Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 6

Ravens vs. Titans

Ravens

What can we expect from Joe Flacco?

Joe Flacco has been really up and down so far this season, with two 20+ point performances and two 15 points or less. If Flacco gets under serious pressure, he gets nervous and starts thorwing up some questionable balls. As luck would have it, the Titans have a 32.6% pressure rate at home, well above average in the league. Not only that, but the Titans have given up the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. As a result, I’m avoiding Flacco in most leagues.

If Flacco struggles, will the receivers struggle as well?

Of the three main Ravens receivers, John Brown is the one to start given his upside, but his likely matchup against Adoree’ Jackson should prove difficult for him. Similarly, Michael Crabtree‘s matchup against Malcolm Butler should be very difficult, limiting both players’ upside. That being said, if Flacco throws a passing touchdown, it’ll likely be to one of those two, and they see a lot of targets in the passing game too, so they might be worth a play. I’m just not overly jazzed about either. Willie Snead‘s matchup against Logan Ryan is probably the easiest of the three, but his target share is so volatile it’s hard to trust him at all.

What’s up with Alex Collins?

Alex Collins saw 12 carries last week, which is good but not great. He ran well, though, but the game was pretty pass-heavy, which resulted in Javorius Allen being on the field for almost twice as many snaps as Collins. Add in the fact that the Titans’ run defense has given up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs (including not a rushing touchdown yet), and you’ve got a shaky, low-end RB2 at best this week. As for Allen, he’s an interesting flex play in PPR leagues, but again, I’m worried about how effective the Ravens’ offense will be against the Titans.

What can we expect from the tight end position?

Nothing as of right now. Hayden Hurst has the most upside, and I’d expect that, eventually, he’ll be the tight end to own in Baltimore, but right now, there’s no clarity among the tight ends, meaning there’s not really anyone you can feel comfortable starting.

The Ravens defense could be the star

Given how mediocre the Titans offense has been this year, the Ravens’ defense looks like it could be a really good play this week. Marcus Mariota hasn’t been great and I could definitely see the Ravens picking him off a couple times. Similarly, I think their run defense is good enough to limit Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry to mediocre days.

Picks:

Boom: Ravens D/ST

Bust: Michael Crabtree

Sleeper: Javorius Allen

-Ben Palmer

Titans

What should we do against the Ravens defense?

The Titans like to grind it out for 60 minutes, and this shows in their season numbers thus far. The offense scores just over 17 points per game, and they sit at 3-2 after a disappointing loss to the Bills. I feel like every week will be me talking about how well the Titans played a good opponent or how badly they played a bad one. Like last year, they feel like a solid bunch, though not spectacular at anything. I will stay away from Marcus Mariota at quarterback since his absolute ceiling would seem to be 2 touchdowns.

How am I attacking the running backs and wide receivers this week?

Once again, I don’t have faith in either running back getting enough carries to support your roster. This means Derrick Henry is a pass for me while Dion Lewis is a flex. He gets the bump thanks to his passing-game involvement. As for the receiving corps, I am only looking at Corey Davis. He is involved enough to be interesting, and we have seen that he does have the potential for a breakout. Still, don’t count on it against the Ravens D.

And is the Titans defense still safe here?

While I’m nervous about the offense, I am happy to play the defense. The Titans defense, as a complement to the offense, gives up 17 points per game. We can see by the scoring and allowing the same amount of points why I’m not blown away by Tennessee. However, their defense has proven stout thus far. They have 13 sacks and 4 interceptions, so we shouldn’t expect an explosion. They are safe though.

Boom: Corey Davis

Bust: Derrick Henry

Sleeper: Taywan Taylor

-Matt Cava