Week 6 Rankings
Running backs haven't been difference makers this season. This is what happens when
Julius Jones and
Tatum Bell are leading the league in rushing yards-per-game, with less than 100.
Kevan Barlow is still tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (while averaging a Hambrick-like 2.6 yards-per-carry). Three of the yardage leaders (
Warrick Dunn,
Tiki Barber, and
Tatum Bell) haven't scored at all.
The 2006 crop of running backs remind me of last year's quarterbacks. After the top couple, there are 15 players who are roughly the same. Most good fantasy teams have two. The fantasy league x-factors thus far have come at quarterback (
Donovan McNabb, The Mannings, and
Rex Grossman) and wideouts emerging from the oblivion (
Marques Colston,
Bernard Berrian,
Greg Jennings,
Jerricho Cotchery, and
Reggie Williams).
The close grouping at running back is partly why I think it's a good idea for
Larry Johnson owners to test the trade waters heading into a tough part of his schedule. Something isn't right when the Cardinals and 49ers keep the angry man under three yards-per-carry. The Chiefs simply can't run block like they used to and
Damon Huard isn't going to scare good defenses.
I don't want to repeat too much of what I said in my
NBCSports.com Fantasy Take, but if you can get a quality second tier running back (
Willie Parker,
Julius Jones)
and a top-ten receiver for Johnson, I'd make the move. Just don't hold a fire sale; he's still a top-five running back.
We handed out awards on Thursday's Fantasy Fix, so keep an eye out for an accompanying column that I'll post, along with my top-ten players at each position moving forward. Now on to the Week 6 rankings and game notes. For detailed stat projections for all these players, check out
Season Pass.
Week 6 Quarterbacks | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | Donovan McNabb | at NO | - |
| 2 | Carson Palmer | at TB | - |
| 3 | Eli Manning | at ATL | - |
| 4 | Matt Hasselbeck | at STL | - |
| 5 | Michael Vick | vs. NYG | - |
| 6 | Rex Grossman | at ARZ | - |
| 7 | Drew Bledsoe | vs. HOU | - |
| 8 | Marc Bulger | vs. SEA | - |
| Tier 2 |
| 9 | Jon Kitna | vs. BUF | - |
| 10 | Philip Rivers | at SF | - |
| 11 | Mark Brunell | vs. TEN | - |
| 12 | Chad Pennington | vs. MIA | Probable(calf) |
| 13 | David Carr | at DAL | - |
| 14 | Joey Harrington | at NYJ | - |
| 15 | Drew Brees | vs. PHI | - |
| 16 | J.P. Losman | at DET | - |
| 17 | Jake Plummer | vs. OAK | - |
| 18 | Bruce Gradkowski | vs. CIN | - |
| Tier 3 |
| 19 | Ben Roethlisberger | vs. KC | - |
| 20 | Jake Delhomme | at BAL | - |
| 21 | Damon Huard | at PIT | - |
| 22 | Steve McNair | vs. CAR | - |
| 23 | Alex Smith | vs. SD | - |
| 24 | Matt Leinart | vs. CHI | - |
| 25 | Andrew Walter | at DEN | - |
| 26 | Vince Young | at WAS | - |
QB Notes: Matt Leinart looked very composed against an improved Chiefs defense. After the first quarter, Kansas City's D-line harassed him and made him check down all day. I was worried that Leinart wouldn't go deep nearly as much as
Kurt Warner, and that fear was partly realized. But Leinart did stretch the defense out with two long bombs, one that went for a score, and another that was dropped in the end zone. It looks like he'll throw deep enough to keep defenses honest and he's comfortable in the two minute drill. After a baptism this Monday night against Chicago, Leinart has top-15 quarterback upside as a rookie.
The Seattle passing attack has been quietly disappointing. I expect the system to bounce back after their bye. They will integrate
Deion Branch and
Jerramy Stevens into the offense. Look for a big effort against a Rams secondary that is banged-up. Hasselbeck is a good buy-low candidate. …
Brett Favre left a lot of plays on the field against the Rams. He could have rushed for a score once and forced a pass instead. Favre still shows flashes of excellence, but he's inconsistent from drive-to-drive, like
Drew Bledsoe.
