We are already in Week 6, and if you have a losing record, it might be time to mix it up. If you’re a fantasy football manager who needs to add a spark to your lineup, why not take a flier on a player who could have a potential big game? Here are some sleepers to keep your eye on this week.
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K.J. Osborn, WR, Minnesota Vikings
With the injury to Justin Jefferson, Osborn’s role increases in the Vikings offense. However, not only could his role increase, but he could be in store for a monster Week 6.
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The Vikings, even without Jefferson, are still going to be a team that is looking to throw the ball. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is still third in the league in passing (1,498 yards), and the Vikings are going to continue to play their style of offense. On paper, this is a big mismatch, as the Bears have been horrible against the pass, ranking 31st with 286 yards allowed.
In the regular-season finale last season, Osborn had five catches for 117 yards against the Bears. This has the makings of a high-scoring game, and Osborn could easily put up similar numbers to last year while also scoring a touchdown.
D’Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears
Foreman enters Week 6 in a weird situation but with a huge opportunity as well. The Bears top two running backs, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, are both out due to injury. Foreman has played in two games this year and had five carries for 16 yards against the Green Bay Packers in the opener.
However, just last season, Foreman showed he can still be a valuable running back in the NFL. He rushed for 914 yards and five touchdowns last year. He also had multiple big games, as he rushed for at least 113 yards five times. In his biggest game, he had 165 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions.
Minnesota has been pretty solid against the run this year, but with such an emphasis on Justin Fields, Foreman could be in store for a big day. Look for Foreman to get a touchdown and potentially get his first 100-yard game of the 2023 campaign.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Young and the Panthers have had a tough start to the 2023 season, as the team is the only one in the NFL without a win. However, there were some positive signs for Young last week.
He had his best game of the season against the Lions, as he threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions, but overall, it was his best game.
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The Miami Dolphins have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. A big reason for that is because the offense of the Dolphins is getting up early, so opponents have to pass the ball a lot. For fantasy managers, that is not a bad thing at all.
The Panthers could easily lose this game by 20+ points, and Young could also have another strong fantasy game in the loss.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Staying as far away from any Patriots offensive player makes a lot of sense. The Patriots have been outscored 72-3 in the last two weeks and have little to be optimistic about.
However, those two games were against New Orleans and Dallas. Both of those teams are very good on the defensive side of the ball. New England’s opponent on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders, doesn’t have a defense that is as good as either of those two. The Raiders defense gives up 129.4 yards on the ground, which ranks 23rd in the league.
Stevenson had a monster game in this matchup last year, as he carried the ball 19 times for 172 yards and one touchdown. He is still a capable player out of the backfield catching the ball, and the Patriots have to run the ball in this game to get the win.
When you look at sleepers, you look for players who can have big weeks. Stevenson could easily top 100 total yards, and a touchdown could put him as a fringe top-10 RB this weekend.