San Diego at Oakland – Branden Oliver
For a second there, it seemed as though the San Diego Chargers had brought back Darren Sproles . Oliver was running hard and catching everything thrown his way and found the end zone every chance he got. With all the injuries suffered by the Chargers’ running backs, there is a ton of carries and catches up for grabs. So much so that even Ronnie Brown figures to see some game day action. Ryan Mathews figures to be the lead dog again when he returns from injury, but the role of Danny Woodhead is wide open. Oliver could be a points per reception steal at the RB2 or flex spot if he can continue to carve out a role in this offense. Philip Rivers loves to thrown the ball underneath over the middle and Oliver could turn those passes into huge plays.
New York Giants at Philadelphia – Andre Williams/Odell Beckham Jr.
The future is now for the Giants as two rookies will line up in starters’ roles in Week 6. Beckham Jr. finally worked his way back from injury and showcased himself as a very talented, physically gifted wideout. Don’t look now, but Eli Manning has two very big red zone threats in Larry Donnell and Beckham Jr. with two very shifty underneath men in Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz . This offense could take yet another step forward but still leans heavily on the production from the other starting rookie, Williams. Rashad Jennings is what was fueling the Giants offense. The running game was opening up the passing game by staying consistent. If Williams starts tap dancing behind the line and not hitting the gaps, the Giants game plan could go right down the toilet. The rookie runner needs to lower his pads and run with authority, using his size to pancake linebackers on his way into the secondary. If not, Manning will be forced to throw more with the defense staying back which is a bad thing for a quarterback who almost broke the 30 interception mark in one season.
San Francisco at St. Louis – Colin Kaepernick– Question Mark of the Week
When is Kaepernick going to take the next step? For two seasons we’ve been waiting for the big bang and we’re still left wanting? How much longer will we patiently wait for him to grow into an elite QB1? Over the past two weeks, Phil Dawson has been the most outstanding fantasy option out of San Francisco. Please be sure to rinse your mouth out when you’re done puking from considering that.
Washington at Arizona – Michael Floyd
We have to believe at this point that neither Carson Palmer nor Larry Fitzgerald will be back on the Cardinals next season. We also have to believe that the Cardinals in a worst case scenario will finish around the 8–8 mark. So that means that Floyd could be in for double coverage on the outside with a quarterback not unlike Drew Stanton throwing the ball. Finishing with an even record means that the Cardinals will likely miss out on any rookie quarterback that could just walk through the door and save the day. So, in planning ahead, we’ll have to see if Floyd is capable of doing big things with a less-than-appealing option at quarterback. Even a wide receiver as gifted as Fitzgerald with a complement as elite as Anquan Boldin , saw his numbers squandered by the flailing and failing Matt Leinart . If Floyd can live up to the hype as the new WR1 in Arizona with Stanton at quarterback, the sky is the limit. If not, he could be stuck waiting for a move in free agency or a draft day trade for a quarterback that could take years to come about.
Chicago at Atlanta – Devin Hester – Week 6 Short and Sweet
Hester should be a fantasy football start in all lineups as a WR3 against his former team. The extra motivation added to Atlanta’s use of him in the slot, makes him a great upside option this week. Not only this week but if Hester stays at this level in the slot he could become one of the few wide receiver handcuffs in the league for both Roddy White and Julio Jones.
