Fantasy Roundup: Week 6
Graphic by Allyson Xu
With a third of the NFL regular season complete, the standings look nothing like preseason predictions. The Colts—led by Daniel Jones— have emerged as a dominant force alongside the Bills and Buccaneers. Meanwhile, several presumed playoffs contenders have already lost hope. The Ravens and Bengals are 1-5 and 2-4, respectively, plagued by injured quarterbacks and lackluster defenses. Only one team remains winless: the New York Jets, anchored at the bottom of the standings. For full team rosters, see Week 0’s issue.
First and Lowell (2-3) vs Kirkland Cousins (2-3): 150.94-100.72
Top performers: Drake London (31.8) | Josh Jacobs (32.0)
Underperformers: Saquon Barkley (8.7) | Justin Fields (4.9)
The Inn-Zone (2-3) vs Bring it Dome (4-1): 129.18-105.3
Top performers: Bijan Robinson (35.8) | Jaxon Smith-Njigba (30.2)
Underperformers: Jaylen Warren (8.3) | Javonte Williams (8.4)
The Ball Currier (1-4) vs Pfirst Down (4-1): 174.08-132.02
Top performers: George Pickens (31.8) | Christian McCaffrey (24.1)
Underperformers: Lions D/ST (1.0) | Devonte Adams (7.9)
Standout Games:
Heading into this week’s games, the Eagles-Giants matchup seemed straightforward: the 4-1 Eagles, despite a recent loss to the 2-2 Broncos, still boasted a strong offense lineup compared to the 1-4 Giants, who lost to the Saints the week prior. And while the game was clear-cut, it was in favor of the Giants. Jaxson Dart played exceptionally as he was shifty, rushing for a total of 58 yards. Even when the pocket collapsed, he continuously found his way out, making the right passes for the first down. Cam Skattebo also had an outstanding game, rushing for nearly 100 yards and racking up three touchdowns along the way. Finally, the Giants’ defense stepped up, recording an interception and forcing a fumble while constantly pressuring the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts. On the Eagles’ side, Saquon Barkley continued his slow year with only 58 yards over 12 carries on the night. While Hurts was not afraid to throw the ball deep, the Eagles just could not score. Coming out of halftime down 20-17, the Eagles did not score a single point throughout the entire second half. Dallas Goedert had a great game, but the Eagles were simply outmatched.
After beating the Dolphins last week, the Panthers entered the game hoping to show that the win was not a fluke. Immediately, it was clear that this game would be a back-and-forth. While the Cowboys’ first drive fizzled into a punt, the Panthers began with a field goal. George Pickens had a huge game, racking up 168 yards on just eight receptions. Prescott and Pickens were the only ones who really showed up for the Cowboys, as their defense allowed three touchdowns to Bryce Young. On the Panthers’ side, the former-Cowboy Rico Dowdle had another monster game, rushing for 183 yards on 20 carries and adding another 56 yards in the air. Tetairoa McMilan also recorded two touchdowns. However, most impressive was Panthers’ QB Bryce Young, who was a yard shy of 200 yards on only 17 completions. The former first overall pick consistently found an open man and set up the Panthers to seal the game with a last-second field goal. The Panthers move to 3-3 and are two wins away from matching their win total from last year.
Mac Jones’s third game with the 49ers saw one of San Francisco’s toughest matchups so far against the Bucs. Almost immediately, cracks in the 49ers’ offense appeared with Mac Jones throwing an interception on the third play of his first drive. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers capitalized on this mistake to score the first touchdown of the game. A slew of scores and field goals in the second quarter had Tampa Bay leading 20-16 going into the second half. Despite another interception, Mac Jones delivered a solid performance, throwing for 347 yards with a lackluster receiving corps. Kendrick Bourne had another good week for the 49ers with 142 yards on only five receptions. As for the Buccaneers, this win cements Tampa as one of only two 5-1 teams in the league and a true Super Bowl contender. Baker Mayfield’s ability to scramble for first downs must be studied as the quarterback continues to find his way through trouble each week. Tampa ran away with the game in the third quarter for a comfortable win.
Looking Ahead:
With the Bills and Ravens on their bye week, fans can still look forward to a list of great games next week. Thursday night features a matchup of veterans with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers facing off against the Cincinnati Bengals and newly acquired Joe Flacco (PIT -5.5). The combined age of these starting quarterbacks is 81. On Sunday in London, the Jaguars will face off against the Rams (LAR -3.5). These two 4-2 teams have the potential to be Super Bowl contenders, but they lack the consistency to truly garner fans’ confidence.
In terms of players to keep an eye on, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Amon-Ra St. Brown are anticipated to perform well. Smith-Njigba, the wide receiver for the Seahawks, will play against the Texans and has had great games recently alongside Sam Darnold. While Houston has a strong defense, Seattle’s abundance of offensive weapons ensures that Smith-Njigba will put up numbers as Houston can’t afford to double-cover him. As for the Lions’ wide receiver, St. Brown will face the Buccaneers, who, despite having a good game against San Francisco, have a poor passing defense. Tampa’s run defense is the fourth strongest in the league, so Detroit will probably opt for a more pass-heavy game, at which Tampa is ranked 21st.
Expect a few games that you can likely let fly under the radar. The Saints @ Bears (CHI -5.5) matchup is a clash between two teams whose playoff hopes have all but been extinguished this year. Neither team has shown to be particularly amazing offensively, with consistency being a big problem for both. Also, the Patriots @ Titans game (NE -7.5) is one-sided, favoring New England while Tennessee still figures out its offense. After firing head coach Brian Callahan, the Titans’ woes are likely far from over.
Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is mad that the Patriots are a decent team.