Stars of Week 6

QB:      Matthew Stafford, DET: 27-42, 405 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

RB:      Chris Ivory, NYJ: 20 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD                                                            

WR:     DeAndre Hopkins, HOU: 10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TDs          

TE:      Greg Olsen, CAR: 7 catches, 131 yards, 1 TD 

For the most part, we had a relatively quiet fantasy week. Matthew Stafford had the advantage of nearly a full overtime period to accumulate an impressive volume of statistics – not to mention a generous Chicago Bears defense on the opposing side. Stafford should be viewed as a high end QB2 leagues, with 12 or fewer teams and a low-end QB1 in deep leagues (14 teams or more). Chris Ivory continues to show that he’s a weekly starter, as he had his way with the Redskins’ rushing defense. It also helps to have Bilal Powell rightfully subordinated to third down duties, rather than as a committee member. Speaking of ascension, DeAndre Hopkins continues to force his way into the discussion as a top-5 overall WR. If there was any doubt, he’s there now. Last but not least, Greg Olsen exploited a Seahawks’ defense that has trouble containing TEs, and Olsen caught the game-winning touchdown in the last minute of the game. By any measure, Olsen remains a top 5 TE. 

Week 6 Takeaways – A Closer Look

Each week we take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward. 

- Peyton Manning, QB – DEN: 26-48, 290 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs 

Analysis: It feels quite strange to see these numbers attributed to Peyton Manning. But unfortunately, Manning has struggled this season, despite the team’s 6-0 start. Who would’ve ever thought that Peyton Manning could be the reason the Broncos fail to reach the Super Bowl? The reality is that Manning is a 39 year old quarterback with diminishing arm strength, who’s now about to face a tougher part of his schedule, with weather conditions which will only continue to get colder. Yes, Debbie Downer wrote this Peyton Manning analysis. At this time, and probably without ever again reversing course in an upward trajectory, Peyton Manning should be viewed as a QB2 going forward. Manning’s mind still works as well as any QB, so he will mix in QB1 performances from time to time. But Manning’s physique is deteriorating before our eyes, and we’ve seen enough to downgrade Manning to weekly QB2 status.

- Lamar Miller, RB – MIA: 19 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD

Analysis:         Lamar Miller has had a rough start to the 2015 season. Well, I’m here to tell those of you who own Miller that there’s hope after all! With Joe Philbin finally relieved of his duties, the Dolphins have a renewed commitment to the running game under interim coach Dan Campbell. Miller averaged just under 6 yards a carry against the Titans on Sunday, and he looked like the 2014 version of himself. The return of ace offensive lineman Branden Albert also played a big role in the restoration of the Dolphins’ running game. You should expect Miller to return to solid RB2 status going forward. If he rode the bench for you for the last few weeks, get him back in there. 

- Ronnie Hillman, RB – DEN: 20 carries, 111 yards, 0 TDs

CJ Anderson, RB – DEN: 13 carries, 41 yards, 0 TDs                                          

Analysis:         We received a bit more clarity as to the Denver Broncos’ backfield situation in the game against the Browns. At least, we think we know more now. For the first time this season, Ronnie Hillman received more carries than CJ Anderson. Without question, Hillman has produced more with his carries than Anderson has up to this point, so it’s logical to assume that the trend towards Hillman will continue. Now, logic doesn’t always rule the day, so the Denver running back situation remains fluid. But, I would expect Hillman to continue to get somewhere around two-thirds of the carries going forward. As for those of you who own CJ Anderson, I would stash him on the bench for now unless you’re in a very shallow league. There’s a chance that Anderson can get back in good favor, so keep him rostered if you can spare the room.

- John Brown, WR – ARZ: 10 catches, 196 yards, 0 TDs

Analysis: The story line regarding the Arizona Cardinals’ 2015 receiving corps begins with the revival of Larry Fitzgerald, who seemingly has found the fountain of youth. Next, you’ve got young John Brown, who has solidified himself ahead of Michael Floyd as the number 2 receiver for the team. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, John Brown went ballistic, falling just short of 200 receiving yards. Scouring through the season numbers, Brown has had a healthy number of targets (45 through 6 games) and production (2 TDs and just under 500 yards receiving). Expect Carson Palmer to continue directing a prolific passing attack, and as such, John Brown will continue to post strong numbers. Brown straddles the WR2/WR3 line, with the arrow pointing upwards. 

