It’s Week 6, and we are in the second bye week of the season. This makes our Plays and Fades just that much more important to hit on. With that in mind, check out the following for your best bets to maximize efficiency in your fantasy leagues.
Bye weeks can often force our hands on who we play and who we fade, but if there’s a chance to make a choice, hopefully, this article will help you make it. It’s essential to make sure you’re playing your studs, but even some of them can be risky plays depending on who they are matched up against. This article highlights key matchups for you to exploit or avoid. Without any further ado, let’s get into it!
Quarterbacks
Plays
- Jordan Love vs ARI
- It’s a small sample size, but Love is putting up 21.8 PPG on opposing teams.
- This week he faces the Arizona Cardinals who have given up 16.52 PPG on average, which is the fourth most points to opposing quarterbacks. This game should have a positive game script, as well, as the Cardinals’ offense is efficient enough to force Love to continue throwing in order to keep up.
- Dak Prescott vs DET
- Prescott is in the top ten QB’s this season in terms of total points per game on average with 18.3 PPG.
- Going up against the Detroit Lions should provide a decent game script, as they are in the middle of the road in terms of touchdowns scored and yards put up, with six touchdowns and 1,039 total yards. They have also given up the fifth most points to opposing quarterbacks at 16.3 PPG on average.
- Lamar Jackson vs WAS
- QB1 on the year and averaging 25.1 PPG. Too easy.
- Washington is giving up a league-leading 19.34 PPG on average against opposing teams.
- Jayden Daniels will make the game interesting. Expect it to be a game script similar to last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fades
- Justin Herbert @ DEN
- Herbert hasn’t scored more than 12 points yet this season.
- Denver has only allowed four passing touchdowns and 907 passing yards through five weeks.
- Aaron Rodgers vs BUF
- The Jets look dysfunctional right now at all levels.
- The Bills have only allowed six passing touchdowns and 1075 passing yards through five weeks.
- Kyler Murray @ GB
- This begins a gauntlet of tough defenses that Murray will have to face.
- Opposing quarterbacks have only put up nine touchdowns on the Packers.
Running Backs
Plays
- Tony Pollard vs. IND
- This might be the best week to play Pollard, as opposing running backs have been putting up 23.68 PPG against the Colts.
- Coming out of the bye fresh, Pollard will look to capitalize on his decent performance so far this season, which has seen him average 14.6 PPG.
- Bijan Robinson @ CAR
- Is it time to panic? Maybe, but this week, you have to start Robinson against the Panthers.
- The only issue that could happen is if the game script gets wildly out of hand and they start using backups against the Panthers. However, I expect Dalton to be able to keep up with the Falcons defense.
- JK Dobbins @ DEN
- So happy for this man that he has come back from injuries and is playing the way he has so far this season.
- Two rough games are behind Dobbins and will now have a positive game script against the Denver Broncos. Between the Broncos struggling to keep their offense on the field and the fact that their stout pass defense will shut down Herbert, expect the Chargers offense to flow through the run game and Dobbins.
Fades
- Alvin Kamara vs. TB
- This will be a tough one to bench Kamara in, but with Derek Carr possibly out for the next couple of weeks due to injury, the Buccaneers’ stout run defense will look to keep the veteran running back from being a problem.
- Jahmyr Gibbs @ DAL
- The game script for this one may cause Jahmyr Gibbs to be used less, as the Cowboys will look to keep this a high-scoring game.
- Kenneth Walker vs. SF
- A negative game script is going to make it difficult for Walker to be involved much against this solid 49ers defense. This will be a “get right” game for San Francisco and Seattle will be playing from behind, needing to throw to keep up and abandon the run game.
Wide Receivers
Plays
- Zay Flowers vs. WAS
- Baltimore Ravens have one of their best passing matchups this week against the exploitable Commanders’ defense. The game will be high-scoring, and the Ravens will need to lean on their young star receiver as they attempt to keep up against stellar rookie Jayden Daniels.
- On average, the Commanders have been allowing 33.8 PPG to opposing wide receivers and are ranked 28th.
- Marvin Harrison Jr @ GB
- This will be a tough matchup for Harrison as the Packers should have back their star cornerback Jaire Alexander. However, if there are points for the Cardinals, they must rely on their young star receiver to take them there. The game script should allow Harrison to rack up points.
