Fantasy Football: Tom Brady, Eli Manning Highlight Week 6 Studs, Duds

Just one week after posting a complete fantasy flop, Joe Flacco threw for five touchdowns in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. We all saw that coming, right?

One of the best (or in the case of fantasy football, most frustrating) things about NFL football is that it’s often completely unpredictable. How else to explain a player who threw for just seven touchdowns through the team’s first five games becoming the first quarterback to throw for five TDs in the first half since Tom Brady did it in 2009?

Speaking of Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback channeled his 2009 self with a four-touchdown, 361-yard performance that should silence all those pundits calling for his retirement.

As with any NFL week, though, the good inevitably came with the bad, which inevitably came with the ugly. Percy Harvin and the Seattle Seahawks improbably were slowed at home by the Dallas Cowboys, while the Minnesota Vikings’ offense continued its precipitous decline with another woeful performance against the Detroit Lions.

Let’s take a look at the best and the worst on the fantasy front from Week 6.

STUDS
Joe Flacco, Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens: As previously noted, Flacco was an absolute beast Sunday. His 306 passing yards and five touchdowns produced over 32 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues, second only to Cam Newton, who added 391 total yards and three touchdowns, including a rush TD.

Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots: Who’s starting to decline? Brady and the offense made a statement for the second straight week, as the 37-year-old completed a season-high 73 percent of his passes for 361 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. When this offense is clicking, watch out.

LeSean McCoy, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles: Welcome back, LeSean. We sure did miss you. After three straight dismal fantasy performances, McCoy finally busted out for a season-high 149 rushing yards against the New York Giants on Sunday night. Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief.

T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts: Who is the NFL’s new leader in receiving yards? T.Y. Hilton, that’s who, thanks to a monster performance against the Houston Texans on Thursday night. Hilton piled up 223 receiving yards and a touchdown to put him at 604 yards through six games.

Andre Holmes, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders: Looks like rookie Derek Carr finally found a new favorite target. Holmes hauled in four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, giving him three touchdowns in his last two games. This guy might be worth checking out on the waiver wire.

DUDS
Eli Manning, Quarterback, New York Giants: Apparently Tom Coughlin’s pump-up playlist didn’t work. Manning and the Giants looked downright anemic against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, as the quarterback mustered just 151 yards and no touchdowns while getting sacked six times.

Emmanuel Sanders, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos: It seems Sanders is human after all. After torching NFL defenses for 32 receptions and 435 yards through the team’s first four games, Peyton Manning’s new favorite weapon caught just three passes for 38 yards and still hasn’t found the end zone in 2014.

Matt Asiata, Running Back, Minnesota Vikings: No one on the Vikings’ offense looked good Sunday, but Asiata was a complete non-factor. The running back finished with -5 rushing yards on just two carries, while Jerick McKinnon led the team with 40 yards on 11 carries. This is disconcerting news for Asiata owners.

Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks: There’s nothing worse in fantasy than the old goose egg. A week after having three touchdowns taken off the board, the Seahawks’ most dangerous weapon was held to three receptions for a whopping zero yards against the Dallas Cowboys.

Cincinnati Bengals defense: The Bengals came into Sunday’s game against a banged-up Carolina Panthers offense having allowed just 17 total points through two home games. They then proceeded to produce -2 fantasy points thanks to their involvement in the highest-scoring tie in NFL history.

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