As week 6 in the NFL rapidly approaches, things are starting to shake out in the world of fantasy football. As bye weeks decimate rosters, it’s always good to look for players to fill those holes left by teams taking the week off. The Chiefs squad, as good as they have been, offer that opportunity. Of course, the Chiefs have their fair share of starters as well.
Here are the players I believe will be the fantasy stand outs for the Chiefs this week.
RB Jamaal Charles
Play him. Period. While the Oakland Raiders defense is doing pretty well against the run this season, they have yet to face a back as versatile and elusive as Charles. I fully expect him to continue his production of 15-20 points. If you have him, play him.
WR Dwayne Bowe
While the Raiders are playing well against the run, their pass defense is terrible. They currently rank #21 in the league in pass defense for yardage per game allowed. They’ve allowed nine passing TDs on the season and this could all be good news for “The Show.” He has yet to have a breakout game, and this could be the one in front of a capacity crowd at Arrowhead against a bitter AFC West rival team.
QB Alex Smith
As stated above, the Raiders aren’t good against the pass and this could be the game where Smith shines. He’s opened up more and more to his downfield receivers. Could Smith go over 300 yards in a game for the first time wearing a Chiefs uniform? I think if he will, this will be the game to do it. Looking for the “Bombs over Baghdad” we heard about in preseason.
TE Sean “The Beard” McGrath
Remember those “bye week options” I was talking about earlier? “The Beard” is one of those. I picked him up in several leagues where my tight end was under performing or on a bye. This guy has been the epitome of a consistent player for the Chiefs. He has quickly become one of Smith’s favorite targets and has put up 50-60 yards of receiving in each of the last three games. If he could find the end zone this Sunday against the Raiders, you’d be looking at a 12 point production which isn’t bad for a TE not named Gonzales, Thomas or Graham.
Chiefs D/ST
This one should be a no brainer. If you have the Chiefs D, you have to play them. Not only are they leading the league in sacks, they’ve proven they can create turnovers (which equate to points) and the special teams has scored in two consecutive weeks. Anytime you have a defense that is putting up 15 points consistently, they are an every week starter. Plus, with this “D,” holding other teams to only 11.6 points per game, you don’t have to worry about losing points because of high scores.
K Ryan Succop
Succop has been extremely consistent and accurate through five weeks. The last two weeks with the offense’s inability to score, he’s been clutch and a major factor in the Chiefs winning the games they have. If you have him, play him. He’s definitely a must start.
Do Not Play
I wouldn’t recommend playing wide receiver Donnie Avery this week. With the shoulder bruise he received after catching the 44 yard pass last week, I’m not sure how much production he’ll get. I also didn’t mention slot receiver and punt returner Dexter McCluster. While he’s always a danger to break a punt return for a touchdown (and the capacity crowd at Arrowhead would love to see it) it’s tough to count on that as a point getter. He’s just not showing that much production in the passing game to justify starting him.
That’s it for this week, Addicts! Best of luck to all of you this Sunday in your fantasy football adventures!