Welcome to the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Game Recaps! Nobody watches more NFL football than yours truly, mostly because it is impossible to do so. Each week I’ll open up my notepad to all of our Fantasy Alarm readers so that all of you can go beyond the box score and get the information you need to win your league.
This turned out to be the week of the comeback, or resurgence if you will. The Dolphins finally took all of their talent and actually utilized it under new interim head coach Dan Campbell. Lamar Miller was given 19 carries and averaged nearly six yards per carry this week. Elsewhere, in Detroit it was a huge week for Matthew Stafford who decided that forcing the ball to Calvin Johnson just might be the way to keeping his starting job under center moving forward.
Yeah, there were a lot of breakout type performances, some heart breaking disappointments and also some notable injuries we saw this week. As usual I was parked in front of it all in order to fill you in on anything and everything you may have missed.
Here are the Week 6 Fantasy Football Game Recaps:
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20 – Washington at N.Y. Jets – 34
Redskins CB Bashaud Breeland is turning into quite the little player. He has graded out as 'exceptional' at coverage the past two weeks and Sunday he had an interception, two pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. I wouldn’t call him a shut-down guy at this point, but he’s quickly becoming a big-time guy in this league.
Safety Trenton Robinson left the game with a sprained ankle and also injured his thumb earlier in this contest.
Before you further glorify Jets CB Darrelle Revis for his interception today, watch the tape of Pierre Garcon’s first quarter TD reception. Revis didn’t even try to cover Garcon, making for an easy two-yard touchdown catch.
The Jets moved Brandon Marshall around quite a bit Sunday. Marshall started out lining up in the slot which matched him up with unproven slot corner Kyshoen Jarrett. This was an obvious mismatch that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey wanted as Marshall got going early and went on to have another very good day.
Is Chris Ivory a RB1 in fantasy football? It seems pretty crazy but he is, and could remain, a top-six guy moving forward. The Redskins can stop the run well but Ivory absolutely torched them Sunday to the tune of 20-146-1.
Backup RB Bilal Powell was knocked out of this game with an ankle injury. He will be re-evaluated on Monday.
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13 – Arizona at Pittsburgh – 25
The Cardinals killed themselves with penalties Sunday. As a team, they rang up nine penalties for a total of 111 yards.
Speaking of penalties, Michael Floyd would have had a second touchdown but was called for offensive pass interference which nullified the TD. Floyd could have had yet another TD as well but he was ruled out of bounds on his end zone reception late in the fourth quarter.
Cardinals TE Darren Fells left the game due to a right shoulder injury and did not return.
John Brown had 10 catches for 196 yards on the day, becoming just the third Cardinals receiver ever to achieve those totals. Larry Fitzgerald has never had a single game of 10 or more catches with 175+ yards.
Patrick Peterson had an interception nullified after being called for pass interference on the play.
I don’t think we need any more proof as to whether or not Michael Vick has the desire to play football any more. He was literally tapped in the helmet on a third quarter scramble and stayed down so long that referee Ed Hochuli forced him out of the game for concussion protocol. It turned out Vick simply had dirt in his eye. He was replaced one series later by Landry Jones who stayed in the game the rest of the way.
Such a weird call that won’t be talked about because of the way the game turned out was Mike Tomlin’s decision to go for a two-point conversion when leading 12-10. Why would you need to be up four points instead of taking the more likely single point and be up three? I didn’t understand that decision at all.
10 – Kansas City at Minnesota – 16
Charcandrick West was one of, if not the single most disappointing player in fantasy football this week. Head coach Andy Reid had said that West was the RB “most like Jamaal Charles” this week yet he gave him just two first half touches in this game.
West lost a critical fumble late in the game which swung the momentum massively. I thought there was a good chance that West would not be the primary RB after this fumble but indeed he was. Again, West is the guy right now but after this game it is pretty apparent that he is not ready for the big time quite yet.
Jeremy Maclin went down with what they thought was a knee injury and was treated briefly on the field. Then he got up and tried to make it to the sideline but couldn’t. He went to the locker room and did not return and as it turned out, he suffered a concussion. He’ll be re-evaluated on Monday and we should know more by the afternoon.
