Fantasy soccer free agent pickups: Kimani Vidal steps up; Jaxson Dart, Sam Darnold being underrated

The sixth Sunday of the NFL season featured one other unbelievable efficiency from Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle, one other landing from Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens, and continued growth from precocious New England Patriots QB Drake Maye as a top-10 fantasy choice. Oh, there have been accidents, too, with glorious vast receivers Puka Nacua (ankle), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) leaving video games prematurely. Fantasy managers should monitor their standing for the upcoming week.

Every Monday, earlier than the present NFL week ends, we are going to establish gamers out there in a minimum of 50% of ESPN customary leagues worthy of your consideration, from customary codecs to deeper choices. The NFL is a weekly league, and participant valuation and roles seldom stay stagnant. It doesn’t matter the way you purchase gamers in your fantasy rosters, simply that you simply get them.

Quarterback

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (34.4% rostered): This isn’t the primary time we have now mentioned Dart on this house, although fantasy managers remained fairly tepid with curiosity. Dart was lively in fewer than 10% of ESPN customary leagues in Week 6. That should change after Dart scored 23.6 factors in a shocking win over the beleaguered Philadelphia Eagles. Though Dart stays an unfinished product as a passer, he has notably rushed for greater than 50 yards in every of his three begins, scoring touchdowns in two of them. That is sufficient to make him related in fantasy. A highway recreation in Denver this week may not be as a lot enjoyable as going through Philly, however Dart boasts plain QB1 potential in fantasy this season and must be rostered in lots of extra leagues.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (23.1%): Some fantasy managers simply refuse to imagine in Darnold regardless of his stable numbers. Darnold scored 20.0 factors on Sunday towards the Jacksonville Jaguars, and after a tough Week 1 outing, he’s averaging practically 20 PPG over his previous 5 video games. He and the Seahawks face the Houston Texans in Week 7. Given his numbers, it’s exhausting to counsel something however Darnold being underrated in fantasy. He confirmed us his potential final season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he’s performing equally this season.

Deep-league choices/streamers/random ideas

• Though there isn’t any scarcity of veteran quarterbacks out there for streaming in Week 7, the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence (vs. LAR) and the Panthers’ Bryce Younger (at NYJ) wouldn’t have nice matchups. So it’s that we should advocate Pittsburgh Steelers starter Aaron Rodgers (13.7%) for a highway recreation towards the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals haven’t performed nice protection this season. Rodgers scored 17.5 factors in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns, his greatest recreation since Week 1.

• The Arizona Cardinals dominated out Kyler Murray (foot) and began longtime backup Jacoby Brissett versus the Colts. Brissett (0.5%) scored 20.7 factors, greater than Murray has in any of his 5 video games this season. We have seen Brissett fill in earlier than with occasional success, but when Murray is out this week, there are absolutely higher choices because the Cardinals face the Inexperienced Bay Packers this week. If one is that determined, word that new Bengals starter Joe Flacco scored 18.76 factors in his debut. He faces the Steelers this week.

Operating again

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (27.1%): Somebody needed to choose up the operating again duties with starter Omarion Hampton (ankle) shelved, and we had a good suggestion it might be some mixture of Vidal and Hassan Haskins. Most sided with Haskins (49.7%), since he performed at Michigan for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Unsuitable selection! These coaches simply preserve everybody guessing! Vidal loved a far larger efficiency, turning 21 touches into 138 yards and 22.8 factors. Haskins had seven touches. Add Vidal for Week 7 towards the Indianapolis Colts, whereas noting Hampton would possibly miss extra time than initially anticipated.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (23.6%): Spears (ankle) made his season debut in Week 5 with little statistical consequence. In Week 6, he turned 9 touches into 50 yards and 9.0 factors, outpacing starter Tony Pollard, who scored 6.7 factors on 12 touches. The elusive Spears does his greatest work catching passes, and maybe the Titans will use him much more in Week 7 towards the Patriots. For now, Pollard traders have little to fret about.

