Quarterback
Devlin Hodges, PIT (at Los Angeles Chargers) - Mason Rudolph has a chance to play Sunday night so we might not get to use Hodges in 2QB/Superflex leagues unless this is resolved before Sunday, but if he is starting, he has potential. Hodges was a prolific FCS passer and he did not seem overwhelmed when he entered the game last week. He’s also a good runner and he should be given the green light to scramble instead of testing coverage in what should be a close game.
Kirk Cousins, MIN (vs Philadelphia) - The Vikings picked a good week to get their downfield passing game on track. One week after scorching the Giants secondary, they come home to face an Eagles pass defense that has allowed 422 and two scores to Aaron Rodgers even though he didn’t have Davante Adams for the whole game, 320 and three scores to Matt Ryan, and 380 and three scores to Case Keenum. The Eagles run defense is stout and as long as the Vikings are coached rationally, they should choose to attack the weakness in the banged up underachieving corner group.
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF (at Los Angeles Rams) - The Rams pass defense is on the ropes, allowing four scores in each of the last two games. In their other three games, they faced a not 100% Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater after Drew Brees left the game, and Baker Mayfield. Garoppolo’s numbers have been modest this year, but he has had multiple scoring passes in two of his last three games and at least 277 passing yards in two of his last three games.
Kyle Allen, CAR (vs Tampa Bay - London) - Allen is in a prime matchup against a Buccaneers pass defense that looks like the generous unit we targeted at will last year. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 314 and four scores last week after posting very modest numbers since taking over for Drew Brees, Jared Goff threw for over 500 yards, and Daniel Jones looked like a future star in his NFL debut against them over the last three games.
Running Back
Chase Edmonds, ARI (vs Atlanta) - Edmonds is already a very intriguing flex play, if not RB2, after he busted a long touchdown against the Bengals last week. If David Johnson is sidelined by his back issue, then he becomes a must play. Atlanta has given up at least 116 rushing yards to backs in each of the last two games, and four rushing scores to backs on the year. The Cardinals offense has been moving the ball well and should include a heavy dose of Edmonds this weekend.
Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson, LAR (vs San Francisco) - Watch Todd Gurley’s status before playing either of these backs, but be ready to turn to one if he can’t go. Gurley’s quad injury hasn’t been met with an optimistic tone when the Rams have talked about it, and the fact that he hasn’t practiced a week after the Week 5 game is a bad sign. Brown looked as good or better than Gurley in Week 1, and Henderson could be an exciting unveil against a 49ers defense that won’t be sure how he will be deployed in the passing game. The 49ers defense has looked good to date, but also hasn’t faced the Rams offense that hung 39 and 48 points on them in the 2018 matchups.
Carlos Hyde, HOU (at Kansas City) - Hyde hasn’t had a huge game yet this year, but he should be a big part of the offensive game plan this week again a weary Chiefs defense that faced 29 carries from Marlon Mack last week. The Texans should protect their mediocre secondary by keeping Patrick Mahomes II on the sidelines with a large dose of the running game, which also keeps Deshaun Watson from taking too many dropbacks behind a suspect offensive line. The Chiefs have allowed at least 99 yards rushing to each of the last four #1 backs they’ve faced.
Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson, WAS (at Miami) - This is the week Peterson has been waiting for. Interim head coach Bill Callahan is a running game guru, he has been talking about getting Peterson more work, and the Dolphins have given up five rushing scores to backs in four games. Thompson is also a good play as Miami has allowed three scores to backs through the air, and at least five running back receptions for 39 yards in each of the last three games.
Kenyan Drake, MIA (vs Washington) - Drake should be a focus of the offense after the bye appears to have given the coaching staff clarity to go away from Kalen Ballage. He was actually a reasonably safe play going into the bye, with at least 11 touches, three receptions, and 48 total yards in the last three games. This week, his team should be as competitive as they have been in any game this year, and Drake should be a centerpiece of their offense with Ballage swept aside.
Wide Receiver
Dede Westbrook, JAX (vs New Orleans) - If the Saints match their best cover corner against the best and most dangerous Jaguars receiver, Westbrook will dodge Marshon Lattimore and get a huge amount of targets from Gardner Minshew. Westbrook is getting on the same page as Minshew, with at least five receptions in each of the last three games, trending up in yardage to a 7-82 line last week against Carolina. The Saints have given up big games to intermediate route running wizards Chris Godwin (7-125-2), Tyler Lockett (11-154-1), and Cooper Kupp (5-120) already this season.
Curtis Samuel, CAR (vs Tampa Bay - London) - Samuel posted a 5-91 line against the Bucs in the first matchup, but he was open downfield enough to post double that yardage with at least one score. This week, he’ll have Kyle Allen at quarterback, who at least won’t be limited by a foot injury like Cam Newton was in the Week 2 tilt. The Bucs secondary has given up seven wide receiver games of at least 71 yards in the last four games, and five wide receiver scores in the last three.
Willie Snead, BAL (vs Cincinnati) - Watch Marquise Brown’s status, but consider playing Snead even if Brown is active. He might not 100% and Snead has emerged as a play big threat in his own right. He has at least 41 receiving yards in four of five games this year, two scores, and this is a positive matchup, with the Bengals giving up four wide receiver scores this year despite playing from behind and facing fewer than 30 pass attempts a game on average.
Preston Williams, DeVante Parker, MIA (vs Washington) - The Dolphins passing game should be primed for their best game yet. Josh Rosen is now the entrenched starter, and they had a bye week to prepare for a very vulnerable Washington pass defense. Opposing wideouts have scored nine times against them, with multiple wide receivers scoring in two games, and two multi-touchdown games from opponents. Taylor Gabriel, Desean Jackson, and Devin Smith all burned Washington’s secondary deep, so Parker and Williams are both skilled enough reach paydirt on a bomb this week.
Marquise Goodwin, SF (at Los Angeles Rams) - The 49ers haven’t been a pass heavy offense this year, but they might take more downfield shots than they have in the first four games to exploit a reeling Rams pass defense. They have allowed six touchdowns to receivers in the last two games, and Goodwin is healthy and the designated field stretcher against gambling corners Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib who can be burned in the deep passing game.
Tight End
Greg Olsen, CAR (vs Tampa Bay - London) - Olsen has been quiet since lighting up the Arizona offense that has a soft underbelly for tight ends to attack, but he was anything but in the first matchup between these teams, when he burned the Bucs for 6-110. They’ve allowed at least 54 receiving yards to opposing tight ends in every game this year, and at least 80 receiving yards in four of five games. Tight ends have scored in each of the last three games against them.
Noah Fant, DEN (vs Tennessee) - The Titans are having issues covering tight ends, giving up 9-130 to Austin Hooper and a touchdown by a tight end in every other game. Lee Smith, James O’Shaughnessy, Eric Ebron, and David Njoku have all scored against them, and Fant already has one score this year.
Ricky Seals-Jones, CLE (vs Seattle) - Seals-Jones went dormant last week after a Week 4 eruption, but this week he faces a Seattle defense that just gave up 183 yards to Rams tight ends, and also allowed 93 yards to Bengals tight ends, and two touchdowns to Vance McDonald. They held down the Saints and Cardinals tight ends, but those teams barely targeted the position.
Rhett Ellison, NYG (at New England - Thursday) - Evan Engram is out, and so is Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley, so Ellison is a legitimate core target for the Giants and Daniel Jones this week. Ellison had four targets two weeks ago and a red zone target last week, so Jones has looked his way already