Any interception-free streak like
Marc Bulger's takes a lot of luck. Green Bay dropped two easy interceptions last week, one near the end zone that Bulger threw into
Al Harris' chest. I own Bulger and am eager to see him against a better defense. His last four opponents: SF, AZ, DET, and GB. His completion percentage and yards-per-attempt is down sharply from his days of Mike Martz, so I'm not quite convinced he'll stick in the top-five fantasy quarterbacks. One good sign for Bulger: Scott Linehan loves throwing in the red zone. Bulger has attempted six more passes inside the ten than any quarterback in the league. The St. Louis offensive line has also kept Bulger's jersey clean more than in the past.
Bruce Gradkowski's confidence was contagious for the whole Bucs offense last week. They were celebrating like crazy after his first touchdown, a beautiful touch pass to
Joey Galloway. I expected great things from
Chris Simms, but the rookie was easily an upgrade in Week 5. He can put up workmanlike numbers against weak competition. The Bengals defense isn't playing that well.
Week 6 Running Backs | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | LaDainian Tomlinson | at SF | - |
| 2 | Clinton Portis | vs. TEN | - |
| 3 | Tiki Barber | at ATL | - |
| 4 | Julius Jones | vs. HOU | - |
| 5 | Rudi Johnson | at TB | - |
| 6 | Larry Johnson | at PIT | Probable(neck) |
| 7 | Carnell Williams | vs. CIN | - |
| 8 | Warrick Dunn | vs. NYG | - |
| 9 | Brian Westbrook | at NO | Questionable(knee) |
| 10 | Ronnie Brown | at NYJ | - |
| 11 | Tatum Bell | vs. OAK | - |
| 12 | Willis McGahee | at DET | - |
| 13 | Steven Jackson | vs. SEA | - |
| 14 | Willie Parker | vs. KC | - |
| 15 | Thomas Jones | at ARZ | - |
| Tier 2 |
| 16 | Maurice Morris | at STL | - |
| 17 | Frank Gore | vs. SD | - |
| 18 | Kevin Jones | vs. BUF | - |
| 19 | Reggie Bush | vs. PHI | - |
| 20 | Edgerrin James | vs. CHI | - |
| 21 | DeShaun Foster | at BAL | - |
| 22 | Deuce McAllister | vs. PHI | - |
| 23 | LaMont Jordan | at DEN | - |
| Tier 3 |
| 24 | Travis Henry | at WAS | - |
| 25 | Michael Turner | at SF | - |
| 26 | Marion Barber | vs. HOU | - |
| 27 | Jerious Norwood | vs. NYG | Questionable(shoulder) |
| 28 | Jamal Lewis | vs. CAR | - |
| 29 | Leon Washington | vs. MIA | Probable(hip) |
| 30 | Michael Pittman | vs. CIN | - |
| 31 | Brandon Jacobs | at ATL | - |
| 32 | LenDale White | at WAS | Questionable(stomach) |
| 33 | Ron Dayne | at DAL | - |
| 34 | Ladell Betts | vs. TEN | - |
| 35 | Kevan Barlow | vs. MIA | Probable(calf) |
| 36 | Musa Smith | vs. CAR | - |
| 37 | Cedric Benson | at ARZ | - |
| 38 | Samkon Gado | at DAL | - |
| Tier 4 |
| 39 | Correll Buckhalter | at NO | - |
| 40 | Mike Bell | vs. OAK | - |
| 41 | Michael Robinson | vs. SD | - |
| 42 | Justin Fargas | at DEN | - |
| 43 | Najeh Davenport | vs. KC | - |
| 44 | Verron Haynes | vs. KC | - |
| 45 | Sammy Morris | at NYJ | - |
RB Notes: Scott Linehan has a well-deserved reputation for throwing in the red zone, as I mentioned above. But
Steven Jackson has had plenty of chances near the goal line too. Jackson has 11 rushing attempts inside the ten – only
Frank Gore has more. The problem is Jackson has only converted one for a score. Other running backs struggling near the stripe:
Willis McGahee (1-of-10),
Fred Taylor (1-of-9), and Deshaun Foster (0-of-8). If you look at numbers inside the five-yard line, the same players struggle.
