Things we learned in Week 5 to help us in Week 6:
(1) Jay Cutler is having a career year, which is not a good sign.
Cutler is tied for third in fantasy points among QBs and is on pace for a career-high 38 passing TDs. He has arguably the top RB in the league and (outside of Denver) the top receiving corps. Yet he's thrown more than two TDs in a game only four times in his last 44 contests. I view him as a huge sell high candidate who, although capable of improving on his career numbers, likely will finish the year outside the top 7 fantasy QBs.
(2) Branden Oliver is huge trade bait.
On Sunday, Oliver had one of the best performances by a backup RB in memory, racking up 182 total yards and two scores. If you were/are lucky enough to pick him up, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, it's unusual for undrafted free agents to sustain elite or even near-elite fantasy numbers. At a certain point opposing coaching staffs and defenses will figure out how to slow him down. The best players (in any sport) must learn how to adjust. While I'm higher on him this week than almost every other free agent RB, expectations should be tempered. Secondly, Ryan Mathews is a week or two away from returning. I don't see him sliding into a backup role. So if you have Oliver, his stock likely won't get higher, meaning you can trade him to an RB-needy opponent for a long-term upgrade elsewhere.
(3) Larry Donnell is not a fantasy savior, while Shane Vereen belongs in fantasy lineups.
After missing on Cordarrelle Patterson last week, I was able to project the fates of these two misunderstood players. In my Sunday morning blog I warned that Donnell was competing for targets with a lot of receivers, and that those guys would get their turn. Meanwhile, Vereen is arguably the Patriots' #2 offensive weapon, and I believed it was only a matter of time before they utilized him. He didn't get 12+ points, but he snagged 11, which is only the tip of what he's capable of.
(4) Mohamed Sanu remains not just relevant, but impactful.
Marvin Jones suffered a setback late last week, meaning Sanu got another start opposite A.J. Green. Before Week 1, I pushed readers on this blog to pick up and start Sanu, promising (to the extent anyone can promise anything they can't directly control) a high-impact WR that no one saw coming. Five weeks later, he's tied for 20th in WR fantasy points. And on yeah, he already had his bye, meaning he's a WR2 despite playing one less game than most other WRs. How do win your fantasy league? By spotting guys like Sanu before anyone else. Similar players are out there. You simply need to know where to search.
And I'm always happy to help you find 'em.
(1) Jay Cutler is having a career year, which is not a good sign.
Cutler is tied for third in fantasy points among QBs and is on pace for a career-high 38 passing TDs. He has arguably the top RB in the league and (outside of Denver) the top receiving corps. Yet he's thrown more than two TDs in a game only four times in his last 44 contests. I view him as a huge sell high candidate who, although capable of improving on his career numbers, likely will finish the year outside the top 7 fantasy QBs.
(2) Branden Oliver is huge trade bait.
On Sunday, Oliver had one of the best performances by a backup RB in memory, racking up 182 total yards and two scores. If you were/are lucky enough to pick him up, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, it's unusual for undrafted free agents to sustain elite or even near-elite fantasy numbers. At a certain point opposing coaching staffs and defenses will figure out how to slow him down. The best players (in any sport) must learn how to adjust. While I'm higher on him this week than almost every other free agent RB, expectations should be tempered. Secondly, Ryan Mathews is a week or two away from returning. I don't see him sliding into a backup role. So if you have Oliver, his stock likely won't get higher, meaning you can trade him to an RB-needy opponent for a long-term upgrade elsewhere.
(3) Larry Donnell is not a fantasy savior, while Shane Vereen belongs in fantasy lineups.
After missing on Cordarrelle Patterson last week, I was able to project the fates of these two misunderstood players. In my Sunday morning blog I warned that Donnell was competing for targets with a lot of receivers, and that those guys would get their turn. Meanwhile, Vereen is arguably the Patriots' #2 offensive weapon, and I believed it was only a matter of time before they utilized him. He didn't get 12+ points, but he snagged 11, which is only the tip of what he's capable of.
(4) Mohamed Sanu remains not just relevant, but impactful.
Marvin Jones suffered a setback late last week, meaning Sanu got another start opposite A.J. Green. Before Week 1, I pushed readers on this blog to pick up and start Sanu, promising (to the extent anyone can promise anything they can't directly control) a high-impact WR that no one saw coming. Five weeks later, he's tied for 20th in WR fantasy points. And on yeah, he already had his bye, meaning he's a WR2 despite playing one less game than most other WRs. How do win your fantasy league? By spotting guys like Sanu before anyone else. Similar players are out there. You simply need to know where to search.
And I'm always happy to help you find 'em.