Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 6

Panthers vs. Redskins

Panthers

Will Carolina continue to lean on McCaffrey?

According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, running back efficiency is defined as total yards traveled divided by rushing yards gained. By this definition, RB Christian McCaffrey ranks as the 5th most efficient back in the NFL. However, by Football Outsiders’ metrics, McCaffrey is only the 16th most valuable rusher on aggregate, and 18th most valuable on a per play basis. The aggregate ranking can be explained by having played one less game than most backs, but the per play one is surprising considering he’s averaging 5.2 yards per rushing attempt. Regardless, Washington is the 30th best defense against the run and 9th best against running backs in the passing game, so the Panthers may lean a bit more heavily on runs to CMC than passes, which could drag his PPR value down a bit.

Does it make sense for Cam to throw the ball?

You could look at Washington’s run defense and wonder how they rank 30th despite only allowing 4.0 yards per attempt and 92.5 yards per game, but look at the team’s they’ve played: Arizona, Indianapolis, Green Bay and New Orleans. The Cardinals and Colts both rank lower than 25th, while the Saints barely used RB Alvin Kamara because they were up big and early. The Panthers should head into this matchup with a similar game plan to what they used Week 1: We can run efficiently on them, so let’s do that over 30 times between QB Cam Newton, McCaffrey, and (to a lesser extent) RB C.J. Anderson. Even more of a reason to run, the highest ranked WR on the Panthers is Devin Funchess, who’s ranked 37th by Football Outsiders, and Washington’s defense is top 10 in the NFL against the pass. TE Greg Olsen is potentially available for Sunday’s game, but I wouldn’t expect much from him in the first week back from injury.

The defense has allowed 20 points in its last three games…

Yet they’ve won them all. Carolina’s defense ranks 27th against the pass, and the only group of receivers they stack up well against are a team’s #3 and beyond. If RB Chris Thompson plays on Sunday, then this game could turn into another shootout for the Panthers. Assuming he’s out (currently listed as questionable), I think the Panthers have the upper hand in the matchup because their run defense is strong and RB Adrian Peterson is not an adept pass catcher, so the defense can focus more on defending the likes of TE Jordan Reed or WR Paul Richardson.

-Alex Drennan

Redskins

Coming off of a brutal thrashing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, the Redskins will at least get an “easier” test in the 4th ranked total defense…..sounds like fun. Anyway, let’s see how the potential fantasy studs on the Skins will fare this weekend…

Don’t Trust Alex Smith

Look, I get Alex Smith is a great QB, but not for fantasy. Facing the 8th ranked passing defense will be no easier than the Saints defense, and considering the Skins lackluster performance against them, I would shy away from starting Mr. Smith.

Catching a Cold

Yes, Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson are talented, but not when they have a coach like Jay Gruden handicapping their QB. Short passes and checkdowns, regardless of the volume, will not fill the coffers for either of these talented receivers. One of them may end up with a chance touchdown, but beyond that I’m staying away from the Skins’ receiving corps. The Skins tight ends, on the other hand, should be in for a wonderful day, as the Carolina defense has allowed the opposing team’s tight end to surpass 60 yds on the day or score a TD in each of the last 3 games. Start Jordan Reed with confidence, and as always, stay away from Vernon Davis if possible.

Adding Injury to Insult

It seems like a flipped version of the old phrase seems most pertinent, as both Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson are battling injuries in attempts to play this weekend. While AP has publically assured his fans that he will be playing in Sunday’s game, I’m a little more skeptical of Chris Thompson’s prospects. While the talented passing back may play, I would expect his touches to be extremely limited. Oh, and just in case you were thinking about it, that doesn’t mean Kapri Bibbs becomes anything more than a fringe backup. Leave all of your Redskins backs riding the pine for this one.

Defense

While it could be a positive day for the Skins D, I would hold off until they prove that last weeks dismantling at the hands of the Saints was just an aberration.

-Alex Silverman