For all the hype given to wide receivers, running backs and tight ends this season (a lot from this blog), it was only a matter of time before the fantasy world would see a week dominated by the quarterback. Week 6 provided just that. The orchestrators of NFL offenses league-wide had a huge fantasy week, and seven quarterbacks placed in the top 11 scorers around the league.
With the absence of starter Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb was the highest scoring quarterback this week, abusing the Falcons secondary for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremy Maclin, the leading overall scorer in Week 6, made it easy for Kolb with seven catches for 159 yards. Don’t look for a repeat performance this week from Kolb, however, as number one wide out DeSean Jackson is doubtful for Sunday’s game. Also, the Eagles face the Titans this week who own one of the league’s best defensive backfields.
Quarterbacks in Week 6 put up very consistent numbers. Six quarterbacks tallied at least 20 points on the fantasy scoreboard this week. Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Cassel all scored their 20 points by throwing for three scores on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Matt Schaub threw only two touchdowns but combined them with over 300 passing yards. Aaron Rodgers was the only quarterback of the 20-point group to throw for just one touchdown, but he was also the only one to rush for a score. His late game, fourth quarter rush was good enough to force overtime against the Dolphins.
The transition from Week 6 to Week 7 is the unofficial midway point for most leagues throughout the fantasy world, and for some of these quarterbacks, fantasy owners are thinking, “it’s about time!” Brees, Romo and Schaub have all underperformed thus far by most owners’ fantasy expectations. Week 6 was certainly a positive sign for owners that have been patiently waiting for these players to live up to some of their preseason hype.
The bye week also becomes important in the middle of the season. Besides forcing owners to bench their regular starters, the bye week can be used as a ploy in fantasy trading. A player that has already sat out during a bye week early in the season likely owns more trade value than another player yet to have their bye week.
Owners need to consider the bye week factor when trading, mainly to avoid piling up too many byes on the same fantasy squad. Three running backs on the bench due to bye weeks is a surefire recipe for defeat. This is especially important since most fantasy leagues around the nation have matchups that could decide whether teams will make the playoffs or not. Owners should turn to these fantasy must starts to keep themselves in the hunt for the playoffs.
Last week’s must starts were Vince Young and Jamaal Charles. For all who took my advice with Young, he was only useful for a single drive Monday night before heading to the locker room with a sprained knee. He did tally six points on that drive, however, finding Kenny Britt for a 23-yard touchdown. Charles saw the same amount of carries in Week 6 that he did in Week 5, and saw a six-yard increase in his rushing yards. Charles picked up 11 points last week, a respectable amount with the combination of his receiving yards. The only downside to Charles’ game on Sunday was that he didn’t get as many carries as fellow back Thomas Jones who was the only Chiefs running back to score a touchdown.
Must starts this week include a quarterback as well as a wide receiver. Carson Palmer should have no problem filling up the stat sheet against the Falcons this weekend. The Falcons just gave up big points to Kevin Kolb and the Philadelphia offense and also have a secondary depleted by injury. The previously mentioned Maclin was one of those that exploited the Falcons last week, and he is the second must start of Week 7. Philadelphia will be without wide out DeSean Jackson this week and will need Maclin to step up once again if their offense is to have any success.
The amount of changes made by fantasy owners this week will depend largely on their record. Teams that need a win every week from this point on and have no room for error often find that transactions can come back to haunt them. However, the fantasy owners leading their respective leagues should dabble with the opportunities presented by the bye week. This is certainly an unpredictable move, but these deals can definitely help owners claim a fantasy championship.