Fantasy Questions Week 6. Key Questions For Every Team.

Five weeks of NFL football are in the books — and I have some SERIOUS questions that will (hopefully) help us get the fantasy football rosters as right as possible with bye week szn fully in the air.

What follows are my 35 biggest questions (and potential answers) ahead of all the Week 6 action.

As always: It’s a great day to be great.

Ravens at Titans (BAL -4, 41.5 O/U)

Has Lamar Jackson really received an upgrade in passing game firepower this season?

Not really!

There was a lot of conversation entering the season about the Ravens’ new shiny WR core helping Jackson reach new heights as a passer. Well, through five weeks he’s one of just six QBs to have double-digit passes dropped — the 2019 NFL MVP has actually been one of the league’s most-accurate throwers of the football when adjusting for these miscues:

• Overall adjusted completion rate: 80.3% (No. 5 among 36 qualified QB)
• On passes 10 to 19 yards downfield: 87.1% (No. 2)
• On passes 20-plus yards downfield: 44.4% (No. 14)

Jackson has still managed to post top-10 fantasy numbers this season; just realize his overall counting numbers through the air have had the potential to be far higher through no fault of his own. Overall, only Matthew Stafford (123) has more incomplete air yards on dropped passes than Jackson (121). Sheesh.

Last Sunday’s showing in particular was an absolute embarrassment from all pass-catchers involved.

Luckily, these WRs get a chance to rebound against a Titans’ pass-funnel defense that has allowed the eighth-most half-PPR points per game to the position this season. Fire up Jackson and Mark Andrews as their usual upside QB1/TE1 selves, while Zay Flowers is also a recommended start — especially after the Ravens proved willing to open up his route tree in Week 5.

Was Justice Hill making some plays in Week 5?

He sure was! Kudos to the Ravens’ scat back for making more than a few would-be tacklers look silly in the open field last week, and he was accordingly rewarded with a season-high 55% route rate.

Of course, this came at the expense of Gus Edwards, who was coming off his season-high snap rate (71% in Week 4). Things aren’t looking great this week for the yards per carry savant against a Titans run defense that has given pretty much everyone other than Zack Moss fits on the ground this season.

Hill is the slightly superior play this week thanks to his pass-catching prowess, but then again the Titans have allowed the second-fewest receptions to opposing RBs this season (13). Throw in the potential for this backfield to feature *three* RBs should the team activate Keaton Mitchell, and I’ll be answering the heavy majority of start/sit questions featuring a Ravens RB with the other guy this week. 

Is this the worst version of Derrick Henry … ever?

Kinda sorta, with the primary disclaimer being that it’s still relatively early in the season, and historically Henry has only gotten stronger as the weather has gotten colder.

• September: 3.9 yards per carry
• October: 4.5
• November: 5.1
• December: 5.5
• January: 4.9

But still, the early returns have largely been ROUGH outside of his 22-122-1 rushing effort vs. the Bengals in Week 4.

Henry’s average of 3.8 yards per carry marks the first time he’s been under 4.2 while his yards after contact per attempt (3.1 — worst mark of career) and missed tackles forced per carry (0.19 tied for third-worst mark of career) also haven’t been anything to write home about.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) takes the field before an NFL divisional playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Cincinnati Bengals defeated Tennessee Titans 19-16. Cincinnati Bengals At Tennessee Titans Divisional Playoff 67

This isn’t exactly shocking: Henry hasn’t averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry in a season since 2020, and the Big Dog has certainly suffered plenty of wear and tear over the years.

However, Henry’s newfound pass-game role in 2022 (2.2 targets per game) is also down from 2022 heights (2.6) due in large part to rookie backup Tyjae Spears, who is Fantasy Life’s Waiver Wire Stash of the Week.

Henry posted 3-195-0, 28-133-1 and 18-40-0 rushing lines in three meetings with this Ravens defense between 2019 and the 2020 Wild Card Round; just realize he was working behind a very different offensive line at that point in time.

Ranked as the league’s eighth-best defense in fewest rushing yards before contact per attempt, Baltimore remains one of just five defenses that have not allowed a rushing TD to an opposing RB this season.

Is DeAndre Hopkins a prime sell-high candidate?

Abso-lutely.

The 31-year-old longtime stud is coming off season-best marks in receptions (8) and yards (140). While Hopkins still hasn’t found the end zone this season, he’s literally been inches away in back-to-back weeks on near-miss trick play targets.

Currently averaging a career-high 2.54 yards per route run: Hopkins looks far from washed out there and could certainly build off last week’s PPR WR8 finish.

The concern here more so comes down to the reality that:

1. Hopkins has benefited from No. 2 WR Treylon Burks (knee) missing early-season time.
2. We are one injury under center away from likely getting the Malik Willis experience.

Perhaps you, a scholar, are thinking, “Ian, this is obvious, nobody in my league wants to trade for Hopkins.” And I hear you — but look at these very real trades that have involved him recently in Yahoo fantasy leagues on Tuesday alone:

• Hopkins for Tua Tagovailoa
• Hopkins for Joe Mixon
• Hopkins and Isiah Pacheco for Austin Ekeler
• Hopkins and Drake London for Chris Olave

The Mixon and Ekeler deals in particular look like easy money; don’t be afraid to at least take advantage of some moderate good vibes surrounding Hopkins at the moment by praying on your WR-hungry league-mates.

