patriots have allowed the most passing yards (by far) this season with 1,615, and opposing QBs have thrown for 12 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Yeah, it’s that bad. Part of the problem is they can’t get any pressure on the quarterback. Another reason is that Stephon Gilmore just hasn’t been that good. Even with this enticing matchup, McCown is still not worth starting outside of 2-QB leagues, but if you need a body for those types of leagues, give him a look.
Week 6 Projection: 280 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Thank you for reading this week’s quarterback matchup report on Fantrax. I hope you can use this article to your advantage and get a leg up on your fellow league members. Got a question about a player not covered here? Ask in the comments below or follow me on Twitter @EricCross04 and ask there. Make sure you check back in next Friday as we break down quarterbacks for Week 7.