Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 6

Rams vs. Broncos

Rams

Can anyone stop Jared Goff?

Probably. Will it be Denver? No, sir. Even if WRs Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks were out, I would bet on QB Jared Goff, right now. Sure, the Broncos are stout in coverage, most of the time. But, if you saw what the New York Jets did last week, then you’ll know what I mean. They were absolutely gorged by the running backs of New York. What’s the logical adjustment, but to stack the box and force the quarterback to throw. Daring Goff to adjust and beat them is unwise. Playing similarly to last week won’t work either. So, either they get trampled by RB Todd Gurley II or they get torched by McVay and Goff.

Three is wild for Gurley

It is possible, but unlikely that Gurley repeats the rare feat of three rushing touchdowns in a contest in back to back games. Either way, it is hard to find a defect in this guy’s game. He runs hard, is agile, has speed and can catch the ball just fine. With how balanced the team is, it’s basically a shoe-in that you will see Gurley produce in a big way, whether it’s yardage or punching it in for six multiple times. The Broncos gave up 219 yards to Isaiah Crowell….ISAIAH CROWELL. I’m not knocking Crowell, but now Denver is facing Todd Gurley II. I know strange things happen to good teams, but I can’t see this ending any other way than a dagger to the Broncos’ 2018 season.

Can the WRs get healthy in time?

Like I said above, I don’t think it will matter, whether Kupp and Cooks are healthy, but if they do suit up, it could get ugly. If Cooks cannot go (his hit was far more violent), but Kupp is in the lineup, then it will get ugly. WRs Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds are very capable, especially Woods who has proven himself to be a very polished route-runner the last couple seasons. Cooks puts this group over the top, but with how paranoid the Broncos will be about the run game, I think the receivers will benefit from mostly one on one coverage. I don’t expect anyone in particular to have an outstanding game, statistically, but it should be a pretty balanced box score for any of this trio. Of course, if Cooks plays, that opens up a whole new channel of possibilities for Kupp and Woods.

-Joe Hanretty

Broncos

The Denver Broncos face the NFL’s current juggernaut in a week 6 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. The Broncos enter the game desperate for a win, riding a three-game losing streak and rapidly losing ground to the NFL’s other undefeated team, the AFC West leading Kansas City Chiefs. Expect to see the Broncos unload everything they can in a must-win home game.

Which Broncos’ running back will this game favor?

After the Rams were gashed for 184 yards on 31 carries last week, expect the Broncos to run the ball early and often in week 6. Their success may come down to the start of the game: if the Broncos can establish the run and get a lead, or at least keep it close, Denver may be able to make some plays on the ground. If the Rams offense continues to dominate from the first snap of the game, the Broncos may quickly find themselves in a hole and abandon their gameplan.

Denver’s backfield might be slightly misunderstood by the fantasy community as a whole. Royce Freeman is thought of as the short yardage and goal line option, while Phillip Lindsay is thought of as the passing game back. The numbers show a different story, with Lindsay leading the Broncos running backs with 12 carries+targets inside the red zone, and Freeman 2nd with 9 red zone carries+targets.

In the passing game, Lindsay only has 8 catches on 12 targets for 65 yards and a touchdown in 5 games, while Devontae Booker has 13 catches on 17 targets for 113 yards. Booker is the passing game back and ultimately eats into Lindsay’s ceiling while this usage continues.

Despite the passing game concerns, Lindsay is taking over as the primary back, with 15 and 14 touches the last 2 weeks, while Freeman has 8 touches each of the last 2 weeks. Lindsay is the more efficient option as well, as he possesses 5.8 yards per carry compared to Freeman’s 5.1. Include Lindsay’s 5-0 red zone carry+target advantage over Freeman last week, and Lindsay is an even clearer choice. Freeman does have 3 touchdowns on the year, so his owner’s will have to hope that last week’s red zone usage was a fluke occurrence.

Who will get the most targets in the Broncos passing game?

Emmanuel Sanders looks like the most dependable volume based option in the Denver offense, corralling 9 of a season-high 14 targets for 72 yards last week. Sanders received his first red zone target of the season last week (he had 4 in the game) and has topped 100 yards only once on the year, so he has been a low ceiling wide receiver so far. But in PPR leagues, Sanders is a high floor, dependable option, and if the passing game can get in rhythm he should have better days ahead.

Demaryius Thomas seemed on the verge of fading away before last week’s 5 catches on 6 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. Most of his production came on a poorly thrown 42-yard touchdown in garbage time, so we may need to be cautious trusting him this week. After a measly 18 yards on 11 targets in week 2, Thomas has seen a reduced 5, 7, and 6 targets in the following three games. Playing from behind would help his volume.

Courtland Sutton left last week’s game with an ankle injury, but early reports seem encouraging for his week 6 status. Sutton has received a steady 5 or 6 targets in all but one week and has 4 red zone targets to tie with both Thomas and Sanders. Sutton’s production has been up and down, but he is a promising rookie that may continue to eat into Thomas’s usage. While he can’t be trusted yet in most leagues, he is worth keeping an eye on if he flashes his first round talent.

Are there any other fantasy options worth considering?

Case Keenum could, in theory, have a big game if trailing and forced to throw often, and piled on some points in garbage-time last week. Still, he hasn’t thrown a TD in 3 of 5 games and has been under scrutiny with his shaky play. You should be able to find better streaming options.

DaeSean Hamilton caught all 3 targets for 44 yards last week and could see some targets if Sutton misses this week. Those were the first 3 catches of Hamilton’s career, however, and he shouldn’t be trusted yet in fantasy.

Jeff Heuerman has 5 red zone targets on the year and has 4 or more targets the last 3 weeks. His production has been lacking, but desperate owners in super deep leagues may find some use in him. The Rams have yet to allow a tight end touchdown on the year, so this isn’t a great matchup.

SNOW GAME!!!!!!!

That’s not a question, but yes, the forecast in Denver calls for 1-3 inches of snow Saturday, and with sub-freezing temperatures Sunday there may be some flurries. I’ve learned not to factor weather in until Sunday morning, as weather reports are often exaggerated. This could cause the passing options to bump down a notch, and run game options to see increased volume, but don’t go overboard. There are typically only a few games each year where the weather drastically affects the game. This could maybe make the Denver D startable, but do you really want to start a defense against the Rams?

Predictions:

Boom Pick: Emmanuel Sanders

Bust Pick: Royce Freeman

Sleeper Pick: Courtland Sutton

-Alex Silverman