It’s never too early to take a look at the next week of start ’em, sit ’em action, especially with the renewed emphasis on matchup plays and sleepers.
The prior week always provides lessons in this way. Before Monday, Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer was the fifth-highest scorer at the position. Top matchup play Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons bullied his way to top all running backs with 27 points thanks to slashing against the New Orleans Saints.
Below, let’s look at the top matchup plays and sleepers while also using start-sit scenarios to identify the best values among some of fantasy’s biggest names.
QB
Top Matchup Play: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (vs. BAL)
Few players are as consistent as Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer this year. He’s gone for at least 16 points in every outing with 14 touchdowns to his name already.
Palmer and Co. return home for perhaps the most salivating matchup of the week by hosting the Baltimore Ravens.
Entering Week 6, Baltimore surrendered the most points to quarterbacks on average and then proceeded to let San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick to break free of his struggles en route to 22 points.
Palmer’s more of a pure passer and at home, so the 22 looks like the floor.
Sleeper: Nick Foles, St. Louis Rams (vs. CLE)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles hasn’t been the most trustworthy player by any means this season, but he looks like a great option in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns.
Foles went out and threw four interceptions while trying to keep up with the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. He’s coming off a bye, though, and it’s important to remember he has a pair of 18-point outings to his name this year.
Another, at least, seems in store against the Browns, owners of a defense that gave up 10 touchdowns through the first five weeks and another with 290 yards this past weekend.
At home coming off a bye, Foles looks like a top sleeper start.
RB
Top Matchup Play: LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills (at JAC)
He’s back.
Buffalo Bills starting back LeSean McCoy looked great in Week 6, fully healthy for the first time on the way to 17 carries for 90 yards and a score, which was good for 15 points.
If his body can stay healthy, the only way to go is up for Shady, who next gets the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars ranked among the five worst teams against backs on average before Week 6, then let Houston’s Arian Foster go for 16 points on just 18 carries. Shady can do similar harm and stands a better chance of finding paydirt in the top running back matchup of the week.
Sleeper: Christine Michael, Dallas Cowboys (at NYG)
Sometimes the best sleepers come from a miserable situation.
The Dallas Cowboys come out of the bye without Tony Romo and likely Dez Bryant, fully understanding the pairing of Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden isn’t doing enough.
Hence these comments captured by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com:
Christine Michael might be unproven, but his athleticism is off the charts, and it sounds like he’s in for a full workload in a great matchup.
Going into Week 6, the New York Giants allowed every backfield encountered to score at least 15 points. Michael might do that on his own in a prove-it game as the only viable contributor on the Dallas offense.
WR
Top Matchup Play: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (vs. BAL)
Quarterback and wide receiver go hand-in-hand this week as top matchup plays.
Thank the Ravens. The once-proud defense entered Week 6 as the second-worst unit against wideouts on average, having allowed seven scores to the position and outbursts of 45 and 51 points. San Francisco’s Anquan Boldin added 10 points and Torrey Smith 15 this past weekend.
As for Larry Fitzgerald, he’s among the leaders in scoring at the spot with 25 and 29-point outbursts and six scores. He’s good for at least one score at home against a miserable defense.
Sleeper: Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints (at IND)
With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, Drew Brees has turned to a hodgepodge of names to keep the Saints offense alive.
One of those is Willie Snead, who has at least four catches in five consecutive games. He’s emerging as one of Brees’ favorite deep targets, with his fantasy upside predicated on matchup.
Good thing he’s in one of the week’s best against the Indianapolis Colts. The unit has already allowed nine touchdowns to wideouts and well into double digit points for wideout corps each time out.
Snead won’t have any problem going for double digits.
TE
Top Matchup Play: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (vs. OAK)
It’s been a while since anyone could say this, but here goes: Start whichever tight end is lucky enough to face the Oakland Raiders.
Oakland’s the worst team in the league against tight ends by a mile, although it’s easy to forget because in Week 5 Denver attacked with wideouts on the edges, not tight ends, then the Raiders had a Week 6 bye.
Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers won’t have any issues exploiting the weakness. He’s caught a ridiculous nine passes in each of his two last games back from suspension, going for better than 90 yards in both.
Gates finding paydirt multiple times wouldn’t be a shock.
Sleeper: Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts (vs. NO)
Owners have given up on the idea of the Colts’ Coby Fleener, hence the 16.8 ownership percentage.
They’ll want him back in a big way after Week 7.
Andrew Luck is back and healthy under center, which boosts Fleener’s stock. More than anything, though, a matchup against the Saints looks great considering the defense has allowed four touchdowns to the position.
Luck won’t hesitate to look to his top tight end in what figures to be a shootout.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of October 19. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay on bye.
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