2015 Week 6 Fantasy Advice

      Did you have a good week 5? The Injury Ninja (thanks to my old friend from Twitter Chris Wassel for this staple) was particularly ruthless this week, taking Jamaal Charles and many others with him. The dregs of the fantasy season now are in full swing, and with bye weeks and injuries now playing major roles in fantasy seasons, it's becoming a struggle for many. How well you do in your league may well come down to how well you do in these critical weeks.

Byes: TB, STL, OAK, DAL

Who to Start:

QB Carson Palmer (ARZ) vs. PIT: He's found the fountain of youth after his season ending injury last season. He has been elite this season for the Cardinals on the field and for his fantasy owners. That form is likely going to continue against the Steelers, who have well documented issues in their secondary. Palmer could rack up serious numbers once again on Sunday.

RB Dion Lewis (NE) vs. IND: Yes, my own rule for fantasy that should be followed religiously (because it's bitten me in the rear end too often to admit), is that you should never trust a Patriots running back. But... Dion Lewis is making me want to buck the rule. He has been not only good, but consistent to start the season, and the Colts have never been able to effectively stop the run. 

WR DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) vs. JAX: Against everyone not named Josh Norman, Hopkins has been incredibly effective this season, even with the QB flip-flopping. The Jaguars secondary is still hobbled with injuries, and Brian Hoyer is a better QB than Ryan Mallet, so Hopkins could enjoy another good day at the office.

WR Brandon Marshall (NYJ) vs. WSH: He's quietly revived his career even with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his QB. He has been putting up solid numbers in every game, and even though the Washington secondary played well against Atlanta last week, they are saddled with injuries. Marshall could have more success Sunday.

TE Travis Kelce (KC) vs. MIN: Absolutely everything that could have gone wrong for the Chiefs has in the past four games. Now with Jamaal Charles out, consistency is going to be critical for the Chiefs offense. Kelce provides that consistency, especially against a Vikings defense that has been susceptible to Tight Ends this season.

DEF Cincinnati vs. BUF: Tyrod Taylor is hobbled, LeSean McCoy is hobbled and Sammy Watkins is hobbled. The Bengals defense was solid against Seattle last week, but against the Buffalo backups, could be in for a bigger day Sunday.

Who to Sit:

QB Cam Newton (CAR) vs. SEA: Playing in Seattle is never easy, especially for Cam Newton and the Panthers who have struggled against the Seahawks no matter where they play each other. 

RB Jeremy Hill (CIN) vs. BUF: He's quickly losing touches to Gio Bernard week by week, and not only does he have a tough matchup against Buffalo staring him in the face, but his only points are coming from TD's and not yards, and that's frankly not a sustainable trend.

WR Jordan Matthews(PHI) vs. NYG MON: It's painful to type his name into this section of the column, but it's way past due. The Giants secondary is paper thin, but has only allowed two receiving TD's thus far this season. And with Chip Kelly's offense starting to become wide open, Matthews is losing targets too.

WR Jarvis Landry (MIA) vs. TEN: Once he was an underrated potential fantasy gem that many deep divers were trying to stash away in hopes that he would come good. Now, he's a bust like most players on Miami's offense. Going up against a stingier than expected Titans defense (opponents they've played certainly helps), is not going to help his case.

TE Jimmy Graham (SEA) vs. CAR: So you're telling me that asking a Tight End who never blocked in New Orleans to block consistently in Seattle and take a hit in production is going to cost him fantasy points? Wow, that's almost like telling me what Mike Huckabee tweeted during the Democratic Presidential Debate was racist or something.

DEF San Francisco vs. BAL: They were dynamite in Week 1, and terrible ever since. Even though matchup looks semi-favorable on paper, this unit really cannot be trusted. 

Three Super Sleepers:

QB Teddy Bridgewater (MIN) vs. KC: He's been a solid QB in reality, if a bit week on the fantasy stat sheets. The game against Kansas City is a somewhat favorable one for Bridgewater, meaning he could put up some better than expected numbers. He looked comfortable against a far better defense when the Vikings played the Broncos two weeks ago.

RB Arian Foster (HOU) vs. JAX: He's becoming healthier, which is a good thing. He's going to take pressure off of the QB carousel, which is also a good thing. But keep note of the injury report for the Jaguars this week. If Paul Pozlusny can't play, Foster could be elevated into starting territory. Without him last week, the Jaguars were absolutely carved open by Doug Martin. Keep this in mind as the week rolls on.

DEF Baltimore vs. SF: The 49ers looked competent last week! But that doesn't tell us very much about how they'll do this week. In a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII (where both teams are now 1-4), the Ravens defense could be a sneaky little play considering how the 49ers offense is trending of late.

Buyer Beware:

RB Melvin Gordon (SD) vs. GB: His last two games have been pretty good, but the Packers defense is so stingy against the run, especially at home. Todd Gurley was held effectively in check last week, and another running back could be held in check all the same on Sunday.

Good Luck in Week 6!