Going into week six of the NFL season, several teams may be left stranded from injuries to stars or from players being on bye week. One of the best things managers can do is to update their rosters with new players. Free agency has a ton of talent and picking up players can sometimes turn a losing season around so here are some of the best options.
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the career revival of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. Last season, Fields was acquired this offseason by the Steelers in exchange for a conditional late-round pick to play as quarterback competition for Russell Wilson in training camp. Unfortunately for Wilson, a calf injury sidelined him before the start of the season, and Fields hasn’t looked back. Through five weeks, Fields is completing 67.6 percent of his passes, which is a career high. In addition, Fields has cut down significantly on turnovers this season, throwing five touchdowns to just one interception. The difference for Fields as a fantasy quarterback is that he is a dual-threat player, scoring three touchdowns and 172 rushing yards on the ground. The Steelers are taking on the Las Vegas Raiders this week, who just surrendered 206 passing yards and two touchdowns against rookie. With that in mind, expect a great game from fields both on the ground and through the air.
The Atlanta Falcons have struggled at running the ball this season, but one player who has made the most of his opportunities is running back Tyler Allgeier. In Allgeier’s limited opportunities, he has put up 5.4 yards per carry and 8.8 yards per reception. The Falcons enter that game averaging 21.6 rush attempts per game, which ranks second worst in the league. That might appear concerning, but the Falcons have been forced to throw the ball because of being down in games, having trailed in the fourth quarter of all three of their wins this season.
The Atlanta Falcons will be facing the Carolina Panthers who are coming off a game where they gave up 128 yards on the ground, 73 of which went to Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift. Knowing that and assuming the Falcons can get an early lead on the Panthers, it is more likely that the Falcons will lean on their rushing attack with Allgeier.
Unfortunately for the Las Vegas Raiders, the start to their season has not started the way they had hoped, especially now with the trade request of star wide receiver Davante Adams. Due to Adams’s absence, the Raiders have had to spread targets around to players who usually didn’t see the field, one of which is pass catcher Tre Tucker. This season, Tucker has averaged 10.6 yards per reception on 18 receptions showcasing his ability to get the most of his limited opportunities. The past few weeks Tucker has also been incorporated in the running game as well scoring a touchdown in week four. Tucker provides fantasy managers with a player who is seeing more time in the absence of Adams, showcasing that once Adams is traded he will continue his production.
The most difficult thing to predict on a fantasy team is to determine if a player just had a good week or if the player is breaking out. One player that could potentially be breaking out is Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft. Coming off a win against the Los Angeles Rams, Kraft put up two touchdowns and 88 receiving yards. Kraft has seen an increase in production due to the injuries the Packers have had in their pass catching core, with pass catchers Luke Musgrave and Christian Watson missing games. Due to that, Kraft has seen more targets and has made the most of his opportunities with those receptions. Primarily a blocking tight end, Kraft is heavily featured in the Packers play-action game so taking a gamble on Kraft might just settle the tight end position of a team.
At week six in the season, this is when good teams start to break away for the playoffs. Teams that find themselves with more losses than wins, need to make a shakeup to the roster before the season gets away. It’s never too late to turn a season around so get to waivers and save the season.
Jasper Greuel is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Jasper about his column? Email him at jg453620@ohio.edu.
