The Week 6 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns features two teams on opposite ends of the standings. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 6: Broncos-Browns featuring Emmanuel Sanders, Peyton Manning and Josh McCown
We break down the Week 6 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.
Denver Broncos
Historically speaking, Peyton Manning’s teams have always won with offense. This year’s version of the Denver Broncos is winning with defense, however. That’s because Manning’s looking old and past his prime, and the team doesn’t have a running game. Fantasy owners are probably still hoping he’s got a little bit in the tank for the rest of the season. Maybe a matchup against the Browns will help him put up some numbers, although Cleveland isn’t exactly a pushover on the defensive side of the football. Manning might be in tough this week.
One player who almost certainly won’t be in a tough situation is Emmanuel Sanders. As long as Peyton Manning has been dominant in the NFL and even when he’s struggled, slot receivers have always been able to put up numbers due to the fact that Manning likes to throw quick slants to get first downs. Sanders happens to play that slot position in Denver, which means that he should be his regular old self and a big asset in PPR leagues against Cleveland, even though the Browns’ secondary poses a legitimately tough matchup.
Cleveland Browns
For the most part quarterback Josh McCown has never been more than a streaming option in fantasy leagues, but last week those that started him against the Baltimore Ravens got a huge payoff. McCown threw for 457 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a score to help the Browns to a 33-30 victory. Although it’s easily the best game he’s had all year long, fantasy owners should note that McCown has thrown for at least 341 passing yards in each of the last three games. He may be worth a look against the Broncos despite being up against a tough defense.
One player definitely destined to be in fantasy lineups everywhere is tight end Gary Barnidge. Barnidge caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens. He’s come out of nowhere this season and despite the fact that virtually nobody had heard of him prior to 2015, it’s impossible not to start him at this point. Barnidge will likely be the only Browns player to put up any significant totals this week.
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