Bye weeks are rolling now in the NFL, through Week 11. This week quarterback looks particularly thin for fantasy football owners, with the Dallas Cowboys (Dak Prescott), Seattle Seahawks (Russell Wilson), Cincinnati Bengals (Andy Dalton) and Buffalo Bills (Tyrod Taylor) idle.
Here are my Week 6 fantasy streamers at quarterback, tight end and team defense.
Quarterback: Josh McCown, New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
The Jets have somehow put together a three-game winning streak, and McCown has been efficient (75 percent completion rate) if not proficient (7.9 yards per attempt) over that stretch. Now in Week 6, he’ll get the best matchup a quarterback can have.
The New England Patriots have allowed a 300-yard passer in all five games this season, with multiple passing touchdowns in each of their first four. Jameis Winston put up a lot of yards in the fourth quarter last week, which skewed his numbers in an otherwise bad performance, but fantasy owners don’t have to worry too much about context.
McCown should be throwing the ball plenty on Sunday, which also puts him in line to turn the ball over a lot. But he’s an easy streamer quarterback this week, especially for owners with a bye week issue.
Yahoo! Ownership: 4%
ESPN Ownership: 4.4%
Others To Consider: Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (Monday night); Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants; Brian Hoyer, San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins; Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears
Tight End: Ed Dickson, Carolina Panthers, vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday night)
After catching three passes for 62 yards in Week 4, Dickson really broke out in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions. He had four catches for 152 yards in the first half, on his way to five receptions for 175 yards for the game. On par with Cam Newton looking better over the last two games, Dickson has emerged.
Week 5 against the feeble tight ends the Arizona Cardinals have to offer (two catches for 16 yards) helps how the Philadelphia Eagles look against the position so far this season. But they are in the bottom half of the league against tight ends (12.1 fantasy points per game, ESPN PPR scoring), including the eighth-most targets to the position (38; 7.6 per game).
Dickson may see more looks if wide receiver Devin Funchess (knee) is limited at all on a short week Thursday night. He’s not going to average nearly 30 yards per catch (29.6), as he has over the last two weeks, but Dickson has a solid fantasy floor along with nice upside this week.
Yahoo! Ownership: 8%
ESPN Ownership: 8.9%
Others To Consider: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins; Evan Engram, New York Giants at Denver Broncos; A.J. Derby, Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants; David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans; Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions
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Team Defense: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins
Through their first four games, before a Week 5 bye, the Falcons had 12 sacks and allowed 20 or fewer points three times. Now the fantasy defense maker that is the Miami Dolphins, who have scored 15 offensive points with five total turnovers and eight sacks allowed over their last three games, is on the slate for Week 6.
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase seems likely to stick with Jay Cutler as his starting quarterback, since Matt Moore would probably not be a lot better. That sets up the Falcons’ secondary for some opportunities though, especially if things go south quickly on Sunday and erratic, lackadaisical “Smokin’ Jay” comes to the surface.
Even if they allow some points in garbage time this week, the Atlanta defense is line for a handful of sacks and multiple turnovers against the Dolphins. It’s a slightly thin week for streaming defenses, so this unit stands out.
Yahoo! Ownership: 24%
ESPN Ownership: 12.9%
Others To Consider: Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears (check ownership); Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders (if Derek Carr is out); Washington Redskins vs. San Francisco 49ers; New England Patriots at New York Jets (check ownership); Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
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