Packers vs. Cowboys: What looked like the game of the week lived up to the hype, as there were five fourth quarter lead changes, culminated by this masterful drive by Aaron Rodgers…Rodgers and Dak Prescott combined for seven touchdowns with just one turnover (albeit that one was a pick-six) in a shootout that resulted in Dallas already having as many losses as they accrued all of last season…Dez Bryant’s game could’ve been bigger had he not dropped a ball in the end zone, while Jordy Nelson was surprisingly silent for most of the day, and fantasy owners have to be concerned he was watching from the sidelines during the final game-winning drive. Davante Adams looked fully healthy one week after being hospitalized with a brutal concussion, and he’d easily be a top-10 fantasy WR should Nelson miss time.
The biggest fantasy takeaway, however, was the emergence of Aaron Jones, who deserves 100% of your FAAB this week if he’s somehow still available on your waiver wire. Ty Montgomery certainly hasn’t played poorly this year, but he’s not built for big workloads, is currently dealing with multiple broken ribs that may sideline him for a while and lacks explosion (his long run of the season is 11 yards, whereas Jones had four carries that went longer Sunday alone). Jones totaled 134 yards on 20 touches and scored, getting 6.6 YPC and rendering a healthy Jamaal Williams (who was taken earlier in this year’s draft) useless. Jones’ one-cut and go style appears to fit Green Bay’s system perfectly, and while there’s no guarantee he overtakes Montgomery when the latter returns, the upside of any lead back for the Packers is immense.
Panthers vs. Lions: Eric Ebron had a bad drop in the end zone and lost snaps (and two touchdowns) to Darren Fells afterward. It’s beyond time to give up on the former…Ed Dickson securing all five of his targets for 175 yards is the top candidate for most surprising line of Week 5…Jonathan Stewart had 18 carries for 21 yards…Cam Newton is officially back…Devin Funchess left the game hurt but returned and has now racked up 27 targets over the last three games, scoring three TDs over his last two. He leads Carolina in RZ looks and is locked in as a WR2…Matthew Stafford hasn’t been throwing picks but has been terribly inefficient and has taken 12 sacks (losing 92 yards) over the past two weeks…Over the last four games, Golden Tate has totaled 160 receiving yards, getting a paltry 5.7 YPT.
Jaguars vs. Steelers: Jacksonville’s secondary is 100% legit, but Ben Roethlisberger had one of the worst games I’ve seen in a long time by an otherwise good quarterback, and it’s not just me being bitter since I had Pittsburgh in Survivor. He was intercepted fives times, including a stretch in which he tossed two pick-sixes over four passes, and most of them came with a clean pocket and not under duress (and at home!)…The Jaguars scored 30 points without their QB recording a touchdown and throwing for fewer than 100 yards. In fact, Jacksonville didn’t attempt a pass after eight minutes were left in the third quarter, ending the game with 18 straight runs, highlighted by this sick 90-yard jaunt by Leonard Fournette. The rookie is such a stud.
Chargers vs. Giants: Melvin Gordon looked terrific (and healthy again), so after a slow start, he should once again be treated as an obvious top-10 fantasy commodity…The Giants lost Odell Beckham (for the year, sadly), Sterling Shepard and Brandon Marshall. Their secondary has allowed a 10:1 TD:INT ratio, and their run defense is among the bottom of the league according to DVOA. At 0-5, it’s starting to look like this just may not be their year…Orleans Darkwa looked good before getting nicked up, and with all the injuries, Evan Engram figures to benefit by seeing all the targets he can handle…Coming off a bye at home in primetime against this Giants team, Denver’s fantasy defense can’t be ranked high enough in Week 6.
Cardinals vs. Eagles: What a game by Carson Wentz. He produced three separate TD drives that were three plays or fewer, highlighted by this bomb to Nelson Agholor…LeGarrette Blount had a late TD run taken away by a highly questionable holding call, while Carson Palmer had a garbage time TD pass taken away when J.J. Nelson fumbled just before reaching the pylon, resulting in a touchback (rare to see that happen twice in the same week, with Todd Gurley being the other)…Fire up opposing defenses against the Cardinals, as their one-dimensional offense makes it easy to constantly bring pressure…Sunday marked the first game this season Andre Ellington didn’t record a catch that went for at least 20 yards, but he still hauled in 9-of-10 targets for 65 yards, as he continues to produce in PPR formats…Zach Ertz is on pace for 102 catches with 1,238 yards and six touchdowns.
Bills vs. Bengals: Buffalo’s secondary was burnt early by a deep score to A.J. Green but picked off two more passes to give them eight interceptions on the year, as they are also allowing a lowly 66.5 Passer Rating…With Charles Clay carted off, an already depleted group looks even more barren, so Tyrod Taylor is going to have to run a whole lot more than he did Sunday (one carry for three yards) to maintain fantasy value…After scoring 14 times in 15 games last season, LeSean McCoy is on pace to record zero touchdowns on 365 touches.
Jets vs. Browns: Myles Garrett sure made an immediate impression, recording a sack on the first snap of his NFL career and then adding another later on…David Njoku looks like he’s eventually going to be a star…Entering Week 6, the Jets are somehow in first place…This Duke Johnson TD was impressive…Maybe the most discouraging aspect of DeShone Kizer’s turnover heavy start to his career is just how good Kevin Hogan has looked whenever he’s played with the same cast.
Titans vs. Dolphins: The Titans entered having allowed 11 touchdowns through the air (second most in football) and a 103.9 Passer Rating, yet Jay Cutler got 3.5 YPA and failed to throw for 100 yards. He looks completely finished…Delanie Walker had a long TD catch called back by a shaky holding penalty, and then Matt Cassel lost a fumble that was returned for a Miami TD shortly thereafter…DeVante Parker left early with an ankle injury, Jay Ajayi lost a fumble and continues to be held back by a poor supporting cast, and it’s hard to trust anyone on Tennessee until Marcus Mariota returns.
49ers vs. Colts: It’s not entirely clear if Carlos Hyde missed a long stretch in the second half due to his lingering hip issue or Kyle Shanahan was simply “going with the hot hand,” but Matt Breida should be stashed in deep leagues either way. The kid can play…T.Y. Hilton dropped a would be 40+ yard catch early on but still ripped off 177 yards in a big performance. For what it’s worth, he’s averaged 43.5 yards on the road and 126.3 at home this season…The 49ers have lost their last four games by a combined 11 points.
Seahawks vs. Rams: When not facing the 49ers this season, Sammy Watkins has eight catches for 105 yards with zero touchdowns over four games…The Rams entered as the league’s top scoring team by a wide margin (they would become the first team in NFL history to go from worst to first in ppg if they finished that way this season), but the Seahawks held them to just 10 points, forced five turnovers and shut down Todd Gurley.
Ravens vs. Raiders: Alex Collins looks like Baltimore’s best runner to me, but Javorius Allen handled the majority of the work, including all the carries at the goal line, making him easily the preferred Ravens back to own (he’s also the best pass catcher, and Terrance West left hurt)…Amari Cooper’s season is inexplicable, as he’s failed to reach 10 receiving yards in any of his past three games and has gotten 3.6 YPT on the year.
