Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 6

Chiefs vs. Patriots

Chiefs

Another week and another huge test for second-year QB Patrick Mahomes as the 5-0 Chiefs head into Foxborough to take on the defending AFC champion New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. In recent weeks Mahomes has navigated the gauntlet in the AFC, defeating the Steelers, Broncos, and Jaguars in recent weeks. Vegas expects fireworks with one of the highest over/unders of the year at 60. Can Mahomes continue his torrid start against the leagues most decorated coach and the best quarterback of our generation? Let’s take a look at what to expect for our fantasy lineups.

What does Bill Belichick have in store for the Chiefs young MVP candidate?

Early in the season, Pat Mahomes has seen plenty of zone coverage, facing several primary Cover 3 schemes. Mahomes has proceeded to obliterate them. This week BB will throw defensive looks in man coverage against the young QB all night. You can be sure Mahomes will see plenty of looks he hasn’t seen early in his career and it’s how he responds to them that will decide this game. After just five weeks I believe Mahomes is the real deal and the future of the NFL. Mahomes will have his way with this weaker Patriots defense and should be started without hesitation this weekend.

How confident should owners feel starting Kareem Hunt this week?

If the Chiefs expect to keep this game in close RB Kareem Hunt will need to be productive in the run game. The matchup against New England is positive, the Pats rank 16th in DVOA against the run and are giving up more than 110 yards per game to backs. However, in typical Patriots fashion, the team tightens up in the red zone and have only allowed one rushing touchdown. The Chiefs will need to involve Hunt in the passing game if they hope to keep this defense off balance and help their young QB. Hunt should have a solid game running the ball but owners shouldn’t expect a big-time scoring night    

Can the Patriots slow down the leagues most talented group of wide receivers?
Frankly no. The Pats have given up 6 receiving touchdowns in the young year and they shouldn’t be expected to slow down the dynamic group in KC. WRs Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Chris Conelly have lined up together for more than 50% of the snaps on the year so expect a steady dose of 11 personnel Sunday Night. While the matchups don’t favor KC according to PFF’s player grades I just don’t see any way this group can be held down. KC will test NE down the field and KC will take several shots down the field with Hill. But it’s Watkins who I see having the biggest game. Both are strong plays this week.

Is this a week we can spend on Kelce in DFS?

Since Week 2 TE Travis Kelce has been full on beast mode, nearly unstoppable and Mahomes security blanket. This week we should see S Patrick Chung covering Kelce on Sunday and he has little chance to slow down Kelce. The Pats have given up 75 yards and 4 TDs to tight ends and have little chance of slowing Kelce down. Tight ends have been tough to predict this year and even harder to stream but in DFS this is a week to put Kelce in your cash lineups.

Boom Pick: TE Travis Kelce

Bust Pick: RB Kareem Hunt

Sleeper Pick: WR Sammy Watkins

-Marc Salazar

Patriots

It’s gonna be a high powered offensive spectacle on Sunday night, as the Patriots take on the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid’s cheesecake factory playbook offense,  in a semi-chilly predicted night. Both teams so far have left us much to be desired defensively, maintaining leads in the pure firepower of big-armed quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes and his Maserati of offenses will go up against Tom Brady, the ol’ standby of upper echelon QB’s. 5-0 Chiefs(3-0 on the road), 3-2 Patriots ( 2-0 at home). One of the two must budge. What’s going to happen in this one? Let’s dive in and take a look!

Brady facing off against putrid Chiefs rush defense, will his numbers suffer?

