Week 6: Player Upgrades
QB Teddy Bridgewater, ---
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After a great NFL debut in Week 4, Bridgewater was sidelined Thursday night with a sprained ankle. He believed that if the game was a day later he could have played and had no doubts if the game was played on Sunday. Do not forget about him just because of one missed game. With two full weeks to recover, he should be at full strength in Week 6 when the Vikings play the Lions. While the Lions' defense has been good overall, it just allowed Kyle Orton to hang 308 yards on them. The following week, the Vikings will face the Bills' 21st-ranked pass defense. The Bills have a quality pass rush, but they have really struggled to stop quarterbacks. Year after year, we seem to see at least one young QB burst on to the scene, and Bridgewater will be that man this year. He is a player upgrade this week and a huge upgrade for the Vikings.
QB Ryan Tannehill, ---
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Tannehill had a breakout game in London before the Dolphins' bye week. He threw for a season-high 278 yards, two touchdowns and added 35 yards on the ground. Through the next three weeks, Miami faces the Packers, Bears and Jaguars. The Packers aren't the greatest matchup based on seasonal statistics. However, the game will likely be a shootout. Also, the defensive numbers are a bit skewed in favor of the Packers as three of their opponents have been Geno Smith, Christian Ponder and the Seahawks, who got ahead quickly and then just ran the ball down their throats. The Bears' defense is simply not very good as you could see in their performance this week, allowing 31 points to a subpar Panthers' offense. Then the Dolphins will go up against the Jags, who, quite frankly, aren't very good at anything. Their struggles are well documented, and they rank dead last against the pass. Tannehill's weapons are somewhat underrated. His running game has actually been great, and it opens up the deep pass to Mike Wallace. Tight end Charles Clay has had a couple weeks to get his knee healthy as well. The Dolphins' offense should be clicking on all cylinders and improve in each of the next three weeks.
RB Lamar Miller, ---
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Miller has been a pleasant surprise for the Dolphins this season. Since Knowshon Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow in Week 2, Miller has looked like the back everybody thought he would be prior to last season. Believe it or not, he is second among all RBs with 5.7 YPC (minimum 40 carries). The 'Phins made a lot of moves this season to improve their offensive line, and they have paid major dividends in the run game. Coming off a bye, the schedule couldn't be set up any better for Miller. In terms of run defense, he gets the last-ranked Packers the 16th-ranked Bears rush defense and the 21st-ranked Jaguars. The former Miami Hurricane has also been a factor in the aerial attack, catching 12 passes through four games. His excellent efficiency and tremendous matchups make him one of the best plays for the rest of October. Consider him a dependable RB2 until Moreno comes back near midseason.
RB Branden Oliver, ---
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Following injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, the Chargers' ground attack had been abysmal. They couldn't even run on a miserable Jaguars' run defense. On Sunday, Donald Brown went down with a concussion in the first half. In stepped Oliver against the Jets' formidable rush defense, and the kid was magnificent. The 5-foot-8 RB immediately drew comparisons to Darren Sproles by seemingly every commentator on television. At a 6 yards-per-carry clip, Oliver ran for 114 yards and a TD. He also added four receptions for 68 yards and another score. With Mathews still injured and Brown very iffy for next week, Oliver may be the lone feature back. Even if Brown is healthy, it's hard to imagine his putrid 2.1 YPC average will earn him more touches than Oliver. The rookie has a real shot to be a breakout star. Next week, the Chargers face a terrible Raiders rush defense, which ranks 31st in the league. If this guy is on your waiver wire, don't just add him -- start him.
RB Andre Williams, ---
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When Rashad Jennings went down with a sprained knee Sunday, Williams came in and ran with punishing authority. He showed why he was a Heisman finalist last season. He carried the ball 20 times for 65 yards and caught two passes. He also plowed over Paul Worrilow to break the plane for a touchdown. It is going to be tough for Jennings to play next week, let alone be at 100 percent. Williams should see a hefty workload against a bad Philly defense. The Eagles rank 24th against the run and just gave up 125 yards and TD on the ground to the lowly Rams. Expect Williams to slam through the Eagles' defense, especially if linebacker Mychal Kendricks continues to sit out with a calf strain. How long Williams' value will be upgraded depends on the extent of Jennings' knee injury.
