With main accidents throughout the board this week, together with the lack of receivers Nico Collins and Michael Pittman and operating backs like Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary all battling illnesses, we may speak about gamers who will see a bump in alternatives. Nevertheless, this week looks like the proper alternative to debate rising younger expertise. We’re closing in on midseason and as younger gamers begin to acclimate and solidify roles, they’ll proceed to search out themselves in advantageous conditions and matchups that may assist facilitate breakouts.
Welcome to the Make or Break Article, NFL Infants Model!
Can these younger fantasy belongings on the rise emerge and produce massive upside to your lineups this week?
Chicago’s Make Or Break Duo: QB Caleb Williams, WR Rome Odunze
Williams and Odunze have a wonderful matchup towards the Jags forward however how are we approaching the pair in Week 6? Williams is coming off his finest general efficiency of the season, showcasing effectivity in a turnover-free outing, finishing 20 of his 29 makes an attempt for 304 yards and two touchdowns, plus 34 yards on the bottom. Williams thrived in a superb matchup, however he’s nonetheless a comparatively dangerous asset.
Whereas he’s completely on an upward development when it comes to general enchancment, his quantity remains to be inconsistent. This week, he faces a Jags protection that has been top-of-the-line matchups for opposing quarterbacks this 12 months, permitting the third-most fantasy factors to quarterbacks, and he may have one other top-10 efficiency.
Odunze has had volatility in his manufacturing all through the season. He’s not the primary look on this Bears offense and once you add that to inconsistent quantity for Williams, it’s been powerful to foretell breakout alternatives for Odunze. His expertise popped in Week 3 in an identical matchup towards the Indianapolis Colts, the place he carried out properly, catching his targets for 112 yards and a dashing landing.
Other than that single occasion, he’s had a particularly low flooring and has been a dangerous, low-end flex possibility at finest. The priority right here is that Odunze has did not separate himself from Keenan Allen, leaving DJ Moore as the one startable receiving asset, whereas all different Bears’ go catchers stay extraordinarily dangerous. Nevertheless, the matchup does make Odunze attractive to these affected by accidents and bye-week woes.
Will Williams and Odunze make or break your lineup in Week 6?
We do should contextualize simply how dangerous the Jags’ protection has been. Final week, three Colts receivers scored double-digit fantasy factors towards them. Even the Payments, who’ve struggled with passing consistency, had 4 passing touchdowns, even on lower-than-typical quantity. Whereas the matchup is improbable, it isn’t an entire lock that Williams will proceed the development of quarterbacks thriving towards Jacksonville. The quarterbacks who’ve excelled towards the Jags embody Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, and Joe Flacco — all very skilled, quantity quarterbacks. Williams doesn’t fairly match that checklist but, and his inconsistency is evident. Williams has the power to complete as a top-five quarterback or a bottom-five one, however can function a high-upside streaming possibility this week.
Even when the quantity flows with Williams, Odunze remains to be extraordinarily unstable. It’s doable that DJ Moore completely dominates and has an general WR1 week leaving nothing however crumbs for the remaining go catchers. Or, this could possibly be the matchup the place we lastly see all three Bears receivers worthy of a begin and Odunze has low-end flex worth. Simply beware — you might be one other WR50 or decrease end for him.
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Etienne Jr. has an issue — and that drawback is called Tank Bigsby.
I’m not one to sometimes panic over the move of touches for beginning operating backs versus backup operating backs. I’ve talked concerning the comparability between Braelon Allen and Breece Corridor, and whereas Allen’s presence takes the highest off of Corridor’s upside, Allen in the end isn’t a risk to steal his job.
Nevertheless, Etienne versus Bigsby is one other story.
