Week 6 in the NFL was marked by two historically memorable and wacky moments.San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw for over 500 yards with no interceptions and still lost the game, and, the Indianapolis Colts ran the most inexplicable fourth-down play that had the looks of a Madden video game glitch. Here’s the other key fantasy football takeaways from the week
The Seahawks’ legion of gloom
The Seattle Seahawks have been good at losing football games this season. The 2015 Super Bowl runners-up blew their second consecutive fourth quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Sitting at 2-4, Seattle has been outscored 61-27 in fourth quarters and overtimes the season. Poor offensive line play has limited quarterback Russell Wilson to just seven passing and zero rushing touchdowns this season, while running back Marshawn Lynch has failed to top 73 rush yards in any of his four games thus far. Owners can only hope that upcoming matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys will prove to be the cure for Wilson’s and Lynch’s troubles.
A Stark change in Green Bay
Second-string Packers running back James Starks has carved out a substantial role in the Green Bay offence at the expense of fantasy bust Eddie Lacy. Starks has leapfrogged the injury-hampered Lacy by recording 286 yards on 63 carries thus far. Head Coach Mike McCarthy will likely ride the hot hand between Starks and Lacy after Green Bay’s Week 7 bye, making for a murky fantasy situation. Despite this, Starks needs to be owned in all formats because of his immense potential.
James Starks 65 yards for the touchdown #GBvsSD pic.twitter.com/D0etlqOksT
— NFL (@NFLIive) October 18, 2015
The spotlight Steeler
With wide receiver Antonio Brown struggling to produce elite numbers since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wideout Martavis Bryant, fresh off his four-game suspension, picked up the slack against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. In a shocking victory over the Cards, Bryant reeled in six catches for 137 yards and two scores with the inexperienced Landry Jones, who started the season third in the Steelers QB depth chart, throwing the ball. The Clemson product appears poised to pick up from where he left off in last year’s breakout season. Treat him as a second or third wide receiver with huge weekly potential that will only grow with Big Ben’s eventual return.
The Jets’ Ivory tower
In his third season with the New York Jets, running back Chris Ivory is finally proving to be a legitimate fantasy football asset. Ivory has topped 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in three of the four games he has played. His aggressive downhill running style, and ability to generate yards after contact have drawn comparisons to the Seahawks’ Lynch. Most notably, Ivory is averaging a league-leading 115 yards per game and is running the ball 20.8 times each contest. Look for Ivory to keep the good times rolling next weekend against the New England Patriots.
Melvin Gordon is losing charge
Playing in front of 60-plus family and friends in his return to Wisconsin, Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon spent the majority of the nail-biting battle versus the Packers on the bench. Gordon rushed seven times for 29 yards and turned the ball over twice, increasing his fumble total on the season to four. Pass-catching back Danny Woodhead, who has been ultra-effective for the Chargers, took on a larger role following Gordon’s benching. Gordon will be a very risky play next week against the Oakland Raiders, as it’s likely he has lost grip of his early-down duties.