I don't understand why Jackson is struggling to score. He could play more physical, but he's a big back who is tied for the league lead in rushing. Perhaps his tendency to bounce it outside, which is money in the open field, doesn't work near the goal line. Looking back at the last two seasons, he's 10-for-35 scoring inside the ten. That's not great, but it shows his numbers should bounce back.
I went back to watch the last two
Larry Johnson tapes. He is getting hit in the backfield so often that it's causing him to lose some patience when he does have holes. At his best, Johnson has exceptional vision. He doesn't appear to trust his blocks enough and is running like he's frustrated. He's working hard for limited yards. This happens when
Willie Roaf,
John Welbourne, and their replacements get injured. It's also affecting other parts of Johnson's game. He's fumbled twice in three weeks and dropped a wide open pass against Arizona. His blocking last Sunday almost got
Damon Huard killed.
Once again, I'm not saying you should dump the guy. I believe he's the best running back (not best fantasy back) in the NFL and his ability to produce despite his surroundings is proof. I'm just not sure Johnson will separate from the rest of the top five-to-ten running backs. The next three weeks (@ Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks) will show how good he really is.
Travis Henry and
LenDale White didn't make people miss against the Colts. They had
Corey Simon-sized holes to run through and they ran over a couple tacklers. I think this was more about the Colts than it was Tennessee suddenly finding a running game. …
Noah Herron also had big running lanes against the Rams. He didn't look good outside the tackles, but he showed great power while dragging
Ryan Pickett a few yards on one tackle. Herron is a logical fit to steal goal-line carries from
Ahman Green if Green ever stays healthy. The team will keep
Vernand Morency involved, creating a messy situation. The big lanes against the Rams tell me two things: 1. Green Bay's zone blocking scheme is starting to work. 2.
Maurice Morris is a good fantasy play this week.
Jamal Lewis is likely to continue losing carries to Rotoworld mascot
Musa Smith and
Mike Anderson. The Baltimore Sun guessed Lewis may only have one more week as the team's starter if he doesn't play well. …
Frank Gore is tied for the league lead in rushing. He asked out near the goal line last week, and
Michael Robinson got three cracks at a score. Robinson failed each time, which could mean more goal-line work for Gore in the future. …
Carnell Williams' wiggle was back against New Orleans. Expect another huge effort against the soft Cincy rush defense, then look to sell high. Cadillac is great when healthy, but the Bucs have a brutal schedule and a rookie quarterback. …
Deuce McAllister is another great sell-high player. His moves against Tampa were impressive, but he's still risky moving forward because of
Reggie Bush and New Orleans' schedule, which gets much harder in the second half. He's a top-ten running back right now, so he should have great trade value.
Ronnie Brown may be letting a frustrating season get to him. For the first time all year, he didn't fight through tackles against New England. He lost a fumble and dropped a key pass. Coach Nick Saban called Brown out this week, and he should respond well. He's still a must-start against the Jets.
Week 6 Wide Receivers | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | Andre Johnson | at DAL | - |
| 2 | Santana Moss | vs. TEN | - |
| 3 | Torry Holt | vs. SEA | - |
| 4 | Chad Johnson | at TB | - |
| 5 | Darrell Jackson | at STL | - |
| 6 | Terrell Owens | vs. HOU | - |
| 7 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at TB | - |
| 8 | Steve Smith | at BAL | - |
| 9 | Plaxico Burress | at ATL | - |
| 10 | Roy Williams | vs. BUF | Probable(neck) |
| 11 | Laveranues Coles | vs. MIA | Questionable(calf) |
| Tier 2 |
| 12 | Terry Glenn | vs. HOU | - |
| 13 | Anquan Boldin | vs. CHI | - |
| 14 | Chris Chambers | at NYJ | - |