You can try to chide me all that you like for being so negative when my partner Joe Pisapia on the SiriusXM FanDuel Daily show recommended Stefon Diggs this week but I don’t care. Despite the outcome, in which Diggs racked up seven catches for 129 yards, there was a very real chance that he wouldn’t even have been active if not for Charles Johnson not being able to go. There is no doubt that Diggs looked great Sunday and should be on the short-list for waivers this week, but for a number of reasons this is one of those times when the result does not justify the means.
Adrian Peterson just never got going today and you have to believe the injuries and inconsistency to his offensive line had a hand in that. Other than one 23-yard run Sunday, Peterson rushed 25 times for just 37 yards.
34 – Cincinnati at Buffalo – 21
All three of Andy Dalton’s TD’s were thrown within five yards of the line of scrimmage. The Bengals, in general, went with a very short precision passing goal today and let the talented skill players do the heavy lifting.
Ironic that Jeremy Hill led the Bengals running backs in carries Sunday yet scored his TD on his only reception. Meanwhile, Giovani Bernard got in on the ground when he was primarily the passing down back.
Bengals LB Vincent Rey was carted off with an ankle injury and did not return.
EJ Manuel played just fine Sunday. He seemed inspired right out of the gate, which was evident on his first quarter TD run. But make no mistake here, folks. Tyrod Taylor is the starting QB of the Buffalo Bills and will be whenever he is healthy.
Sammy Watkins was seen leaving the locker room on crutches after suffering an ankle injury Sunday. Watkins was injured on his 22-yard TD reception at the end of the first half.
I am very surprised at the quality of LeSean McCoy’s performance. His final total of 17 carries for 90 yards was very good, obviously, but it was shocking as to how well McCoy moved laterally on his injured groin.
34 – Chicago at Detroit – 37
This was the first time since Week 1 that the Bears had their full complement of receivers back on the field at the same time. Although the box score won’t show it, Jay Cutler loved having Eddie Royal back this week. Royal was the go-to guy when the Bears needed to pick up first downs in this game.
Bears DT Jeremiah Ratliff left the game with a neck injury.
The Bears pulled out the old wishbone formation on the goal line today in which Jeremy Langford got the carry and scored a one-yard TD.
All week on my SiriusXM show I explained why I thought that Matthew Stafford would be better off moving forward after being benched last week. It all comes down to forcing the ball to Calvin Johnson whether he appears to be open or not. As long as he stays with this approach, both Stafford and Johnson are going to be much better the rest of the way in 2015.
Golden Tate’s touchdown reception Sunday was originally ruled an interception after Tate lost control and a Bears defender caught it. After review the referees determined that Tate indeed had control and made the proverbial “football move” satisfying the requirement for a TD. I am as lost on what exactly a catch is in the NFL as I have ever been on anything in my life.
Golden Tate also had a second TD that was called back for a pass interference penalty on Calvin Johnson.
Lions lost RB Zach Zenner due to a concussion early on in this game. When Zenner left, Ameer Abdullah assumed a more prominent role until he too left with an arm injury in the fourth quarter. Abdullah actually returned in the overtime session but was heavily favoring his arm in his limited action.
26 – Denver at Cleveland – 23
Peyton Manning is not playing good football. But it is important to understand that his numbers are far worse than how he has actually played. The pick-six Sunday was a pass that hit Ronnie Hillman in the hands and rolled down his body into Karlos Dansby’s arms. Demaryius Thomas also dropped two incredible passes that would have picked up large chunks of yards and moved the chains each time. So yes, Manning is not playing his best but I think those who are not watching the games aren’t getting the real idea of what is going on here in Denver.
This is the seventh time in franchise history that the Broncos have started a season 6-0. Five of those years have resulted in a Super Bowl berth for the team.
It is official: C.J. Anderson can be cut in all league formats at this time. If you are in a deeper league (14+) and have Ronnie Hillman and want to retain Anderson for handcuffing purposes I can accept that.
The Broncos lost LB Shane Ray who was carted off with a knee injury. This certainly seems like a significant injury to Ray and all of a sudden the Broncos LB corps has thinned out considerably. Backup LB Corey Nelson was also knocked out of this game with a knee injury of his own.
Emmanuel Sanders injured his shoulder on what should have been a sensational catch late in the fourth quarter except for the nose of the football hitting the ground and thus being ruled incomplete. Sanders didn’t play in overtime and will be re-evaluated on Monday.