Commanders at Falcons (ATL -2.5., 42.5)

How have the early returns of the Sam Howell experience been?

On the one hand, Howell has supplied a LOT of fun, tight-window throws on his way to throwing for the sixth-most yards (1,349) in football after five weeks of action.

On the other, Howell has been sacked a league-high 29 times this season. Nobody has allowed a higher percentage of pressures to turn into sacks (32%) than the Commanders’ second-year signal-caller.

Luckily in fantasy land: Sacks don’t count for negative points, and Howell has accordingly managed to average a solid 17.6 fantasy points per game (QB15). 

The Falcons aren’t exactly a layup matchup; just realize Howell has looked competent enough to believe bigger days could be ahead for all the key parties involved in this passing game.

What exactly is the pecking order of this Washington passing game?

Well, it’s sure as hell not the 1.A/1.B situation that everyone assumed was in store for Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. While McLaurin (31 targets) and Dotson (30) do indeed lead the way, Curtis Samuel (27) and Logan Thomas (25 in 4 games) aren’t far behind.

In fact, Samuel’s three rush attempts on the season give him the most touches of any Washington WR — and he’s responded with the most PPR points as well.

Don’t get it twisted: Samuel is still just the WR38 in PPR points per game and isn’t someone fantasy managers should go out of their way to start. Rather, it’s a sign that things in this passing game might be divided enough to prevent either McLaurin or Dotson to ever truly reach the sort of heights that you drafted them for at their respective gaudy preseason ADP.

There should be some occasional spike weeks as long as Howell continues to get a long leash; just realize no parties involved are anything more than boom-or-bust WR3 types at the moment.

Just how drastic has the difference been between Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier?

Very!

• PFF rush grade: Robinson (83.1), Allgeier (67.8)
• Yards per carry: Robinson (5.4), Allgeier (3.1)
• Yards after contact per carry: Robinson (3.3), Allgeier (2.7)
• Missed tackles forced per carry: Robinson (0.3), Allgeier (0.21)

That’s right: Robinson is averaging more yards after contact per carry than Allgeier is averaging per rush attempt period. Madness.

This also isn’t the case of defenses loading up significantly more against Allgeier. Overall, both Allgeier (40.3%) and Robinson (32.8%) have faced eight-plus defenders in the box on a top-five rate of their rush attempts this season.

It makes sense that the Falcons don’t completely overwhelm Robinson with volume; preserving any player’s health is a perfectly rational thing to do. Still, a 67 vs. 62 discrepancy in rush attempts between Robinson and Allgeier seems a bit too close considering the drastically different performance put forward by each thus far.

Can you really trust anyone from this Falcons passing game?

Sometimes. You see, this Falcons team isn’t overly good, as evidenced by the fact that they trailed by double-digit points in the fourth quarter in each of Weeks 2 to 4 before coming back from a six-point deficit against the Texans in Week 5.

This game-script has forced head coach Arthur Smith to throw the football a bit more than he’d like, leading to Drake London (6-78-0) and Kyle Pitts (7-87-0) both enjoying a fair bit of success in their come-from-behind win last week.

That brings us to Sunday’s contest against the Commanders, which pits the Falcons as 2.5-point home favorites — AKA the sort of potential game-script that could allow Smith to be as conservative as he wants with this passing game.

Kudos to Desmond Ridder are probably putting forward his single-best performance as a professional last week; just realize he’s still PFF’s fourth-lowest graded QB on the season and holds bottom-10 marks in EPA per dropback and completion rate over expected — more signs continue to point to him not being good than not.

49ers at Browns (SF -7.5, 37.0)

Would men rather never admit Brock Purdy is actually good than go to therapy?

Probably. And there is some debate in Purdy’s standing among the league’s QBs in terms of how much of the team’s offensive success he is truly responsible for; just realize style points don’t matter in fantasy land, and Mr. Relevant continues to do nothing other than rack up solid performances.

Purdy has put forward the following weekly fantasy finishes in his 11 career regular season starts in chronological order:

• QB17
• QB6
• QB14
• QB13
• QB10
• QB5
• QB9
• QB22
• QB11
• QB11
• QB6

Nine of the 11 performances have featured top-14 production, while Purdy has finished as a legit QB1 in all but one of his last seven starts.

Of course, the 49ers haven’t exactly put the most on Purdy’s plate. He’s finished with fewer than 30 pass attempts in all but one game this season and has certainly benefited from the team's myriad of talented play-makers all over the field.

Still, the presence of those players has helped Purdy produce the sort of asinine efficiency numbers that will continue to keep him firmly in the weekly QB1 conversation.

Purdy (9.3) joins Tua Tagovailoa (9.7) as the only passers averaging over even 8.0 yards per attempt this season — the 49ers and Dolphins are largely playing a different game than everyone else.

Nobody is going to confuse Purdy for guys like Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts in fantasy land anytime soon, but why can’t he continue to produce numbers on par with more pure pocket passers like Jared Goff, Russell Wilson, C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford? Continue to fire up Purdy as a legit top-11 option as long as his playmakers and play-caller continue to be healthy.

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Could this be a sneaky solid fantasy spot for Jerome Ford?

