Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 24th at 1:00 PM ET
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Betting Odds: KC -5.5, 57 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Writer: Bryan Sweet (@FantasyFreakTN on Twitter, @bsweet0us on Reddit)
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes (Start, QB1)
When you set the bar as high as Patrick Mahomes has over the last three seasons, any signs of struggle are magnified. Mahomes has tossed more INTs through six games this season (8) than he has in the past two seasons (5 in 2019, 6 in 2020) and the team has lost three games earlier than at any point since he’s become the starter. All is not doom and gloom, however, as Mahomes leads the league in TD passes with 18 and is right on his career averages for passing yards per game (314) and passing attempts per game (34) and continues to post QB1 numbers weekly. The Titans have surrendered plenty of big games to QBs including last week when Josh Allen accounted for 379 total yards and three TDs. Expect Mahomes to have similar success and finish as a QB1 this week.
Running Backs
Darrel Williams (Start, RB2), Jerick McKinnon (Sit)
A knee sprain suffered in Week 5 forced Clyde Edwards-Helaire to injured reserve, opening the door for Darrel Williams to showcase his skills in Kansas City’s high-powered offense. Williams was the clear lead back in Week 6 registering 21 carries and four targets and although he was able to post 89 total yards he did find the end zone twice to finish with a nice fantasy day. Outside of James Robinson in Week 5, Tennessee has been mostly stingy against the run allowing fewer than 90 rushing yards in four of their six contests. Williams should once again see plenty of work but it’s hard to project TDs and he’s a bit too low volume to lock in as anything higher than RB2 this week.
Jerick McKinnon signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs but hasn’t made an impact yet this season. McKinnon has just eight touches on the season and didn’t see much of a bump in production last week despite Edwards-Helaire being out. Unless McKinnon starts seeing more snaps, he’s not a viable option for fantasy managers.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Mecole Hardman (Start, WR3/Flex), Demarcus Robinson/Byron Pringle (Sit), Travis Kelce (Start, TE1)
Fantasy managers everywhere likely panicked a bit when Tyreek Hill exited with an apparent leg injury during the first half last week, but “Cheetah” returned after halftime and looked none the worse for wear as he saw eight targets and scored a TD in the second half. Hill may be limited in practice throughout the week, but there is no information indicating he will be limited come game day. Hill’s explosiveness and large role in this offense make him a must-start every week and this week is no exception. Unless something comes out at the end of the week on the injury front, lock him in as your WR1 and rest easy in Week 7.
Lining up on the opposite side of the field as Hill is an enviable position because of the attention he gets from opposing defenses and that role belongs to Mecole Hardman this season and he is on pace for career-high numbers. Hardman has more than doubled the targets of every WR not named Hill on the team and is third on the team in receiving yards. His TD totals have been disappointing as he seems to disappear from the offense the closer the team gets to the end zone, limiting his ceiling. The offense gives him a solid enough floor and he is a viable third WR option or Flex this week given the number of good players on BYE.
The third WR for Kansas City would seem to have some fantasy value given the QB and the offensive philosophy, but the volume simply hasn’t been there. Both Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle have been a bit part of the offense through six weeks despite each having two receiving TDs. Each player is seeing just three targets per game and being the “other” option just isn’t enough for fantasy managers. Sit both this week.
Hill leads the team in all the receiving categories but it comes as no surprise that Travis Kelce is second to Hill and continues to be the #2 option for Mahomes. Kelce has been the #1 TE for several seasons and it doesn’t look like he intends to forfeit that title anytime soon. Kelce leads the NFL in receptions and yards at the TE position is only trails Dawson Knox in TD receptions. Kelce is one of the most valuable players in fantasy football because of the advantage he gives fantasy managers at the volatile TE position and is a must-start every week he’s on the field.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill (Start, low-end QB1)
On the list of sexy fantasy football QBs, Ryan Tannehill probably ranks near the bottom. Captaining a run-heavy offense isn’t good for fantasy stats but is great for wins and losses and Tannehill has been very good in the win department for Tennessee. Tannehill has dealt with injuries to both of his top WRs this season and now looks to be without LT Taylor Lewan this week. Fortunately for fantasy managers, it looks like Tennessee is going to have to score a bunch of points to come away with a win this week. Given six teams on BYE this week, Tannehill is a more appealing option and could sneak into the bottom of the QB1 ranks this week.
Running Backs
Derrick Henry (Start, RB1)
If you are reading this section because you’re wondering if you should start Derrick Henry or not, I worry about your mental stability. Henry has 130+ rushing yards in each of his last three games and has totaled seven TDs over that time. Henry is arguably the easiest “start” decision in fantasy football right now and Kansas City has been susceptible to the run game surrendering the fifth-most rushing yards per game at 133. Henry should extend his 130+ yard streak to four games this week and is an easy start.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
A.J. Brown (Start, WR2), Julio Jones/Chester Rogers (Sit), Anthony Firkser (Sit)
It’s been a struggle for fantasy managers with A.J. Brown on their rosters as Brown has simply been unable to put together the type of week that he was known for last season. Brown did set a season-high with 91 receiving yards last week but he’s been held out of the end zone since Week 1. The Titans are reportedly taking it “day by day” with Julio Jones after missing time late in the game last week. My suspicion is Jones will be limited if he plays, which should make Brown a bit more involved in what projects to be a high-scoring game. Brown entered the season with WR1 expectations but he’s been more like a WR2 or worse so far. Expect another good game from Brown as he should finish as a WR2 with the expected volume and has WR1 upside given the matchup in Week 7.
As I mentioned above, it’s a tricky situation to navigate with Jones as his hamstrings have limited him most of the season. If he plays, I simply can’t trust him to finish the game or be at 100% effectiveness, so I’d sit him this week even if he does suit up. His most likely replacement is Chester Rogers but his limited involvement with the offense this season makes it hard to predict what kind of impact he will have if he sees a majority of the snaps. Rogers might set a season-high in targets if Jones is out, but he’s yet to record more than six targets in any game this season even with the injuries to Brown and Jones. This offense runs through Henry and it’s tough for Tannehill to support more than one receiving option within the confines of this offense. Sit Rogers this week.
Anthony Firkser has been in and out of Tennessee’s lineup this season and he doesn’t bring the TD upside that Jonnu Smith had with the team last season. Firkser sees a handful of targets at best and just doesn’t display the athleticism to make a dent in the fantasy landscape with limited targets. Unless Firkser becomes a viable TD threat, it’s hard to trust him as a starting TE so it’s advisable to sit Firkser again in Week 7.