Here are the biggest fantasy angles I'm focusing on for each Sunday team. As always, my goal is to look beyond the obvious statistically and while projecting out to future weeks.
And first, a huge shout-out to Joseph Ehrlich. While scanning the Thursday Night Football final-score predictions late that night, I overlooked his pick: 12-7 Commanders. The exact final score. Simply incredible, and I feel bad about not giving him proper credit the morning after. So a huge contract to Joseph for becoming the fourth person this year to hit a score on the nose. And what a score to hit.
Steelers vs. Buccaneers -- Last Sunday, Kenny Pickett became only the second regular-season QB since the beginning of last season to throw for 300+ yards against the Bills. That's no small feat. Despite a pretty brutal upcoming schedule, the eventually battle-tested Pickett could be a fantastic streamer in the final five weeks of the fantasy season (Ravens twice, Panthers, Falcons, and Raiders). But of course, let's see if he can keep the offense moving again tomorrow. And the other QB to throw for 300+ against Buffalo? Tom Brady. But not much needs to be said about Brady. I'm more interested in Leonard Fournette's 3.8 YPC and 5+ receptions per game. Is he a buy-low or sell-high RB?
Falcons vs. 49ers -- Can Tyler Allgeier generate streamability in a sub-par offense, and competing with Caleb Huntley? And I'm still wondering if Jimmy G. can feed more than one receiver per game. Brandon Aiyuk looks to be the least valuable receiver between him, George Kittle, and of course Deebo Samuel. But all that could change if Aiyuk takes another step forward.
Browns vs. Patriots -- Last week I asked, "What do we do with Amari Cooper?" This week, it's the same question concerning Kareem Hunt. Hunt's per-game numbers are almost identical to 2020, when he was the overall RB10 while averaging 13.7 fantasy points per contest. This year he's averaging a still-terrific 13.0 points per game, but is *only* the RB17. If he were still at 13.7, he'd be the RB16. In other words, he's having a similar impact statistically, but not quite in fantasy. If this is the best he'll be all year, can he remain a weekly must-start RB? And for New England, is the Jakobi Meyers hype legit? Yes, he crushed the hapless Lions with a 7-111-1 receiving line. Logan Thomas had his best game of the season against these same Lions. So did J.D. McKissic. Jahan Dotson enjoyed his highest yardage total. 48% of K.J. Osborn's fantasy-point total has come against the Lions. Et cetera.
Packers vs. Jets -- This summer, I made the case that Aaron Rodgers (preseason QB9 ADP) was painfully overvalued. He was my preseason QB16. For the first time in his career, he had no clear-cut No. 1 receiver, and it would cap his ceiling. Currently the QB19, his fantasy season is at a crossroads. Against the Jets, we'll see if he can reclaim streaming value, or if we should be deservedly concerned about him for the rest of the season. And for New York, who's the best wideout to roster? I thought Elijah Moore would pop a bit given his 2021 chemistry with Zach Wilson. So far, that hasn't been the case.
Colts vs. Jaguars -- The last time the Jags beat the Colts three straight games, Blaine Gabbert was Jacksonville's QB. He defeated Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky, and rookie Andrew Luck. That was many quarterbacks ago. Tomorrow, I want to see if Alec Pierce can continue to challenge Michael Pittman, or if Pittman is poised for a long-overdue breakout. Indy needs Ryan to feed Pittman more. And for Jacksonville, is Travis Etienne a better rest-of-season investment than James Robinson? Currently, I believe so.
Dolphins vs. Vikings -- Two words: Myles Gaskin. Didn't think I'd mention him again. But here we are. If he remains ahead of Chase Edmonds in Week 6, then he'll be a must-add in most leagues. Raheem Mostert's age and injury history would make the catch-friendly Gaskin a strong bet for future spot starts. And is Irv Smith droppable? The TE18 is wedged between Robert Tonyan and Daniel Bellinger. Aside from his youth and hype, he's looking increasingly like one of a dozen or more TD-dependent TE fliers.
Saints vs. Bengals -- In the greatest per-game RB fantasy season of all time in 2002, Priest Holmes averaged 1.15 fantasy points per touch. In more modern times, Christian McCaffrey averaged 1.14 in his breakout 2019 campaign. By comparison, Taysom Hill is averaging 2.67. Please consider that before starting him with confidence. And can we still trust Ja'Marr Chase as an elite or near-elite WR? Candidly, I'd love to have him on my team. Also candidly, the Bengals' offense still doesn't look right.