That depends on whether or not you think this 49ers defense will really struggle at all with a potential P.J. Walker-led offense. The Deshaun Watson (rotator cuff) situation is just weird at the moment, as head coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson had been medically cleared before the team’s Week 5 bye.

On the surface: Yes, San Francisco’s run defense hasn’t been all that elite this season, ranking ninth in yards per carry and PPR points per game allowed to opposing RBs.

But still: We’re talking about a group led by Fred Warner and Nick Bosa here. Devoting extra resources to stop the run against Matthew Stafford might not make all that much sense, but vs. Walker or a banged-up Watson?

Ultimately, the Browns (15.25) are tied with the Giants for the lowest implied team total of Week 6. Treat Amari Cooper and Ford as more of WR3 and RB3 options than usual in this brutal spot.

Saints at Texans (NO -1.5, 42.5)

Was Chris Olave SO close to having a big Week 5?

He sure was. Sheesh.

One of just five WRs with 500-plus air yards this season: Olave has had all the opportunity in the world, but he hasn’t quite managed to make the most out of it just yet.

Good news fantasy managers:

• Pregame speculation that Olave suffered an ankle injury of sorts didn’t impact his playing time at all, as the second-year talent ran a route on literally 100% of the offense’s dropbacks despite the blowout nature of the game.
• Derek Carr looked far healthier in his second game since injuring his right shoulder, earning PFF’s seventh-highest grade of the week while vastly improving both his average target depth (7.4 vs. 9.5) and yards per attempt (3.4 vs. 7) relative to last week.

This week’s matchup with the Texans (No. 4 in fewest PPR points per game allowed to opposing WRs) isn’t ideal, but after that Olave gets the Jaguars (No. 22), Colts (No. 24), Bears (No. 18) and Vikings (No. 31) before the team’s Week 11 bye. Sign. Me. Up.

Yahoo trades featuring Olave have included him being swapped for guys like Jordan Addison, Alvin Kamara and Zack Moss (!?) among others; don’t be afraid to buy low on what still very much looks like one of the game’s next truly great WRs.

How great has Alvin Kamara been since returning from suspension?

Really great in fantasy land! Back-to-back PPR RB9 and RB7 finishes were just what the doctor ordered for needy fantasy squads that had to live through his three-week suspension.

Here's the thing: Kamara’s per-touch efficiency has actually gotten worse compared to his already down 2022 numbers.

• Yards per carry: 2022: 4. 2023: 4
• Yards after contact per carry: 2022: 2.7. 2023: 2.5
• Missed tackles forced per carry: 2022: 0.15. 2023: 0
• Yards per reception: 2022: 8.6. 2023: 3.1
• Yards per route run: 2022: 1.66. 2023: 1.25

Ultimately, the poor efficiency hasn’t mattered, as Kamara found the end zone in Week 5 and racked up an absurd 13 receptions (for 33 yards, lol) in Week 4 with Derek Carr playing through the pain of an injured throwing shoulder.

Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs with the ball against New England Patriots J.C. Jackson (29) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t get it twisted: Kamara currently possesses great utilization and figures to continue leading the backfield as long as he can stay healthy.

The question is whether or not Kamara will keep THIS sort of stranglehold on the overall usage:

1. Once highly paid early-down grinder Jamaal Williams (hamstring) returns to the equation.
2. If rookie Kendre Miller continues to impress with his touches. Overall, Miller leads all Saints RBs in yards after contact per carry (3.1) and yards per route run (2.64).

Kamara is hardly a spring chicken at this point (28) and also isn’t exactly inside the world’s greatest offensive attack (22nd in PPG, 21st in EPA per play, 29th in yards per play).

Fire up the longtime swaggy RB1 as just that for another week; just realize Kamara’s trade value could be as high as it’ll be all year.

How special has C.J. Stroud been relative to past rookie QBs?

Pretty spectacular. Stroud’s average of 292.2 passing yards per game is the highest mark in NFL history among all rookie QBs to start at least five games, while he’s posted top-six numbers over the past 10 years in yards per attempt (7.9) and passer rating (98.4) among 41 qualified QBs.

Oh yeah: Stroud’s now NFL-record 186-straight pass attempts without an interception to start a career is also pretty cool.

The potential absence of Tank Dell (concussion) this week condenses targets inside this ascending passing attack. Stroud himself remains firmly on the QB1 borderline, Nico Collins is deserving of upside WR2 treatment in this spot, and guys like Robert Woods, John Metchie and Dalton Schultz are also deserving of at least some love given their likely full-time roles in what has been the league’s third-most productive passing game on a pure yardage basis through five weeks of 2023.

Will this be the week Dameon Pierce finally gets going?

Probably not. The Saints join the Browns, Falcons, Lions and Eagles as the league’s only five defenses allowing fewer than 12 half-PPR points per game to opposing RBs.

Next week won’t be a productive one for any member of the Texans … because it’s their bye week.

