Week 6 QB, RB & WR Rankings

Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Rueben Randle, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning.  When you remove these names from the available player pools, it really thinned things out a bit.  There are some WRs that I dug deep for as quality plays this week.  Here's my position by position rankings.  As always, in case of sit/start questions, use the play closest to #1 to solve your crisis.

RB

1) Arian Foster, Houston
2) Doug Martin, Tampa Bay
3) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
5) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
6) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
7) Ray Rice, Baltimore
8) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
9) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
10) Alfred Morris, Washington
11) Frank Gore, San Francisco
12) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
13) Reggie Bush, Detroit
14) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
15) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
16) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
17) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
18) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
19) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
20) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
21) Willis McGahee, Cleveland
22) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
23) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
24) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
25) Joique Bell, Detroit
26) Stevan Ridley, New England
27) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
28) Ben Tate, Houston
29) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
30) Andre Ellington, Arizona
31) Marcel Reece, Oakland
32) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
33) Bilal Powell, NY Jets
34) Ronnie Hillman, Denver
35) Brandon Bolden, New England
36) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
37) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
38) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
39) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
40) Roy Helu, Washington

Houston is desperate, Matt Schaub is on a short leash, and the Rams are in town.  It's as good a week as any to have Arian Foster.  I'm expecting one of those Foster-esque games that have earned him top billing the last few years.

Darren McFadden is not ranked because I really don't know if he's going to play.  I heard conflicting reports yesterday, and I was under the impression Run DMC was going to sit out through the Raiders' Week 7 bye.  If he plays vs. KC (in KC), I guess I would have him as a Top 30 option, ahead of Andre Ellington.  That would bump Marcel Reece from 31 to 37.  Either way, I'm not crazy about McFadden or the Raider run game as a whole this week.

Ryan Mathews is also not ranked, as he didn't practice all week until Friday.  If he is Active Monday Night, I don't know if I'd play him anyways, unless you're desperate.  Danny Woodhead, with or without an Active Mathews, is firmly planted at #19 this week.  I like Woodhead to be busy all night, as he has carved out a really great role in the resurgent San Diego offense.

I have Ronnie Hillman at #33 this week because, like everyone else, I expect there to be some garbage time points in the Denver-Jacksonville game.  Do I think there will be enough to be a high end RB #2?  No.  If you're in need of some upside, or you have McFadden and Mathews on your roster, Hillman might be available on your Waiver Wire and would be a safer play than both of those options.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas
2) AJ Green, Cincinnati
3) Randall Cobb, Green Bay
4) Andre Johnson, Houston
5) Pierre Garcon, Washington
6) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
7) Wes Welker, Denver
8) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
9) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
10) Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
11) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
12) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
13) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
14) Marques Colston, New Orleans
15) Danny Amendola, New England
16) Eric Decker, Denver
17) James Jones, Green Bay
18) Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville
19) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
20) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
21) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
22) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
23) Julian Edelman, New England
24) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
25) Steve Smith, Carolina
26) Keenan Allen, San Diego
27) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
28) Denarius Moore, Oakland
29) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
30) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
31) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
32) Vincent Brown, San Diego
33) Golden Tate, Seattle
34) Mike Williams, Tampa Bay
35) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
36) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England
37) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
38) Chris Givens, St. Louis
39) Terrance Williams, Dallas
40) Nate Washington, Tennessee
41) Eddie Royal, San Diego
42) Michael Floyd, Arizona
43) Jeremy Kerley, NY Jets
44) Robert Woods, Buffalo
45) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
46) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
47) Leonard Hankerson, Washington
48) Santana Moss, Washington
49) Jerome Simpson, Minnesota
50) Davone Bess, Cleveland

Calvin Johnson is gimpy and gets Joe Haden on his back all day.  I'm not saying bench Megatron, but he's not a Top 10 option this week.

Miles Austin is not ranked despite reports that he will play Sunday Night against Washington.  If that game was a 1:00 EST start, I'd have him around 35-40.  Austin is always a re-injury candidate coming off these hamstring ailments.  I'd stash him for the next 4-5 weeks, but I'm not plugging him in.  If Austin were out, I would move Terrance Williams into the Top 25.

If Vick starts over Foles for Philly (which is not supposed to happen), I would move DeSean Jackson up from #22 to #20.  Jackson will still be heavily targeted regardless of QB, but I think his success will be limited by Revis.  Don't poke the bear.

Stevie Johnson has been a huge question all week and is now a full blown Game Time Decision.  If Johnson can't go, bump Woods from #44 to #33.  I'd take a heavily targeted WR over Golden Tate any day.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver
2) Tony Romo, Dallas
3) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
4) Drew Brees, New Orleans
5) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
6) Philip Rivers, San Diego
7) Robert Griffin III, Washington
8) Russell Wilson, Seattle
9) Cam Newton, Carolina
10) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
11) Tom Brady, New England
12) Matt Schaub, Houston
13) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
14) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
15) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
16) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
17) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
18) Terrelle Pryor, Oakland
19) Alex Smith, Kansas City
20) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
21) Brandon Weeden, Cleveland
22) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
23) Geno Smith, NY Jets
24) Sam Bradford, St. Louis
25) Carson Palmer, Arizona

Green Bay's secondary has been a sieve all season and now Clay Matthews is out with a thumb injury.  Joe Flacco should have a nice clean pocket all afternoon at home.  I think this Baltimore-Green Bay game offers some points, so start those QBs with confidence, especially Flacco.

Matt Schaub is on his last straw.  I'm all in on Houston this week against St. Louis, and I think Schaub shows everyone why a QB switch in Houston would be a bad decision.  I think this game ends up with an ugly final score.  Start your Texans!!!

I think Chad Henne is a higher upside starter than those he's ranked ahead.  I am in no way advocating you start him expecting QB1 numbers though.  He's going to turn the ball over.  In order to get a useful score from Henne, you need Denver to be up by 20 or more at some point in the first half.  Henne needs to cross the 300 yard mark to be worth your time.

If Michael Vick goes, move him to #16 and Foles out.  Do I think Vick will play?  No.  Do I trust him if he does.  Absolutely no.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's kill it this week.