Just a few years ago, the Chiefs were helmed by perennial “Mr. Boring Consistency”, Alex Smith, and their team would get by with an impenetrable secondary, and a touch of solid pass rushing. As of this year, the Chiefs have turned this expectation completely, as their defense is one of the worst in the leagues through 5 weeks, but have potentially the best QB in the league/top 5 rookie of the year candidate, Mahomes. In the time since Belichick arrived, the one consistent point of emphasis from the team has been to play off a team’s weaknesses. The glaring hole in the Chief’s armor is an absolutely horrendous rushing defense (32nd  in the league, per FootballOutsiders.com). Will Brady suffer because of this? Unlikely he “suffers”, but I would ramp down his numbers in a shootout game that we’re all expecting, as the run game will probably take up well over half the plays from scrimmage. Brady should continue to build his rapport with new car in the garage, Josh Gordon, and “back from the shop” Julian Edelman both a week removed from their first Patriots game this year. Building off this, it would be prudent of us to deduct more than likely 5-8 passes from Brady’s totals, to capitalize on the weak rushing defense of KC.

Fantasy Projections:

Brady: 25/31, 352 Yards, 2 Td’s, 1 INT

Running up the score will be the name of the game

Sony Michel. James White. That’s really all you need. Well, and Kenjon Barner, if you feel like including running backs that have an on again, off again relationship with the team (at the time of writing this, he’s been signed/cut by the Patriots three times this month).  Since the seasonal passings of both Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill, Michel has been entrusted the number one running back slot sooner than the team likely had hoped, and has paid off in spades.  Rolled out slowly in week 2, with Burkhead and White still involved in the rushing game, Michel now currently has over 28 percent of the snaps behind Brady, even with a missed week one, and a short set in both week 2 and 3.  Over the past two weeks, where the offense has begun to click and Michel has had the training wheels taken off, nay, melted off and thrown to the wayside, he has averaged almost 5 yards per carry (4.96 YPC in weeks 4+5) , and has invigorated a running game in major need of a workhorse, as James White is more known for his prowess in the passing game. Let’s expect a coming out on national television for Michel, facing off against a truly broken rushing defense. One of Michel’s most underscored talents from the weeks watching him is his patience behind the line, waiting for his blocks to separate defenders, and create holes (looking side-eyed at all the LeGarrette Blount fans). If he’s healthy enough coming off the knee injury that led him into this season, I could envision a 30 carry day from Michel. James White may hawk a goal line carry or two, or James Develin as the battering ram, but look for Michel to be the de facto number one rusher in this backfield, and may be the highest scoring fantasy play in this game spare the quarterbacks.

Fantasy Projections:

Sony Michel: 28 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD

James White: 2 carries, 8 yards

James Develin: 1 carry, 3 yards

How Brady got his groove back

Cautiously optimistic. That’s what I’ll consider myself after watching the newfangled offense starting to catch their treading, after a week 5 punishment of the Colts.  Josh Gordon made an immense catch in the end zone against the Colts on Thursday, muscling off two defenders. Looking amped up and ready for the opportunity, every week with Gordon will be worrisome that he needs to keep himself out of trouble, but the upside on him is a potential MVP level WR. Julian Edelman is back, and came back without a skipped beat as well, showcasing on Thursday that he is the best dump off option aside of James White. 9 targets later, Edelman was 7 receptions richer, and came forth as reason enough that this Patriots offense may just be getting started. There’s a high risk and somewhat reasonable reward if you can figure out which of the three players will slip free for a touchdown pass out of Cordarelle Patterson, Chris Hogan, and Phillip Dorsett, but the real worry to me is where Rob Gronkowski stands, after the preseason mutiny that seemed to be at hand with him and the Patriots ownership, and through the first five games, Gronkowski is averaging a little over four receptions per game, and seventy five yards per game. While solid, even with a desperation level of tight ends this year for fantasy, he’s starting to fall to a lower tier number 1 tight end. Until we see a single game breakout, treat him as such, and keep an eye on the waiver wire for other tight ends starting to break out. I’m looking at you, Geoff Swaim and Austin Hooper.

Fantasy Projections:

James White: 9 for 90, 1 TD

Josh Gordon: 4 for 75, 1 TD

Julian Edelman: 10 for 103

Rob Gronkowski: 3 for 38

Chris Hogan: 2 for 20

Phillip Dorsett: 4 for 26

Boom Pick: Sony Michel

Bust Pick: Rob Gronkowski

Sleeper Pick: Josh Gordon

-Matt Bevins