Divisional report
News and notes from around the league, including fantasy watch.
Week 6 of fantasy football play is highlighted by an all-in game (Texans-Chiefs) and a Falcons-Cardinals game that could see a combined 100 pass attempts from Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray.
The week will also be defined by whether a pair of elite receivers can rebound following poor performances in Week 5.
START: Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens: After tossing a combined five interceptions the past two games, Jackson not only gets a rebound against the Bengals’ secondary, he also faces a Cincy defense that allows the second-highest rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. Don’t be shocked if Jackson breaks off his first 100-yard game on the ground in 2019.
SIT: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles: Only the Colts’ Jacoby Brissett has a lower yards per attempt (6.4) among qualified passers than the 6.6 Wentz is putting up. Wentz is completing just 60.3 percent of his passes, a mark that is second-lowest in the league, with only Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (55.9 percent) keeping him from rock bottom.
START: Duke Johnson, RB, Texans: In what is expected to be a high-scoring matchup, Johnson will be a dream start in PPR formats. The Chiefs give up 176.2 yards from scrimmage to opposing running backs, and Johnson will have ample shots to exploit a KC defense whose main focus will be on WRs DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller.
SIT: Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles: Jordan Howard has erased any notions of a timeshare in Philly, leaving Sanders as mostly an option on passing downs. Sanders has yet to score on 54 rushing attempts and will struggle against a Vikings defense ranked fourth in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to opposing running backs. START: Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys: He returned from injured reserve with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Packers. Gallup ranks among the league leaders with five receptions of better than 20 yards despite missing two games and should feast on a Jets defense that is 21st in fantasy points allowed per game to opposing receivers.
SIT: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers: With a golden chance to step up in the absence of Davante Adams, MVS had just one catch for 18 yards and was targeted only four times against the Cowboys. Even if Adams misses Monday night’s game, shy away from Valdes-Scantling as he faces a Lions secondary that allows only a 51.8 percent completion rate to opposing wideouts.
START: Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons: The Cardinals allow an average of 1.2 touchdowns per game to opposing tight ends, far and away the worst rate in the league. Hooper comes into Sunday having caught 21 of his 26 targets (80.7 percent) for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the past two weeks.
SIT: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings: At this point, it’s safe to drop Rudolph, who has been targeted only eight times this season. The disappearance of Rudolph is jarring when one considers he was targeted a combined 295 times the previous three seasons.