But after that? Oh baby:

• Week 8 at Panthers: No. 31 in PPR points per game allowed to RBs
• Week 9 vs. Buccaneers: No. 15
• Week 10 at Bengals: No. 16
• Week 11 vs. Cardinals: No. 29
• Week 12 vs. Jaguars: No. 10
• Week 13 vs. Broncos: No. 32
• Week 14 at Jets: No. 24

Pierce’s -20.8 PPR points below expectation trail only Tony Pollard (-21.6) and Josh Jacob (-27.7) this season; I’m willing to chalk up most of his early-season struggles to the team’s plethora of offensive line injuries considering there have still been plenty of flashes of Pierce looking lethal in the open field.

Recent Yahoo trades have seen Pierce acquired for guys like Jerome Ford, Gabriel Davis, Sam LaPorta and Amari Cooper to give a slight gauge to the current market rate. I like the idea of buying into the bell-cow back of a suddenly ascending Texans offensive attack.

Panthers at Dolphins (MIA -13.5, 47.5)

How high should expectations be for Chuba Hubbard if Miles Sanders (shoulder) is sidelined?

Decently high! Especially if Bryce Young continues to make a concerted effort to get the ball out of his hands more quickly like he did in Week 4 (2.48 seconds average time to throw) and Week 5 (2.81) compared to Week 1 (3.16) and Week 2 (3.2). This would help the overall efficiency of the passing game and lead to plenty of underneath opportunities for Hubbard.

There’s a chance Hubbard makes far more out of his opportunities than Sanders managed with the starting role. Carrying rather large advantages vs. Sanders in yards per carry (4.4 vs. 3.1), yards after contact per carry (3.5 vs. 2.1) and missed tackles forced per carry (0.29 vs. 0,08): Hubbard has easily been the more efficient rusher all season despite dealing with boxes featuring eight-plus defenders at a higher clip (31.4% vs. 8.2%).

There’s also a chance that Hubbard’s role doesn’t change all that much due to the presence of WR/RB/baller Laviska Shenault, who has moonlighted as an RB with 17 snaps in the backfield this season. Raheem Blackshear will also likely at least be active should Sanders be too banged up to suit up.

Ultimately, nobody other than Adam Thielen really deserves the benefit of the doubt inside of the NFL’s 25th-ranked scoring offense; Hubbard will be more of a borderline RB2 if thrust into a featured role as opposed to someone who needs to be in lineups of all shapes and sizes. Sanders will be his usual meh-RB3 self if he continues to try and push through the pain.

Why do the injury Gods hate fun?

I don’t know, but taking electric rookie RB De’Von Achane (knee, IR) from everyone for at least four games objectively sucks balls.

All the third-round pick did in essentially three games of action was convert 47 touches into 527 yards (11.2 yards per touch) and seven TDs. And he did so in style.

Achane’s absence opens up a few possibilities, but Raheem Mostert figures to continue working as the team’s clear-cut No. 1 back.

And why wouldn’t he? Mostert has already scored eight times this season while averaging a whopping 5.4 yards per attempt — an incredible number in the pre-Achane era. Only Christian McCaffrey has more total PPR points than Mostert at the position through five weeks of action; the 31-year-old veteran is an every-week RB1 at the moment.

The only reason we can’t be more confident about Mostert’s every-week usage moving forward is the potential for Jeff Wilson (finger/midsection, IR) to be activated this week and resume his status as a key piece of this rushing attack. Last season the only game that both played in that seemingly featured Mostert at 100% health saw the backs engage in a 49%/47% snap split and neither managed to reach double-digit carries.

It’d make sense if Wilson is somewhat eased back in; Salvon Ahmed could also steal some snaps. Ultimately, Mostert aka must-start (ha!) is the only recommended start for now, but Wilson could be joining him in a hurry depending on how this week’s utilization shakes out.

Is Tyreek Hill’s route tree seriously unfair?

It sure is, and explains in large part why the cheetah has been virtually unguardable through five weeks of 2023.

Hill said in the offseason that he wanted to go for over 2,000 receiving yards this year — and he’s presently on pace for 2,213.4.

We quite literally have never seen a WR be this productive on a pure yardage basis: Hill’s average of 130.2 yards per game is presently the highest single-season mark in NFL history (min. 5 games).

Of course, all the focus on feeding Hill has led to Jaylen Waddle posting underwhelming numbers relative to what we’re used to seeing out of the penguin. Still, Waddle’s 10 targets in Week 5 are a step in the right direction after not surpassing six in any of his first three games.

It’s a matter of when, not if Waddle really goes nuclear; don’t be surprised if that time arrives Sunday against a Panthers secondary that has allowed the fifth-highest rate of explosive pass plays this season.

Seahawks at Bengals (CIN -2.5, 45)

How close has the 2023 Geno Smith experience been to what we saw in 2022?

Pretty damn close!

• PFF pass grade: 2022 (76.1), 2023 (76.7)
• Passer rating: 2022 (100.9), 2023 (97.8)
• Yards per attempt: 2022 (7.5), 2023 (6.9)
• Adjusted completion rate: 2022 (77.8%), 2023 (82.2%)

Still a top-10 QB in completion percentage over expected (5.2%, 9th): Smith has proved through four weeks that 2022 was far from a fluke.

Is the 33-year-old signal-caller benefiting from a loaded supporting cast? Sure, but that group also isn’t exactly going anywhere. Smith is a recommended start in Sunday’s potential shootout — just make sure you keep an eye on the potentially problematic weather for this one (and about eight other games).

