Game Busts
Trent Richardson – Coming into this game I was ready to anoint Richardson the running back to own for the rest of the season. Of course he then has 14 carries for 37 yards before hurting his ribs. Then of course Montario Hardesty comes in and runs better, going 15 for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson is still the most skilled back in Cleveland and has the job when healthy, but now we have to see if he is healthy right before a nice matchup with the Panthers. If you own him, be sure to grab Hardesty.
Michael Turner – As soon as you think Michael Turner can be a safe start against a poor defense he goes for 33 yards on 11 carries. This is the Turner I believe in, but he had won me over enough to think he could get some traction against the Raiders. I was wrong.
Tony Gonzalez – Unlike Turner, Gonzo’s down game was just a blip on the fantasy radar. He had seven targets and caught four of them. In tight end world that’s not the end of tight end world. Start him at will.
Miles Austin – It looks like the Cowboys have been focusing in on Dez Bryant over the last two games. Bryant has 28 targets to Austin’s 11, and it’s hurting his overall value. We’ll see if it keeps up, but it looks like Austin will have to keep finding the end zone to be valuable.
Jamaal Charles/Dwayne Bowe – Two studs and one dud, and unfortunately, the dud is Brady Quinn and he was running the show this week. The Chiefs were blown out, which hurt Charles’ opportunities and Quinn was inaccurate, which hurt Bowes’. The Chiefs quarterback situation is hurting their stars’ fantasy production, which is sad.
Brian Hartline – After 18 targets, 12 receptions, 253 yards and a touchdown just two weeks ago, Hartline had no targets and no receptions. The Rams pass defense is legitimate, having given up only one receiving touchdown to wide receivers coming into this game and one 100-yard receiving game to Calvin Johnson week one. That doesn’t make anyone with Hartline feel any better, but he was never going to be a #1 wide receiver. In better matchups he’ll be useful.
Stevan Ridley - Coming into this game against Seattle I was a little worried that Bill Belichick would bench Ridley for Brandon Bolden to send him a message about fumbling. Ridley did get the start, but quickly Bolden took the lead with six carries to Ridley’s two. Then Bolden hurt his knee, so who knows how the rest of the day would have gone. Ridley went on to have a down game, with 34 yards rushing on 16 carries, but the Seahawks rush defense is legitimate. I’d buy low.
Numbers Game
0 - Number of targets Brian Hartline had against the Rams.
1 - The number of pass attempts and interceptions Bills wide receiver Brad Smith had as they tried to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
2 - The number of touchdowns James Jones has caught in each of his last three games.
3 – The number of interceptions the Raiders had against Matt Ryan. Also the total number they’ve had all season.
4 – The number of receptions Steve Maneri had for 45 yards, which led the Chiefs.
5 – The number of times Eli Manning has been sacked this season.
6 – The number of targets Sidney Rice had in which he caught three for 81 yards and a game-winning touchdown.
7 – The number of receptions Adrian Peterson had on eight targets.
8 – The number of targets and receptions Cedric Peerman had for 76 yards.
9 – The number of targets Brandon Gibson had, in which he caught seven for 91 yards.
10 – The number of receptions Wes Welker had on 14 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown, which puts him on pace for 126 receptions for 1,658 yards and five touchdowns.
11 – The number of targets Kyle Rudolph saw, his most on the season, for six receptions, 56 yards and a touchdown. That was his fifth touchdown on the year, which puts him atop all tight ends.
12 – The number of targets Donnie Avery had for just four receptions and 60 yards.
13 – The number of rushing attempts RGIII had for 138 yards and two touchdowns. The most by any quarterback not named Vick since the merger.
14 – The number of targets Percy Harvin had for his 11 receptions and 133 yards. He is on pace for 130 receptions, 1,440 yards and 2.6 touchdowns!
15 – The number of completions Josh Freeman had for 328 yards and three touchdowns, or 22 yards per completion and a touchdown every five completions.
16 – The number of touchdown Aaron Rodgers has thrown, the most in the NFL, which puts him on pace for 42.
17 – The number of yards Reggie Bush had on 12 carries.
18 – The number of passes Mark Sanchez attempted against the Colts.
70.2 – The league leading completion percentage for Robert Griffin III.
