Fantasy Football Week 6: Down Goes Aaron Rodgers ... and All His Receivers' Value?

Last week’s fantasy football column centered on owners’ Giant-sized losses of star wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (a high draft pick this fantasy season) and Brandon Marshall, who have no doubt left gaping holes in some team’s rosters.

Now, the pain quotient shifts to fantasy owners who have squads peppered with Green Bay Packers’ players, as fantasy stud and superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers appears to be out for an extended period of time—if not the rest of the season—with a broken collarbone. “Obviously, it’s a critical blow to the offense, because Aaron Rodgers is, if not the best, the second best fantasy quarterback,” explains Adam Ronis, senior fantasy analyst for ScoutFantasy.com and co-host of the Scout Fantasy Sports show on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports radio. “In a lot of those situations, people didn’t draft backup quarterbacks, so they’re probably going to have to go to the waiver wire depending on the depth of their league.” And the big injury is not just a Rodgers-owner issue; every single fantasy team that has a Packers wide receiver, tight end, or running back on it is going to “take a hit,” notes Ronis.

Key Waiver Wire Pickups + Analysis
Dallas Cowboys RBs Darren McFadden/Alfred Morris – Way back in Week 3, RCLife fantasy expert Aram Megerian advised you to stash Morris away. This past week, he was likely added in most leagues, after Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension was reinstated. But if either of these guys is still hanging around the waiver wire, they are obvious choices, says Ronis. That said, he warns against people thinking that the Dallas RBs are going to change their fortunes entirely; “Zeke was averaging 3.7 yards per carry, has not had any room to run, he’s barely broken off any long runs, and he’s more talented than McFadden and Morris.” So don’t be disappointed if they come up with below-average points totals.

New York Giants RB Orleans Darkwa – Ronis notes that the Denver Broncos defense had held premiere backs like Marshawn Lynch and Melvin Gordon to pitiful totals in previous matchups, but Darkwa had their number on Sunday, rushing for 117 yards. So that should tell you all you need to know. He is quick to note that “it’s tough to count on the Giants run game,” but Darkwa’s put up good numbers over the last two weeks, so he could be a good stasher or fill-in in weeks to come.

Arizona Cardinals RB Adrian Peterson – Look, you probably aren’t going to have much luck picking up Peterson this week, but if he’s still available in your league, he’ll go quickly. But this brings up a greater point, explains Mark “Dr. Roto” Bloom, also a senior fantasy analyst for ScoutFantasy.com and Ronis’ Sirius XM co-host: “I think the key to winning any fantasy league is being two weeks ahead of the competition.” (Dr. Roto was all over Peterson a pair of weeks ago.) This is particularly important for high-stakes league owners, he says. You don’t want to miss out on a guy who could carry you all the way to the end of the year.

Also to consider adding to your injury-plagued roster, courtesy of Ronis: Baltimore Ravens RB Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks RB C.J. Prosise, Arizona Cardinals WR John Brown, New England Patriots RB Dion Lewis, Miami Dolphins WR Kenny Stills, Atlanta Falcons WR Taylor Gabriel, Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor, and Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton.

Advice + Strategy Going Into Week 7
“Look at the team who has Aaron Rodgers in your league, and if you have two quarterbacks, I’d be looking to make a trade,” advises Ronis. “That owner is desperate right now; they have this sinking feeling.” You could turn that dread into a high-valued back or wide receiver.

Another great piece of advice from Ronis? “When you’re working the waiver wire, put in bids for a lot of players, because you never know,” he says. The reason is that likely some of the folks you’re playing against aren’t watching the waiver wire as frequently as you are—and may just get lazy or busy. And that could mean a major shopping spree for the savvy owner.

Back in Week 4, RCL expert Tom Kessenich advised fantasy owners to take stock of their teams going into Week 5. Now that we’re almost in Week 7, Dr. Roto believes that owners need to do a full “intake” of their roster. Basically, you should be fall/winter cleaning at this point, whether it be to epoxy immediate or future holes, or playoff-related ones. “Now is the time to start preparing for your endgame,” he advises. The other thing to keep in mind: just because your team is kicking ass right now and you’re atop the league standings, doesn’t mean you should be resting on your laurels just yet. Make sure to have your playoff weeks in focus.