Fantasy Football Report: Week 6

By - Tim Swift

Here's the rundown on everything fantasy heading into Week 6.

1. Jamaal Charles is back.

Photo by: Gerald Herbert

There was a lot of hesitation about drafting Charles this year coming off his major knee injury in Week 2 of the 2011 season. But through Week 5, he is leading the NFL with 551 rushing yards, and also has 15 catches out of the backfield. He doesn't appear to have lost any of the explosiveness that was his hallmark before the injury, and with the Kansas City QB situation being a major disappointment, the Chiefs plan on giving him at least 25 touches a game. The offense as a whole is in a current state of flux with Charles being the only constant, and with his big play ability and number of touches -- he's the most valuable running back in Fantasy Football right now.

2. Michael Vick = Turnover Machine.

After a disappointing 2011 season, expectations were low in the fantasy world for Michael Vick, and so far, he's been right on schedule. Vick has 11 turnovers in 5 games and is on pace for 19 interceptions and 10 lost fumbles this year. Since the beginning of 2011, Vick leads the NFL with 9 red zone turnovers, and if he isn't producing running numbers, he's totally useless to you. If you have Vick on your team, I hope he's a backup, because right now, he's a non-start in any format. At this point, it wouldn't be a bad idea to trade him, since his value is pretty low because of the turnover problems.

3. Trouble for Fitz.

Larry Fitzgerald has struggled to live up to his lofty standards this year, but some of the problems of the Arizona offense is out of his hands. The offensive line got Kevin Kolb beat up last Thursday night, and a shoulder injury to starting running back Ryan Williams means that even more focus will go to the All-Pro wide receiver now. He has to be a start in most leagues because you probably drafted him as your No. 1 WR, but beware of up and down performances. Right now, Fitzgerald is ranked as the 20th best wide receiver in most formats, and with all of the problems with Arizona's offense, his value will be all over the map for the rest of the season.

4. Da Bears D is dominant.

The Bears defense is giving you everything you could possibly want right now. Over the last 3 weeks, they've forced 11 turnovers and scored 5 touchdowns. Those numbers have this D outscoring skill players most weeks. To give you an idea of how awesome those numbers are, no RB/WR/TE has scored more than 5 touchdowns this year other than Houston's Arian Foster. I wouldn't expect the touchdowns to continue, but there are several juicy matchups for the Bears throughout the year that make them one of the few defenses you must start every single week.

5. Percy Harvin is a jack of all trades.

The former Florida star is getting the ball in every way possible through the first 5 weeks -- kick returns, catches, and even in the running game. Harvin has already scored 3 different ways this season, so you can expect him to get at least 15 touches a game from here on out. Right now, he is as valuable to Minnesota's offense as Adrian Peterson, so every week you should expect one of the facets of his game to be clicking, which should mean big points from Harvin. 

Solid Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups:

Alex Green RB (GB), William Powell RB (ARI), Jeremy Kerley WR (NYJ), Brandon Gibson WR (STL), Kendall Wright WR (TEN), Cincinnati D/ST, Indianapolis D/ST

The Underrated 15 For Week 6:

Quarterbacks:

1. Andrew Luck (IND)

2. Christian Ponder (MIN)

3. Matt Schaub (HOU)

Running Backs:

1. Ryan Mathews (SD)

2. Rashard Mendenhall (PIT)

3. Doug Martin (TB)

Wide Receivers:

1. Malcolm Floyd (SD)

2. James Jones (GB)

3. Jeremy Kerley (NYJ)

Tight Ends:

1. Heath Miller (PIT)

2. Owen Daniels (HOU)

3. Kyle Rudolph (MIN)

Defense/Special Teams:

1. Atlanta
2. Miami

3. New England

*Catch me on Fantasy Football Live every Sunday morning from 8:00-9:00, and on the Thom Abraham Show every Wednesday afternoon starting at 3:40 for even more Fantasy Football talk on Sports Radio 560 WNSR Nashville.