Week 6 Roundtable
Welcome to the Fighting Chance Roundtable! Each week we will be asking our panel of Fighting Chance Staff a series of questions for the upcoming slate of NFL games. Each person will give you the best answer to the question in order to help set your lineups this week, both season long and DFS. This week we have Steve Rapin (@fantasygeek37 on Twitter), Kacey Kasem (@thekaceykasem), Jim Day (@fantasytaz), Brian Drake (@drakefantasy), and myself, Ryan Hallam (@fightingchance). Please dear reader, enjoy the Week 5 Roundtable!
Sleeper of the Week
Steve’s Pick - Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets. Everyone remembers Isaiah Crowell’s big game from last week, but what people don’t realize is that Bilal Powell has been out-snapping and out-touching Crowell most weeks. Now Crowell has popped up on the injury report and is a game-time decision which tells me that Powell could be in for a heavy workload against the Colts.
Jim’s Pick - Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets. Isaiah Crowell will be a game time decision with an ankle injury, but even if he plays I expect Powell to get most of the work. Not much talked about last week with the great game Crowell had, but Powell rushed for almost 100 yards himself. The Colts have given up the second most receptions to RBs through 5 games with 39. I expect Powell to easily put up double digit points in this one.
Brian’s Pick - Kyle Juszczyk, RB, San Francisco 49ers. Not only did the 49ers fullback play 70% of the snaps last week but he caught 6 of 7 targets for 75 yards. Perfect flex play for a running back desperate team in a PPR.
Kacey’s Pick - Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars. Westbrook has put up decent fantasy points this season, and he’s had three double-digit weeks. In week six, he takes on the Dallas Cowboys. Slot receivers tend to do well against Dallas, so look for Westbrook to have a good game. He won’t be seeing much of Byron Jones. Both Keke Coutee and Golden Tate had big games against Dallas, and I think Westbrook has that chance as well. Blake Bortles is going to throw the ball quickly because his offensive line is beat up, so small passes to Westbrook could be in the cards.
Ryan’s Pick – Tarik Cohen, RB, Chicago Bears. Does he count as a sleeper? I mean he finally woke up last game, and now coming off a bye and playing the crappy Dolphins. Trubisky is looking like he turned the corner and I think Cohen could have seven receptions and a score.
Bust of the Week
Kacey’s Pick - Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys. Sticking with the Dallas vs Jacksonville theme, I believe Zeke is going to have a less than stellar game than we’re used to. He’s been banged up, even though he practiced in full. The Jaguars are only giving up 3.62 yards a carry, and they do not allow many fantasy points to opposing running backs. Sure, Zeke is a stud on the field, and you have to start him, but he is not going to do what you want him to do for your fantasy team this week.
Brian’s Pick - TJ Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cowboys are actually very good against the run. Jacksonville will go over the top 40+ times to defeat the Cowboys leaving Yeldon with 50yds rushing and a the prayer of a few check downs.
Jim’s Pick - Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers. Allen has certainly not put up the kind of numbers you would expect from a #1 receiver on a team that is scoring over 30 points a game, but it will be even harder for him this week. There is good reason to expect Allen to have to go against Denzel Ward, and so far this season that has not been a good thing. Ward already has 3 interceptions, a forced fumble and he added a blocked kick in Week 5 to win that game against Baltimore.
Steve’s Pick - Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers. I’m kind of nervous putting the best wide receiver in the game as my Week 6 bust, but he only has one touchdown in his last seven games at Cincinnati and Roethlisberger has performed even worse there. You don’t bench Antonio Brown in redraft leagues, but for the guy I usually have as the top wide receiver in my weekly rankings, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t even finish as a top 15 wideout in Week 6.
Ryan’s Pick – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys. I picked him for this once before and barring a late touchdown I would have been correct. The Cowboys are completely one dimensional and I think a quality defense like Jacksonville can keep Zeke basically in check. I don’t think he will top 75 yards in this game.
Which Eagles back will be their best for the rest of the season?
Brian Says - He's not yet on the roster. None of the trio of Clement, Smallwood, or Sproles is going to win you a fantasy title. Howie Roseman will go out and find a value at the RB position be it Bell or McCoy or Drake or Ingram. Someone is going to be added to the Champs backfield and THAT is the guy you want.
Kacey Says - The player they end up trading for. No seriously, they’re going to end up trading for someone, and that someone is going to be the guy who benefits the most. If we have to go with a player that is already there, I think that Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood split duties, thus they’ll both end up doing the same. They’re not a running back group I’d want to roster.
Jim Says - I am going with Mark Ingram. That’s right I said Mark Ingram. Ingram will be a free agent after the season and I believe New Orleans will move him if they get the right price. Ingram instantly give the Eagles a big upgrade at RB in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl Champions…
Steve Says - Corey Clement. I think Doug Pederson will use a running back by committee with Jay Ajayi out for the rest of the season, and my guess is that Clement will come out on the plus side of both touches and production. Hell, he was using a RBBC with Jay Ajayi healthy so what makes anyone think he’s going to change his tune. I don’t particularly want either, but if I had to choose one, give me Corey Clement.
