October is definitely my favorite month of the sports year (sorry March). With the MLB playoffs in full swing, college football season heating up and the NHL and NBA seasons starting, there’s something to enjoy every day of the week.
Obviously, NFL Sundays (and Thursdays and Mondays) add important pieces to that cornucopia of games, as well. Week 5 featured a slew of entertaining games, two teams falling from the ranks of the unbeaten (so long Seahawks and Patriots), a Peyton Manning interception and rushing touchdown (gasp, double gasp) and Matt Schaub imploding on a national stage (don’t worry, he’ll rebound next week).
Of course, there were also more developments in the world of fantasy football. It’s time for your weekly dose of magic from the fantasy wizard (who’s proud to report that his team is in first place for the first time in three years). I’ll try to stay classy during this week’s trends.
Photo Credit: Getty
Week 6 Whos Up Whos Down
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AJ Green WR – Cincinnati
Green had a tremendous game against the Bears in Week 1, leading many to believe that he was continuing on his path to becoming the best non-Megatron wide receiver in football. However, in the four weeks since, he’s been just a mediocre target for the Bengals. He’s averaged just six catches for 50 yards in those games and only found the end zone once after catching two TDs in Week 1.
The problem has not been that Andy Dalton isn’t looking his way. On the contrary, Green has been targeted 46 times in four games, but he and Dalton have been unable to find the connection they had against the Bears’ porous pass defense.
It’s tough to trust a fantasy WR spot to Green when Dalton hasn’t thrown a touchdown to anyone in two games. As Larry Fitzgerald showed last season, even a talented receiver can only go as far as his quarterback can take him. Right now, Dalton isn’t taking Green anywhere.
Arrow Pointing: DOWN
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Colin Kaepernick QB – San Francisco
Like Green, Kaepernick had a great game in Week 1 and has struggled in the four games since. The second-year starter has failed to eclipse 170 yards passing since his first game and he’s thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) over that stretch.
On Sunday against Houston, Kaepernick completed just six passes all night and accumulated more than half of his 113 yards on one 64-yard throw to Vernon Davis. Simply put, the quarterback who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl a season ago has not been the same without wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham to throw to.
The Niners face the Cardinals middling pass defense in Week 6, so I would wait to think about trading him until after that game, when his value will presumably be higher. The scarcity of weapons around him makes him tough to trust on a weekly basis.
Arrow Pointing: DOWN
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Terrance Williams WR – Dallas
Williams enjoyed a breakout game against the Broncos on Sunday in just his second career start. The rookie caught just four passes, but made them count, running up 151 yards through the air. That included an 82-yard touchdown in which he broke one tackle and simply ran away from the Denver secondary, showing great breakaway speed.
He’s started the last two weeks in place of the injured Miles Austin and has caught 11 passes for 222 yards in those games. With Austin’s status going forward unclear, Williams could be a key receiver for the Cowboys and will face single coverage with Dez Bryant on the opposite side. Dallas faces the 0-4 Steelers on Sunday, so the former Baylor star seems to be in line for another productive day. He’s definitely a good option in deeper leagues as long as Austin is out.
Arrow Pointing: UP
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Trent Richardson RB – Indianapolis
More and more, it seems that Cleveland may have had a reason to trade the former first-round pick. The 22-year old has averaged under three yards per carry since arriving in Indianapolis despite continuing to receive plenty of touches (38 carries in the last two weeks). He has yet to break a run of longer than 16 yards as a Colt.
Granted, the former Alabama star is still learning a new offense, but at some point the Colts have to start giving Donald Brown carries. Brown has greatly outperformed Richardson over the last three weeks, and has averaged an outstanding 8.3 yards per carry this season. A high-performing back threatening his starting role further drops Richardson’s value. It’s probably time to bench him until he proves he can be a viable option on a consistent basis.
Arrow Pointing: DOWN
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T.Y. Hilton WR – Indianapolis
Hilton caught 50 passes for 861 yards as a rookie a year ago and has emerged as a viable second option for Andrew Luck when Reggie Wayne draws double coverage. The Florida International product torched the Seahawks’ third-ranked pass defense to the tune of 140 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, accounting for 60 percent of the Colts passing offense.
Sunday’s game was the second time this season that Hilton has gone over 120 yards and the Colts face the Chargers and Broncos in their next two games, both of which have bottom-seven pass defenses. More production seems to be in the cards for the 24-year old and he’s a solid flex option in the coming weeks.
Arrow Pointing: UP
