Lance's 2021 Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Waiver Priorities
RECAP
-The Jags have played a whole lot better since they started trying to get James Robinson more involved and it finally culminated in a win. Don’t expect it to give them a shot at the AFC South, or the #7 seed, but I do think they are good enough playing like this to not pick in the top five.
-I have a feeling Miami is going to drive people who write prediction articles and bettors crazy in the second half of the season. They’re bad enough to lose to the worst teams in the league, and maybe even compete for the #1 pick. But they’re also good enough to push for wins against the middle tier of teams. Tua looked good in his return. I would’ve preferred to see him do a little better in the YPA category and not turn the ball over, but he wasn’t awful. Miami’s Receivers are playing well, and while their defense is not doing great, it’s a unit that thrives on turnovers and can completely flip a game script if they can get a couple picks or force a couple fumbles. The biggest issue for Miami right now is their run game. The RBBC of Gaskin, Brown and Ahmed isn’t striking fear into their opponents and they seem pretty dead set on throwing the ball 50 times a game to avoid having to run it. Priority #1 this offseason is to get an RB1 in that backfield to take pressure off Tagovailoa and the defense.
-This was by far the best win of the season for the Ravens. This is the defense they need to see if they want to have a chance when the playoffs roll around.
-The Colts throttled arguably the worst team in the NFL...congrats. They still aren’t a playoff team, but the play of Jonathan Taylor in recent weeks gives them hope. If only Reich would do more running to help their defense out.
-The Chiefs defense finally showed up! I’m not convinced it’s them turning over a new leaf though. We’ll have to see what they do against the Titans next week before we start talking about them as a contender in the AFC again.
-Goff has had his ups and downs, but watching him throw that unbelievably bad pass to a wide open Hockenson on that wheel route was brutal. If you haven’t seen it, you should go find it. It basically sums up how Goff was in this game and shows why the Lions may be better served giving Blough a chance to run the offense.
-In case you had any doubts, Arizona is for real. They came out guns blazing and forced Cleveland to play outside their comfort zone. This game was basically over before the end of the first quarter.
-Cleveland is still a team to watch out for in the AFC, but Mayfield’s inability to carry the team when they’re forced into a pass heavy script is concerning. The Browns better hope Chubb gets back soon, and their secondary, that they invested pretty heavily in this past offseason, starts making plays.
-Some are wanting to point to Dallas’ OT win over the Pats as a big deal. Personally, I’d add it to the list of why the Cowboys should not be mentioned on the same tier as teams like Buffalo, Baltimore, LAC, Arizona, Tampa Bay and Green Bay. This is the same Pats team that just barely beat Houston last week.
-Vegas won, but I really do think it’s a product of the Interim Coach’s first game. Don’t be surprised if they get run over by Philly next week.
-Pitt is not back, they are not a threat, don’t believe any hype you might see, and if you’re a Steelers fan, ignore that glimmer of hope waving itself in front of your face. They barely beat a Geno Smith led Seahawks team that had 61 total yards in the first half. Pitt is the worst team in the AFC North.
-I wouldn’t point to Monday night’s game as a knock on Buffalo, or a major boost for Tennessee. The Titans still need improved play on their O-Line and all over their defense before they can be considered a threat. And Buffalo has had these off-putting games in the past. Plus, it just seems like Tennessee has Buffalo’s number.
FANTASY WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QB: Teddy Bridgewater (Denver)
If you’re looking for a bye week fill, or injury replacement in the next four weeks, this may be your guy. That’s of course provided guys like Cousins and Burrow are not available in your leagues. He’s had 19 or more fantasy points in 4 out of his 6 games and his upcoming slate is against beatable teams (@Cleveland, Washington, @Dallas, Philadelphia).
RB: J.D. McKissic (Washington)
McKissic, unfortunately, isn’t going anywhere. Since his relative no show in week 1 he’s seen 27 targets. That target share goes up when Washington is playing from behind because Washington basically goes into a permanent two minute drill and uses McKissic more than Gibson. Plus, with the shin injury Gibson is dealing with there’s a chance he may have to miss some time, which makes McKissic the guy to have out of this backfield.
WR: Donovan Peoples-Jones (Cleveland)
A stash option, not a go chase the points option. DPJ has had 11 total targets in the last two weeks with some major wow plays. The type of plays that’ll earn him more looks from his QB because he’s been a guy that can be trusted. Landry isn’t back yet, and there’s rumor galore circling OBJ, so DPJ is worth the stash.
TE: Ricky Seals-Jones (Washington)
Heinicke likes targeting three guys in the pass game, McLaurin, McKissic and his Tight End. Logan Thomas is out for the year and because of that Seals-Jones has had 15 targets in two weeks (19 in three weeks if you count the game Thomas went down in).
K: Nick Folk (New England)
Great week 7 streaming option. He gets plenty of opportunities against bad opponents, and the first time he played the Jets he had 15 points.
D: New England or Arizona or Carolina
Tough week to need a defense to stream, but if you do fall into that boat you should check if one of the three I listed are available. They all fall into the 50-60% rostered range on Yahoo. None of their matchups are terrific, but they’re good enough. The Pats scored 19 fantasy points the first time they played the Jets, but the Jets are coming off a bye and have likely used the extra time to prepare Zach Wilson for all the things he ran into the first time around. The Cards get the sporadic Davis Mills and Houston Texans. And the Panthers get another sporadic team in the Giants. They’re all boom or bust options.
