New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski (87) runs away from New York Jets’ Marcus Maye for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
Week 6 was a rough week for quarterbacks. Not a single QB broke the 30 point mark in fantasy, while one of the best, Aaron Rodgers, went down with a potentially season-ending injury. Let’s take a look at which players stood out in a relatively low scoring week across the board.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins: 27 points standard, 27.8 points PPR
Deshaun Watson was nearly the best performing fantasy quarterback for the third week in a row, but Kirk Cousins prevented that from happening. Cousins threw for 330 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also tacked on 26 yards and a touchdown with his legs. Cousins had improved off a tough first two weeks and has now put forth his third straight performance with at least 20 fantasy points.
The Redskins play one of the best teams in the NFL in the Eagles next week. Cousins has had some success against the Eagles, achieving a 97.8 passer rating and a 13:4 touchdown to interception ratio in six games. While this is a hard matchup for the Redskins, it will be interesting to see if Cousins can continue his success. If I were a fantasy owner, I would browse for another option, but start him if needed.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz
Running back Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers: 26 points standard, 36 points PPR
For the second week in a row, Melvin Gordon broke 25 points in standard scoring formats and 30 in PPR. Gordon rushed for 83 yards and one touchdown and caught nine passes for 67 yards and another touchdown. His nine receptions, tied for fourth among all players, helped him dominate in PPR formats. His 36 points was the most of any player this week and six more than the next running back.
The Chargers offense revolves around Gordon, who has accounted for exactly half of their touchdowns. The Chargers play the Broncos in week 7, and while it is not the best matchup, he still managed to produce 79 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against them week one. He has also broken double digit fantasy points in all but one week so far. Despite the matchup, Gordon is a must start.
Honorable Mentions: Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson
Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers: 21 points standard, 29.5 points PPR
Antonio Brown is a freak of nature. Brown caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. However, his 155 receiving yards on Sunday was only his third most in a game this season. On one play, Brown caught a ball that was tipped by one defender and avoided another defender before beating a third defender in a footrace to the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown.
The Steelers play the Cincinnati Bengals in week 7, so Brown should be in store for another big game. He has reached double digits in every game, except one in PPR formats and two in standard formats. Even last week when Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions, Brown still managed to rack up 157 receiving yards. Like Melvin Gordon, Brown is a no-doubt must start.
Honorable Mentions: Larry Fitzgerald, Golden Tate
Tight End Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: 20 points standard, 26.3 points PPR
While it pains me to say this, Rob Gronkowski had a huge week against my New York Jets. He caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, shredding the Jets defense. Gronkowski is easily Tom Brady’s favorite target and rightfully so. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he is just massive. When coupled with his great hands and sneaky quickness, he becomes one of the most lethal targets in the game.
The largest problem with Gronkowski is if he can stay healthy. He missed week 5 with an injury, but came back with a fury against the Jets. Even though he has only played in five games this season, he still has four touchdowns. Gronkowski did not play in Super Bowl LI, so he’ll look to have a big game against the Falcons in a rematch next week. Start Gronkowski with confidence.
Honorable Mentions: Cameron Brate, Evan Engram
Defense/Special Teams, New Orleans Saints: 32 points standard, 32 points PPR
I did not think that a historically bad New Orleans Saints defense would score 32 fantasy points total all season, much less in one week. While the Lions scored 38 points, the Saints’ defense forced five turnovers. They intercepted Matthew Stafford three times and took two of them back for touchdown. They also recovered two fumbles and returned one for a score.
The Saints’ philosophy usually is to have Drew Brees and the offense outscore the opponent, but this week the defense finally stepped up for him. Next week they have a surprisingly good matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers is out with an injury, so the Packers are forced to go with Brett Hundley, who threw three interceptions last week after he stepped under center. I would consider starting New Orleans if you are in need of a streaming option.
Honorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams
Jorge Eckardt is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at jorge.eckardt@uconn.edu.