- Stefon Diggs, WR – MIN: 7 catches, 129 yards, 0 TDs

Analysis: The Minnesota Vikings’ passing game has been a disappointment so far this season. Teddy Bridgewater has posted pedestrian numbers, and his receivers have done the same. Well, we may have a new shining light among the Vikings’ receiving corps. Rookie Stefon Diggs posted his second consecutive strong game, being targeted 9 times to go along with his 7 catches and 129 yards. In Diggs’ last game, he pulled down 6 catches for 87 yards, with 10 targets coming his way. It’s very difficult to make any definitive statements from just two games, but Diggs looks like someone that can be a factor down the stretch for fantasy owners. Diggs has a WR3 ceiling for this season, and should be picked up by anyone looking for receiving help.

- Jimmy Graham, TE – SEA: 8 catches, 140 yards, 0 TDs

Analysis: Jimmy Graham was the second tight end drafted in most leagues, and his owners have been disappointed thus far. Was this past game against Carolina a sign of things to come? Yes, somewhat. It makes sense that Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham would need some time to develop chemistry, so you should expect an uptick in Graham’s performance going forward. But the Seahawks remain a run-first team, so don’t expect quite the same numbers as Graham posted with the Saints. As for where I rank Graham for the rest of the season, I’d place him at fifth behind Gronk, Olsen, Kelce and Eifert. The good news is that the arrow points upward. 

Rapid Fire Pickups

Each week we’ll throw out potential free agent pickups from each position for deeper leagues, in each case 1) someone who has NOT been referenced above, and 2) a player available in most leagues.

QB: Josh McCown, CLE

RB: Christine Michael, DAL

RB: James Starks, GB

WR: Kamar Aiken, BAL

WR: Eddie Royal, CHI

TE: Ladarius Green, SD

Week 7 Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Carson Palmer

2. Andrew Luck

3. Philip Rivers

4. Tom Brady

5. Cam Newton

6. Drew Brees

7. Russell Wilson

8. Eli Manning

9. Matt Ryan

10. Ryan Tannehill

11. Blake Bortles

12. Matthew Stafford

13. Colin Kaepernick

14. Tyrod Taylor

15. Ryan Fitzpatrick

16. Sam Bradford

17. Josh McCown

18. Derek Carr

19. Joe Flacco

20. Teddy Bridgewater

Running Backs

1. Devonta Freeman

2. Todd Gurley

3. Adrian Peterson

4. Le'Veon Bell

5. Arian Foster

6. Marshawn Lynch

7. Mark Ingram

8. LeSean McCoy

9. Latavius Murray

10. DeMarco Murray

11. Chris Ivory

12. Lamar Miller

13. Dion Lewis

14. Justin Forsett

15. Frank Gore

16. Jonathan Stewart

17. Carlos Hyde

18. Chris Johnson

19. Doug Martin

20. Alfred Morris

21. Danny Woodhead

22. T.J. Yeldon

23. LeGarrette Blount

24. Charcandrick West

25. Duke Johnson Jr. 

26. Melvin Gordon

27. Joseph Randle

28. Christine Michael

29. Ameer Abdullah

30. Rashad Jennings

31. Matt Jones

32. Antonio Andrews

33. Isaiah Crowell

34. Shane Vereen

35. Theo Reddick

Wide Receivers

1. Julio Jones

2. DeAndre Hopkins

3. Odell Beckham Jr.

4. Julian Edelman

5. Larry Fitzgerald

6. Keenan Allen

7. Brandon Marshall

8. Calvin Johnson

9. T.Y. Hilton

10. Allen Robinson

11. Antonio Brown

12. Donte Moncrief

13. Amari Cooper

14. Jeremy Maclin

15. Amari Cooper

16. Jarvis Landry

17. John Brown

18. Allen Hurns

19. Travis Benjamin

20. Golden Tate

21. Mike Evans

22. Martavis Bryant

23. Stefon Diggs

24. Eric Decker

25. Brandin Cooks

26. Jordan Matthews

27. Vincent Jackson

28. Michael Crabtree

29. Kendall Wright

30. Willie Snead

31. Tavon Austin

32. Kamar Aiken

33. Rishard Matthews

34. Anquan Boldin

35. Mike Wallace

Tight Ends

1. Rob Gronkowski

2. Greg Olsen

3. Antonio Gates

4. Travis Kelce

5. Jimmy Graham

6. Gary Barnidge

7. Delanie Walker

8. Julius Thomas

9. Jason Witten

10. Zach Ertz

11. Jordan Cameron

12. Charles Clay

13. Larry Donnell

14. Kyle Rudolph

15. Crocket Gillmore