Who are the top fantasy football sleepers for NFL Week 6? GridironGrit.com’s Ryan Lester has the answers.
QB Christian Ponder (Minnesota Vikings): Ponder continues to showcase his incandescent potential with a solid second season. He’s had multiple touchdown passes in three of the past four games and has only tossed two interceptions on the season.
The 6-2, 229-pound signal-caller is also averaging 23.0 rushing yards the past three weeks to bolster his scoring and happens to be facing the league’s worst pass defense, which has allowed 328.6 yards per game and 13 TDs through the first five weeks.
Russell Wilson against New England would be a deeper sleeper.
Photo Credit: Vikings.com
RB Vick Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): With Donald Brown out with an injury, Ballard has an ideal matchup for his first start against the New York Jets, which ranks 31st vs. the run, allowing 172.0 yards per game at 4.9 yards a pop. Gang Green has also allowed eight rushing TDs in 2012. Vick is likely the best choice of all of the new running backs this weekend.
RB LaRod Stephens-Howling and William Powell (Arizona Cardinals): Hopefully we will get a better idea of the plans of the Arizona Cardinals, but they appear to be pretty tight-lipped at the moment. It’s highly likely that both of these backs will see their share of the field against Buffalo. The Bills (2-3) are yielding 171.8 YPG at a robust 5.7 YPC and have also allowed a league-high eight rushing scores.
RBs Alex Green and James Starks (Green Bay Packers): This is the other running back quandry. Alex Green should be first in line for Green Bay, but James Starks has produced for the Packers as well. This week’s matchup against the Houston Texans isn’t as tasty though, as the team has yet to give up a rushing touchdown and is giving up just 86.0 yards on the ground per game.
WR Brandon Gibson (St. Louis Rams): Gibson assumes the role as the No. 1 option for the Rams against the Miami Dolphins, a team that has surrendered 281.8 yards per game through the air this year.
WR Golden Tate (Seattle Seahawks): The Patriots have given up 12 TDs through the air and 291.6 yards per game. Golden Tate found the end zone last week in the Seahawks’ 16-12 win over the Panthers and chalked up two touchdowns against the Packers two weeks ago.
TE Dwayne Allen (Indianapolis Colts): Allen has scored in two of the last three games and has amassed nine receptions over the past two weeks. The Jets have surrendered three touchdowns to tight ends this year.
Miami Dolphins Defense: The strength of the Dolphins defense is stopping the run. The unit ranks first in yards per game (61.4) and yards per game (2.7).
In Week 1, Arian Foster chalked up 79 yards on 26 carries. Darren McFadden was limited to a measly 22 yards on 11 carries in Week 2. Shonn Greene ran the ball 19 times for 40 yards (Week 3) before Ryan Williams gained a total of 26 yards (Week 4) for the Cardinals on 13 attempts. Finally, last week BenJarvus Green-Ellis racked up just 14 yards on nine carries.
Photo Credit: MiamiDolphins.com
Steven Jackson could be in for a long day. If Miami can hold its own against Rams signal-caller Sam Bradford, who is without his favorite weapons, it could be some tough sledding for St. Louis on Sunday in South Beach.
The Dolphins rank 15th in total defense (343.2 YPG) and 12th in scoring defense (20.6 PPG). The Rams rank 29th in total offense (278.0 YPG) and 23rd in scoring offense (19.2 PPG).
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