Two teams finally got their first wins of the year this week, and only two undefeated teams remain, all while injuries are taking their toll for teams across the league. Here are some key Week 6 fantasy football takeaways to apply to Tuesday’s waiver runs and in projecting fantasy production going forward.
Take a look back at Meng’s takeaways from Week 5.
Week 6 Fantasy Football Takeaways
Niners Knocking at the Door
The last two undefeated teams this season are the New England Patriots and the… San Francisco 49ers? It’s probably fair to say that few if any, expected the 49ers to play as well as they have thus far on the season. Despite middling play from Jimmy Garoppolo, this San Francisco team has been excellent in all phases. The run game and the defense have been the two biggest factors, though the committee backfield has kept fantasy production modest for both Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida. It would seem that both are in a fairly evenly split backfield going forward.
Coleman is being more heavily utilized in short-yardage situations and near the goal line, but Breida is more explosive in the passing game and has big-play ability. For teams with ample running back depth, it may be wise to sell high on either running back. While both have upside, it could be difficult to predict which back will produce more on a week-to-week basis. On the other side of the ball, the 49ers defense is the third-highest scoring fantasy defense through six weeks. With a 1-5 Washington team up next, the 49ers fantasy defense is a great option for this coming week and possibly for the rest of the season as well.
Kyler Could Be Russell 2.0 for Real
Yes, Kyler Murray and company have beaten up on the hapless Bengals and Falcons over the last two games, but the rookie has shown poise and playmaking ability after a slow start to the season. Murray and Russell Wilson’s play have quite a bit in common, and not just because of their heights. Murray’s deep ball accuracy and ability to scramble to keep plays alive are reminiscent of Wilson’s strengths, and all despite an ailing offensive line. If Murray keeps up this level of play over the next two months, he could very well join Wilson in the annals of NFL history as a fellow Rookie of the Year winner.
Murray has now completed over 64 percent of his throws through six games and is fantasy QB8 on the season even though he’s thrown for just seven touchdowns so far. His passing volume and rushing production have buoyed his fantasy points, and his fantasy ceiling is immense. The touchdowns will come, especially when a healthy Christian Kirk returns in the coming weeks. It’s unlikely Murray would come cheap, but if any league mates drafted him as a QB2 option with depth at the position, he’s clearly a buy-high trade target. David Johnson owners are likely holding, but both Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald could be acquirable for less-than-premium prices. Both have WR2 upside as the season progresses.
Will the Real Stefon Diggs Please Stand Up?
Through five weeks, Stefon Diggs was averaging just over three catches for 51 yards per game. Then on Sunday, Diggs exploded for seven receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns against a virtually non-existent Eagles secondary. On the other hand, Adam Thielen has been far more consistent this year, albeit with one down game in Week 4 when the entire Minnesota offense struggled at Chicago. So what can we expect from Diggs going forward?
Thielen is playing far more out of the slot this year than Diggs, and Cousins has been far more reliant on targeting Thielen than Diggs. This is in large part due to two factors. First, Minnesota has preferred a run-heavy offense, limiting the number of targets overall in the passing game. And second, Diggs is running deeper routes, routes on which Cousins doesn’t always have time to wait for to develop. Per AirYards.com, Diggs has an average depth of target (aDOT) of 17 yards, which is far higher than Thielen’s aDOT of 12 yards. Minnesota’s offensive line also ranks just 24th in pass blocking per FootballOutsiders.com. Diggs’s massive Week 6 performance is likely an anomaly, and he should continue to be considered a boom or bust WR3 or flex play going forward. Diggs is probably a hard sell after just one big week, but even a package deal is worth considering for teams who have enough depth at receiver.
Revisiting Takeaways from Week 5
Breaking Into a Gallup
It wasn’t pretty for Dallas in Week 6 after Amari Cooper left on the first drive of the game with a quad injury. The Cowboys have now lost three straight games, as Dak Prescott struggled against constant pressure with both starting offensive tackles out due to injury. If the offensive line can at least slow down the Philadelphia pass rush in Week 7 though, the Eagles’ secondary is vulnerable. If Cooper can return in time for this game, both he and Michael Gallup possess immense fantasy ceilings for this divisional showdown. This is a Philadelphia unit that just allowed 224 receiving yards and four touchdowns to Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, and Minnesota’s offensive linemen haven’t exactly been world-beaters.
Dreadful Defenses to Target
Cincinnati’s run defense and Atlanta’s pass defense both continue to struggle. The Bengals allowed Lamar Jackson to run all over them to the tune of 152 yards and a score, and Mark Ingram added another 52 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Leonard Fournette has a huge ceiling against this reeling Bengals front seven in Week 7, and if Todd Gurley is healthy enough to return by Week 8, Cincinnati offers the perfect opportunity for a bounce-back game. Jared Goff could likewise have a bounce-back game even sooner after a rough loss to San Francisco with this shoddy Falcons secondary up next. Atlanta has now allowed nearly 800 passing yards and eight touchdowns without an interception over the last two weeks.
It’s Cuffing Season
Neither Reggie Bonnafon nor Chase Edmonds were pressed into service to start this past week, as both Christian McCaffrey and David Johnson suited up and produced. However, both Bonnafon and Edmonds remain high-upside handcuffs. In fact, Edmonds may even have some standalone value as a deep flex play going forward given the sheer number of plays that the Cardinals’ offense has been running. Edmonds tied Johnson for rushing yards against Atlanta despite carrying the ball just five times compared to Johnson’s 12 carries, and also scored for the second time in two games as a receiver. The second-year running back has shown that he could be very productive in this Arizona offense if Johnson were to miss time.
For more fantasy football content, follow me on Twitter @FFA_Meng.
What are your key takeaways from Week 6 Fantasy Football? Let us know in the comments below!
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2018 and things are only getting better! With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.