Just when you thought the 2017 NFL season couldn’t get any more twisted, Week 6 came along and gave us another sucker punch. Top-level players continued to go down with injuries and the bye weeks also presented some challenges.
Staying fluid is important for success in fantasy as players’ values are constantly changing due to many variables. Here’s a look at some players on the rise, some sliding down and a couple to keep on the radar.
Rising up
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
Cousins turned in his most productive day of the fantasy season in Week 6 versus the 49ers. He connected on 25 of his 37 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 26 yards and another score on four carries. He had four end-zone throws and five deep balls in the contest. Over his last three outings the he has completed 70.3 of his passes (64-of-91) for seven TD passes while averaging 305 yards through the air. He also now rushed for 25 or more yards in three of five games in 2017. With his bye week now out of the way, Cousins should be a weekly starter on most fantasy teams. The schedule gets a bit tougher over the next few weeks with trips to Philadelphia and Seattle on tap with a home date with Dallas sandwiched in between. Regardless owners should start Cousins with confidence.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
The debut of Peterson in a Cardinals uniform couldn’t have gone much better, as the veteran turned in a performance for the ages that not even the most optimistic of fans could’ve ever anticipated. He got 26 carries — including two inside the 5-yard line — and finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns rushing. It marked the first time he broke the century mark on the ground since Week 16 of 2015. Peterson had two runs over 15-plus yards while playing 48 snaps, which is four more than he played total during his time with New Orleans. It will be hard to follow up that performance next week against the Rams, but Los Angeles has allowed the most fantasy points on the season to running backs so far, including a league-high seven rushing touchdowns. Off anticipated volume alone, Peterson should be viewed as a solid RB2 candidate heading into the matchup.
Michael Crabtree, WR, Oakland Raiders
Lost in the Raiders’ four-game losing streak and all the struggles the team has had offensively have been the solid fantasy contributions being turned in by Crabtree. He was targeted a team-high 10 times in Week 6 against the Chargers, catching six balls for 49 yards and a touchdown. That was his second straight contest with a trip the end zone and he now has five touchdowns over his last four outings. Crabtree has the same number of targets (35) on the year as teammate Amari Cooper despite missing a game due to injury. With Cooper continuing to be a non-factor, Crabtree has emerged as the top option for Carr. He makes for a decent WR2 play in Thursday’s divisional showdown with the Chiefs.
Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants
With so many wide receivers out with injuries, Engram received seven targets from Eli Manning in the Giants’ upset of the Broncos and finished with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. He ran routes on 95.5 percent of his snaps. Engram is doing his best to dispel the notion that rookies can’t be fantasy contributors at tight end. He has posted 10.7 PPR fantasy points per game on the year while finishing inside the top 12 at the position in three of six weeks so far this season.
Sliding down
Trevor Siemian, QB, Denver Broncos
After starting the season with six touchdown passes in his first two games, Siemian has only managed to throw two scoring strikes over his last three contests and has been picked off four times in that span. He attempted a season-high 50 passes in Sunday night’s loss to the Giants as he finished with 29 completions for 376 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT. His stats were better than he actually looked though. To make matters worse, Siemian injured his non-throwing shoulder trying to tackle Janoris Jenkins on a pick-six and had to leave the game for a bit. With very little help from the running game of late and the loss of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to an ankle injury the Denver quarterback’s stock is definitely trending downward.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions
Owners who rolled the dice on Abdullah have to be happy with the fact he’s made it through six weeks of the season without an injury, but that is where the excitement likely ends. In Sunday’s game against the Saints there was 1,038 total yards of offense and 90 points put on the scoreboard, yet Abdullah managed just 54 yards on 12 carries. He failed to score for the fifth time in six games this season. He has now gone without a rushing TD in 21 of his 24 career games and is still searching for his first 100-yard day on the ground as a pro. The third-year running back has also been held to three or fewer receptions in all but three career contests with just two touchdown receptions as a pro. Despite the fact he’s getting 16.67 touches per game, Abdullah can be looked at as nothing more than a flex option.
Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rumors are swirling that Bryant wants out of Pittsburgh, but for his part the wide receiver is denying those reports. Regardless, it might be time for fantasy owners to turn the page. After missing all of 2016 due to a suspension the wide receiver has struggled through the first six weeks of 2017. He only received three targets (12.5 percent) in Sunday’s win at Kansas City, registering two catches for 27 yards. It marked the fifth time in six games this year where he was held to single-digit fantasy points. He has only one touchdown all season and is still searching for his first 100-yard game.
Martellus Bennett, TE, Green Bay Packers
When Bennett signed with the Packers this offseason, there was hope that he would excel with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football. Now with Rodgers’ season is in doubt that hope has quickly diminished. Even with the perennial Pro Bowler under center, Bennett has managed some pedestrian numbers. The disappointment continued in Week 6 at Minnesota as he caught two of his four targets for 22 yards. He’s still looking for his first touchdown as a Packer and has been held to three or fewer catches in four of his six games while averaging only 36 yards per contest.
On the radar
Matt Forte, RB, New York Jets
The veteran returned to action for the first time since Week 3 after dealing with a turf toe and got 17 touches against the Patriots. He carried the ball nine times, but only registered 22 yards rushing. However, he was productive as a pass-catcher as he pulled eight balls for 59 yards. If Bilal Powell continues to sit, Forte will be a flex option. He’s worth a grab in PPR leagues where available for some added depth.
Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans Saints
Snead was eased back into action during his first game of the season, playing on just 21 snaps. He pulled in one of his three targets for 11 yards. His role will continue to increase each week and that could land him on the flex radar in the near future. Owners that have been holding on to him all season are likely growing impatient which could present a nice buy-low opportunity.
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