Team of the Week

 

QB: Matt Ryan

He isn’t the overall QB1 through the Sunday slate, but Ryan was the most impressive signal-caller, throwing for 371 yards and four scores at a time when many were pushing him down into QB2 territory. Having an all-time great like Julio Jones back in the lineup obviously helps, and when the supporting cast is at full strength, Matty Ice shouldn’t be considered anything less than a top-12 play barring a brutal matchup.

 

RB: Derrick Henry

Henry was unstoppable in Tennessee’s win over the Texans, and any talk of a slow start (which shouldn’t have happened considering he averaged 100 rushing yards per game over the first two weeks) is completely gone after 22 carries for 212 yards and two touchdowns—one from 94 yards away and the other to win the game in overtime. Over the past three games, Henry has scored six times.

 

RB: D’Andre Swift

The Lions hadn’t given Swift more than five carries in a game prior to the bye, but he exploded with a healthy workload in Week 6 by turning 14 carries into 116 yards and two touchdowns. While the rookie back will have some quiet weeks in a three-man committee, you could argue he has upside RB2 value the rest of the way.

 

WR: Julio Jones

Lowering expectations for Jones was a definite mistake for those worried about him coming off a hamstring injury, and his 8/137/2 line showed he’s still the top receiver in football. Julio should be able to stay hot next week as a high-end WR1 option against a young Detroit cornerback group.

 

WR: Justin Jefferson

Jefferson could have been listed as the first receiver because he’s currently the top option at the position heading into the Monday night games, but the edge goes to Julio in a winning effort. Still, fantasy owners don’t care at all what the score was, and Jefferson took advantage of a great matchup to catch nine passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.

 

TE: George Kittle

San Francisco badly needed to beat the Rams last night, and Kittle was instrumental in their 24-16 victory, catching seven-of-ten targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. He missed two weeks with a knee injury, but in four games played this season, Kittle has a 16-game pace of 120/1,520/8.

 

FLEX: Ronald Jones II

Packers-Buccaneers didn’t live up to expectations as a shootout because of how good Tampa Bay’s defense was, but Jones II didn’t need it to be a back-and-forth showdown with 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. All three numbers were a season-high, and the third-year back now has 100+ rushing yards in each of the past three games.

 

D/ST: Steelers

The aforementioned Bucs defense is the top scoring unit of the week so far, but Pittsburgh was more widely used, and they suffocated the Browns in a 38-7 win with two interceptions, one touchdown, four sacks, and just 220 yards allowed.

 

K: Brandon McManus

Facing the Patriots was reason for fantasy owners not starting McManus in Week 6, but he’s having fun with the percentages, and more are sure to pick him up next week after hitting all six of his field goals for 24.0 fantasy points.

 

Surprise of the Week: Carson Wentz

Things were looking so dire for Wentz and the Eagles that the CBS broadcast team openly wondered whether the city might start to say about playing second-round pick Jalen Hurts more, but Philly’s starter turned it on in a comeback attempt, somehow finishing with 29.4 fantasy points against the Ravens. The rushing production remaining high will keep Wentz afloat no matter who he’s throwing to.

 

Disappointment of the Week: Alexander Mattison

There were plenty of disappointments in Week 6, but none more so than Mattison, who was considered a consensus top-five play at running back in a spot start for Dalvin Cook (groin)—but rushed for just 26 scoreless yards on ten carries. Unfortunately for those relying on the 22-year-old, Atlanta came out ready to play and is probably much better than the 0-5 record suggested.

 

Rookie of the Week: Justin Jefferson

Again, fantasy owners don’t care that Jefferson’s production mostly came in garbage time (he was actually the target on two interceptions in the first half and caught just one pass), as he obviously played dividends as an upside WR2 with 35.1 fantasy points. Minnesota’s first-round pick has two monster lines already this season (7/175/1 in Week 3 and yesterday’s 9/166/2).

 

Week 6 MVP: Derrick Henry

Henry has as many 200-yard rushing games (three) as the rest of the league since 2018, and Sunday’s performance made him the fourth player in NFL history—along with Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, and LaDainian Tomlinson—to have three games with 200+ rushing yards and multiple touchdowns. It would take a monster performance by someone tonight to top Henry’s 39.4 fantasy points.