For all you Josh McCown truthers out there, I hope you listened to reason and sat him this week. McCown showed exactly why he is so incredibly bad at football as he threw for just 213 yards, had two interceptions, lost a fumble, had a QBR of 9.9 and QB rating of 63.3 Sunday.
The last time a Browns tight end had a TD catch in four consecutive games like Gary Barnidge has was Ozzie Newsome back in 1981.
Duke Johnson was knocked out of the game with a concussion.
31 – Houston at Jacksonville – 20
DeAndre Hopkins has become arguably the best WR in fantasy football right now. I posed the question on my Twitter account (@Jeff_Mans): Who would you rather have on your team right now, Devonta Freeman or DeAndre Hopkins? Discuss…
Brian Hoyer did an amazing acting job late in this game when he scrambled for a modest gain and was hit by two Jaguars defenders. The hits were actually clean but Hoyer’s slide was so bad that it opened his head to contact. Hoyer lay motionless on the ground for about 15 seconds to sell the hit and sure enough drew the penalty flags for the contact.
CB Kareem Jackson left the game with a left ankle injury and did not return.
Scary moment in the second half when backup safety Lonnie Ballentine got tied up with Jaguars WR Allen Robinson and saw his left leg implode. Ballentine had to have his leg stabilized and was carted off after a lengthy time on the field.
Jaguars WR Allen Robinson did not return to the game after that hit with Ballentine. Robinson has a left leg contusion and was seen on crutches after the game. His status will be updated later in the week but it is a strong possibility that Robinson misses some time.
Blake Bortles threw three interceptions in this game but had another one that was overturned due to a defensive pass interference penalty.
I was as surprised as anyone about Bryan Walters' involvement Sunday. Walters saw 12 targets and hauled in eight catches for 87 yards. If Robinson misses time, I suppose that Walters could be a mid-level waiver pickup this week.
38 – Miami at Tennessee – 10
It was obvious to everyone that the Dolphins were a completely different team Sunday than we had seen through their first four games. This performance just goes to show how bad Joe Philbin was for this team and also just how important coaching actually is in the NFL.
If you held onto Lamar Miller since the beginning of the season you will be rewarded for your patience. The Dolphins are committing to the run game moving forward. They made some key offensive line substitutions and are going to let Miller carry the rock even when he starts out slowly.
The biggest difference in the Dolphins Sunday was not with the offense at all. It was a complete attitude adjustment amongst the defense that I noticed. Cameron Wake had four sacks in the first half (his first four of the season) which was the first time that has happened in the NFL since 2012. Also, Olivier Vernon’s hit on Marcus Mariota’s knee, which was deemed unethical by Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt clearly got into the minds of the entire offense. Vernon was actually flagged for that hit and another late hit on Mariota Sunday as well.
Ryan Tannehill had a 22-yard run called back due to an offensive holding penalty.
Dolphins CB Brice McCain was knocked out of this game with a knee injury and did not return.
The Titans lost starting center Brian Schwenke who was carted off the field with a broken left leg. The injury was said to be so gruesome that the TV cameras would not show it to the audience.
Marcus Mariota left the game after the low hit on his knee but only missed one series. Zach Mettenberger replaced Mariota and actually looked pretty good as he completed 5-of-8 passes for 63 yards.
27 – Carolina at Seattle – 23
The Panthers defense was phenomenal Sunday. They pressured Russell Wilson on 46 percent of dropbacks and sacked him four times in total.
I’ve said it for years now but when Cam Newton is inspired, he is a dominant player in the NFL. He is playing inspired football right now and has been for most of the season thus far. Newton completed 12-of-15 passes for 162 yards and one TD in the fourth quarter alone. He was not going to be defeated Sunday and sure enough, his team pulled out a huge win in a hostile environment.
As good as Greg Olsen was Sunday as he caught seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, it could have been even better. Olsen was twice brought down at the one-yard line, narrowly missing two more TDs. Both tackles led to one-yard TD runs by Jonathan Stewart.
The Seahawks offensive line is the real problem with this team right now. They aren’t pass protecting whatsoever and they aren’t clearing any way in the run game either. Marshawn Lynch is just not quick enough in his current state to bounce to the outside and achieve daylight and thus is struggling.
