In this article, we take a look at the slate of games for Week 6 to mine for gold with cheaper options that can help you to load up your roster with studs elsewhere. We look at how these games should play out and we evaluate the play of wide receivers and tight ends and how they will match up with the defenses they will face. We’ll target plays that we like and a few that we don’t.
With the help of our defensive guru Aaron Rudnicki, let’s take a look at players that we both like and a few that we would avoid this week.
GOOD MATCHUPS
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota vs. Kansas City ($3,500)
Bischoff: The Chiefs have given up 13 passing touchdowns in 2015 and they are the No. 27 ranked unit against the pass, surrendering a passer rating of 102.3. Diggs should be in a situation to get the ball this week with a few Vikings wide receivers injured. All in all, he’s a GPP wild-card that could get to 4x value for owners in Week 6.
Rudnicki: The Chiefs secondary has shown signs of improvement with the return of CB Sean Smith, but they couldn’t hold down the Bears minus their top 2 WRs last week. The Vikings may also be without their top 2 or 3 WRs in this game, and that should create more opportunities for the rookie Diggs who had an impressive debut (6 catches for 87 yards) against a very tough Broncos defense in their last game.
Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco vs. Baltimore ($4,200)
Bischoff: This is a former player in his first matchup against his old team type of matchup, if you are into that sort of thing. There’s something there to be sure, and Smith meets the Ravens at a good time, as they are struggling versus the pass. Teams have torched them recently, and I’d go so far as to pair him with quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a cheap stack that could get to value this week.
Rudnicki: The Ravens are having a lot of issues defending the pass this year, with 3 of the last 4 QBs they’ve faced going over 300 yards. Smith has been limited by the struggles of the 49ers offense and Colin Kaepernick, but he is the type of player who doesn’t require a lot of targets to be productive. He showed signs of improvement last week when he drew 3 defensive penalties, and has a great chance to go off against his former team here.
Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore @ San Francisco ($4,300)
Bischoff: This game could be a high scoring affair and Aiken is clear and away the No. 1 in Baltimore with wide receiver Steve Smith out. He should command plenty of volume in this game against a bad passing defense, and he’ll make big plays too. That is a nice combination for owners as his floor should be fairly high and his ceiling makes him worthy of GPP selection.
Rudnicki: Aiken is stepping into the Steve Smith role as the primary target in the Ravens passing game, and the 49ers have been very generous to opposing WRs this year. He should be matched up primarily with one of the league’s worst corners in Kenneth Acker, and the pass rush has been mostly nonexistent. With few other options available in the passing game, Aiken should see plenty of targets and remain a safe play that also carries plenty of upside.
Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants @ Philadelphia ($4,400)
Bischoff: I’ve targeted this game as a GPP dream on both sides. The Eagles are getting destroyed in the passing game and Randle’s price makes him extremely intriguing. He did miss time last week with a hamstring issue so pay attention to the practice reports and the pre-game warmup. If he plays, he doesn’t have to crazy to get to value, and looking at what he’ll need to get to value (6 catches, 80 yards and a touchdown) makes him very worthy of being in your lineup.
Rudnicki: The Eagles have given up 30 completions per game over the past 3 weeks and the Saints just had two WRs go over 100 yards against them. Randle left the game early last week with a hamstring injury so he may not be able to play, but watch the injury reports to see if he practices this week. With Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz also injured here, there is going to be an opportunity for some WR to make plays and it may wind up being Dwayne Harris.
Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee vs. Miami ($5,200)
Bischoff: Wright had a down day versus the Bills in Week 5 with six targets and three catches for 29 yards. He is still the main option in this passing offense on a weekly basis but we saw last week what a good pass rush can do to rookie quarterbacks. I’d expect Wright to bounce back in this one against a team that has disappointed on defense thus far.
Rudnicki: Wright had a frustrating day against the Bills last week as he didn’t get many targets, and should have had an easy touchdown but the ball was badly underthrown. He complained about his role this week, so there’s a good chance they make an effort to get him more involved. The Dolphins recently changed coaches so you have to expect some issues as they try to adjust to new leadership. Unless the pass rush dramatically improves, they probably don’t have enough talent in the secondary to stop Wright this week.
Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis vs. New England ($5,500)
Bischoff: The game script has the Colts down and throwing in this game and T.Y. Hilton will draw significant interest from the Patriots which allows Moncrief to exploit the Patriots weaker secondary members. If this game goes as expected, I’d look to Moncrief for significant garbage time production.
Rudnicki: The Patriots have had their way with the Colts in recent matchups, which likely means Indianapolis will be forced to throw early and often in an attempt to keep pace. Moncrief was one of Luck’s favorite targets before he was injured, and he should be able to hit some big gains against CB Tarrell Brown. The Patriots pass rush is a concern, but this game has shootout potential if Luck is healthy.
Golden Tate, WR, Detroit vs. Chicago ($5,200)
Bischoff: Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has always drawn multiple members of the Bears secondary in their matchups and that allows wide receiver Golden Tate to draw one-on-one coverage with a lesser cornerback, and this is a matchup he should chew up. This price almost looks like an error, but it is a sign of just how putrid the Lions have been on offense. Still, Tate is GPP worthy at his price as he could get to value this week. He is also a YAC machine and we haven’t seen any of that this year, but this is the Lions best matchup on offense in 2015, so Tate looks like a nice play here.
