Who are my Risers and Fallers this week, as six weeks are in the books after tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the 1-3-1 Washington Commanders and the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers?
Risers
QB J.J. McCarthy | New York Giants
Jameis Winston was benched during the Giants’ Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, and J.J. McCarthy came in, threw a pick on the first drive, but showed some promise, finishing with 243 passing yards and a TD. I expect him to start next week.
I’m holding J.J. McCarthy, rostered in 62% of dynasty leagues but only 4% of redraft leagues. If he’s named the starter, his value is a bit of a question mark, especially in dynasty leagues next week. Curious to see what direction Head Coach John Harbaugh takes at QB next week.
RB Tyrone Tracy | New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy played well while the Giants benched Cam Skattebo; though he only had 3.0 yards per carry, the veteran back found the end zone twice. For a solid PPR RB, Tracy is rostered in only 10% of leagues on Sleeper, and I expect him to be a hot commodity this week.
Hold him if you have him; he’s likely on waivers, though, and I would recommend grabbing him if he out-snaps Cam Skattebo for the rest of the season: low risk, high reward.
WR Omar Cooper Jr. | New York Jets
Who saw this coming!? The Jets’ 3rd 1st-round pick in April was injured in Week 1, returned from IR ahead of this matchup, and already exploded for 6 receptions, 100 yards, and a TD.
Buy! Cooper Jr. may not be on the best-scoring offense, but he can keep putting up receptions and yards; he could be the saving grace for many teams down the stretch.
WR Germie Bernard | Pittsburgh Steelers
I try to keep it simple with one guy at each position, but Omar Cooper Jr. wasn’t the only rookie making a large impact on Sunday. For the 2nd week in a row, Germie Bernard was electrifying, with 11 receptions for 87 yards and a TD. He was picked up a lot last week, but he’s still rostered in 58% of leagues, and with Pittman and Wilson out for the next couple of weeks, Bernard is poised to keep this production going.
Sell: Bernard has been extremely productive, and I think he will be great the next couple of games, but he won’t do this when Michael Pittman Jr. returns and takes over the WR2 role again.
TE Kyle Pitts | Atlanta Falcons
Love him or hate him, Kyle Pitts always performs right when everyone starts giving up on him. After one of the worst starts to a season, 2 receptions for 20 yards over the first three weeks, Pitts has turned it around, scoring 3 TDs in the last two games and over 40 yards in the last three.
Sell. I can’t trust Kyle Pitts; honestly, I stopped trusting him a couple of years ago because he is never consistent. Last year was promising, but after such a bad start this season, I don’t know if a few good games can sway my opinion on him just yet.
Fallers
QB Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert hasn’t played up to expectations, but neither has the entire Chargers offense under new OC Mike McDaniel. Herbert hasn’t scored more than 1 TD in any game through 6 weeks this season; for context, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has more rushing TDs than Herbert has total TDs. It’s hard to envision Herbert and the Chargers turning things around at this point.
Hold, nobody is going to buy that the offense has improved, so you can’t sell. If a better QB is on waivers, drop Herbert for him; if not, keep him on your bench as the QB2.
RB Omarion Hampton | Los Angeles Chargers
Bros cooked, and yes, I waited too long to put him here in hopes he turns it around, but over the last 2 games it’s only gotten worse for Omarion Hampton as he’s averaging less than 2.50 yards per carry. Sure, he just played the Kansas City Chiefs, who now rank 7th in rushing yards allowed per game (92.8), but an RB has no excuse for having so little impact on a game.
Hold, same reason as Herbert: nobody is going to buy him at this point, at least not for the return you’ll need.
WR Jaylen Waddle | Denver Broncos
Where do I begin with Jaylen Waddle? The Denver Broncos paid a hefty price in the offseason to bring Waddle in, and it hasn’t paid off. Other than Week 2, Waddle hasn’t had more than 35 receiving yards in a game this season. In fact, he has fewer yards than Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman, who’s WR4 and considered a “bust” by many.
Sell. Like the Los Angeles Chargers, I don’t want any shares in the Denver Broncos offense right now, from Bo Nix to Sutton to Waddle. J.K. Dobbins has come along, but other than that, it’s rough to watch.
TE Harold Fannin | Cleveland Browns
With just one reception in each of the last two games, Harold Fannin has been extremely quiet. We knew Fannin would be less productive this season than his TE6 season a year ago with Deshaun Watson at QB, who notoriously avoids throwing to TEs, but I didn’t expect him to be this bad. After a good Week 2 and a great Week 3, Fannin has just 5 receptions for 40 yards and a TD. The “sophomore slump” has been one for the ages.
Hold. The Cleveland Browns are 4-2 and even lead the division, but I’m still not sold on this Deshaun Watson comeback story. Even if they switch QBs, I don’t doubt Fannin will become the primary target again.
Other Content
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