Week 6 of the NFL season is here, and we are ready to look at a few players that most people don’t have on their fantasy rosters, but should really take a closer look to these potential free agents who might help your team from not only a depth perspective but could potentially be a fill in for week 6!
4-EYED PREVIEW #1: CJ Beathard – Quarterback – San Francisco 49ers
Reading this, you might be thinking that I have lost my mind and that I know nothing about fantasy football but hear me out for a second. I am not saying here that Beathard should ever be close to being considered a QB1 option on a regular basis. This is a suggestion based on three simple questions, is your starting QB on a bye week? Are you only carrying one QB on your roster (not a suggested strategy)? And do you believe that the Packers are going to run away with this Sunday’s game, to the point that Beathard is going to be getting a lot of passing yards trying to come from behind? Which is pretty much what happened last week against the Cardinals, when Beathard threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns.
In his first two starts taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Beathard has averaged 20 fantasy points, which is a respectable amount for anyone that needs a Bye Week fill-in, without any thought of a season-long commitment. I would particularly consider Beathard as a bye week fill-in if you have George Kittle as your starting TE.
4-EYED PREVIEW #2: Bilal Powell – Running Back – New York Jets
Bilal Powell is one of the best back up running backs in the NFL, through the first four games, he has 370 total yards from scrimmage, making him a legitimate dual-threat option when he is in the game. This week, the Jets take on the Indianapolis Colts and their 18th ranked rushing defense and they may have to do it without starter Isaiah Crowell, who has not practiced much this week with an ankle injury.
If Crowell is not able to go or is hampered by the injured ankle, look for Powell to pick up the bulk of the carries. So far in limited action, he is averaging over 9 fantasy points per game, a total that no doubt should increase against a mediocre Colts defense. Most fantasy owners would have Powell on their roster as a handcuff to Crowell on their roster. But this week, Powell appears to be a potentially viable flex option on some fantasy rosters, depending on your depth.
4-EYED PREVIEW #3: Antonio Callaway – Wide Receiver – Cleveland Browns
Obviously, one of the early surprises in the first five weeks of the NFL season has been the play of the Cleveland Browns. We all know what happened last season, but coming into this season, there was some optimism as the team went out and spent some money bringing in talented players via trade and free agency. Also, and while this is early, many are viewing the picks that the Browns made in the most recent Draft to be among the best they have in many many years. Having finally secured a guy they think will be their franchise Quarterback for the next decade in Baker Mayfield, they filled out the rest of their roster will talented players, who they hope will match the potential that they see in Mayfield. Among those rookies where hopes are high is wide receiver Antonio Callaway, Cleveland’s 4th round pick out of the University of Florida. Through the first four games of the season, Callaway is averaging about 7.7 fantasy points per game. He is only averaging six targets and just over three receptions per game. Now, why is he on our radar as a potential flex player this week, quite simply because this week the Browns face the Los Angeles Chargers and their 20th ranked passing defense. Also, for the Browns, second-leading receiver Rashard Higgins will miss this week’s game with a strained MCL, thereby thrusting Callaway into potentially a more involved role in the Browns offense this week. For those who are in PPR or 1/2PPR leagues they should probably expect to see a marked increase in the output of Callaway this week and I would not look down on anyone at all if they inserted Callaway into their flex spot, in hopes that they catch lightning in a bottle this week.
4-EYED PREVIEW #4: Kareem Jackson – Safety – Houston Texans
In his ninth season in the NFL, Safety Kareem Jackson is on pace to have the best season of his career. He is currently on pace to have over 100 tackles this season, which would be the first time that he accomplishes that feat. He is averaging 9.2 fantasy points per game, which is good enough for 8th in the NFL among defensive backs. His Houston defense goes up against the lowly Buffalo Bills this week, with the thoughts of Josh Allen’s less the perfect completion percentage making him and the rest of his Texans secondary eager to see what this rookie QB can do against their solid defense. Through the first five games of the season, Allen is only completing 53% of his passes with 5 interceptions. For a guy like Kareem Jackson, this is one of those games that he dreams about and can only increase his fantasy value, particularly in IDP leagues as he most likely flying around the field looking to be in the right spot when another of Allen’s passes eventually makes its way to someone (preferably Jackson) in the Texans dark blue and red.
*Also don’t forget to go back and read over our previous IN SEASON ARTICLES. You might find some nuggets of fantasy football gold that could propel you into the fantasy playoffs and even help you win a fantasy football championship!*