Rudnicki: The Bears secondary has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, but I’m expecting them to focus most of their defensive attention on Calvin Johnson. If they slide safety help over to his side of the field that should give Tate some one-on-one matchups that he can take advantage of. He’ll likely be even more effective when working out of the slot against the Bears nickel package.
Eric Decker, WR, New York Giants vs. Washington ($4,900)
Bischoff: Jets wide receiver Eric Decker looks to be the go-to receiver for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, specifically in the red zone. He has three touchdowns, scoring in every week that he has played this year. Looking at the Washington secondary and their injury report, I’d say that Decker has a legitimate chance to keep the scoring streak alive in Week 6.
Rudnicki: Washington did surprisingly well against the Falcons last week, but we know that Julio Jones wasn’t 100% healthy. The Jets have had a bye week to come up with a plan of attack, and Decker has posted a touchdown in every game he’s played thus far. Whether he lines up in the slot or outside, he’s likely to see a favorable matchup as all of the top-3 cornerbacks for Washington are banged up right now.
Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia vs. New York Giants ($2,900)
Bischoff: There is not enough athleticism in the back end of the Giants secondary to hang with an athletic player like Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. The Giants linebackers are “move forward” types that struggle to stay in coverage on tight ends as well, and every tight end they’ve played has posted very nice numbers. That probably continues through Week 6 and at Ertz’s price, he’ll definitely be in a lineup or two.
Rudnicki: Ertz finally showed signs of life last week with 60 yards on 5 catches against a great matchup. He gets an even better matchup this week as the Giants have been victimized by every TE they’ve faced this year. Both safeties are struggling in coverage, and the linebackers are better run defenders than in coverage. Some may not be willing to trust Ertz given his slow start, but the Eagles are starting to wake up on offense and this is a great spot for him to produce.
Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago @ Detroit ($4,800)
Bischoff: The Lions have nobody on their roster to make up for the loss of linebacker DeAndre Levy who returned in Week 5 but re-injured his hip and is out for an extended time. They also are struggling to generate any pass rush and that’s a bad combination when facing an elite tight end like Bennett. I’m looking at Bennett having a big day in Week 6.
Rudnicki: The Lions defense really misses DeAndre Levy, one of the best cover linebackers in the league. While Detroit hasn’t given up a lot of yards to opposing TEs, they have given up 4 touchdowns to the position. With Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal still not 100%, Bennett figures to see a lot of targets from Cutler this week.
BAD MATCHUPS
Travis Benjamin, WR, Cleveland vs. Denver ($5,000)
Bischoff: Make no mistake, Benjamin is playing to a very high level in 2015 but this is a week to avoid playing him. Not only do the Broncos boast cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, but they can also rush the passer extremely well (even without Demarcus Ware this week) via their defensive interior and outside linebacker Von Miller. I don’t expect much out of Benjamin this week.
Rudnicki: The Broncos defense is the first one most fantasy owners should look at when determining which matchups to avoid each week. They are carrying that team, and much of it is based on the strong play of their corners and their dominant pass rush up front. Josh McCown and Travis Benjamin are playing great, but they should be overmatched here.
Ted Ginn Jr, WR, Carolina @ Seattle ($3,400)
Bischoff: Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr is another player having a nice season but this matchup is not good for him. The Panthers don’t have many weapons and Ginn won’t fare well matching up with cornerback Richard Sherman, especially if the Seahawks deploy safety over the top and bracket him. I’d also expect tight end Greg Olsen to command a lot of targets in this game. Overall, it is a matchup to avoid.
Rudnicki: Ginn has quietly emerged as the #1 target for the Panthers this year with 3 TDs in his last 3 games. As a big play threat, he doesn’t need a lot of targets or catches to make an impact, but the Seattle defense has only allowed 1 TD to an opposing WR all year. Richard Sherman may not be playing up to his normal level, but he should be able to handle Ginn and get some deep help from Earl Thomas if necessary.
Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego @ Green Bay ($7,600)
Bischoff: The Chargers travel to a hostile Lambeau Field Sunday and it doesn’t look like a pretty matchup on paper. The Chargers offensive line is banged up and they go up against a monster in the Packers front seven. The Packers lead the lead in sacks and should really present a challenge to quarterback Phillip Rivers this week as the Chargers tend to allow a lot pf pressure in the face of their quarterback. On top of that, Allen draws Packers cornerback Sam Shields this week. While Allen is a very good receiver, he won’t be able to overcome all of the challenges facing the Chargers offense this week.
Rudnicki: Allen figures to be matched up with Sam Shields a lot this week, who is one of the best cover corners in the league. The bigger issue here may be the play in the trenches as the Packers rank 2nd in the league with 20 sacks while the Chargers have given up the 4th most sacks in the league with 14. That combination could make it very tough for Allen have any consistent success.
Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans vs. Atlanta ($5,700)
Bischoff: If this matchup goes the way I think it does, it will be Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant in coverage against Cooks this week and that isn’t a great matchup for him. Cooks is explosive and can certainly make plays after the catch, but I can’t see him getting enough volume in this game to get to value in GPP play.
Rudnicki: Cooks has not played up to expectations this year, but he did post some solid numbers last week thanks to garbage time. This week, he figures to be matched up primarily with the Falcons best corner in Desmond Trufant. With the way that Drew Brees likes to spread the ball around, it seems more likely that he will look to more favorable matchups this week.