Giants vs. Ravens -- Which Giants WR will step up this week? If we're chasing points, it's Darius Slayton. And to be blunt, if Slayton steps up again, that'll be a sign (to me) that the Giants are shopping their soon-to-be free agent as they await the return of their healthy "starting" WRs. And for Baltimore, J.K. Dobbins remains a fascinating buy-low/sell-high player. I'm not sure what to make of him, especially when Gus Edwards and Rashod Bateman return.
Rams vs. Panthers -- With Cam Akers out, Darrell Henderson has an opportunity to seize an underwhelming backfield for one week, or perhaps for longer. I made the case to PFN readers that the Rams have no choice but to establish the run. This is the game to do it. For Carolina, we can't overstate how messy this franchise is. Who knows if Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore will be in different uniforms by November. In the meantime, I'm wondering if we'll see more D'Onta Foreman, as the Panthers get a closer look at their other 26-year-old RB.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals -- Is Kenneth Walker the real deal? And will Eno Benjamin step up and force Arizona to reconsider James Conner as their unquestioned starter? Conner's contract will keep him in town until at least early 2024. So realistically, Benjamin can become no better than a long-term RBBC member. But first, he needs to play well enough to earn more touches for whenever Conner returns.
Chiefs vs. Bills -- A rematch of last season's extraordinary playoff game. Kansas City's best fantasy wideout is WR50 JuJu Smith-Schuster. Will anyone rise to the top in this WR corps? And the same question re: Buffalo's backfield. RB25 Devin Singletary could be buy-low or sell-high, and I'm concerned the latter is more likely.
Eagles vs. Cowboys -- What can we expect from Miles Sanders? Basically, is he now officially a weekly must-start RB? Or is he more matchup-based? And can Cooper Rush generate offense against a high-end defense on the road? He hasn't yet faced a unit this talented for a full game. I think he'll be terribly exposed, to the detriment of Dallas's entire offense. And I write this as someone who, for lack of any semi-reliable options, is forced to start CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
And first, a huge shout-out to Joseph Ehrlich. While scanning the Thursday Night Football final-score predictions late that night, I overlooked his pick: 12-7 Commanders. The exact final score. Simply incredible, and I feel bad about not giving him proper credit the morning after. So a huge contract to Joseph for becoming the fourth person this year to hit a score on the nose. And what a score to hit.
Steelers vs. Buccaneers -- Last Sunday, Kenny Pickett became only the second regular-season QB since the beginning of last season to throw for 300+ yards against the Bills. That's no small feat. Despite a pretty brutal upcoming schedule, the eventually battle-tested Pickett could be a fantastic streamer in the final five weeks of the fantasy season (Ravens twice, Panthers, Falcons, and Raiders). But of course, let's see if he can keep the offense moving again tomorrow. And the other QB to throw for 300+ against Buffalo? Tom Brady. But not much needs to be said about Brady. I'm more interested in Leonard Fournette's 3.8 YPC and 5+ receptions per game. Is he a buy-low or sell-high RB?
Falcons vs. 49ers -- Can Tyler Allgeier generate streamability in a sub-par offense, and competing with Caleb Huntley? And I'm still wondering if Jimmy G. can feed more than one receiver per game. Brandon Aiyuk looks to be the least valuable receiver between him, George Kittle, and of course Deebo Samuel. But all that could change if Aiyuk takes another step forward.
Browns vs. Patriots -- Last week I asked, "What do we do with Amari Cooper?" This week, it's the same question concerning Kareem Hunt. Hunt's per-game numbers are almost identical to 2020, when he was the overall RB10 while averaging 13.7 fantasy points per contest. This year he's averaging a still-terrific 13.0 points per game, but is *only* the RB17. If he were still at 13.7, he'd be the RB16. In other words, he's having a similar impact statistically, but not quite in fantasy. If this is the best he'll be all year, can he remain a weekly must-start RB? And for New England, is the Jakobi Meyers hype legit? Yes, he crushed the hapless Lions with a 7-111-1 receiving line. Logan Thomas had his best game of the season against these same Lions. So did J.D. McKissic. Jahan Dotson enjoyed his highest yardage total. 48% of K.J. Osborn's fantasy-point total has come against the Lions. Et cetera.