Ryan Says – Corey Clement. They definitely could trade for someone, but if they don’t I think it will be Clement. He is young and exciting, and I don’t think that Smallwood is the kind of back that can survive enough touches to be “the man”. I think both will be useable, but Clement should be better.
Which RB being held back by his coach do you prefer? Aaron Jones or Kerryon Johnson
Jim Says – Kerryon. I prefer Kerryon Johnson as the player being held back too much, but it is exactly what Matt Patricia wanted when he brought LeGarrette Blount in during free agency. I expect Johnson to see increased reps as the season continues and do his damage from outside the 2 or 3 yard line. In PPR leagues he has hit double digits in each of their last 4 games.
Steve Says – Kerryon. This is a tough one. Both of these teams are top ten in the NFL in terms of pass attempts per game. Not only that, but both split up the limited running back opportunities among three running backs. If I had to pick one of them though, I think I’m going to go with Kerryon Johnson. For some reason Mike McCarthy loves Jamaal Williams while I think Johnson has a shot to at least steal passing responsibilities away from Theo Riddick. In fantasy leagues, receptions to running backs can be gold, so I’m rolling the dice on Kerryon.
Kacey Says - Kerryon Johnson. I like what we’ve seen from him thus far, and he really needs to be given more of a chance to shine. He had 12 runs for 70 yards before he left that game against the Packers, and he said he could have gone back in. He’s also the guy who had the first 100-yard game in five years for the Lions, so that’s saying something. Mike McCarthy has stated that “there’s more to the offense than just running the football”, so this doesn’t give me hope he’ll use Aaron Jones effectively this season. He has the lowest amount of snaps of the three running backs in that offense, so it doesn’t look promising.
Brian Says – Kerryon. Aaron Jones is such a fantastic runner that everyone but moronic Mike McCarthy and that's the problem. McCarthy needs to go but thats another argument. Jones electrifies the Packers offense. Not only is he a dual threat but he creates missed tackles and massive yards per carry. He should be their every down back but knowing their coach he'll be on your waiver wire by week 10.
Ryan Says - Kerryon. With three backs in Green Bay, I just think this one stays more muddied, and Mike McCarthy hates us all. I can’t understand why Jones doesn’t get the most carries by far. Barring injury, Jones might not be let loose, although he has a good matchup this week against the Niners. Kerryon just feels like he’s ready to pop. I know Blount got the TDs and way more carries than he should have last week, but I have more faith Kerryon will be freed from the committee before Jones.
Which receiver finishes the season with the most fantasy points? Keke Coutee, Mike Williams or Christian Kirk
Brian Says – Coutee. All three of these young WR's should be owned. I really like Coutee the most. He's a skilled route runner. He's tremendous with the ball in his hands and gives the Texans the slot man they've never had. I worry he doesn't get the TD's of a big Mike but overall I want Coutee as a WR 3 for the rest of this season.
Steve Says – Coutee. Give me Keke Coutee!!! I love Mike Williams, but he’s only getting about four targets per game and Melvin Gordon is playing great, which is limiting the opportunities for the wide receivers. Christian Kirk has played well and seems to have a nice rapport with Josh Rosen, but yet only receiving about five targets per game. That’s why I like Keke Coutee because in two games, he’s gotten 15 and seven targets, and looks to have something good gelling with Deshaun Watson. Plus, the Texans have a shitty rushing attack, so they can support a third receiver being fantasy relevant. And I like his name the best…it’s so god damn fun to say.
Jim Says – Mike Williams. I am still sticking with Mike Williams as the player who will finish the most fantasy points of this trio. His big play ability will shine through and make him a top playmaker for the Chargers as they move toward their eventual AFC Championship and their date in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Kacey Says – Give me Keke Coutee. They are going to continue to use Coutee to his fullest potential in that Houston offense. He has had 21.7 and 17.3 fantasy points in the last two games, and I see that continuing. Coutee is getting a heavy volume of targets thrown his way, and I believe this is going to keep happening even when all receivers are healthy. Oh yeah, bragging here, but I saw him in person on Sunday night, and that dude can ball. Christian Kirk is too touchdown dependant for my blood, and I think Mike Williams depends too much on large plays I still like them all, and the wide receiver landscape is crazy good this year. Coutee is the safest and most likely to do work the remainder of the season in my opinion.
Ryan Says - Mike Williams. Coutee is on a nice little run, but I think still think he is third if Will Fuller is ever truly healthy. Christian Kirk does seem to have a nice chemistry with Josh Rosen, but I’m sticking with Williams. He’s not getting as many targets as I’d like right now, but he’s still the number two receiver on a strong offense. I think his usage will increase as the season goes on and he is my guy here.