The Jaguars have been vocal about their need to cut back Etienne’s workload. The one factor holding them again was the dearth of belief they’d in Bigsby, however his offseason work has paid off. The distinction between Bigsby’s 2023 and 2024 manufacturing is evident: by 5 video games, he’s already exceeded his 2023 stats. Once you break down the general effectiveness of Bigsby versus Etienne, you start to see why Bigsby may in the end earn a bigger share of that backfield, if not the next workload. Fantasy analysts are aggressively elevating Bigsby in rankings however there’s nonetheless an absence of readability when it comes to his true upside.
Will Bigsby make or break your lineup in Week 6?
Etienne has been coping with a shoulder damage, so the adjustments in workload are seemingly associated to that. Nevertheless, Bigsby’s effectivity has been considerably increased. Once you break it down purely to dashing, Bigsby has been the higher again on the bottom. Finally, Bigsby may see extra work on the bottom and grow to be a weekly, viable fantasy asset whereas Etienne has the sting because the receiving again. It’s a recipe for a break up backfield; in matchups the place the Jaguars are aggressive and have loads of goal-line alternatives, Bigsby has the upside.
In tough matchups the place they’re enjoying from behind and struggling to create alternatives, Etienne would nonetheless have the sting. This week’s matchup towards Chicago is a bit ambiguous. The Bears have been weak on the bottom, so Bigsby may have success. Nevertheless, goal-line alternatives could also be restricted, and the Jaguars may be chasing factors. Bigsby is game-script-dependent and a dangerous play this week.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson confirmed promise as a rookie and popped early this season. Nevertheless, lack of quantity stays a priority. Aside from Week 2 towards the L.A. Rams, when Kyler Murray had 266 passing yards and three touchdowns, Murray hasn’t exceeded 207 passing yards in a single sport, has had three video games with lower than 200 yards and just one landing per sport in all different video games this season. Murray has been moderately environment friendly, and the Cardinals are merely choosing a sport plan that leans on the bottom sport and limits go quantity, making the ground for all Cardinals’ pass-catchers moderately unreliable. Oddly sufficient, Wilson has essentially the most touches among the many Cardinals huge receivers this season. Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight finish Trey McBride every vary from 17 to twenty whole touches.
Will Wilson make or break your lineup in Week 6?
The excellent news is that Wilson has a strong function throughout the offense — his snaps have been tremendous, and his receptions have improved during the last couple of weeks. He’s merely but to completely capitalize on the alternatives.
This week, the Cardinals face Inexperienced Bay. The Packers’ go protection has sometimes been a stronger asset, although there have been some cracks, as a number of quarterbacks have exceeded 300 passing yards towards them this 12 months. That development may proceed in Week 6, creating extra alternatives for the WR2 and Wilson may have one other robust efficiency, significantly if the Packers protection opts to concentrate on shutting down Harrison Jr.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Early season utilization for all three Seahawks’ receivers has been unstable. DK Metcalf has completed as excessive as WR2 in half-PPR however has been held a number of weeks exterior the highest 50. Tyler Lockett has taken a transparent step again however has maintained sufficient quantity to be a low-end flex possibility. Njigba has taken a transparent step ahead and completed as excessive as WR12 however his different finishes vary within the 30-80 vary.
Geno Smith is having a improbable rebound season however with quantity unfold pretty properly all through the offense, it’s tough to really belief anybody. This week’s matchup towards San Francisco isn’t the friendliest, however we’ve seen that groups’ WR2 tends to face out extra towards the 49ers’ protection. Smith-Njigba may have the strongest fantasy upside of the three receivers.
Will Smith-Njigba make or break your lineup in Week 6?
The issue with Smith-Njigba is that there’s no key indicator of how he’ll carry out in a matchup and a part of the difficulty is that Seattle’s early season schedule hasn’t been favorable for the offense. Their best defensive matchup was towards the Giants, a protection that has been an general common opponent. In that sport, Smith-Njigba had 4 receptions for 31 yards however managed to salvage the day along with his first landing of the 12 months and he seems to be trending up heading into Week 6. Given the matchup, Smith-Njigba presents potential as a flex possibility for needy fantasy managers.
