Game Previews: All Fantasy Relevant Players For Week 6

Seahawks vs. Raiders

Seahawks

Can the RBBC continue to work?

Prior to the season, a few people predicted that the Seahawks backfield would operate like the well-oiled machine of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in New Orleans. Of course, that was expected to be between Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, not Carson and Mike Davis. However, after last week it is clear those two are going to split backfield duties going forward. Carson is the front-runner, but neither are going to be a bell-cow, which limits their value. Last week Carson had more carries and over 100 yards rushing, but Davis vultured the touchdown. I could see a similar situation this week, even against a less impressive Raiders defense. Carson is an okay RB2, but more suited as a FLEX play. Davis is an option in deeper formats, but he has bust potential this week if he can’t find the end zone for the third week in a row.

Will the real Doug Baldwin please stand up?

Last week, Doug Baldwin had just one catch for one yard. He has been bothered by a pair of knee injuries this season, although coach Pete Carroll made it exceptionally clear that his knee issues were not the reason Baldwin didn’t get the ball. The Seahawks have turned more to the run-game recently, and when they did pass last week they were targeting Rams CB Marcus Peters, who was battling a knee injury of his own. Expect to see Baldwin get more targets this week. As one of the most sure-handed receivers in the league, this should lead to a nice game for the veteran. Keep him in mind as a rock-solid WR2.

Tyler Lockett should continue to post solid numbers as well, although I see him more as a WR3 this week with Seattle’s strong run-game and Baldwin’s expected target share. David Moore caught a lot of attention last week after hauling in two touchdowns. While he appears to have taken over the No. 3 receiver role over Jaron Brown and Brandon Marshall, he is not a viable fantasy option at this point.

Will Wilson be DangeRuss in London?

Probably. The Raiders don’t have a great defense, and while Marshawn Lynch will do his best to keep the ball in Oakland’s hands, I expect Russell to post another solid game. He has slipped into more of the lower-tier QB1 territory, but should still be started in this game.

Tight endless in Seattle

Bad 90’s movie puns aside, the Seahawks have resorted to using a backup tackle, George Fant, as their No. 2 tight end. Nick Vannett is still the top dog at that spot and will be for one more week before Ed Dickson returns in Week 8 (the Seahawks have a Week 7 bye). Vannett has received the occasional red zone target, and at a position that is really hurting right now, you could do worse than tossing Vannett out there this Sunday. I could see something like three receptions for 45 yards. If one of those is in the end zone, all the sudden he’s a TE1.

Boom: Doug Baldwin

Bust: David Moore

Sleeper: Nick Vannett

-Andy Patton

Raiders

How will Derek Carr handle the Seahawks’ secondary?

Derek Carr has averaged 286 passing yards per game through five games, but the Seahawks present a challenge that the fifth-year quarterback has not faced in 2018. Seattle allows just 239 passing yards per game, the sixth lowest in the NFL. Carr has put up big numbers in yards each week, but he continues to struggle with interceptions. Carr has thrown at least one pick in four out the Raiders’ five games this season. The Fresno-State product leads the NFL in interceptions and will face a secondary this week that has picked off the second-most passes this season. The Seahawks will cause Carr plenty of issues this week and will probably get their hands on a couple of poorly thrown balls by the Raiders’ quarterback. It might be wise to avoid starting Carr this week.

How will Marshawn Lynch play against his old team?

It’s not quite the return to Seattle that Lynch might have wanted (the game is in London), but the former Seahawks’ star will surely be ready to roll against his former team. Lynch played the majority of his career in Seattle before “retiring” after the 2015 season. The 11th-year running back will look to continue his strong season against his old team in London on Sunday. Lynch has seen a revival of sorts in age 32 season. In five games, Lynch is averaging 66 yards per game, his highest total since 2014. Lynch has also caught 12 of his 13 targets from Carr, which is his highest catch rate of his career. The Seahawks will have their hands full with the ageless Lynch. Seattle allows an average of 129 rushing yards per game (29th in the NFL) and an average of 4.7 yards per carry (26th in the NFL). The Seahawks will be without linebacker K.J Wright and defensive end Rasheem Green and could be without defensive end Dion Jordan. The stars are lining up for Lynch to have a solid game in London.

Will Amari Cooper be effective?

It’s not as much if Cooper will be effective, but will Jon Gruden give him the opportunity to make an impact? The first-year Raiders’ coach has not involved Cooper in the game as much as Raiders’ fans would like. In the first five games, Cooper has been targeted five or fewer times in three games. Last week, Carr targeted Cooper once. Cooper is setting a career-high in catch rate, but he is not being consistently involved in the Raiders’ offense. The Seahawks have not allowed a receiver to cross the century mark in receiving yards since week one, so Cooper should probably stay on your bench until the Raiders give their star receiver more targets.

Boom: Marshawn Lynch

Bust: Derek Carr

Sleeper: Jared Cook

-Trey Huntsman