By Tristen Kinne | October 11, 2023
We are now five weeks through the National Football League (NFL) season and I am here to tell you how to give your fantasy team an extra boost in Week Six.
Start
1) David Montgomery, Detroit Lions (RB)
Going into the 2023 season, many people believed that the Lions first round draft pick Jahmyr Gibbs was going to be the leading back for Detroit, but it has been far from that. Most of the carries have been given to the former Chicago Bear, David Montgomery, as he is averaging 22 carries per game through the first five weeks.
Even with the possibility of Gibbs coming back from his hamstring injury this Sunday, I still think Montgomery will see a very significant amount of carries. Over the past two weeks, Montgomery has tallied over 25 points in ESPN point per reception (PPR) leagues and he is projected for 17.4 points in Week Six. I can easily see Montgomery continuing his recent hot streak and getting 20+ points for the third consecutive week.
2) Breece Hall, New York Jets (RB)
Week Five was basically Breece Hall’s welcoming party to the 2023 season. Against the Denver Broncos, it was his first game where he wasn’t on a carry limit due to a knee injury last October. He saw almost double the amount of carries against Denver than he has in any other game, with a strong load of 22. The explosive back out of Iowa State had 177 yards on the ground and tagged along a touchdown.
Going against a tough Philadelphia Eagles defensive line this Sunday, I assume many people might think that Hall is not the correct play, but I would disagree. When healthy Hall has been dominant across his young career. ESPN has him projected at 13.3 points for Week Six, but I can easily see him reaching 15+ again.
Bench
1) Dalvin Cook, New York Jets (RB)
Through the first five weeks of the season, I think it is safe to say that Dalvin Cook can be placed on your bench, and it may not be the worst idea to drop him. Cook has shown no signs of life in his first year in New York and has not been anything like he was last year in Minnesota. In 2022 on the Vikings, Cook was sixth among rushing leaders with 1,173 yards.
That trend has not been able to continue in the 2023 season, as he does not even have 100 yards throughout all five games combined. Cook is the 57th ranked running back in ESPN leagues this season after being in the top 10 last year. With the mixture of Breece Hall getting the large majority of the carries again and the Jets going against a tough Eagles defense, I can easily say that Cook needs to be on your bench.
2) Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams (WR)
The third year receiver out of Louisville had a very strong start to his 2023 season, having 15+ points over the first three weeks. He has definitely seen a slight decline over the past two weeks, posting under 10 points in both games. The emergence of Puka Nacua has hurt Atwell’s fantasy value a decent amount this season, and with the Rams getting their star wideout Cooper Kupp back, I would avoid Atwell in fantasy until further notice. In the Rams’ next matchup against Arizona, he is projected at 10.9 points, but I see him not reaching this threshold. Kupp has always been quarterback Matthew Stafford's favorite target, and he saw 12 targets compared to Atwell’s five in Week Five.
Waiver Wire Pickups
1) Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos (RB)
The rookie out of Youngstown State did not have the most impressive first three weeks in fantasy, but over the past two he has been quite effective. McLaughlin has recently seen an increase in the amount of carries he gets, but he has also been getting a lot of receptions.
In Week Four, he posted 19.4 points against Chicago, and against the Jets he had 17.9 points. With Denver’s starting running back Javonte Williams still suffering a quad injury, there is a decent chance he will be out in Week Six against the Chiefs. For this reason I think it would be a good idea to place a waiver for the talented back McLaughlin. The rookie is still available in 51.6% of ESPN leagues and I expect that number to drop significantly going into this Sunday.
2) Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (QB)
Going into Week Six, Goff is still available in 46.5% of leagues and I really don’t get it. He ranks 11th in fantasy amongst quarterbacks and is coming off a very impressive Week Five with 236 passing yards and three touchdowns, which gave him 27.44 points in PPR leagues. This Sunday against Tampa Bay, Goff is projected at 14.8 points, but I see no reason for him to get under 20 points again. Detroit has one of the more explosive offenses in the league, and he is a big reason behind that.