- Green Bay has been allowing 31 PPG to opposing receivers, which will mean good things for Harrison.
- Dontayvion Wicks vs. ARI
- Similar to why you should be starting Harrison, Wicks has a great opportunity ahead of him this week to boost his stock on waiver wires this next week. Expect the Packers to lean on Wicks more this week in this high-scoring game.
- The Cardinals have allowed 26.6 PPG to opposing wide receivers.
Fades
- Stefon Diggs @ NE
- Game script may cause the Texans not to need to pass too much in this game, as rookie quarterback Drake Maye is expected to make his debut. I’m expecting there to be growing pains for the young quarterback and for the Texans to be up early in this matchup, allowing them to focus on the run game and take some of the pressure off of Diggs.
- If you don’t have another option, Diggs might see more opportunities after the injury to Nico Collins, but I’m not expecting him to go off this week.
- New England is ranked 15th against receivers so far this year.
- AJ Brown vs. CLE
- This might be a moot point altogether, as AJ Brown is still dealing with an injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 1. That said, he is expected to make his return. Still, the injury is something to monitor, as he may end up being more of a distraction than a large part of the offense.
- Drake London vs. CAR
- London has been blowing up in games leading up to this point, so this might be a huge miss. However, the Panthers offense is so bad that London might become an afterthought before the game gets too long in the tooth.
- He should still be good for a double digit game, so play him if you have to. Just don’t be surprised if he doesn’t hold up to expectations.
Tight Ends
Play
- Brock Bowers vs PIT
- I was wrong. Brock Bowers is the real deal.
- Bowers is averaging 13.3 PPG right now and might be the only reliable tight end in the entire landscape of tight ends.
- With the Raiders still being Adams-less, and their run game being abysmal, expect the offense to flow through Bowers again this week against a susceptible Steelers defense.
- Hunter Henry vs HOU
- Henry, like the rest of the tight end landscape, has thus far disappointed. However, if there is one thing that will help Drake Maye this weekend, it might be the checkdown game to Henry for quick hitting passes. Expect the two to make a connection early and often as they attempt to keep up with the Texans this week.
- Jake Ferguson vs DET
- Ferguson came back after injury early in the season and has been a dependable tight end ever since. The Cowboys tight end is TE9 on the season right now and is one of the more reliable targets the Dak Prescott has on the team. Much like Henry with Maye, I expect the two to continue where they left off and put up a big game against the Lions.
Fades
- Kyle Pitts @ CAR
- Much like how I’m fading London, I’m fading Pitts for much of the same reasons. You kind of have to start him against the susceptible Panthers’ defense, but if there is somewhere you can pivot to, I’d recommend it.
- Dallas Goedert vs CLE
- Cleveland is solid against the tight end this year. Plus, much like with why I’m suggesting to fade AJ Brown, I’m expecting this game to flow through the run game. Don’t be surprised when Saquon Barkley takes control of this game and never gives it back.
- Tyler Conklin vs BUF
- Again, the Jets are dysfunctional and I don’t think the new look without Saleh is going to be any better than it was before. If anything, I’m expecting it to get worse.
Plays
- Eagles vs CLE
- The Eagles have yet to have a negative game this season, despite facing some of the best offenses in the league so far this season. With how terrible Deshaun Watson has been and their lack of run game, the Eagles should handedly shut down the Browns this week.
- Texans vs NE
- Originally, this was my pick because they were going up against Jacoby Brissett, who has struggled. Now with the Patriots making a change at quarterback, I’m even more in on playing the Texans offense. As stated earlier, there will be growing pains for Drake Maye. That dominant pass rush of the Texans is going to be stifling.
- Colts vs TEN
- Colts will have one of their easiest matchups this week going up against the Titans at home. Titans have allowed 14.5 PPG on average to opposing defense. This trend shouldn’t change this week.
Fades
- Giants vs CIN
- Cincinnati has been putting up numbers, the Giants defense has not. Doesn’t get much simpler than that.
- Jets vs BUF
- The Jets have built one of the best defenses in the league. That said, after firing Robert Saleh, this defense may be taking a step back. The timing of this couldn’t be worse as they will be facing the one divisional rival that will have been putting up points against opposing teams.
- Detroit @ DAL
- As mentioned earlier, this will be a high scoring game. Don’t be surprised if the Lions’ defense secures negative points this week.