Early Waiver Look
QB: Christian Ponder, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, John Skelton
RB: Jahvid Best, Felix Jones, Phillip Tanner, Montario Hardesty, William Powell, Daryl Richardson, Jamie Harper, Cedric Peerman
WR: Josh Gordon, Brandon Gibson, Kendall Wright, Donnie Avery, Chris Givens, Stephen Hill
TE: Brandon Myers, Tony Scheffler
Awards
Fantasy MVP of Week 6: Aaron Rodgers
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 6: Jordy Nelson
Fantasy Rookie of Week 6: Robert Griffin III
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 6: Trent Richardson
Fantasy Fluke of Week 6: Shonn Greene
Stats and What Not
Randy Moss is the fourth player in NFL history to exceed 15,000 receiving yards in his career.
RGIII now holds the Redskins single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with five in just six games.
Larry Fitzgerald just reached 10,000 career-receiving yards at age 29. He and Randy Moss are only players to do this before the age of 30.
Cowboys' 227 rushing yards are the most the Ravens allowed in a game in franchise history and the first time ever the Ravens have allowed 200+ rushing yards in back-to-back weeks.
Aaron Rodgers ties Matt Flynn’s Packers record for most touchdown passes in a game with six. Jordy Nelson also had three touchdowns in that game.
The AFC East is in a four-way tie, with all teams with a 3-3 record.
Twitter Talk
@PFF_ChadParsons -- Michael Turner started the game 2/12 rushing...finished 11/33...you do the math.
@billbarnwell -- Second year in a row that the Cowboys fail to advance ball before FG attempt (Cards game). Cost them both times.
@billbarnwell -- Carson Palmer should receive electric shocks every time he tries to throw a quick out.
@YahooNoise -- People who seriously believed RGIII would change his playing personality after last week were sorely mistaken. Rush TD. Aggressive as ever.
@SC_DougFarrar -- Just watched the replay of the Jacoby Jones kick return. Pretty sure he went 108 yards without being touched. Nice going, Dallas!
Well, I had decided to roll with Mr. Griffin the Third as the headliner in my wrap up of Sunday’s games, that is until Aaron Rodgers went all Aaron Rodgers on the Texans. And by Aaron Rodgersing, I mean 24 for 37 for 338 yards and six touchdowns, three to Jordy Nelson who abused Johnathan Joseph and two to James Jones. Those are some fantasy numbers you can take to the fantasy bank.
There never was any doubt that Rodgers and company would turn things around. They had faced San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, all teams that have been playing at the top of the league in pass defense and of course when he faced lesser opponents, he lit them up in a fantasy way.
James Jones alone has two touchdowns in each of his last three games. Who threw those to him? Aaron Rodgers threw those to him. So after a loss to the Colts, many talking heads were questioning the Packers and Rodgers, but not many fantasy people were. The Packers offense is built around Rodgers because he’s that good and a couple down games against good defenses isn’t going to change the fact that he is a great quarterback in a pass friendly offense.
Of course the Texans, who had given up six passing touchdowns all season, didn’t look like the team he would throw six touchdown passes against in a single game, but nobody was that surprised when he went ahead and did it anyway. He’s been the best quarterback in the league statistically and most likely, ten years down the road, he’ll be in the conversation as the greatest of all time.
Game Balls
Robert Griffin III – He is a world-class athlete and football player. Smush those two things together and you have, what us fake football pundits like to call, monster upside. It was in full effect on Sunday, up five, after having a 19 point lead, the Redskins were on the defensive and needed a big play on third and six from their own 24 with 2:43 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, so of course RGIII takes off for a 74 yard touchdown run to help seal the win. And by takes off, I mean, this guy lives up to his 4.38 40 time on any surface.
His big game didn’t rely solely on his running ability either. He finished by completing 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception to go along with his 138 yards rushing and two touchdowns. If he’s throwing anywhere near his 77% completion rate, continues to have a strong, bruising back in Alfred Morris, and has his unbelievable big play ability, it will be beyond difficulty to contain him.
His concussion against the Atlanta Falcons scared away some people, but he then turns around and has his best game as a pro. Yes, he has some injury risk, but always trying to hedge your bets against injury will just leave you with run-of-the-mill players. Go bold or go home. Well, you’re probably already at home. Hmmm, you get my point.
Shonn Greene – The matchup was great, but after watching Greene split carries with Bilal Powell and not do much positive all season, it sure was surprising to watch him ramble for 161 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts.