Packers vs. Jets -- This summer, I made the case that Aaron Rodgers (preseason QB9 ADP) was painfully overvalued. He was my preseason QB16. For the first time in his career, he had no clear-cut No. 1 receiver, and it would cap his ceiling. Currently the QB19, his fantasy season is at a crossroads. Against the Jets, we'll see if he can reclaim streaming value, or if we should be deservedly concerned about him for the rest of the season. And for New York, who's the best wideout to roster? I thought Elijah Moore would pop a bit given his 2021 chemistry with Zach Wilson. So far, that hasn't been the case.
Colts vs. Jaguars -- The last time the Jags beat the Colts three straight games, Blaine Gabbert was Jacksonville's QB. He defeated Curtis Painter, Dan Orlovsky, and rookie Andrew Luck. That was many quarterbacks ago. Tomorrow, I want to see if Alec Pierce can continue to challenge Michael Pittman, or if Pittman is poised for a long-overdue breakout. Indy needs Ryan to feed Pittman more. And for Jacksonville, is Travis Etienne a better rest-of-season investment than James Robinson? Currently, I believe so.
Dolphins vs. Vikings -- Two words: Myles Gaskin. Didn't think I'd mention him again. But here we are. If he remains ahead of Chase Edmonds in Week 6, then he'll be a must-add in most leagues. Raheem Mostert's age and injury history would make the catch-friendly Gaskin a strong bet for future spot starts. And is Irv Smith droppable? The TE18 is wedged between Robert Tonyan and Daniel Bellinger. Aside from his youth and hype, he's looking increasingly like one of a dozen or more TD-dependent TE fliers.
Saints vs. Bengals -- In the greatest per-game RB fantasy season of all time in 2002, Priest Holmes averaged 1.15 fantasy points per touch. In more modern times, Christian McCaffrey averaged 1.14 in his breakout 2019 campaign. By comparison, Taysom Hill is averaging 2.67. Please consider that before starting him with confidence. And can we still trust Ja'Marr Chase as an elite or near-elite WR? Candidly, I'd love to have him on my team. Also candidly, the Bengals' offense still doesn't look right.
Giants vs. Ravens -- Which Giants WR will step up this week? If we're chasing points, it's Darius Slayton. And to be blunt, if Slayton steps up again, that'll be a sign (to me) that the Giants are shopping their soon-to-be free agent as they await the return of their healthy "starting" WRs. And for Baltimore, J.K. Dobbins remains a fascinating buy-low/sell-high player. I'm not sure what to make of him, especially when Gus Edwards and Rashod Bateman return.
Rams vs. Panthers -- With Cam Akers out, Darrell Henderson has an opportunity to seize an underwhelming backfield for one week, or perhaps for longer. I made the case to PFN readers that the Rams have no choice but to establish the run. This is the game to do it. For Carolina, we can't overstate how messy this franchise is. Who knows if Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore will be in different uniforms by November. In the meantime, I'm wondering if we'll see more D'Onta Foreman, as the Panthers get a closer look at their other 26-year-old RB.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals -- Is Kenneth Walker the real deal? And will Eno Benjamin step up and force Arizona to reconsider James Conner as their unquestioned starter? Conner's contract will keep him in town until at least early 2024. So realistically, Benjamin can become no better than a long-term RBBC member. But first, he needs to play well enough to earn more touches for whenever Conner returns.
Chiefs vs. Bills -- A rematch of last season's extraordinary playoff game. Kansas City's best fantasy wideout is WR50 JuJu Smith-Schuster. Will anyone rise to the top in this WR corps? And the same question re: Buffalo's backfield. RB25 Devin Singletary could be buy-low or sell-high, and I'm concerned the latter is more likely.
Eagles vs. Cowboys -- What can we expect from Miles Sanders? Basically, is he now officially a weekly must-start RB? Or is he more matchup-based? And can Cooper Rush generate offense against a high-end defense on the road? He hasn't yet faced a unit this talented for a full game. I think he'll be terribly exposed, to the detriment of Dallas's entire offense. And I write this as someone who, for lack of any semi-reliable options, is forced to start CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.