New York Jets Week 6 fantasy start/sit: Can the Jets ground the Cowboys Offense?
The New York Jets (0-4) are yet again synonymous with the word mediocre. On Sunday, they look to turn that around when they host the Dallas Cowboys (3-2). Winning a crucial match up with their starting quarterback in the line up could change the season around.
Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Jets played their worst game of the season. Period. There is no way to sugar coat what was a terrible display of football, leading to a 31-6 beat down.
The offense tried it’s best behind Luke Falk to get things going early in the game. The offensive line was never able to hold up, allowing ten sacks. Le’Veon Bell was trapped behind the line all day. They scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the game was already out of reach.
The Jets defense was getting after Carson Wentz from the start of the game. The corners and linebackers kept allowing receivers to get open and allow Wentz to complete passes all day. Trumaine Johnson looked like he wanted no part in tackling any wide receiver, either.
The Jets do catch a break this week. Sam Darnold has officially been cleared to play in a game. He was able to give the offense some life week one against the Bills, even though they scored one touchdown.
They do take on a tough Cowboys team looking to snap a two-game losing streak, which can be a massive motivator for any organization to win. Will the Jets fantasy stars go toe to toe with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense? Find out in this week’s fantasy breakdown.
The Broken Engines
Players to sit this week
Robby Anderson – WR, NYJ
Anderson was in the sit column last week and will stay there for Week 6 because of inconsistency. If Anderson was a great player, he should have stepped up and taken control of the offense with Darnold out. That did not happen.
Instead, Anderson has gone for 108 total yards and no touchdowns since Week 1. For a player in a contract year, looking to get paid, those are not the numbers you want to have. Having Sam Darnold back at quarterback should bring the threat of the deep ball back.
However, the Dallas defense has not allowed big plays down the field all year. Ted Ginn Jr. never burned them in New Orleans, and Terry McLaurin never beat them deep either. Jamison Crowder would be the better play this week because he faced the Dallas defense twice a year while in Washington. He knows the defense better.
Ryan Griffin – TE, NYJ
It looked like Chris Herndon was going to be back this week until he injured his hamstring. Now it is looking like he will be out for two weeks. In his place, Ryan Griffin has been the starter all year.
Griffin has not been a fantasy option all year, and should not be this week against the Cowboys. They have excellent defensive linebackers in Jaylon Smith and second-year Leighton Vander Esch, who are great against the pass.
The Jets Defense – DEF, NYJ
There are not many bright spots in an 0-4 start to a season, but the Jets defense has been the best part of the team. They still have outscored their offense in points (hopefully that changes with Darnold back) and have only allowed 30 points once this year.
For a team tied for last in their division, it could be worse. They have six sacks, four interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and three touchdowns. Greg Williams has coached this defense to take advantage of mistakes. However, there won’t be many coming this week.
The Dallas offense played poor football on Sunday against the Packers and should not repeat that this week. Dak threw three interceptions, which matched his total for the season coming into that game.
Dallas should be focusing on cleaning up that problem and be efficient against a defense that allowed the Eagles to run their offense with ease. I expect the Jets to get two sacks, one interception, but allow 30 points.
The Wright Brothers to Fly
Players to start this week
Sam Darnold – QB, NYJ
The man with mono is back! Only the Jets starting quarterback would get an illness, not an injury, to keep their quarterback out for four weeks. In his absence, the team has gone 0-3. Darnold is the one who makes this offense run efficiently.
The Jets are becoming desperate to win a game, and against the Cowboys, they will have to win it via a shoot out. Darnold was not supposed to be superman this week, but he may have to be to get a win.
Against the Bills solid defense, Darnold had a stat line of 175 yards and one touchdown. He has to be better than that. Having a more experienced Le’Veon Bell in the offense should help Darnold be better than that. I’m projecting that this game will be a lot closer, and he will throw for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
Demaryius Thomas – WR, NYJ
Demaryius Thomas provided a boost to the Jets offense last week. He proved to be a solid option for Luke Falk and could have had a better day if not for dropping a deep ball in the fourth quarter. There was a chance it would have been a touchdown.
He was targeted nine times and had 47 yards on the day. Not bad for his first real start of the season. Thomas should improve on targets this week with Darnold back in the lineup. Dallas’s defense has struggled this year against bigger wide receivers.
In week four, Michael Thomas had 95 receiving yards, and D.Thomas has a similar playing style to New Orleans wide receiver. Due to all these factors, Demaryius Thomas should be able to build off last week going for ten receptions and 87 yards as a flex option.
Michael Gallup – WR, DAL
Going with Ezekiel Elliot, Dak Prescott, or Amari Cooper would have been the obvious choices to start in your line up. Let’s take a look at a player who is under the radar for most fantasy owners
Michael Gallup, a second-year wide receiver, is in his second game back from injury. He returned to jump-start the Dallas offense last week hauling in seven receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. That’s not even the most significant stat for him from last week.
He was also targeted 14 times in the game. Dak figures to throw a lot this week, and with the defense worrying about Cooper and Zek all game, Gallup will get a bonus in targets again.
He should have a payday against the Jets secondary going for 121 yards and two touchdowns.