A Preview of Week 7 matchups.

Ask around and folks will tell you that Eli Manning & Toddy Gurley stink. They will also tell you that Brees & Cooks stink on the road. Are those statements nonsense or are they accurate? Check out Is Perception Reality?  

 

Cole Beasley produced 59 of his 65 yards in Week 6 after the catch as he hauled in all six of his targets. Beasley has produced at least 53 yards in each of his six games this season. He’s averaging just under six catches a game for 65 yards and three scores. All three of the scores have come the last two weeks.

It’s not fantasy related, but my goodness. Did you notice that Tom Brady moved to 49-1 at home since 2007 versus AFC opponents? #BogglesTheMind

Kenny Britt broke four tackles and scored twice in Week 6 even though he only gained 22 yards after the catch out of his 136. That was his first 100-yard game this season, the same number of 100-yard games that he had last season.

Antonio Brown has scored 43 touchdowns as a pass catcher. All of them have come from one passer, Ben Roethlisberger. No QB/WR duo currently active in the league has a higher mark.

Amari Cooper dropped 20 percent of the 90 catchable passes he had last season. This year he has dropped just 5.3 percent of catchable passes (he’s only dropped two passes this season). He’s caught 16 balls for 267 yards the past two games.

Ezekiel Elliott, again, did it all. In Week 6 he produced 101 of his 157 yards after contact. He broke four tackles in the game.

Melvin Gordon ran for 94 yards last week. One of those runs was for 28 yards meaning that his other 26 carries led to 46 yards. That’s 1.8 YPC folks. #ThatsGhastly

Frank Gore ran for 100-yards last week, the first time a Colts runner has hit that mark in 47 years, or something like that (Week 15 of the 2012 season actually). Even with the success it is clear who Gore is at this point, and it’s not a guy busting to the outside showing off his speed though he did produce 57 yards after contact. Gore earned just 22 yards on runs outside the tackles as he made his money up the middle with 16 carries for 84 yards between the tackles. One hundred yard games for him at this point are all about volume. Without it, he’s not getting there. He’s just not going to break tackles while streaking 45 yards down the field with his speed.

Jimmy Graham led the Seahawks with nine targets in Week 6. He caught six passes with two flat out drops. Still, 3-straight games with 6/85 line, and everyone will happily take that.

Rob Gronkowski produced 162 yards in Week 6 on just 30 pass routes leading to a huge 5.4 yards per pass route. Seventy-five yards on the day came after the catch, more than 10 YAC on each grab. He also caught passes against six different Bengals defenders last week (seven receptions in total). That’s 12 receptions and 271 yards the past two games with Tom Brady under center. #GronkIsBack

Jeremy Hill has struggled, and I talked about it in this video. Note that Hill and Gio Bernard are generating 61 percent of their yards after contact. As their offensive line isn’t exactly tearing it up.

Eddie Lacy forced four missed tackles on just 17 carries in Week 6, and injured ankle and all, he produced 39 of his 65 rushing yards after contact. He was placed on the I.R. Thursday. #Ugh

Andrew Luck has already been sacked 23 times. In his career, Peyton Manning averaged 18 sacks a season.

Lamar Miller averaged 5.5 YPC when running inside the tackles in Week 6 and 7.4 yards outside the tackles. The Colts could not stop him. Couldn’t. #FinallyScoredToo

Jordy Nelson produced just seven yards after the catch in Week 6. Check out this Video for more on his “struggles.”

Golden Tate saw 10 targets in his best game of the season (eight grabs, 165 yards and a score). However, he also dropped two passes. #SoHardToTrust

Demaryius Thomas dropped a pass last week and he also fumbled a ball. That’s four drops and two fumbles this season. Following up on the second half struggles of Thomas last season I feel fairly confident in writing the following; Demaryius Thomas is an erratic, undependable pass catcher at the moment. He’s not playing good football and hasn’t going well back into the 2015 season. He’s just doesn’t look like the star we’ve seen so often on the football field. #JustGivingUp

Kendall Wright caught eight passes for 133 yards in Week 6 including one of the best catches of the year on his long touchdown. He ran a mere 16 routes leading to an insane 8.87 yards per rout run. He will need to see a massive increase in snaps to become a viable starter as he was barely on the field for 30 percent of the snaps last week.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).