As we are approaching the halfway point of the fantasy football season, these midseason wins are of most importance. I’m going to run down the best and worst matchups and let you know who to play in your fantasy lineups this weekend.
Quarterback
Jameis Winston (TB at Falcons, 24.4 F.P.P.G.)
FitzMagic seems to have lost its twinkle down in Tampa Bay and Jameis Winston will be getting his first start of the season post-suspension. The Atlanta Falcons have given up three passing touchdowns in each of their last four games and opposing teams have averaged 32.6 points per game. Although there is risk with Winston making his first start since last year, he was a top-10 QB last year in fantasy and has the receiving weapons to exceed expectations. I like him making this start coming off of a bye-week, and the matchup with the Falcons is icing on the cake. He is also a huge waiver wire add this week and should be rostered and stashed for the rest of the season barring any unforeseeable setback.
Verdict: Start with confidence.
[Also See: Week 6 Fantasy Football Rankings | Week 6 Trade Targets]
Andy Dalton (CIN vs. Steelers, 25.2 F.P.P.G.)
Sticking with some more divisional matchups, this game played at Paul Brown Stadium is a big one for both teams. Andy Dalton is performing very well this year and is on pace to set career bests in both touchdown passes and passing yards. The “Red Rifle” looks to build off of his red hot start against the Steelers defense that has given up the second most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Verdict: Start with confidence.
Jared Goff (LAR at Broncos, 18.5 F.P.P.G.)
Hear me out, the Rams offense is dominant and Sean McVay is a genius when it comes to scheming his playmakers open. The only problem is that Jared Goff may be without two weapons in his arsenal with Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp questionable after both suffering concussions in Seattle. Denver is the 16th ranked defense in opposing passing yards BUT they are ranked 30th in opposing rushing yards per game and 29th in opposing rushing touchdowns. I believe game script will go differently here and I don’t see Goff doing a lot through the air, but I do see a lot of Todd Gurley II.
Verdict: Start as high-end QB2.
Running Back
Kenyan Drake (MIA vs. Bears, 8.9 F.P.P.G.)
Coming off of a good showing against the Bengals, everyone who drafted Kenyan Drake is finally patting themselves on the back since he has been underperforming all season. Unfortunately this glory moment is short-lived as the Dolphins host Chicago, who boast the best run defense in the league. Don’t expect Drake to do anything special. Avoid him if possible. Avoid all Dolphins actually.
Verdict: Nope. Start if desperate but as a low-end flex.
Chris Carson (SEA at Raiders, in London, 24.8 F.P.P.G.)
Believe it or not, the Seattle Seahawks are a run-heavy team and over the last three games, no team is averaging more rushing yards per game (158.0). The Seahawks have a generous opponent this weekend as the Raiders run defense is ranked 28th in opponent rushing yards per game and opponent rushing touchdowns per game. Although the emergence of Mike Davis has come along these past two weeks, Chris Carson is still dominating carries and workload and is coming off of his best performance of the season.
Verdict: Start as a high-end RB2.
Isaiah Crowell (NYJ vs. Colts, 20.1 F.P.P.G.)
Coming off of a franchise record in rushing yards, we expect Isaiah Crowell to dominate this Jets backfield, right? That may not be the case, as Crowell was still second-fiddle to Bilal Powell in carries in his historic performance. Powell has the edge on Crowell with two more carries this season but Crowell is much more efficient ,averaging a menacing 6.8 YPA. Crowell also doesn’t get the work that Powell does as a pass-catcher and only has six receptions on the season. Crowell is definitely the better playmaker in this backfield, but his one-dimensional usage is what is keeping him from owning this backfield. That being said, I still like him this week against the struggling Colts defense.
Verdict: Start as a flex with upside.
Wide Receiver
Josh Gordon (NE vs. Chiefs, 24.3 F.P.P.G.)
Josh Gordon’s first touchdown as a New England Patriot was Tom Brady’s 500th career passing touchdown. This showdown with Kansas City is something NFL fans have been waiting for. With Gordon given extra time since the last time out to heal up his hamstring, I think he’ll be 100 percent ready to go and should move his way up to earning majority of the snaps. Expect a lot of passing in this game and look forward to a breakout performance from Gordon as well.
Verdict: Start as high-end flex with big upside.
John Brown (BAL at Titans, 22.7 F.P.P.G.)
John Brown has easily been Joe Flacco’s go-to guy this season. Putting up WR2 numbers, Brown took a step back against Cleveland last week and faces another tough matchup in Tennessee. The Titans’ defense is third in opponent passing yards per game and are a top-10 defense in sack percentage, which will make it hard for Flacco, who is known to make mistakes under pressure.
Verdict: Avoid if possible, if not, start as low-end flex.
Tight End
Eric Ebron (IND at Jets, 4.5 F.P.P.G.)
Eric Ebron had himself a phenomenal showing against New England, scoring two touchdowns and going for over 100 yards receiving. Even though Ebron is an exciting playmaker, the Jets are actually the best defense against Tight Ends this season. But I don’t blame you for wanting to start him since the position is very scarce.
Verdict: Start but limit expectations.
Jordan Reed (WAS vs. Panthers, 8.8 F.P.P.G.)
Jordan Reed and the Washington Redskins were abysmal on both sides of the ball against the Saints on Monday night. The Redskins offense is not as bad as they played and should bounce back against Carolina at home. With Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson banged up and questionable for Sunday, I expect Alex Smith to air it out quite a lot this game. He will have to. Carolina also ranks 10th in giving up the most fantasy points to the position this season.
Verdict: Start with confidence.
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