I’m going to lay most of the blame on the Colts for his big numbers. Before this week Greene had 76 carries for 217 yards, a 2.85 yards per carry pace and had only one touchdown. He’s not quite as bad as those numbers, having faced Pittsburgh, Miami, San Francisco and Houston over the last four games, but he surely isn’t as good as today’s numbers.
The chance that he sees the ball 32 times, even in a blowout, again, is slim. The most carries he has ever had were 27 in week one against the horrible Bills defense and he still couldn’t hit 100 yards. I know everyone and their dog is going to be barking at you about selling Greene and I’m going to join the chorus. Sell! Sell! Sell!
A.J. Green – So Joe Haden is back? He’s covering A.J. Green? That’s a tough matchup for both. Let’s see who wins this battle . . . oh, that was quick. A.J. Green is your winner in a rout! He finished the day with seven receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns, which would have led all receivers, if it weren’t for Jordy Nelson’s crazy game.
Green is easily the best fantasy receiver so far this season with five straight games with a touchdown and six total. We all knew he was good enough to never sit in fantasy, but now we know even moreso.
Josh Freeman/Vincent Jackson/Mike Williams/Doug Martin – With the off season moves the Bucs made I was hoping for more games like this, where they spread the ball out and everyone ends up helping each other out. If you count LeGarrette Blount (which I don’t like to do), six players hit double-digit fantasy points in standard leagues.
They won’t always get to face the Chiefs at home after a bye unfortunately, but they do have the offensive firepower to do some good fantasy work when they are clicking. Oh, and they face the Saints next week.
Dez Bryant – Bryant led all receivers this week with 15 targets and he caught 13 of them for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately he dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game late, but this is fantasy football and if you are in a PPR league, he helped you put a beating on the other team.
It looks like the Cowboys realize he is their best player and even though he comes with headaches, he will continue to get his targets.
Michael Vick – Mr. Vick has turned the ball over a ton this season, but has only had one bust of a game fantasy wise. This week he had another rough looking game, but also had his best fantasy game of the season with 311 yards passing, two touchdowns, two interceptions and 59 yards rushing.
Ahmad Bradshaw - After a huge game against the Browns poor rush defense, it seemed inevitable the Giants’ running back would have a let down going into San Francisco, where most running backs go to die. But instead he ran for 116 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers only gave up one 100-yard rushing game last season and had yet to do so this season.
Russell Wilson – So far Russell Wilson is sitting fifth in fantasy quarterback points for this week with 293 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Oh, and he beat the Patriots. And yes, the Patriots pass defense leaves a lot to be desired, but this was easily Wilson’s best game and after the Patriots got up fast, Wilson had to have this game. It was a nice response from the rookie, and one that bodes well going forward.
Game Busts
Trent Richardson – Coming into this game I was ready to anoint Richardson the running back to own for the rest of the season. Of course he then has 14 carries for 37 yards before hurting his ribs. Then of course Montario Hardesty comes in and runs better, going 15 for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson is still the most skilled back in Cleveland and has the job when healthy, but now we have to see if he is healthy right before a nice matchup with the Panthers. If you own him, be sure to grab Hardesty.
Michael Turner – As soon as you think Michael Turner can be a safe start against a poor defense he goes for 33 yards on 11 carries. This is the Turner I believe in, but he had won me over enough to think he could get some traction against the Raiders. I was wrong.
Tony Gonzalez – Unlike Turner, Gonzo’s down game was just a blip on the fantasy radar. He had seven targets and caught four of them. In tight end world that’s not the end of tight end world. Start him at will.
Miles Austin – It looks like the Cowboys have been focusing in on Dez Bryant over the last two games. Bryant has 28 targets to Austin’s 11, and it’s hurting his overall value. We’ll see if it keeps up, but it looks like Austin will have to keep finding the end zone to be valuable.
Jamaal Charles/Dwayne Bowe – Two studs and one dud, and unfortunately, the dud is Brady Quinn and he was running the show this week. The Chiefs were blown out, which hurt Charles’ opportunities and Quinn was inaccurate, which hurt Bowes’. The Chiefs quarterback situation is hurting their stars’ fantasy production, which is sad.
Brian Hartline – After 18 targets, 12 receptions, 253 yards and a touchdown just two weeks ago, Hartline had no targets and no receptions. The Rams pass defense is legitimate, having given up only one receiving touchdown to wide receivers coming into this game and one 100-yard receiving game to Calvin Johnson week one. That doesn’t make anyone with Hartline feel any better, but he was never going to be a #1 wide receiver. In better matchups he’ll be useful.
