Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 6 BOOM or BUST!
Fantasy football lineup advice – Running Back
BOOM:
Derrick Henry, TEN @ DEN
Henry has been the definition of a true workhorse this season. His 98 total attempts are the third-most in the NFL, turning those opportunities into 16.7 FPPG. Simply put, the Titans have leaned on the 25-year-old heavily to move the chains. He doesn’t do a whole lot as a receiver, but he’s proven to have a nose for the end-zone, scoring five touchdowns in as many games.
His opponent for this week, the Denver Broncos, have been gashed on the ground the entire season, and things aren’t getting any better without the presence of injured star outside linebacker Bradley Chubb. While stout in pass-coverage, the Broncos have given up over 125 rushing yards per game. Leonard Fournette ran wild on this group two weeks ago for 225 yards. This could be a monster performance from Henry.
Kenyan Drake, MIA vs. WSH
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I am advising starting someone from the Miami Dolphins. Although Drake’s value has spiraled downward this year playing on the NFL’s worst team, he began to show signs of life in Week 4 against the Chargers, eclipsing 10 fantasy points for the first time all season. We’re all aware that Drake is talented, but his current situation, unfortunately, has him as a matchup-dependent fantasy asset.
This matchup for Drake is likely the best he’s going to get all season long. In Week 6, he’ll go up against the Redskins, a team that also happens to have a big fat goose egg in the win column. This season, Washington has been a doormat for enemy tailbacks, giving up over 160 total yards per game (28.2 FPPG). After we saw a resurgence from Sony Michel last week against this defense, perhaps we’ll see a similar effort from Drake. It’s now or never.
BUST:
Jordan Howard, PHI @ MIN
It took a few weeks, but Philadelphia’s coaching staff finally figured out that Howard is the most talented ball-carrier on their roster. After evenly splitting work with Miles Sanders in Weeks 1 and 2, Howard has run away with the job, averaging 13 carries over his last three games. He put up 32.5 fantasy points against the Packers two weeks ago but dropped back down to 12.2 points against the Jets.
It’s been a common theme of mine to stay away from matchups against the Vikings if possible. Although Aaron Jones proved me wrong, the rest have helped drive that narrative. On the season, Minnesota has gifted opposing RBs just 15.9 FPPG, third-fewest in the league. As I’ve noted before, this defense usually elevates their play at home, making this matchup a tough one to exploit for Howard.
LeSean McCoy, KC vs. HOU
Damien Williams owners, rejoice! After McCoy was traded from the Bills right before the start of the season, many thought this spelled the end for Williams’ value as the two would surely split backfield work, putting a cap on both players’ ceilings. While this appeared to be true in Week 1, McCoy was an afterthought in Week 5 once Williams returned to action. This was reportedly because of McCoy’s “issues in pass-protection,” causing him to see just two total touches.
McCoy gets a juicy matchup with the Texans this week (ninth-most FPPG allowed to RBs), but it’s hard to predict how much playing time he’ll actually see. This, alone, makes him a risky option. It’s extremely concerning that the veteran went from double-digit carries in three of his first four games to zero against the Colts. A wait-and-see approach looks best for this situation. If you start McCoy this week, you’re playing with fire.
Sleeper:
Chase Edmonds, ARI vs. ATL
David Johnson is still the unquestioned lead-dog in Arizona’s rushing attack, but his early exit (back tightness) against the Bengals allowed Edmonds a nice afternoon (17.6 fantasy points). Edmonds has been impressive in limited opportunity this season, averaging a whopping 6.7 yards per carry. If for some reason Johnson can’t go this week, Edmonds makes for an intriguing play against the Falcons.