NFL Reactions: Week 6

After seeing some extremely exciting games in Week 5, this week was anticimactic. At least the Commanders and Ravens played a close game. Let's look at the Week 6 action.

Jaguars vs. Bears

Caleb Williams has gotten better with each passing week. Even though he's had three easy matchups in a row, he continues to navigate the pocket with more confidence. In addition, he's showing an understanding as to when he needs to run to get easy yardage. In a game in which he spread the ball to his targets, Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen each scored a pair of touchdowns. DJ Moore still remains the top option, but he wasn't really needed in this blowout victory. Finally, D'Andre Swift continues to reward fantasy managers, as he had his third big game in a row. Back to Williams, he's definitely in the conversation as a starting weekly fantasy option. The pass catchers are going to be tough to predict every week.

The Jaguars' offense may have had a decent game against the Colts last week, but this week reminded us who they really are. The passing attack is horrible, and Trevor Lawrence is not a quarterback to trust in fantasy. It was great to see Evan Engram back in the lineup, as he caught all 10 targets for 102 yards. He's back to being a plug-and-play auto start. Travis Etienne left this game with an injury, but surprisingly it was D'Ernest Johnson who had more touches than Tank Bigsby. Even though Brian Thomas underperformed, it was against an excellent Chicago pass defense. Thomas remains one of the bright spots in this offense. Fantasy managers can just throw up their hands in frustration with many of the players on this offense.

Commanders at Ravens

The Ravens are fun to watch when their offense is playing at its best. Not only did Lamar Jackson throw for 323 yards, but Derrick Henry rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. For the first time this season, we saw both Henry along with a pair of receivers come up with big games. Zay Flowers collected most of his 132 yards in the first half while Mark Andrews set season highs with 66 yards and a touchdown. Although the Commanders are not a good defense, Baltimore has found different ways to shred opponents since early in the season. That said, it's difficult to predict games in which the rushing and passing attacks will perform at a high level. At this point, starting your key Ravens is a no-brainer. Just be ready to deal with the occasional games when some of their players underperform. 

Even though the Commanders, they had an impressive performance against (arguably) the toughest defense they had faced all season. Terry McLaurin found the end zone twice while posting 53 yards. Although he was the only offensive player to have a big game, the team got moderate production from a number of contributors. Jayden Daniels only rushed for 22 yards, but he still passed for 269 yards and two scores, which was more than enough to claim a strong fantasy performance. I wondered how Washington would perform in this difficult road test. At this point, there is no scenario in which a fantasy manager could consider benching McLaurin. Obviously, Daniels is one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the league. 

Lions at Cowboys

The Lions toyed with a Dallas team they blew out. Detroit moved the ball at will, so most of the weapons had high floor games. Jared Goff (311 yards, two TDs) and David Montgomery (80 rush yards, two scores) were the players who went off. Someone had to be left out, and in this game it was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who caught all three targets for 33 yards. You don't need me to tell you to start your Lions each week, as they can drop 30 points (or more) on any opponent.

Dallas is not a team that can afford to fall behind. Once a defense knows that Dallas has no option other than to the pass the football, the pass rush can be sent with reckless abandon. Only CeeDee Lamb had a reasonable fantasy performance. As long as Dallas is in competitive games, their top options should be fine for fantasy. Otherwise, there is the potential for downside in any game they are underdogs.

Cardinals at Packers

The Packers controlled this game throughout. Jordan Love dominated a bad defense by throwing four touchdown passes while Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs finally had the type of games for which fantasy managers had hoped. Watson was returning from an injury while Dobbs was  returning from a team-imposed suspension. Jayden Reed played through a shoulder injury, but the team likely didn't waste too many targets on him in the second half of an easy victory. This game could be a turning point for Green Bay. Don't be surprised if this offense becomes a weekly juggernaut like it was in the second half of last season. Although Dontayvion Wicks left this game with an injury, his rough start to the season may make it difficult for the receiver to crack the top-three WR rotation.