Can we trust that the Bengals are finally back to normal?

Week 5 sure was a step in the right direction — particularly with how much more willing Joe Burrow was to move. Overall, his seven rushing yards in Week 5 were more than he managed in Weeks 1 to 4 combined (3).

The enhanced mobility was also on full display when Burrow took extra time to throw. Overall, Burrow threw three TDs and averaged a gaudy 8.7 yards per attempt when taking at least 2.5 seconds to throw; he didn’t throw a single score and averaged just 4.5 yards per attempt in these situations during the first four weeks of the season.

Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

You know what extra time to throw does? Gives extra time for your receivers to get downfield — which Burrow took advantage of repeatedly:

Burrow on throws 10-plus yards downfield

• Weeks 1-4: 11-for-37, 194 yards (5.2 YPA), 0 TD, 2 INT
• Week 5: 7-for-13, 134 yards (10.3 YPA), 2 TD, 1 INT (wasn’t his fault)

Nobody was ever going to confuse Burrow with Lamar Jackson on the ground, but it’s impossible to overstate the utility of No. 9 being healthy enough to avoid the occasional free rusher.

Yes, it was the Cardinals.

Also yes, this week it’s the Seahawks, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs and the single-most PPR points per game to opposing WRs through five weeks.

Burrow is back to mid-tier QB1 status, while Ja’Marr Chase should obviously be started in fantasy lineups of all shapes and sizes — even if there’s a fire. Hell, Tyler Boyd and Trenton Erwin are even deep-league FLEX options if Tee Higgins (ribs) remains sidelined — both Boyd (nullified YAC-filled score) and Erwin (overthrown on a flea flicker bomb) were oh so close to finding the end zone last week.

Is Joe Mixon a prime buy-low candidate?

I believe so! 

Mixon has worked as virtually the same guy in 2023 that he was in 2022 on the ground:

• Yards per carry: 2022: 3.9. 2023: 3.9
• Yards after contact per carry: 2022: 2.6. 2023: 2.4
• Missed tackles forced per carry: 2022: 0.11. 2023: 0.13

Those are all not great numbers! But guess what: Mixon turned in a RB6 finish in PPR points per game last season while ranking as the RB2 in expected PPR points per game with those numbers. Even if you want to be one of “those people” who like to remove a player’s best game and only focus on the bad: Mixon still would have finished as the RB12 on a per-game basis without his five-TD performance in 2022.

While Mixon is “just” the RB11 in expected PPR points per game this season, this could be on the verge of changing in a hurry considering just how much healthier Burrow looked in Week 5. After all: Operating as the workhorse RB in the league’s seventh-ranked scoring offense (2022) is quite a bit different from the 27th-ranked scoring offense (2023).

The workhorse RB part of that equation is the important piece here: Mixon is one of just seven RBs with a snap rate of at least 75% this season:

Recent Yahoo trades involving Mixon have seen him get got for guys like Deandre Hopkins, Najee Harris and Jordan Addison; I’m a fan of the Mixon side in all three of these deals due to the reality that his usage numbers are as good as anyone inside of an offense that (finally) appears to be ascending back to the sort of heights we thought were assuredly on the table just a short five weeks ago.

Colts at Jaguars (JAX -4, 44.5)

What should we make of Zack Moss’ backup?

I kid, I kid.

But seriously: Jonathan Taylor’s usage is one of the biggest storylines to watch in all of fantasy football at the moment. Overall, he played just 16% of the offense’s snaps in his Week 5 return, as Moss led the way and racked up 23-165-2 rushing and 2-30-0 receiving lines.

Good news: Colts head coach Shane Steichen says they are going to “ramp him up” this week and per beat reporter Stephen Holder it “sounds like his workload could increase on Sunday in Jacksonville.

The question is whether or not that workload will be on the same level as what Moss has seen this season. One of just nine RBs averaging more than 17.5 expected PPR points per game, Moss actually has a more fantasy-friendly workload than what Taylor saw in 2022 (15.3, RB11) and nearly 2021 (17.9, RB7).

I never thought we’d see the day where fantasy managers simply need Taylor to “get the Zack Moss role,” but here we are.

This whole situation reminds me of Ricky Bobby finding out Frenchie could drive: Taylor might just have some serious competition for touches on his hands.

Moss among 50 RBs with 25-plus carries this season

• PFF rushing grade: 70.9 (No. 22)
• Yards per carry: 5 (No. 11)
• Yards after contact per carry: 2.9 (tied for No. 21)
• Missed tackles forced per carry: 0.22 (tied for No. 17)
• 10-plus yard runs per carry: 14.6% (No. 8)

Moss also hasn’t been a liability as a pass-catcher; don’t be surprised if we see a far more evenly-split committee in the near term than Taylor’s fantasy managers would prefer — I’m treating the former as a TD-dependent RB3 and the latter as a low-end RB2 ahead of Sunday’s matchup with a Jaguars defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing RBs this season.

Has Trevor Lawrence been the most victimized QB by drops this season?

He’s up there, but surprisingly doesn’t break the top-five leaderboard denoting the amount of air yards that have been dropped this season (doesn’t include potential YAC):

1. Matthew Stafford (123)
2. Lamar Jackson (121)
3. Kirk Cousins (116)
4. C.J. Stroud (100)
5. Jordan Love (88)

T-Law isn’t too far behind (72, 8th) and is one of just four QBs with 11-plus dropped passes this season.

