With bye weeks and injuries coming thick and fast, the men will separate themselves from the boys in fantasy. It is now that crucial waiver wire moves and trades start making significant differences to teams. Here are some fantasy football lessons to take into Week 6.
Fantasy Football Lessons for Week 6 and Beyond
Ja’Marr Chase is Back on the Overall WR1 Radar
The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a devastating loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, falling to 1-4. The good news for the Bengals is that Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are playing the best football they’ve played in a while. Chase was drafted near the end of the first round in redraft leagues and has kicked into high gear after a disappointing first two weeks. In his last three weeks, he’s produced games of 29.8, 17.5, and 41.3 points, respectively. He’s currently the overall WR1 after his monster performance against Baltimore.
Chase may not have the elite target volume of Amon-Ra St Brown, Malik Nabers, or Justin Jefferson, but he plays with a better quarterback, and his big game explosions give him a higher upside. Chase will have down games, but they’ll be nothing to worry about. His upside, talent, and quarterback play from Burrow put him firmly in the mix to be the WR1.
Kenneth Walker’s Pass Catching Makes Him a RB1
Despite Kenneth Walker’s successful rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, they elected to use a second-round pick on Zach Charbonnet in 2023. Charbonnet is not as explosive as Walker but has been used more as a pass-catching back. Now, in 2024, things are changing. Walker has 11 receptions on 13 targets in his last two games in Ryan Grubb’s pass-heavy scheme. Walker only had 29 receptions all of last season, a factor which limited his fantasy potential. Now with his new role, the sky is the limit for Walker.
Walker has excellent strength, elite big play ability, and is tied to a high-scoring offense. His ability to rack up receptions exponentially raises his floor. He’s the clear starter on the team, has the goal-line work, and is now catching passes. Pending any injuries, he’s a top-eight fantasy running back for the rest of the season.
The Saints Offense Has Fallen Back Down to Earth
The New Orleans Saints started the season with 47 and 44-point performances in their first two games, respectively. Players like Alvin Kamara, Derek Carr, and Rashid Shaheed were enjoying fantastic starts to their fantasy seasons. Since then, they’ve managed only 52 points in three games. Derek Carr’s numbers have fallen off a cliff, and Chris Olave has been disappointing for a player with a 2nd-3rd round ADP. To make matters worse, Carr is now injured, which will make things worse for the Saints pass catchers.
Kamara remains a clear RB1 due to his heavy workload and elite receiving ability, but be wary of the other Saints fantasy players. Shaheed has seen increased volume but is nothing more than a WR3 or flex. Olave remains a low-end WR2, and Carr is a streaming option. One interesting development from the Carr injury is the potential for Taysom Hill to see more snaps at QB. This would increase his value tremendously in leagues that have Hill available to play TE, but it is only speculative for now; Hill remains a risky play.
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