Arizona lacks depth at the skill positions. When it lost Marvin Harrison to a concussion early in this game, it became apparent how ordinary its pass-catching weapons are. Trey McBride is an excellent tight end, but he's far from a game breaker. Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson are good players, but they're not receivers who are going to carry a high-level passing attack. The offense has had strong performances, but it's also struggled plenty. It is a boom-or-bust unit. Pay close attention to your roster options when deciding whether to start Arizona players. 

Buccaneers at Saints

At the end of the first half, Tampa Bay trailed 27- 24. In the second half, it outscored the Saints 27-0. It was a very odd game. The first half was filled with turnovers as well as a New Orleans' punt return touchdown. Ultimately, the  Buccaneers grabbed some momentum and put up some monstrous numbers. Although Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions, he passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns. Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker combined for almost 300 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. Chris Godwin had one of his best games, catching 11 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. When the Buccaneers either have a good matchup or play in a shootout, they will be a great source of fantasy production. This has been one of the more fun offenses to watch this season.

Rookie Spencer Rattler had some nice moments in the first half of this game. Despite losing Chris Olave to an early concussion, the quarterback led the team on a pair of touchdown drives. However, once the Buccaneers grabbed the lead, he was unable to move the offense. Facing the Tampa Bay pressure, Rattler was sacked five times and threw a pair of interceptions. Until Derek Carr returns from his abdominal injury, it will be difficult to trust any New Orleans offensive players other than Alvin Kamara.

Browns at Eagles

If I didn't feel compelled to talk about each team that plays Sunday, I would skip the Browns. Amari Cooper continues to play at a flex level, and that's about it. I feel bad that Nick Chubb is likely to come back into such a terrible situation next week. I hope there is some way the superstar running back can find a way to do some good in such a bad offense. It would seem that if the team was going to bench Deshaun Watson, it would have done so long ago. Maybe the team will do Chubb a favor and bring in Jameis Winston to play quarterback and give this team a spark. I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe the Eagles looked past this game. The only offensive player to have a strong game was A.J. Brown, who returned from the hamstring injury that had kept him out since Week 2. Brown had a pair of big plays to give him 116 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Hurts has had a number of games this season with solid rushing attempts but little yardage. In this game, he rushed 14 times for 33 yards. Hurts no longer looks like the dynamic runner he was a couple years ago. That said, with the offense around him, he is still a strong weekly fantasy option. Saquon Barkley did not have a good game, but it's easy to write this one off, as the running back has been an elite option all season. The Eagles didn't look mentally prepared. Yes, that is unacceptable, but it does happen in professional sports. 

Colts at Titans

I was stunned that the Colts sat Anthony Richardson (hip). It appeared as if the quarterback was ready to get back in the lineup. It's certainly possible Richardson wasn't quite 100 percent healthy. With Joe Flacco back at quarterback, both Josh Downs and Michael Pittman remained solid fantasy options. it still amazes me that Pitman was being called a candidate for injured reserve just a few days ago, then he goes out and catches five passes, including a touchdown. Otherwise, Downs continues to be the favored option for the veteran quarterback. I have no idea how the Colts will handle their quarterback situation. If it's Richardson, I'll downgrade the top receivers. if Flacco remains in, continue to keep the wheels up on those pass catchers.

As long as Will Levis is the quarterback for this team, it appears as if it will be a fantasy football wasteland for the pass catchers. As promised, Calvin Ridley was heavily targeted coming out of the bye week. The veteran was targeted eight times, but did not catch a single pass. The only player who is a good fantasy option for Tennessee is Tony Pollard. The running back has been a strong option in four of his five games this season. It may be wise for the coaching staff to consider going back to Mason Rudolph next week. 

Chargers at Broncos

Facing an excellent Denver defense, the Chargers did enough to get out to an early lead and control the game. After a pair of disappointing games, J.K. Dobbins was efficient enough, handling 25 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. It'll be interesting to see this offense when it faces below-average defenses. With a solid rushing attack and Justin Herbert at quarterback, there is potential for this offense to post occasional big games. In the short-term, Dobbins appears to be the only reliable option.