| 15 | Reggie Brown | at NO | - |
| 16 | Lee Evans | at DET | - |
| 17 | Bernard Berrian | at ARZ | - |
| 18 | Jerricho Cotchery | vs. MIA | - |
| 19 | Marques Colston | vs. PHI | - |
| 20 | Muhsin Muhammad | at ARZ | - |
| 21 | Amani Toomer | at ATL | - |
| 22 | Antonio Bryant | vs. SD | - |
| 23 | Javon Walker | vs. OAK | - |
| 24 | Joey Galloway | vs. CIN | - |
| 25 | Derrick Mason | vs. CAR | - |
| 26 | Isaac Bruce | vs. SEA | - |
| Tier 3 |
| 27 | Hines Ward | vs. KC | - |
| 28 | Wes Welker | at NYJ | - |
| 29 | Keyshawn Johnson | at BAL | - |
| 30 | Randy Moss | at DEN | - |
| 31 | Mike Furrey | vs. BUF | - |
| 32 | Deion Branch | at STL | - |
| 33 | Joe Horn | vs. PHI | - |
| 34 | Eddie Kennison | at PIT | - |
| 35 | Eric Moulds | at DAL | - |
| 36 | Rod Smith | vs. OAK | - |
| 37 | Keenan McCardell | at SF | - |
| Tier 4 |
| 38 | Mark Clayton | vs. CAR | - |
| 39 | Ronald Curry | at DEN | - |
| 40 | Eric Parker | at SF | - |
| 41 | Arnaz Battle | vs. SD | - |
| 42 | Michael Clayton | vs. CIN | - |
| 43 | Drew Bennett | at WAS | Questionable(ankle) |
| 44 | Bobby Engram | at STL | Questionable(flu) |
| 45 | Samie Parker | at PIT | - |
| 46 | Michael Jenkins | vs. NYG | - |
| 47 | Brandon Jones | at WAS | - |
| 48 | Ashley Lelie | vs. NYG | - |
| 49 | Greg Lewis | at NO | - |
| 50 | Nate Burleson | at STL | - |
WR Notes: Donald Driver owners should be concerned. The Packers used him primarily in the slot with
Koren Robinson and
Greg Jennings on the outside in an effort to get him untracked. It didn't really work. Driver didn't get separation and
Brett Favre threw to his other receivers more. Driver may have had fewer snaps this week, but it's hard to tell. On one telling play, Favre had a free play because of a Rams offsides penalty. Both Driver and Jennings went deep. Favre threw a jump ball to Jennings.
Samie Parker is available in most of my leagues. He has great talent and showed it off with a circus TD catch last week after getting pushed on the play. Parker doesn't make the easy catches, though, and has a tough schedule coming up. He's still someone to stash in deep leagues for later in the season. …
Anquan Boldin's value is helped by
Larry Fitzgerald's injury. It's a tough matchup, but I'd still play him Boldin Chicago, who likes playing top receivers straight up.
Lee Evans had a nice game last week because Buffalo was forced to pass all day.
I forgot to mention
Brandon Jones in Waiver Wired. I also lost my hard drive (water damage), my IPod (but found it), and locked myself out of my apartment about eight times recently. These things seem to happen more in football season. Anyhow, I went back to watch each of Jones' plays in his three-catch, 40-yard effort against the Colts. He led the team in both categories.
Vince Young looked to him more than the rest of Tennessee's wideouts combined. Jones did a nice job getting open and I think he's worth a look in deep leagues. Young still looks pretty rough in the passing game though.
Reggie Brown doesn't have great hands, but
Donovan McNabb would help him out by taking a little bit off his fastball on short routes. …
Deion Branch is likely to start for the Seahawks. The reporters following the Seahawks say he is coming on strong in practice. Don't give up on him yet, Branch will improve as the season wears on. With
Bobby Engram possibly out,
Nate Burleson could play in the slot. …
Terrell Owens complaining about not being involved in the offense is a joke. He has
14 more targets this season than
Terry Glenn (Glenn has more catches). Owens is third in the NFL in
targets-per-game behind
Torry Holt and
Marvin Harrison. Owens is quite possibly starting the decline phase of his career. He can be a good receiver, but he's not getting separation from defenders. Owens is a player who blames everyone else for his problems. The rest of his career will be ugly if he doesn't adjust to the fact he's no longer as explosive as before. Bill Parcells and
Drew Bledsoe probably wish they had
Keyshawn Johnson, who has quietly been a top-five fantasy wideout.