Stevan Ridley - Coming into this game against Seattle I was a little worried that Bill Belichick would bench Ridley for Brandon Bolden to send him a message about fumbling. Ridley did get the start, but quickly Bolden took the lead with six carries to Ridley’s two. Then Bolden hurt his knee, so who knows how the rest of the day would have gone. Ridley went on to have a down game, with 34 yards rushing on 16 carries, but the Seahawks rush defense is legitimate. I’d buy low.
Numbers Game
0 - Number of targets Brian Hartline had against the Rams.
1 - The number of pass attempts and interceptions Bills wide receiver Brad Smith had as they tried to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
2 - The number of touchdowns James Jones has caught in each of his last three games.
3 – The number of interceptions the Raiders had against Matt Ryan. Also the total number they’ve had all season.
4 – The number of receptions Steve Maneri had for 45 yards, which led the Chiefs.
5 – The number of times Eli Manning has been sacked this season.
6 – The number of targets Sidney Rice had in which he caught three for 81 yards and a game-winning touchdown.
7 – The number of receptions Adrian Peterson had on eight targets.
8 – The number of targets and receptions Cedric Peerman had for 76 yards.
9 – The number of targets Brandon Gibson had, in which he caught seven for 91 yards.
10 – The number of receptions Wes Welker had on 14 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown, which puts him on pace for 126 receptions for 1,658 yards and five touchdowns.
11 – The number of targets Kyle Rudolph saw, his most on the season, for six receptions, 56 yards and a touchdown. That was his fifth touchdown on the year, which puts him atop all tight ends.
12 – The number of targets Donnie Avery had for just four receptions and 60 yards.
13 – The number of rushing attempts RGIII had for 138 yards and two touchdowns. The most by any quarterback not named Vick since the merger.
14 – The number of targets Percy Harvin had for his 11 receptions and 133 yards. He is on pace for 130 receptions, 1,440 yards and 2.6 touchdowns!
15 – The number of completions Josh Freeman had for 328 yards and three touchdowns, or 22 yards per completion and a touchdown every five completions.
16 – The number of touchdown Aaron Rodgers has thrown, the most in the NFL, which puts him on pace for 42.
17 – The number of yards Reggie Bush had on 12 carries.
18 – The number of passes Mark Sanchez attempted against the Colts.
70.2 – The league leading completion percentage for Robert Griffin III.
Early Waiver Look
QB: Christian Ponder, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, John Skelton
RB: Jahvid Best, Felix Jones, Phillip Tanner, Montario Hardesty, William Powell, Daryl Richardson, Jamie Harper, Cedric Peerman
WR: Josh Gordon, Brandon Gibson, Kendall Wright, Donnie Avery, Chris Givens, Stephen Hill
TE: Brandon Myers, Tony Scheffler
Awards
Fantasy MVP of Week 6: Aaron Rodgers
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 6: Jordy Nelson
Fantasy Rookie of Week 6: Robert Griffin III
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 6: Trent Richardson
Fantasy Fluke of Week 6: Shonn Greene
Stats and What Not
Randy Moss is the fourth player in NFL history to exceed 15,000 receiving yards in his career.
RGIII now holds the Redskins single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with five in just six games.
Larry Fitzgerald just reached 10,000 career-receiving yards at age 29. He and Randy Moss are only players to do this before the age of 30.
Cowboys' 227 rushing yards are the most the Ravens allowed in a game in franchise history and the first time ever the Ravens have allowed 200+ rushing yards in back-to-back weeks.
Aaron Rodgers ties Matt Flynn’s Packers record for most touchdown passes in a game with six. Jordy Nelson also had three touchdowns in that game.
The AFC East is in a four-way tie, with all teams with a 3-3 record.
Twitter Talk
@PFF_ChadParsons -- Michael Turner started the game 2/12 rushing...finished 11/33...you do the math.
@billbarnwell -- Second year in a row that the Cowboys fail to advance ball before FG attempt (Cards game). Cost them both times.
@billbarnwell -- Carson Palmer should receive electric shocks every time he tries to throw a quick out.
@YahooNoise -- People who seriously believed RGIII would change his playing personality after last week were sorely mistaken. Rush TD. Aggressive as ever.
@SC_DougFarrar -- Just watched the replay of the Jacoby Jones kick return. Pretty sure he went 108 yards without being touched. Nice going, Dallas!