Bam Knight, Cardinals (5.6%): We featured Michael Carter on this house final week, as he seemed to be the Arizona operating again of selection with James Conner and Trey Benson sidelined. On Saturday, a day earlier than going through the Colts, fairly shocking phrase got here that the Cardinals supposed to provide Knight, together with his third NFL group earlier than his twenty fifth birthday, an opportunity at first-team quantity. Knight scored a landing and notched 12.4 factors on his 12 touches Sunday, however he did not differentiate himself a lot from Carter, who scored 8.4 factors on 11 touches. Knight is more likely to be a bit overrated this week for the sport towards a tricky Packers workforce.

Deep-league choices/streamers/random ideas

Steelers starter Jaylen Warren (knee) returned from a number of weeks off and scored 8.3 factors towards the Browns. In the meantime, Kenneth Gainwell (56.8%) caught six passes (although for under 14 yards), however his total output was 9.6 factors. This stays a timeshare, with Warren clearly the popular selection. Though Gainwell has reached double-digit factors in just one recreation, he continues to matter at a weak place in fantasy.

The Vikings and Texans loved the bye in Week 6, and all 4 of the operating backs for these groups related to fantasy stay rostered in additional than 50% of leagues. Nonetheless, verify your league for Texans Nick Chubb (68.2%) and Woody Marks (59.7%), as they face the Seahawks this week. They nonetheless come most popular to Browns backups Jerome Ford (24.9%) and Dylan Sampson (14.3%), who mixed for 12.4 factors in Sunday’s loss.

Broad receiver

play

What to make of the Patriots WR efficiency in Week 6 of fantasy

Area Yates breaks down the shocking efficiency from Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas within the Patriots’ win over the Saints.

Kayshon Boutte, Patriots (7.0%): Boutte was featured on this house after his stable Week 1 outing, by which he caught six passes for 103 yards towards the Las Vegas Raiders. Then Boutte caught a measly seven passes for 105 yards over the subsequent 4 video games, making his opening-week output look mighty aberrant. Nicely, the fairly inconsistent Boutte returned to relevance Sunday towards the New Orleans Saints, catching all 5 of his targets for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Does any of this imply Boutte may have an enormous Week 7 recreation towards the Titans? Nope, however QB Drake Maye is terrific, and the Titans, properly, should not. Pats teammate DeMario Douglas (6.7%) scored 16.1 factors Sunday, and he additionally will get to face the Titans!

Josh Downs, Colts (41.5%): Downs has reached double-digit factors in three of six video games thus far. These are those by which he has seven or extra targets from resurgent QB Daniel Jones. Within the different three video games, Downs has not been focused a lot, so he has not executed a lot. We won’t make sure Jones will goal Downs this week towards the Chargers, however at this level, fantasy managers must belief Jones, and Downs feels a bit too out there. As well as, the Colts face the Titans in Week 8.

Deep-league choices/streamers/random ideas

Harrison may not play in Week 7 towards the Packers, which suggests extra consideration for Michael Wilson (3.9%), Zay Jones (0.1%) and Greg Dortch (0.2%). Yeah, it isn’t precisely a Corridor of Fame crew for a Cardinals QB (to be named later) to throw to with out Harrison (although TE Trey McBride would possibly see 20 targets in Week 7). Jones scored 12.9 factors in Sunday’s loss, however Wilson has been concerned within the offense all season, and he feels extra more likely to matter.

Equally, we have no idea if Buccaneers rookie star Egbuka will likely be out there to play on “Monday Evening Soccer” towards the Lions. Tez Johnson (0.0%), a rookie chosen within the seventh spherical from Oregon, made the spotlight reels together with his 45-yard, fingertip landing, but it surely was his solely catch Sunday. Kameron Johnson (0.0%) performed extra snaps and noticed 4 targets, changing one right into a landing. We advocate veteran Sterling Shepard (14.8%) first, then Kameron Johnson, however whereas Bucs head coach Todd Bowles already dominated out Chris Godwin Jr. and RB Bucky Irving out for Week 7, for all we all know Egbuka, and Mike Evans (hamstring) may nonetheless play. It’s early within the week, however make plans in case neither can go.

