Man, keep me away from your favorite football team. I had the opportunity to check out the supposed football game between the Giants and Chargers and I’m convinced that I am bad luck. Injury after injury after injury has the Giants in contention for a top 5 pick in this year’s draft.
The Bills, Cowboys, Bengals and Seahawks will have bye weeks so there are a lot of fantasy points that you will have to make up from RBs: LeSean McCoy and Ezekiel Elliott to WRs Dez Bryant, A.J. Green and Doug Baldwin to dual-threat QBs in Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott and Tyrod Taylor. Leave me a message down below if you need some fill in options from your waiver pool.
Quarterbacks:
Trevor Siemian, DEN, 27.2%: After two 20+ games in his first two starts of 2017 owners were salivating at getting their hands on Siemian. His next two games have been less than impressive averaging only 9 fantasy points. In week 6, Siemian will be the guy to lead the Giants to an 0-6 record. The Giants have allowed the ninth most fantasy points to opposing QBs with 10 TDs allowed compared to 1 INT. I had the privilege of seeing the latest Giants game in person and dumpster fires should be offended at people referring to the Giants as a dumpster fire. Siemian had 2 weeks to prepare for these Giants that are just going to be a disaster.
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI, 8.6%: I’m watching 2017’s #2 overall pick make his debut against the Vikings right now so who knows how this one could turn out. So far the former Tar Heel is 3 for 4 with 30 yards and some of those were really nice accurate passes. His next game will be against the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens have stacked pretty well so far against opposing QBs but digging a little deeper you see that they haven’t really faced elite QB competition: Week 1 they destroyed a completely lost Andy Dalton, week 2 it was rookie DeShone Kizer, week 3 Blake Bortles actually lit them up for 26 fantasy points, week 4 they held a soon to be retired (?) Ben Roethlisberger to 10 points and in week 5 they had Derek Carr’s back-up, EJ Manuel, put up 11 fantasy points against them. Lets see what the kid can do! 3RD QUARTER UPDATE: Trubisky has gone 10/20 with 102 yards 0 TD/0 INT. They’re keeping it conservative with their rookie QB. Hopefully they let the tiger out of the cage in week 6. ARTICLE SUBMITTED UPDATE: Trubisky just kinda threw a TD pass to Zach Miller that should’ve been intercepted and then in the sneakiest of QB sneaks, rushed into the end zone to tie it up at 17-17 with a two-point conversion.Â
Josh McCown, NYJ, 4.4%: New York’s best football team (WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE?!) welcomes the AFC East powerhouse Patriots to town in a battle for first place in the division. If you’re in a two QB league there are worse options than McCown. Probably. He gets the Patriots defense who have allowed every QB they’ve faced to get at least 18 fantasy points. McCown is easily the worst QB they are going to face this year and even he could get 15 points against this defense. This Jets team is playing with a chip on their shoulder and are surprising everyone right now. Don’t count McCown out entirely.
Running Backs:
Eli McGuire, NYJ, 14.6%: With lead running backs Bilal Powell and Matt Forte not expected to be 100% (or able to play at all) in week 6, Eli McGuire is the next man up. In week 4, McGuire broke out for 93 rushing yards and a TD on his way to a 20 fantasy point day. Week 5 was not as kind, but his week 6 opponent, the Patriots, have allowed the second most fantasy points to opposing running backs, the most receiving yards and TDs to RB. Could be a sneaky FLEX play here.
Matt Breida, SF, 7.1%: Breida had more rushes, more rushing yards, more targets and more receiving yards in week 5 than 49ers RB1 Carlos Hyde. Head coach Kyle Shanahan came out and said some PC BS, but this is an interesting timeshare to watch. Hyde is obviously the guy to own, but it looks like Breida is still going to be part of the offense and when/if/when Hyde goes down with an injury  Breida will be there to takeover.
Orleans Darkwa, NYG, 1.3%: I want to call him Darkwa Duck. The Giants asked me to line up wide right by the end of the 4th quarter in their game against the Chargers. With a complete lack of pass-catchers due to injury and Evan Engram’s recent appearance on a missing person’s report, the Giants are going to be running like they stole something. In week 5, Darkwa ran for 69 yards and a TD before sitting most of the game with a calf injury. I think Darkwa will be playing in week 6 and 7, but faces the Broncos and Seahawks which means Giants will be 0-7 before their merciful bye week in week 8. Darkwa did look good before his injury and who knows? Someone has to chair this Giants RB committee.
Marlon Mack, IND, 3.3%: A lot of owners have been asking about Marlon Mack and I am very high on him right meow, but believe the Colts coaching staff is going to be stubbornly loyal to the veteran Frank Gore for meow. Week 5 might change all of that: with 5 less rushing attempts, Mack ran for 43 more yards and a TD. Meow, Mack could be the future of this team while Gore’s time is running out. I still think Mack will continue to get additional touches as the season rolls on. UPDATE: I’m meow reading reports that Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is talking about getting Mack more involved. Grab him right meow.
Wide Receivers:
Nelson Agholor, PHI, 19.5%: Agholor is having a solid, but not fantastic season so far. He’s averaging 11.6 fantasy points — although most of that is on the back of a 20 point week 1 performance and a 19 point week 5 performance, but now we’re just picking nits. He had 93 receiving yards and a TD against the Cardinals in week 5. Agholor might be headed towards a mini-breakout season after being picked in the first round out of USC in 2015.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT, 3.1%: I’ve been just DYING to work JuJu into an article. The man’s name is JUJU for Pete Carroll’s sake! I’m surprised Ben Roethlisberger is having the season he’s having with Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and big bad JuJu Daddy catching passes from him. JuJu is average 5 targets per game and has increased his yardage every week since he debuted in week 2: 16, 39, 47, 58. He’s even grabbed 2 TDs. I love, love, love, LOVE JuJu for his week 6 matchup against the Chiefs who have allowed the most TDs (tied with Titans with 9) and fantasy points to opposing WRs. He’s going to get 70 yards and a TD. If Antonio Brown lets Ben share.
Marquise Goodwin, SF, 2.5%: Goodwin made it into my start/sit article for week 5 after SF’s other non-Garcon WR’s had great games in week 4. He rewarded those who listen to me with 5 catches for 116 yards. Marquise is a burner who is getting worked into the Niner offense more and more each week. I’ll warn you now though that in week 6 they face off against a Redskins team allowing the least fantasy points to opposing WRs. So grab him now — but don’t start him now.
Ricardo Louis, CLE, 0.4%: Ricardo Louis had a pretty solid 11 fantasy point game in week 4 on the back of a 5 catch, 64 yard game. He one-upped himself a little bit in week 5 against the Jets with 5 catches for 71 yards. He lead the Browns in targets in week 4 and 5 and that trend should continue into his week 6 showdown with the Titans who have allowed the most TDs to opposing WRs (tied with the Chiefs) and third most fantasy points.
Roger Lewis, NYG, 0.1%: Roger Lewis, he of 15 career receptions, now finds himself as the Giants default WR1 after injury upon injury upon injury in their week 5 game against the Chargers. I think Sterling Shepard and Brandon Marshall will only miss a week or two so I don’t think the Giants will sign Victor Cruz, Anquan Boldin, Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens as unfortunate as that is with these new TD celebration rules.Â
Tight Ends:
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, NYJ, 36.1%: I’ll keep screaming ASJ’s name until y’all listen. In his 3 games so far this season he has scored: 8, 8 and 14 points in a row. I recommended him as a waiver add AND a start in my two articles last week but y’all still ain’t listening. How about this? Week 6 he’s facing off against a Patriots defense that has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing TEs. If you’ve been suffering through Kyle Rudolph or Jordan Reed — it might be Seferian-Jenkins time!
A.J. Derby, DEN, 0.4%: Deep cuts! The Giants can just not stop allowing fantasy points to opposing TEs. They have allowed 332 yards and 5 TDs to the big receivers and that trend will continue into week 6. Derby got open for 75 yards and a TD in week 4 against the Raiders and I think he’ll probably get 50 yards and a TD in what is going to be a blowout against the Giants.
Defense/Special Teams:
Falcons D/ST vs. MIA, 12.7%: The Falcons as a defense haven’t done much, but they are going to be well-rested coming off of their bye week against an offense that has done even less: the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins could put up 300 yards of total offense against the Falcons and then they’d only be tied for 31st in total yards. What would you rather have? Kaepernick and controversy or Cutler and embarrassment?
Redskins D/ST vs. SF, 5.0%: The Skins are averaging 8.5 fantasy points after their week 4 1 point game against the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs. Before this game they had an interception, a fumble recovery and at least 2 sacks in each game. After their week 5 bye they are going to take on the Brian Hoyer-lead San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are in the bottom 10 in points scored and the Redskins have allowed the third fewest rushing yards to opposing RBs and the 4th fewest yards to opposing QBs.
Kickers:
Harrison Butker, KC, 10.4%: Butker was signed off the Panthers practice squad prior to the Chiefs week 4 game against the Redskins. In his first two games he’s put up 11 and 21 points respectively. Butker has found himself in an extremely enviable position as the kicker on the most explosive offense in the NFL. This will often reward him with a solid extra point floor and good field positioning. If you are a Dan Bailey or Blair Walsh bye week owner — go ahead and touch this Butker for his high-scoring week 6 match-up against the Steelers.
