Fantasy Football Week 6: Monday Night Football Takeaways
By Dan Thomas
A year ago the players involved in this game were some of the biggest and best names when it came to fantasy football. This season, not so much.
Remember when Monday Night Football was entertaining and between two competitive teams? And how about when fantasy football production was everywhere on Mondays? Those were the good ol’ days weren’t they?
Related Story: Updated NFL Standings After Week 6
In Week 7, we saw the 1-4 New York Jets travel to Glendale, AZ to take on the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals. Remember last year when these two teams had two explosive and high-scoring offenses? Those were the good ol’ days weren’t they?
Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the in-between from Monday Night Football’s game between the Jets and Cardinals.
The Good
Cardinals RB David Johnson (25 touches, 138 total yards, 3 rushing touchdowns) – On the first play of the Cardinals second drive of the game, Johnson took a handoff 58 yards for a touchdown. Just like every other week so far in 2016, Johnson has been dynamic, explosive, and a workhorse. He is a every week RB1 who might finish the year as the No. 1 overall fantasy football running back.
Welp, THAT’S IT FOR THE GOOD!
The Ehhh…
Jets WR Brandon Marshall (3 receptions, 70 yards) – Marshall was being shadowed by Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, but made the most out of his three catches. He was the only bright spot in a terrible Jets offense, but that light was ill-lit at best. Despite the mess that is the Jets, Marshall remains an every-week starter.
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald (6 receptions, 49 yards) – He was the most targeted player on the Cardinals and he did okay. It was his worse game of the season in standard league scoring but he managed to get to double-digit points in PPR leagues for the sixth straight game. He’s starting next week for owners despite the tough matchup against Seattle.
Cardinals WR John Brown (5 receptions, 54 yards) – Just like with Fitzgerald, Brown had an okay game but owners were expecting more against the Jets feeble secondary. In his last three games with Carson Palmer under center, Brown is averaging 7 receptions and 90 yards. There is some hope here, but he won’t be a recommended fantasy starter next week playing against the Legion of Boom.
Cardinals WR Michael Floyd (2 receptions, 22 yards, 1 TD) – He was only targeted two times throughout the entire game, but he caught a touchdown in garbage time. He finished with more standard league points than Fitz and Brown, but the same in PPR leagues. He’s still best suited for the waiver-wire in 10-team leagues.
The Bad
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (23/34, 213 yards, 1 TD) – On paper Palmer had a great matchup against one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL. Yet, that was on paper. Palmer had mediocre numbers and only generated 12 fantasy points. He didn’t look horrible but fantasy owners can’t be happy. With Seattle on the schedule next and his bye week in Week 9, Palmer is droppable in 10-team leagues
Jets WR Quincy Enunwa (3 receptions, 42 yards) – Enunwa was heavily involved in the offense to start the season. When Eric Decker went down with an injury, the initial thought was he was going to be a mainstay in the offense. Now, that might not be the case. He had his fewest targets (5) and receptions (3) in last night’s game. Is that because the Decker injury is having a negative impact on his role or is the Jets offense as a whole just reaching an all-time low?
The Really Bad
(Yep, made a new and special category for this week)
Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (16/31, 174 yards, 1 INT) – As sad as it sounds, his pathetic stats actually look better than what his actual play was. Not including Week 1, Fitzpatrick has never thrown multiple touchdowns in any game this season. After being a top-12 fantasy quarterback last season, he can’t even be a recommended starter even when he plays the Dolphins, Browns and Rams in Weeks 8-10. Then again, he might not be (and shouldn’t be) the starting quarterback for the Jets when those games roll around.
Next: Fantasy Football Week 6: 5 Biggest Takeaways
Jets RB Matt Forte (10 touches, 22 yards) – After scoring three touchdowns in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, Forte has failed to reach the end zone in four straight games. He also hasn’t had more than 65 rushing yards in any game during that span. He should be on the benches in Week 7 when the Jets take on the Baltimore Ravens.