Week 6 of the 2017 NFL season dealt yet another blow to fantasy football owners, as Aaron Rodgers will likely be out for the season. But there are a number of positive takeaways from this past week. Here’s what you need to know from every game on the Sunday slate.
Miami @ Atlanta
Jay Ajayi continues to play good football.
Many in the fantasy football community doubted Ajayi, with some even going as far as saying he’s a bust this year. But in Friday’s matchups column, we noted that Ajayi was playing well and had a plus matchup this week. Well, that proved to be sound insight, as Ajayi racked up 130 rushing yards on 26 carries. He currently sits seventh in the league in rushing yards and is one of just seven backs to top 100 carries for the year. Ajayi may not be consistent from week-to-week, but he’s still worthy of RB1 consideration going forward.
Green Bay @ Minnesota
Jerick McKinnon shines. Packers backs falter.
Other than the obvious big news about Aaron Rodgers’ injury, there were noteworthy performances from the running backs in this contest. Those who rolled with Jerick McKinnon were rewarded with another big performance, as McKinnon racked up 99 combined yards and two scores on 21 touches. Fantasy owners should note that Latavius Murray had 16 touches, so this is still very much a committee situation. On the Green Bay side, we saw nearly a 50-50 split between Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery, and neither player was able to get much done against a tough Vikings defense. This touch distribution in the Packers backfield along with Rodgers likely being out for the season will continue to cause headaches for fantasy owners of Jones and Montgomery.
Detroit @ New Orleans
Mark Ingram explodes. Alvin Kamara also plays well.
With Adrian Peterson out of the mix, Mark Ingram went nuts for 150 combined yards and two scores on a whopping 30 touches. While he was the clear lead back, Kamara owners should despair. The rookie looked impressive with 75 yards on 10 carries. He’s the No. 2 for the Saints, but there’s a lot of fantasy value in that role.
New England @ NY Jets
Is Dion Lewis leapfrogging Mike Gillislee?
It certainly looks that way, as Lewis posted another strong performance this week with 52 rushing yards and a score on 11 carries. That’s one more carry than Gillislee. Perhaps more importantly, Gillislee only played 11 snaps, while Lewis was on the field for 29 snaps. Lewis’s play an increasing workload make him an interesting waiver add this week.
San Francisco @ Washington
A tale of two Thompsons.
The Redskins were forced to turn to Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine with Rob Kelley still sidelined this week. Interestingly, they leaned on Thompson more, giving him 20 touches to 12 for Perine. Thompson was excellent in the passing game with 104 yards on four catches. However, he struggled mightily as a runner, posting just 33 yards on 16 carries. Don’t expect to see much of Thompson in early downs when Kelley comes back. Thompson owners may want to strike while the iron is hot and trade him.
Chicago @ Baltimore
Bears run the ball 54 times.
That’s one way to cover up your rookie quarterback. Chicago fed Jordan Howard 36 times and gave Tarik Cohen 14 carries. Howard was the better performer of the two with an average of 4.6 yards per carry for a total of 167 yards, but Cohen was able to help fantasy owners out with a passing score. Expect the Bears to continue to pound the run game going forward, which means good things for the fantasy prospects of both Bears backs.
Cleveland @ Houston
Deshaun Watson delivers the goods.
He wasn’t the top-scoring fantasy quarterback this week, but Watson was still able to post top-5 numbers with 225 passing yards and three scores. That gives him 12 passing touchdowns and just two picks over the last three weeks. While things look great right now, keep in mind that the Texans face Seattle following their bye in Week 8. It’s going to be tough to trust him in that matchup, but Watson’s November schedule is very favorable.
Tampa Bay @ Arizona
Adrian Peterson goes off in Cards debut.
Maybe it was just the Saints because Peterson had no problem in the Arizona offense, notching a massive 134 yards and two scores on 26 carries. Peterson benefited from a favorable game script that saw the Cardinals get out to a big lead early, but that’s not to discount his play. The veteran back ran hard and surged back into the RB2 conversation.
LA Rams @ Jacksonville
Both running backs top 100 yards.
This was a fun one to watch if you like the run game. Both Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette topped 20 carries, with each player going over the century mark. Much of Fournette’s 130 yards came early on a 75-yard rushing score, whereas Gurley had to grind out his 116 yards. Regardless, both performances are yet another indication that these two are locked in as RB1s.
Pittsburgh @ Kansas City
Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell dominate.
Ben Roelisberger didn’t completely rebound from his ugly Week 5 performance, but he was able to feed Brown 10 targets. The star wideout caught eight for 155 and one of the better touchdown receptions you’ll see this season. Bell also went big with 179 rushing yards and a score. That’s his second 100-yard performance in the last three games. More importantly, Bell looked like his old self in this contest, patiently waiting for holes to open and then exploding through them. While the Steelers aren’t necessarily the most potent offense in the league this season, Bell and Brown remain elite fantasy options.
LA Chargers @ Oakland
Hunter Henry is surging.
There are a number of interesting takeaways from this contest, but perhaps the biggest is Henry’s role in the offense. Much was made about the fact that Antonio Gates ran more passing routes through the month of the season, but that trend seems to have reversed over the last two weeks. In this one, Henry ran 26 routes, which was five more than Gates. He was also much more heavily targeted with seven to just one for Gates. Henry also showed his impressive upside with 90 yards on five catches. The genie is out of the bottle in Los Angeles, and Henry is a TE1 going forward.
NY Giants @ Denver
Orleans Darkwa runs all over the Broncos.
Sunday night capped a surprising day of football with the Giants taking down the Broncos thanks in part to a big performance from Darkwa. The former Tulane back racked up 117 yards on 21 carries while also adding a catch for 13 yards. Darkwa was clearly ahead of rookie Wayne Gallman, and could remain the lead back when Paul Perkins returns. While the outcome is encouraging for the Giants, this team still has major holes in the wake of season-ending injuries to Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall. Even as the lead back, Darkwa is still more of a flex option.
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