What we need for Lawrence is a metric that measures how much potential yardage he’s had left on the table from his receivers catching the ball, but only getting one foot down inbounds. Talk about a $10 idea right there.

For now we’ll settle with the amount of air yards lost on incomplete targets that PFF deemed to be accurate:

1. Lawrence (130)
2. Derek Carr (102)
3. Jalen Hurts (87)
4. Stafford (76)
5. Dak Prescott (72)

Manipulating data to help quantify something our eyes have told us all year? What’s better than this?

Don’t be surprised if last Sunday’s 315-yard effort proves to be a sign of more big things to come in the box score — particularly against a Colts defense that has allowed bottom-nine marks in fantasy points per game to both QBs and WRs.

Vikings at Bears (MIN -2.5, 44)

What should the expectations be for this Justin Jefferson-less Vikings offense?

Certainly lower than before. That’s life when you lose one of the game’s very best talents who was on pace for *checks notes* 1,941 receiving yards.

The quick answer would seemingly be first-round rookie Jordan Addison. Head coach Kevin O’Connell (hilariously) said, “My expectation is we hit the gas with Jordan (Addison) this weekend. No pun intended.”

Keep an eye on Addison’s ankle injury, but he practiced all week and should be active to feast on the Bears’ bottom-two defense in yards per attempt, pass TD rate and passer rating allowed this season. Ranked as high as WR14 and as low as WR32 by the Fantasy Life rankers: Addison isn’t getting locked-in WR1 treatment just yet, but he’s a recommended start and in most normal-sized leagues and someone who could truly provide some booms in the near future.

And then there’s K.J. Osborn … who ducked out of the way of a potential TD catch last week. Seriously.

Chatter about Osborn “filling the Justin Jefferson role” is rather hilarious talk for a guy who has the position’s second-lowest yards per route run mark (0.82) among 54 WRs with at least 25 targets this season.

Don’t get it twisted: Osborn is a perfectly fine borderline WR3 who will probably supply a WR2 spike at some point during Jefferson’s absence; just don’t get too wild with the potential No. 3 pass-game option inside of an offense not exactly expected to take a major step forward anytime soon.

Is Da Bears’ hot streak a blip on the radar or a sign of more greatness to come?

Probably something in the middle considering the stark differences Justin Fields has shown in PFF passing grade over the past few weeks:

• Week 1: 49.4 (No. 29)
• Week 2: 49.1 (No. 30)
• Week 3: 71.0 (No. 13)
• Week 4: 82.7 (No. 3)
• Week 5: 68.1 (No. 17)

His grade wasn’t as high in Week 5 despite the accompanying production due to the reality that the Ohio State product left some additional big gains on the field, notably missing Darnell Mooney on multiple deep shots as well as DJ Moore on what would have been a (fourth!) TD from 25 yards out.

Glass-half-full view: Fields is working as the QB4 in fantasy points per game even without his rushing truly coming along. His averages in yards per attempt (7.5), adjusted completion rate (73.1%) and passer rating (95.4) are easily career-high marks.

The Bears have opened up their passing game with far more play-action passing (32.9% vs. 18.4%) while also embracing pre-snap motion (71% vs. 50%) during the last two weeks compared to the first three games of the season.

The schedule has admittedly been tough, but then again upcoming matchups against the Vikings, Raiders and Chargers don’t exactly form the world’s toughest stretch either.

Sep 17, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) looks to pass during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Glass-half-empty view: Even with his great passing numbers from Weeks 4 and 5 included, Fields still ranks just 21st in completion percentage over expected (+1%) and 26th in EPA per dropback (-0.04).

While I’d never wish an injury on anyone, Fields has missed multiple games in each of his first two seasons, meaning at least some chance Moore has to deal with the Tyson Bagent experience at some point this season.

Sidenote: Am I the only person who has never heard of backup Bears QB Tyson Bagent before? They are seriously trusting an undrafted rookie who played at renowned Division II “Shepherd University” as the direct backup to their hopeful franchise QB who just so happens to be one of the highest run-volume players at his position in the league? Bold move, Cotton.

The 2023 season would not be the first time that DJM has experienced some mega booms in a bad passing game before coming back down to earth:

• 2021: Moore works as the PPR WR4 during the first four weeks of the season before scoring just once over the course of the next 13 weeks, finishing as the WR25 on a per-game basis when everything was all said and done.
• 2022: Seems to be coming on strong with 7-69-1 and 6-152-1 performances in Weeks 7 and 8 after a slow start … only to account for under 30 scoreless yards in four of his next five games.

Ultimately, Fields is deserving of his usual weekly upside QB1 treatment, but Moore is someone who managers might want to gauge trade interest in if someone is willing to buy him at his BOOM ceiling while ignoring the potential for more BUST outcomes to come as the season winds along.

Is D’Onta Foreman someone fantasy managers should trust?

Kinda sorta, and it’s dependent on both Khalil Herbert (ankle) and Roschon Johnson (concussion) being ruled out for Sunday.

There simply aren’t many healthy bodies in Chicago at the moment. Hell, primary special teamer Travis Homer (hamstring) is also banged up, leading to the Bears signing old friend Darrynton Evans off the street.