Week 6 Tight Ends | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | Antonio Gates | at SF | - |
| 2 | L.J. Smith | at NO | - |
| 3 | Chris Cooley | vs. TEN | - |
| 4 | Jason Witten | vs. HOU | - |
| 5 | Todd Heap | vs. CAR | Questionable(ankle) |
| 6 | Alge Crumpler | vs. NYG | - |
| 7 | Tony Gonzalez | at PIT | - |
| 8 | Heath Miller | vs. KC | - |
| 9 | Randy McMichael | at NYJ | Probable(ribs) |
| 10 | Jeremy Shockey | at ATL | Probable(ankle) |
| Tier 2 |
| 11 | Alex Smith | vs. CIN | - |
| 12 | Desmond Clark | at ARZ | Probable(ankle) |
| 13 | Jerramy Stevens | at STL | - |
| 14 | Ben Troupe | at WAS | - |
| 15 | Eric Johnson | vs. SD | - |
| 16 | Bo Scaife | at WAS | - |
| 17 | Chris Baker | vs. MIA | - |
| 18 | Tony Scheffler | vs. OAK | - |
| 19 | Joe Klopfenstein | vs. SEA | - |
| 20 | Ernie Conwell | vs. PHI | - |
| 21 | Matt Schobel | at NO | - |
Week 6 Kickers | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | Jeff Wilkins | vs. SEA | - |
| 2 | Nate Kaeding | at SF | - |
| 3 | David Akers | at NO | - |
| 4 | Robbie Gould | at ARZ | - |
| 5 | Mike Vanderjagt | vs. HOU | - |
| 6 | John Carney | vs. PHI | - |
| 7 | Shayne Graham | at TB | - |
| 8 | Josh Brown | at STL | - |
| 9 | John Kasay | at BAL | - |
| 10 | Matt Stover | vs. CAR | - |
| 11 | Jason Elam | vs. OAK | - |
| 12 | Neil Rackers | vs. CHI | - |
| 13 | Sebastian Janikowski | at DEN | - |
| 14 | Olindo Mare | at NYJ | - |
| 15 | Jay Feely | at ATL | - |
| 16 | Jason Hanson | vs. BUF | - |
| 17 | Lawrence Tynes | at PIT | - |
| 18 | Jeff Reed | vs. KC | - |
| 19 | Joe Nedney | vs. SD | - |
| 20 | Morten Andersen | vs. NYG | - |
| 21 | Rian Lindell | at DET | - |
| 22 | Mike Nugent | vs. MIA | - |
| 23 | Rob Bironas | at WAS | - |
| 24 | Kris Brown | at DAL | - |
| 25 | Matt Bryant | vs. CIN | - |
| 26 | Michael Koenen | vs. NYG | - |
Week 6 Team Defense | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Injury List |
| 1 | Bears Def/Spec Team | at ARZ | - |
| 2 | Chargers Def/Spec Team | at SF | - |
| 3 | Panthers Def/Spec Team | at BAL | - |
| 4 | Broncos Def/Spec Team | vs. OAK | - |
| 5 | Bengals Def/Spec Team | at TB | - |
| 6 | Ravens Def/Spec Team | vs. CAR | - |
| 7 | Cowboys Def/Spec Team | vs. HOU | - |
| 8 | Eagles Def/Spec Team | at NO | - |
| 9 | Steelers Def/Spec Team | vs. KC | - |
| 10 | Seahawks Def/Spec Team | at STL | - |
| 11 | Saints Def/Spec Team | vs. PHI | - |
| 12 | Bills Def/Spec Team | at DET | - |
| 13 | Chiefs Def/Spec Team | at PIT | - |
| 14 | Falcons Def/Spec Team | vs. NYG | - |
| 15 | Lions Def/Spec Team | vs. BUF | - |
| 16 | Redskins Def/Spec Team | vs. TEN | - |
| 17 | Dolphins Def/Spec Team | at NYJ | - |
| 18 | Giants Def/Spec Team | at ATL | - |
| 19 | Raiders Def/Spec Team | at DEN | - |
| 20 | Rams Def/Spec Team | vs. SEA | - |
| 21 | Jets Def/Spec Team | vs. MIA | - |
| 22 | Buccaneers Def/Spec Team | vs. CIN | - |
| 23 | Titans Def/Spec Team | at WAS | - |
| 24 | Cardinals Def/Spec Team | vs. CHI | - |
| 25 | Texans Def/Spec Team | at DAL | - |
| 26 | Fortyniners Def/Spec Team | vs. SD | - |