Whether you’re playing redraft or dynasty, knowing what to do is crucial to success.
That’s why each of our fantasy football experts is giving you a step up to take advantage of this week.
Target Jordan Mason Before He Returns
Kevin English
Mason is expected to return in Week 7 following the Vikings’ bye. In his lone appearance this year, Mason led Aaron Jones 15-12 in carries and 3.9 to 3.3 in yards per attempt.
Since then, Minnesota’s offense has looked capable of supporting a productive rushing attack. The Vikings rank 10th in situation-neutral run rate, 12th in adjusted line yards, and 15th in yards before contact per attempt. Jones has had games of 94, 113, and 105 yards over the past month, grabbing 20+ touches in each contest without Mason.
But Jones is already off the injury report with a knee issue, and the Vikings have little reason to continue to lean heavily on the nearly 32-year-old back. HC Kevin O’Connell said Mason will be a “huge part” of the offense after the bye.
Add in the fifth-best adjusted strength of schedule for Vikings RBs, and Mason looks like an RB2 trade target if you can wait through the bye.
Stream Kirk Cousins
Jared Smola
Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and Kyler Murray are bye this week. Lamar Jackson remains vulnerable with his ankle injury. And now Jalen Hurts is out..
If you need a QB spot starter this week, get Kirk Cousins.
He is coming off his worst fantasy finish of the season, a QB21 showing in a tough spot against the Patriots last week. But Cousins has finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in each of his past three outings.
Week 6 presents a great bounce-back spot at home for the Bills. This game has a week-high 53.5-point over/under, and the Raiders’ 24-point implied total is tied for 11th.
Buffalo has been a sieve against the pass so far, sitting 27th in our pass-defense power rankings and 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. Four of the five passers facing the Bills so far finished top-12 in fantasy points on the week.
Cousins has a fair chance to make it five out of six.
Take Trey Hendrickson
Matt Schauf
Yes, you have reached the IDP part of the show. Time to change the channel.
For those still paying attention, this was not a move that crossed my mind earlier in the week. But then I saw Trey Hendrickson available in one of my own IDP leagues, and I think I understand why.
The veteran edge player has missed the past two weeks following finger surgery. Before that, he logged 1 sack in the first three games. That’s enough to make the 31-year-old look expendable in many leagues, especially where you don’t have a lot of space on your bench.
But Hendrickson returned to full practice Wednesday and appeared on the track to face the Browns this Sunday. And that is what makes him a must-grab.
The first game back for Baltimore’s top pass rusher will come against a Browns squad that has paid off EIGHT sack on the Jets last week. Rookie Edge David Bailey scored three, while five other Jets caught Deshaun Watson once. Cleveland is now allowing a league-high 11.3% sack rate for the season.
And if you don’t believe Hendrickson is the leading rusher in Baltimore because of 1 sack … you’re wrong. His 14 total pressures tied Tavius Robinson for the team lead, despite Hendrickson playing two games and playing another with a jacked-up finger before his surgery.
Hendrickson carries week one win potential in this matchup and is available in 75% of Sleeper IDP leagues. Just be aware that less friendly sack matchups in Cincinnati and Buffalo follow this week.
This is Your Last Chance to Get Germie Bernard
Shane Hallam
Germie Bernard is a hot redraft pickup this week after his 6 catches for 80 yards (on 8 targets). He had another 4-yard carry in the game.
Bernard played in place of Michael Pittman Jr., who landed on IR, with Roman Wilson remaining as the third WR (before he got injured). Wilson actually played less in two-WR sets than he did when Pittman was healthy, which made way for Bernard to become a full-time starter.
He looks very sharp on film with explosiveness off the line and slick routes that create separation. Aaron Rodgers clearly trusted the rookie to make plays.
Another stellar game by Bernard could put him out of reach in dynasty leagues, so now is the time to throw in a second-round 2027 pick along with a bench player to try to land Bernard. Even a late 2027 first might be useful (though I prefer the 2027 class).
The passing game for the Steelers is really working with HC Mike McCarthy leading the offense and Bernard could even pass to Pittman (who looked like a shell of his younger self earlier in the season).
The off-field buzz around Bernard also reflected his high football character and IQ (which helped make him a top-50 NFL Draft pick). Bernard revealed on the Christian Kuntz podcast that Rodgers put him through the play and pass-defense pop quizzes and confirmed that Bernard passed with flying colors.
It showed on Sunday, and I expect Bernard’s dynasty stock to continue to improve.
Last Call To Pour Your Marvin Harrison Jr. Stock
Ian Miller
Marvin Harrison Jr. traded from the Cardinals has brought discourse on who is more to blame for his underachievement — the franchise or the player. That boosted his market value and liquidity, giving us one last chance to sell him for a reasonable return.
Last season, he earned a team-high 18.0% target share and 1.33 yards per pass attempt on his way to producing 10.7 PPR points per game, finishing as WR38. Harrison likely benefited even more from being part of a Cardinals offense that had a higher-than-expected pass rate than any other team. That made his 50th-ranked target share the 37th most targets per game.
But now, he joins a Texans offense — even with his former college QB CJ Stroud — that has a ninth-highest pass rate than expected while playing with WR Nico Collins and his 26.0% target share (14th among WRs).
Even if Harrison lands in the most ideal offensive environment, his profile still carries an alarming amount of risk. He became the 33rd former first-round WR to under 12 PPR points per game and 1.80 yards per team pass attempt in each of their first two seasons. Only one (3.1%) went on to achieve a WR1 season the rest of his career; five (15.6%) achieved a WR2 season.
Veteran WRs like Davante Adams and Mike Evans, unproven rookie WRs in KC Concepcion and Makai Lemon, and future first-round picks leave plenty of more attractive alternatives for you to keep Harrison’s risk.