While Fields hasn’t ripped off any mega runs yet this season, his zone-read gravity impact on the rushing game continues to be evident. Overall, the Bears have averaged 1.6 yards before contact per carry — the 11th-highest mark in the NFL this season.

Foreman won’t be a “must start under any and all circumstances” sort of play if Herbert and Johnson are ruled out; just realize he’s proved plenty capable of supplying some RB2 goodness as an early-down grinder at multiple stops throughout his career. That would be good enough to earn borderline RB2 treatment this Sunday ahead of guys like Alexander Mattison, Dameon Pierce, Rhamondre Stevenson, Jonathan Taylor and others if thrust into the starting role.

Patriots at Raiders (LV -3, 41.5)

Has the fat lady sung on Rhamondre Stevenson’s hopeful 2023 RB1 campaign?

Things certainly aren’t looking good. While Stevenson did carry a questionable tag into Week 5 due to a thigh issue, he wasn’t listed on the injury report during the previous four weeks of the season.

I bring up the potential for an injury immediately, because how else are we supposed to explain the reigning RB10 in PPR points per game falling off a cliff to THIS degree?

• PFF rush grade: 71.2 (No. 21 among 50 qualified RBs)
• Yards per carry: 2.8 (No. 46)
• Yards after contact per carry: 1.8 (No. 50)
• Missed tackles forced per carry: 0.13 (tied for No. 38)
• PFF receiving grade: 50.4 (No. 34)
• Yards per route run: 0.76 (tied for No. 28)

The yards after contact number is actually even worse when we look at each back’s percentage of carries to go for at least two years — a metric which Stevenson (50%) also finishes dead ass last in.

It’s tough to overly complain about Ezekiel Elliott eating into the workload here when the ex-Cowboys RB has largely made more out of his opportunities all season long.

The hope is that the Patriots simply experienced a brutal opening schedule featuring the Eagles, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys and Saints — four teams with defenses capable of shutting down your entire offense along with the greatest show on surf. Not exactly ideal neutral game-script for your offense to get grooving.

It’ll really be time to sound the panic alarms if Stevenson and company can’t get going against the Raiders, although even then he’s tough to treat as more than a borderline RB2 considering this Patriots offense ranks *checks notes* dead last in scoring this season with just 11 points per game.

Has Jakobi Meyers earned must-start treatment in fantasy land?

He’s getting there! The WR15 in PPR points per game, Meyers has been LETHAL with the benefit of Jimmy Garoppolo under center:

• Week 1: 9-81-2 (10 targets), PPR WR3
• Week 3: 7-85-0 (12), WR25
• Week 5: 7-75-1 (10), WR10

Meyers’ three TDs are more than he had in his first 46 games with the Patriots; the Raiders are concentrating their volume around Meyers and Davante Adams enough to enable both to rather great fantasy heights even in the absence of all that good of a real life offense.

Up next for Meyers is a #RevengeGame against Bill Belichick and company. Injuries have played a major part; just realize the Patriots have given up 72 points over the last two weeks to Dak Prescott and Derek Carr — don’t be surprised if Meyers keeps on keeping on. He’s a recommended start in fantasy leagues of most shapes and sizes, particularly those featuring full-PPR scoring. 

Cardinals at Rams (LAR -7, 48.5)

Can fantasy managers trust something named Emari Demercado this week?

If Keaontay Ingram (neck) joins James Conner (knee, IR) on the sideline: Kind of.

Fantasy Life consensus ranks have Demercado resting as the RB31 assuming both Ingram and Conner are sidelined. A quality RB3/FLEX option, but not exactly someone who needs to be jammed into lineups ahead of a matchup with Aaron Donald and company.

This time next week we could be singing a different tune if Demercado is given a true workhorse role, but that’s a pretty big assumption. I’m actually more willing to flex Rondale Moore, who has already received plenty of RB usage this season on top of his full-time role in the slot.

Is the TuTu Atwell WR3 era over?

Nope! Van Jefferson is now a member of the Falcons, meaning the Rams’ speedy field-stretching talent is locked in as a full-time WR inside of a passing attack that suddenly looks pretty lethal with a healthy Cooper Kupp leading the way.

Atwell was truly so close to putting up MUCH bigger numbers in Week 5.

Obviously, Kupp and Puka Nacua are the top dogs in this passing game; just realize Atwell has the sort of game-breaking speed to keep on keeping on as a boom-or-bust WR3 moving forward. This is especially true ahead of Sunday’s matchup against a Cardinals defense that has allowed the eighth-most PPR points per game to opposing WRs this season.

Lions at Buccaneers (DET -3, 42.5)

How high is too high to rank David Montgomery?

Well, he’s a consensus top-11 option at the position in our Fantasy Life rankings, with Dwain McFarland going as far as having him behind only Christian McCaffrey and Raheem Mostert.

It’s tough to overly argue with this logic — especially after head coach Dan Campbell basically confirmed the weekly plan is indeed to feed the ex-Bears RB all the touches he can handle.

The Lions are really good and are winning football games. That’s awesome and true. However, this reality also doesn’t magically make the decision to spend the *12th overall pick* on a team-pronounced “change of pace” back a good one. It’s obviously not a one-for-one comparison, but should the 49ers be thrilled they drafted Trey Lance because they went 10-7 and 13-4 with two conference championship appearances “with him?"