It was good to see Russell Wilson go to Jimmy Graham so often, but I can’t expect that to last. Graham was targeted 12 times and caught eight passes for 140 yards. Again, Graham is needed more as a blocker and the Seahawks offense just doesn’t run well when they are sacrificing protection for pass options.
20 – San Diego at Green Bay – 27
The Chargers had an opportunity to tie this game late in the fourth quarter but for some reason decided to run the ball twice in a row with Danny Woodhead inside the five-yard line. Woodhead, of course, did not get in and thus the game was lost. Philip Rivers was throwing the ball too well to make such a terrible coaching decision at that stage of the game.
Philip Rivers became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 500 yards and have no interceptions but still lose the game. Rivers set team records for yards passing (503), pass attempts (65) and completions (43). The 43 completions were actually second most in a game in NFL history.
Melvin Gordon left this game early due to a leg injury but eventually did return. Then he went on to fumble the ball twice which led to his benching in favor of Branden Oliver for most of the second half.
Keenan Allen suffered a non-contact injury to his hip and was taken to the locker room never to be seen again. Allen was tearing up the Packers defense to the tune of 14 catches for 157 yards before going down.
The Chargers lost safety Eric Weddle due to what is believed to be a concussion.
I swung and I missed on Eddie Lacy today, that is for sure. Why did Lacy not start the game and play sparingly? I have no idea nor did any of the Packers beat writers I reached out to during the game. This was one that literally nobody saw coming. I do take solace in the fact that the Packers were able to run at will against the Chargers on Sunday. They combined for 17 carries for 133 yards which works out to 7.8 yards per carry. If Lacy gets his usual 14.8 carries, he gains 109 yards and very likely a TD.
I am not dropping Eddie Lacy by any means here but I would absolutely grab Starks as a handcuff. Jeff Janis however, I will not be interested in at all this week. Davante Adams will be back after the bye and with James Jones playing well there will be no role for Janis moving forward.
20- Baltimore at San Francisco – 25
I’ll say it again, I just don’t see what some of the rest of you claim to see with Ravens WR Steve Smith. Despite his legs moving at a fast pace and him constantly leaping into the air, neither one of those actions actually leads anywhere most of the time. Smith dropped two would-be touchdowns Sunday and he also had drops on passes in which he seemed far more interested in engaging in contact than in catching the ball. I understand that the numbers appear great but I am not watching a difference-making receiver at this point.
We are finally starting to see the check-downs that Marc Trestman’s offense had promised us in the beginning of the season. Justin Forsett was targeted eight times Sunday hauling in seven of them.
Ravens safety Kendrick Lewis was forced to leave the game in the third quarter with an injury to his knee.
This was a revenge game for both Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith who were a part of the Ravens Super Bowl Champion team three years ago. Both receivers torched their former team this afternoon, racking up a combined eight catches for 198 yards and one touchdown on the day.
Colin Kaepernick is getting better but he is still not someone who I would consider starting on a regular basis in my seasonal leagues.
Carlos Hyde missed two series after he aggravated the same foot injury that has bothered him for the past couple weeks.
34 – New England at Indianapolis – 27
It is rare that a team can score 34 points and still leave everybody disappointed about their fantasy production. I think we all got a little carried away with just how much we expected the Patriots to lay it on and even more so with how much we thought the Colts would take it lying down.
Dion Lewis was obviously limited Sunday night by his abdominal injury but also because of the game flow. When the Patriots get out to a lead it is going to be more LeGarrette Blount and less Dion Lewis.
Scott Chandler had a TD reception nullified because of an offensive pass interference penalty.
Patriots LT Marcus Cannon left the game early on due to a toe injury. He was originally questionable to return to the game but never did.
Julian Edelman suffered a broken finger that was absolutely gruesome to look at early on in the game. He played through it but was not the same as he dropped passes including one that he bobbled up for a Mike Adams pick-six.
Ahmad Bradshaw was getting time on the Colts' opening drive but didn’t play very much after that. He only had four carries for eight yards and caught one pass for an eight-yard gain on the night.
Donte Moncrief was, once again, Andrew Luck’s go-to target after spending last week in Matt Hasselbeck purgatory. Moncrief received 11 targets on the day while last week's hero Andre Johnson got just six.
Safety Mike Adams, who returned a Tom Brady tipped pass back for a TD, left the game a short time later due to a hamstring injury.