The Denver offense was productive in garbage time. Bo Nix took advantage of a defense that took its collective foot off the gas by throwing a pair of touchdown passes and rushing for 61 yards. In addition, Courtland Sutton posted 53 yards and a touchdown. After being a healthy scratch for a number of weeks, Devaughn Vele led the team with 78 receiving yards. It's hard to know what to expect from him.  Looking ahead, Sutton is probably the only fantasy option to count on as a weekly floor play. Entering this game, Javonte Williams had a pair of decent performances, but the running back did little.

Texans at Patriots

In a game where Houston faced an inferior opponent, the offense put up 41 points. C.J. Stroud probably could have had a much bigger day through the air, but there was no need for the offense to be overly aggressive in the second half of a game they controlled. It was great to see Joe Mixon back, as he rushed for 102 yards and scored once on the ground and once through the air. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell both found the end zone while posting solid yardage totals. It doesn't seem as if there's much to take away from this game, as New England is banged up on defense. I still am optimistic for the Houston offense, but it may not reach its full potential against tougher opponents until Nico Collins returns. Still, the Texans have plenty of firepower to keep up with almost any opponent.

As debut performances go, Drake Maye did well enough. Sure, he threw a pair of interceptions, but he completed 60 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns. The rookie did a great job of involving DeMario Douglas, who posted 92 yards and a touchdown. Also, Kayshon Boutte was targeted three times, catching all for 59 yards and a touchdown. It's possible that Maye has a connection with Boutte, which makes him worth targeting on waivers in deeper leagues. It should be noted that Maye ran for 38 yards, and that rushing production makes him a definite fantasy option in two-QB leagues.

Steelers at Raiders

Give the Steelers coaching staff some credit. It played a Las Vegas squad that had clear limitations. Wisely, Pittsburgh leaned heavily on its rushing attack as it blew out the Raiders. Najee Harris had his best game of the season with 106 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries. Fields did little as a passer but rushed for 59 yards and two scores. Aside from production in the running game, it will be tough to count on any components of this passing attack.

The Raiders played this game without their top-two wide receivers. In a matchup against the Steelers, that was far from optimal. Brock Bowers was the only player to post more than 37 yards. The tight end caught nine passes for 71 yards. Aside from Bowers, it is difficult to trust any Raiders' skill position player in fantasy lineups.

Falcons at Panthers

Although Kirk Cousins had an excellent matchup against the Panthers, I was worried that the Falcons would have enough success on the ground that they wouldn't need to focus on their passing attack. That's exactly what ended up happening. Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson combined for more than 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns. As a result, Cousins threw for 225 yards and one touchdown. However, Drake London continued to do well by posting 74 yards and a touchdown. Even though Kyle Pitts only had five targets, the tight end recorded 70 yards, giving him his second decent game in a row. This is a difficult offense to predict for fantasy. The good news is that the Falcons have shown the ability to successfully move the ball through the air. And in this game, they finally got the ground game going.

Carolina had a couple decent performances when Andy Dalton took over with favorable matchups. In a neutral matchup against the Falcons, it was only Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard who were fantasy factors. Johnson has done outstanding work in three of his four games with Dalton. Meanwhile, Hubbard continues to make the most of the volume he's given and will continue to be a high-end fantasy option. It's possible that Hubbard retains a solid role in the offense even when Jonathon Brooks returns from his knee injury.

Injuries 

The following players were injured and did not return:

• Chris Olave suffered a concussion.
• Marvin Harrison suffered a concussion.
• Travis Etienne injured his hamstring.
• Dallas Goedert injured his hamstring.
• Jerome Ford injured his hamstring.
• Dontayvion Wicks sustained a shoulder injury.
• Tyjae Spears injured his hamstring.