It seems like every week we are talking about a new injury that changes the fantasy landscape, and this week is no exception. Jamaal Charles tore his ACL, ending his season and crushing fantasy line-ups around the world in the process. That means Charles' owners now have to scramble to the waiver wire and hope they get either Charcandrick West or Kniles Davis.
From a fantasy standpoint, West is the preferred guy to add because he is going to replace Charles as the starter, with Davis coming in as the power/change of pace back. Both RBs will have a role, but it looks more like West is the RB you want in fantasy leagues for now.
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Start 'em
Blake Bortles – Jaguars: Everyone in the sports world slept on Bortles this season, except me! Since I also write for the Jaguars, I was well aware of Bortles and the progress he made in the off-season. Bortles is the #8 ranked fantasy QB right now, and the Texans are giving up 21.3 PPG to QBs this season. His 19.8 FPPG on FanDuel is the 7th highest, but his pricetag of $7,300 ranks him 15th. The money you save on Bortles allows you to spend money elsewhere.
Sam Bradford – Eagles: The Eagles had high expectations in the pre-season, but the O-Line changed all that with their inability to block for the run or the pass. That all changed in Week 5 when Bradford put up a 333/2/2 line against the Saints. In Week 6 he gets a Giants defense that isn't as bad as the Saints, but pretty close nevertheless. The Giants are giving up 21.8 PPG to QBs this season, the 8th worst in the NFL.
Charcandrick West – Chiefs:With Charles out for the season, West has been dubbed the starter for the Chiefs going forward. Because of that West is the hottest waiver wire player this week, and his price on FanDuel has shot up to $6,200 for Week 6. The Vikings are a run-heavy team, and the Chiefs are a run-heavy team, putting the two of them on a ground-and-pound collision course this week. Look for the Chiefs to establish the run early with West and Kniles Davis, but expect West to have a larger role in the offense.
Theo Riddick – Lions: Rookie Ameer Abdullah has been a disappointment running the ball so far this season, gaining just 3.3 YPC (132 yards) through 40 rushing attempts. Because of that, the Lions have turned to Riddick as their passing-down option and he has flourished, reeling in 30-of-36 targets for 228 yards and 2 TDs. His 36 targets ranks 3rd most on the Lions, behind Calvin Johnson (52) and Golden Tate (47). His $5,000 price on FanDuel is the 53rd highest among RBs, making him a great value pick.
Willie Snead – Saints: Snead's ownership has spiked this week thanks to his 11 targets, 6 receptions, and 141 yards in Week 5. Fantasy owners have caught on to the fact that Snead is actually ranked #2 for Saints targets with 33, 3rd in receptions with 22, and #1 in receiving yards with 381. It's obvious that Snead has Drew Brees and Sean Peyton's trust, so it stands to reason that he should have your trust also. He's more of a WR2/3, but can quickly jump up in the rankings if those targets turn into touchdowns.
Mike Wallace – Vikings: Who gives up the most fantasy points to WRs in the NFL? The Kansas City Chiefs do. Who do the Vikings play in Week 6? The Kansas City Chiefs. Enter Mike Wallace. Wallace finally had a fantasy worthy game last week when he put up an 8/83/1 line against an elite Broncos defense. If the Vikings can orchestrate that line against the best defense in the NFL, you have to wonder what they can draw up for him to do against the worst defense in the league against WRs. He is just $5,400 on FanDuel, which again puts him as a great value pick for the daily fantasy website.
Tyler Eifert– Bengals: Eifert has been nothing short of amazing this season, ranking out as fantasy football's 17th best player overall. Not at TE mind you, OVERALL! This week he gets a Bills defense that is one of the better defenses in the NFL. With that said, the Bills are giving up 7.6 PPG to TEs, 12th most in the NFL. On top of that, their 262 yards allowed to TEs are 9th most in the NFL. His $6,000 pricetag on FanDuel is 5th most for TEs, but one that will be worth it given his 14.6 PPG on FanDuel (2nd best).
New York Jets defense: Did you know the Jets defense is owned in 67 percent of Yahoo leagues and 44.4 percent of NFL.com leagues? With the Jets at home against the woefully bad Redskins offense, fantasy owners have a prime chance to get a top-tier defense off the waiver wire this week. If there was a bet for a team to get shut out this week, I'd lay my money down on either the Redskins or the Browns.
Sit 'em
Ryan Tannehill – Dolphins: Tannehill finished last season ranked 13th overall in fantasy football, so he entered this season high on the QB radar. The problem is nothing has gone right for the Dolphins this season, which resulted in the firing of Coach Joe Philbin. The turmoil in Miami has not stayed just in the front office though. Tannehill is struggling to payback fantasy owners this season, ranking out in the 20-23 range for fantasy QBs. Until the Dolphins get things fixed in a few key areas, Tannehill isn't worth playing in standard fantasy leagues.
Philip Rivers – Chargers: I know I'm going against the grain with this one, especially after Week 5 when Rivers roaster the Steelers for 365 yards and 2 TDs. But I ask you, what does Week 5 have to do with Week 6? Nothing. The Chargers head to Green Bay to take on the Packers, who are allowing the 3rd fewest fantasy points to QBs this season at 16.6 PPG. And while this game could get out of hand, forcing the Chargers to throw from behind, the Packers are tied with the 2nd most interceptions this season at 8.
Alfred Morris – Redskins: Take out Week 1 and Morris has averaged 12.3 carries and 38.8 YPG for the Redskins, and is ranked 33rd for fantasy RBs heading into Week 6. Add to that the Redskins facing an undervalued Jets defense, and you have a bench worthy fantasy RB. There likely isn't much on the waiver wire to be had at this point, but I would certainly cut Morris for West or Davis if I had the chance.
Dan Herron – Bills: Karlos Williams is still in the leagues concussion protocol as of Wednesday night, putting him in serious doubt this week. Add him to Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy, and Sammy Watkins, and you have all the makings of an offensive disappointment on Sunday. The Bengals aren't likely to be scared of E.J. Manuel, meaning they could just stack the box and dare Manuel to throw it.
Andre Johnson – Colts: Andre Johnson has a good game last week, but it was obviously by design against his former team. This week I fully expect Donte Moncrief to have an increased offensive role while Johnson falls back to his WR3 spot on the depth chart. Fantasy owners need to be sure they aren't chasing stats with Johnson because they are likely to be a week late.
Martavis Bryant – Steelers: Bryant was activated from the suspended list this week, but he has a problem named Michael Vick. Bryant is certainly worth owning, and will be on the WR3 map throughout the season, but this week he has to face a firm Cardinals secondary. Vick is not the QB he once was, and his mistakes limit the upside for the Steelers WRs.
Gary Barnidge – Browns: Barnidge has flown under the radar largely because he is on the Browns, but people are catching now that the little known 30-year-old TE has scored 3 weeks in a row. On top of that, Barnidge has managed to rack up 20 catches for 319 yards in the 3-game span. His pricetag of $5,700 on FanDuel is steep when you consider he faces a Broncos defense that hasn't allowed a touchdown to a TE all season.
Buffalo Bills defense: The offense is decimated by injuries, putting that much more pressure on the defense if/when they have to be on the field more because the offense doesn't move the ball. The Bills are hosting the 5-0 Bengals this week, and all the momentum is in the Bengals favor. For those looking for a better streaming option on defense, I'd give the Jets or Jaguars a look as both have favorable match-ups.
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