TNF Preview, Week 6

What to do about Thursday night games. In theory, it’s great to have football in our lives more days a week. In practice, it hasn’t always been the best product. I don’t just say this as a Denver fan who had to endure whatever last week’s “game” was. We’ve seen an increase in injuries and often seem some middling to poor football.

Will that change this week? It seems unlikely since we get two teams that are struggling. The Chicago Bears are 2-3, but they haven’t looked good on offense or defense to this point. Second year quarterback Justin Fields is still struggling to find himself, dealing with a poor offensive line and a dearth of weapons. Still, the Bears seem like a well-oiled machine in comparison to their opponent, the Washington Commanders.

The Commanders opened the season with a new starting quarterback, Carson Wentz, who is on his third team in as many seasons. The revolving door at quarterback has been one of the hallmarks of the Ron Rivera era in Washington. Though the Commanders made the playoffs in 2020, the team has yet to have a winning season with Rivera at the helm. After starting the season 1-0, the Commanders have slipped to 1-4. That led to an interesting case of the blame game this week as Rivera, when asked why his team is behind the rest of the NFC East, said it was about the quarterback. In turn, Wentz responded to the same question by pointing to coaching. Rivera has tried to walk it back, but it’s clear everything isn’t all right in Washington.

From a fantasy perspective, this probably isn’t your best bet of the week. For the Bears, the only one I’m starting is running back David Montgomery. He’s an RB2, getting a healthy snap share and touches. Fields had his best game of the season in Week 5, but I want to see more consistency from him and top targets Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet before rolling the dice.

For the Commanders, despite the friction, Wentz has been a Top 12 option at quarterback. He likely is again this week as well as the Bears haven’t been overly imposing. I also like Curtis Samuel, who has been the top receiver. Terry McLaurin has talent but hasn’t clicked with Wentz. He’s a flex option. In the backfield, Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic are splitting time and touches. With Jahan Dotson and Logan Thomas out, I’d take a risk on McKissic as a flex, but I’m staying away from the rest.

Now, let’s see who I’m picking!

NFL Picks, Week 6

Commanders Over Bears
49ers Over Falcons
Patriots Over Browns
Packers Over Jets
Colts Over Jaguars
Vikings Over Dolphins
Bengals Over Saints
Ravens Over Giants
Buccaneers Over Steelers
Rams Over Panthers
Seahawks Over Cardinals
Bills Over Chiefs
Cowboys Over Eagles
Broncos Over Chargers

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 39-40

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.