Back in the old days of fantasy football, the touchdown was king. Yardage wasn’t measured in the tenth of a point. PPR wasn’t a thing. You accrued yardage juice (if any) in increments of 25 or 50 yards.
Touchdowns are no longer the primary measuring stick, which was a good thing in Week 6. Of the 15 games played, if you bet the Under on every game, you went 13-2.
Ten teams won while scoring 21 or fewer points, and only three teams scored more than 24 points (and one had 26). The point totals from top to bottom were 63, 57, 40, 40, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 30, 27, 26 and 23.
In the modern era of the NFL, we have never seen this – nor will we again. Here’s to hoping your fantasy team won with a season-low point total.
Fantasy football risers
Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison – With Justin Jefferson sidelined for at least three more games – more if you buy into reports of up to six weeks – there is a huge void left in Minnesota’s pass offense. Addison hasn’t set the town on fire (22 receptions for 277 yards), but he has scored a touchdown in four of six games. With Jefferson gone, Addison will likely be the designated deep threat in Minnesota’s weakened offense.
Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard – Hubbard has been a career backup who has stepped up when given opportunities. Miles Sanders has been a disaster, rushing 61 times for just 190 yards and one touchdown. Sanders was out on Sunday and Hubbard rushed 19 times for 88 yards and a TD. He’s averaging 4.5 yards a carry. He received his shot last year when the Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey. He may get another one now.
Chicago Bears RB D’Onta Foreman – He has made a career out of replacing starters – from Derrick Henry to Christian McCaffrey. On Sunday, Chicago was without three running backs and Foreman carried 15 times for 65 yards and showed good power. When McCaffrey was traded last year, Foreman posted five 100-yard games. If the Bears go to a power-running game, 15 carries may be the minimum to expect from Foreman, but rookie Roschon Johnson is poised to return from a concussion, so keep tabs on his role.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff – Goff is always fighting an uphill battle to get respect. But, in his last five games, he has accounted for 12 touchdowns (10 passing, two rushing) and averaged 273 passing yards. At a time when QB injuries are piling up, Goff not only makes sense to be entrenched on a fantasy roster. Depending on the opponent, he should get starting consideration, especially with explosive Jameson Williams back from suspension.
Houston Texans TE Dalton Schultz – In the first three games, it looked like the Texans overspent on Schultz. He caught just seven passes for 47 yards and no TDs. Then the light came on. In his last three games, he caught 14 passes for 168 yards and scored a touchdown in every game. As C.J. Stroud builds relationships with his receivers, he and Schultz look like a solid duo in a down year for fantasy tight ends. Dallas may regret letting him leave.
Fantasy football fallers
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins – Higgins has played in five of Cincinnati’s six games. Aside from one big game in Week 2, in the other four he has caught just six passes for 60 yards and no touchdowns. He’s dealing with a broken rib, but whenever you’re on the field, expectations are high. Drafted as a high-WR2, he needs to be benched at this point until he can prove he’s back to his former self.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs – The defending rushing champ has struggled badly, running 107 times for just 312 yards (a 2.9-yard average). He set his season high with 77 yards on Sunday, but needed 25 carries to get there. Jacobs is averaging four catches for 35 yards, which helps, but was drafted to be an RB1. He’s been a weekly drain who is averaging 87 total yards a game and a touchdown every three games. The disappointment continues.
Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith – Smith came out of the gate strong in the first two games, which made A.J. Brown upset and he complained to his longtime friend Jalen Hurts. Over the last four games, Brown has caught 31 passes for 574 yards and two touchdowns. Smith has caught 17 passes for 156 yards and no TDs. He’s too talented to bench, but it’s hard to keep sticking with a guy with such consistently low production.
New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry – Coming off a strong 2022 season, Henry was the darling of those who didn’t invest heavily in tight ends. With Mac Jones struggling weekly, so is Henry. In the last four games, he has been targeted only 15 times, catching just seven passes for 75 yards. There is a dearth of waiver wire tight end talent, but just about anyone with a pulse is better than this.
Denver Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy – There is speculation Jeudy is a trade candidate to a contender, which Denver clearly is not. He has Russell Wilson stink stuck to him. In five games, he has caught 20 passes for 222 yards and no touchdowns. He has just one game with more than 52 receiving yards. A guy who averages 8.5 points a game over five games should never be in a lineup. If you have him, pray for a trade.