So yeah: Montgomery is a must-start workhorse in fantasy land, while Gibbs (hamstring) still isn’t practicing and doesn’t look like someone managers can trust as anything more than a full-PPR RB3 if he manages to suit up.

What is the ceiling for Chris Godwin if Mike Evans (hamstring) is sidelined?

We got a sneak preview in Week 5, as Godwin turned a season-high 11 targets into eight receptions for 114 scoreless yards with Evans only able to play 26 total snaps.

While Godwin hasn’t found the end zone yet this season, he’s been missed on potential scores on a few occasions and hasn’t looked like anything other than his typically awesome self.

Of course, Godwin finally booming is contingent on Baker Mayfield continuing to bake. The overall QB6 in completion percentage over expected (+6.6%), the much-maligned former No. 1 overall pick is coming off one helluva three-TD performance against the Saints. He’s truly only struggled once this season (vs. the Eagles), although Sunday’s date with Aidan Hutchinson and company certainly won’t be easy.

Ultimately, Godwin comes in as Fantasy Life’s consensus WR26, meaning he should be in far more starting lineups than not should Evans not be healthy enough to suit up. Here’s to hoping this Bucs passing game continues to pleasantly surprise.

Eagles at Jets (PHI -7, 41)

Just how concerned should fantasy managers be about DeVonta Smith?

Meh. While it’s been a month since Smith found the end zone, he remains the clear-cut No. 2 pass-game option inside of the league’s fifth-ranked scoring offense.

Similar to San Francisco, the “problem” for this Eagles offense is their plethora of stud pass-catchers in a scheme that still wants to run the ball plenty. This will lead to occasional duds for all parties involved, especially when A.J. Brown is insistent on going the f*ck off nearly every week.

Ultimately, unless you believe Smith has magically turned bad at football: This is a prime buy-low opportunity for the 24-year-old talent. Jalen Hurts has found his stride as a passer with 300-plus yards in consecutive weeks; I like Smith's chances of booming in a major way over the next month of action as the Eagles get one of their best players back to putting up the sort of elite numbers we all know he’s capable of producing.

Is Breece Hall RB1 szn here to stay?

It sure seems that way! From Dwain McFarland’s critically acclaimed Utilization Report:

“Robert Saleh told us last week that the restrictor plate was removed from Hall’s touch count; he wasn't lying. The second-year back delivered 28 fantasy points on 22 attempts and three targets in Week 5 against that high school defense from Denver.

Hall registered a season-high 76% of the rushing attempts, and while he might not dominate in that fashion every week, he is clearly in the driver’s seat with Dalvin Cook looking like toast.

Michael Carter continues to play a role, handling the two-minute offense (91%) and most of the long-down-distance snaps (84%), but Hall was a high-end passing game weapon as a rookie, and we could see his utilization expand similarly on that front over time. Hall’s 21% TPRR is in RB1 territory based on the last three years of data.

Outlook: Hall UPGRADES to high-end RB2 status the rest of the way.”

Giants at Bills (BUF -14.5, 44.5)

Can we finally trust Darren Waller again?

Kinda sorta. The good news is that Waller (groin) said his absence at practice on Wednesday was part of his “rest protocol” and that he expects to play Sunday night.

Coming off season-high marks in receptions (8), yards (86) and targets (11): Waller leads the Giants in targets share (21.7%) and has worked as a top-10 option at the position in terms of PPR points per game despite the generally disappointing start to the year.

Of course, it wouldn’t be surprising if Waller experiences more of a “bust” than “boom” against a Bills defense that has allowed just 156 scoreless yards to opposing TEs this season. Only the Ravens and Saints have been more stingy in terms of PPR points per game allowed to the position.

The ex-Raiders veteran is still deserving of TE1 treatment thanks to his weekly potential for double-digit targets; just realize nothing is guaranteed inside of this banged-up Giants offensive “attack.”

Cowboys at Chargers (DAL -2.5, 50.5)

Should we be seriously concerned about ALL parties involved with the Cowboys?

Kind of, yeah!

The unit is currently putting forward mediocre marks in things like EPA per play (-0.042, 17h) and yards per play (5, 20th), undoubtedly in part because of their newfound scoring futility in the red zone.

• 2022: 72.4% red-zone TD rate (No. 1)
• 2023: 38.1% (tied for No. 28)

While Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb’s respective slow starts in fantasy land aren’t ideal, they remain the offense’s clear-cut No. 1 rusher and receiver — things should get better sooner rather than later as the season’s overall sample grows for both proven talents.

The bigger issue is what to make of Dak Prescott posting career-worst passing efficiency numbers in pretty much everything other than completion rate. He’s also averaging career-low marks in both carries (2.4) and rushing yards (9) per game. Not exactly an ideal combo in fantasy football land!

Vegas expects a bounce back and has the Cowboys implied to score the fifth-most points in Week 6, but for now the only locked in plays in this offense remain Pollard and Lamb. The consensus QB17 in the Fantasy Life rankings, we’ll need to see some level of evidence that Prescott still possesses real boom upside before re-approaching the QB1 conversation.