San Francisco 49ers reserve Kendrick Bourne caught 10 passes for 142 yards whereas filling in for Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings in Week 5, scoring a cool 24.2 factors. He adopted that up on Sunday with 5 catches for an additional 142 yards and a still-cool 19.2 factors. Bourne, 29, has been round for some time and by no means surpassed 800 receiving yards in a season. At this fee of 142 yards per recreation, he would get there properly earlier than Thanksgiving. It’s attainable the 49ers QB (to be named later) will ignore Bourne when everybody else turns into wholesome (together with TE George Kittle), however take an opportunity for Week 7 towards the Falcons.

Texans rookie Jayden Higgins (22.9%) caught 5 passes on six targets over the primary 4 video games of the season previous to the bye week, after which in Week 5 towards the Ravens he caught 4 passes on as many targets. Maybe star Nico Collins is the lone Texans WR value counting on, however Higgins was a unbelievable faculty participant at Iowa State and a second-round draft choose. He ought to matter quickly.

Tight finish

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (29.1%): This is not actually an rising passing recreation to spend money on (but), however Fannin caught 7 of 10 targets from fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel towards the Steelers, and a few of them got here after beginning TE David Njoku (knee) left early. Maybe Njoku will miss a while. Fannin has scored double-digit factors in three of six video games, and the Browns face the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.

Deep-league choices/streamers/random ideas

Raiders star Brock Bowers (knee) has missed consecutive video games, a lot to the chagrin of fantasy managers who anticipated one other monster season. Backup Michael Mayer (3.1%) caught 5 of seven targets for 50 yards and a landing on Sunday, his 16.0 factors eclipsing any efficiency from Bowers this season. There won’t be controversy for the Raiders, for Bowers is the starter when wholesome, however Mayer is the one wholesome one for this week.

Seahawks starter AJ Barner (10.1%) continues to provide fantasy-relevant numbers, however managers proceed to depend on underachievers akin to Njoku and the Ravens’ Mark Andrews. Barner scored 10.1 factors towards the Jaguars, the fourth time in 5 weeks he reached double digits. His isn’t main quantity, and his landing fee is a bit excessive, however you’ll be able to belief him in Week 7 and drop him for his bye in Week 8.

Bye weeks: Hold these gamers rostered

Bye weeks proceed in Week 7 with the Buffalo Payments and Baltimore Ravens taking off. For the Payments, fantasy managers would possibly want to half with WRs Keon Coleman (75.5%) and Khalil Shakir (76.8%), together with TE Dalton Kincaid (78.7%). In every case, it might be extra prudent to maintain these gamers in your bench fairly than dumping them for one-week fixes, in case you can assist it. This stays one of many high offenses within the league. Transfer on from the Payments D/ST (62.1%), although.

The bye week comes at time for the struggling Ravens, who would possibly get QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) again for Week 8 towards the Bears. Fantasy managers should preserve RB Derrick Henry and WR Zay Flowers by means of the bye as properly. That isn’t the case with veteran TE Mark Andrews (84.3%), who scored 6.6 factors on Sunday and boasts greater than half of his season whole from one Week 3 recreation. In the meantime, why is the Ravens D/ST (41.0%) nonetheless so well-liked? Solely the Cowboys D/ST has been worse for fantasy!

Protection/particular groups

Deep-league choices/streamers/random ideas

The Browns proceed to battle to attain factors, so though the Dolphins do not precisely play superior protection, the Miami D/ST (2.5%) unit seems to be a helpful streamer for Week 7.

The Giants D/ST (18.3%) scored 8.0 factors within the victory over the Eagles, and it’ll face a Denver Broncos offense that scored just one landing in Week 6. The Giants have registered three or extra sacks in half their video games, and so they create turnovers. Go together with the Giants over the scuffling New York Jets (9.1%), who face the seemingly simpler opponent within the Panthers. The Panthers have scored 57 factors over the previous two video games and have Dowdle and star rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan.