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With major injuries across the board this week, including the loss of receivers Nico Collins and Michael Pittman and running backs like Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary all battling ailments, we could be talking about players who will see an increase in opportunities. However, this week seems like the perfect opportunity to talk about emerging young talent. We are approaching the middle of the season and as young players begin to acclimate and solidify their roles, they will continue to find themselves in advantageous situations and matchups that can help facilitate breakouts.
Welcome to the decisive article, baby version of the NFL!
Can these young rising fantasy assets emerge and provide big upside to their lineups this week?
Make-or-break Chicago duo: Caleb Williams, QB; Roma Odunze, WR
Williams and Odunze have a beautiful matchup against the Jags ahead of them, but how do we approach the pairing in Week 6? Williams is coming off his best overall performance of the season, showing efficiency in a turnover-free outing, completing 20 of his 29 attempts for 304 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 34 yards rushing. Williams thrived in an excellent matchup, but remains a relatively risky asset.
While it is absolutely on an upward trend in terms of overall improvement, its volume remains inconsistent. This week, he faces a Jags defense that has been one of the best matchups for opposing quarterbacks this year, allowing the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and could have another performance among the top 10
Odunze has been volatile in his production throughout the season. It’s not the first appearance in this Bears offense and when you add that to Williams’ inconsistent volume, it’s been difficult to predict breakout opportunities for Odunze. His talent showed up in Week 3 in a similar matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, where he performed well, catching his targets for 112 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Other than that one instance, it has had an extremely low floor and has been a risky, flexible low-end option at best. The concern here is that Odunze has not been able to separate himself from Keenan Allen, leaving DJ Moore as the only active starting receiver, while all of the Bears’ other pass catchers remain extremely risky. However, the matchup makes Odunze attractive to those suffering from injuries and issues during the bye week.
Will Williams and Odunze do either break Your lineup in Week 6?
We have to contextualize how bad the Jags defense has been. Last week, three Colts receivers scored double-digit fantasy points against them. Even the Bills, who have struggled with passing consistency, had four touchdown passes, even at lower-than-typical volume. While the matchup is fantastic, it’s not a sure thing that Williams will continue the trend of quarterbacks thriving against Jacksonville. Quarterbacks who have stood out against the Jags include Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, CJ Stroud and Joe Flacco, all quarterbacks with plenty of experience and volume. Williams still doesn’t fit that list and his inconsistency is clear. Williams has the ability to finish as a top-five or bottom-five quarterback, but can serve as a high-potential streaming option this week.
Even if the volume flows with Williams, Odunze remains extremely volatile. DJ Moore is likely to absolutely dominate and have an overall WR1 week that leaves nothing but crumbs for the remaining pass catchers. Or this could be the matchup where we finally see all three Bears receivers worthy of a start and Odunze has low-end flex value. Just be careful: you could be looking at another WR50 or a lower finish for him.
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Etienne Jr has a problem, and that problem is Tank Bigsby.
I’m not someone who normally panics about the flow of touches between starting running backs versus backup running backs. I’ve talked about the comparison between Braelon Allen and Breece Hall, and while Allen’s presence outweighs Hall’s advantages, Allen is ultimately not a threat to steal his job.
However, Etienne versus Bigsby is another story.
The Jaguars have expressed a desire to reduce Etienne’s workload. The only thing holding them back was a lack of trust they had in Bigsby, but their off-season work paid off. The difference between Bigsby’s production in 2023 and 2024 is clear: Through five games, he’s already surpassed his 2023 stats. When you look at Bigsby’s overall effectiveness versus Etienne, you start to see why Bigsby could finally earn a bigger chunk of that backfield. , if not a greater workload. Fantasy analysts are aggressively moving Bigsby up the rankings, but there is still a lack of clarity in terms of his true upside.
Will Bigsby do either break Your lineup in Week 6?
Etienne has been dealing with a shoulder injury, so the changes in workload are likely related to that. However, Bigsby’s efficiency has been significantly higher. When you break it down purely to runs, Bigsby has been better on the ground. Ultimately, Bigsby could see more work on the field and become a viable, weekly fantasy asset, while Etienne has the upside at receiver. It’s a recipe for a divided backfield; In matchups where the Jaguars are competitive and have plenty of scoring opportunities, Bigsby has the advantage.
In difficult matchups where they play from the back and struggle to create chances, Etienne would still have the advantage. This week’s matchup against Chicago is a bit ambiguous. Chicago has been vulnerable on the field, so Bigsby could find success. However, scoring opportunities may be limited and the Jaguars could be chasing points. Bigsby depends on the game script and is a risky play this week.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson showed promise last season and stood out early this season. However, the lack of volume remains a concern. Aside from Week 2 against the LA Rams, when Kyler Murray had 266 passing yards and three touchdowns, Murray has not surpassed 207 passing yards in a single game, has had three games with fewer than 200 yards and only one touchdown per game in total. other games this season. Murray has been quite efficient and the Cardinals are simply opting for a game plan that relies on the running game and limits passing volume, making the field for all of the Cardinals’ pass catchers unreliable. Oddly enough, Wilson has the most touches among Cardinals receivers this season. Including tight end Trey McBride, Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. range between 17 and 20 total touches.
Wilson do either break Your lineup in Week 6?
The good news is that Wilson has a solid role within the offense: his plays have been good and his receptions have improved in recent weeks. He simply has yet to fully take advantage of the opportunities.
This week, the Cardinals face Green Bay. The Packers’ pass defense has generally been a stronger asset, although there have been some cracks as several quarterbacks have surpassed 300 passing yards against them this year. That trend could continue into Week 6, creating more opportunities for the WR2 and Wilson could have another solid performance, particularly if the Packers defense opts to focus on shutting down Harrison Jr.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Early-season usage by the Seahawks’ three receivers has been volatile. DK Metcalf finished as high as WR2 in average PPR, but spent several weeks outside the top 50. Tyler Lockett took a clear step back, but maintained enough bulk to be a low-end flex option. Njigba has taken a clear step forward and finished as high as WR12, but his other results range between the 30s and 80s.
Geno Smith is having a fantastic rebounding season, but with the volume spread pretty well throughout the offense, it’s hard to truly trust anyone. This week’s matchup against San Francisco isn’t the friendliest, but we’ve seen that teams’ WR2s tend to stand out more against the 49ers defense. Smith-Njigba might have the strongest fantasy upside of the three receivers.
Will Smith-Njigba do either break Your lineup in Week 6?
The problem with Smith-Njigba is that there is no key indicator of how he will perform in a matchup and part of the problem is that Seattle’s early season schedule has not been favorable for the offense. Their easiest defensive matchup was against the Giants, a defense that has been an average opponent overall. In that game, Smith-Njigba had four receptions for 31 yards, but managed to save the day with his first touchdown of the year and appears to be trending upward heading into Week 6. Given the matchup, Smith-Njigba offers potential at flex. option for fantasy managers in need.
