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Raheem Mostert, not Alfred Morris, was SF's No. 2 RB
This looked like Alfred Morris' week; now it looks like he might be persona non-grata in Fantasy. With Matt Breida dealing with an ankle injury, it seemed like Morris would have a chance to be the lead runner in San Francisco Monday, but Breida was surprisingly active for Monday's game. And Morris was a total non-factor in the game, as a result.
Despite the injury, Breida led the backfield in carries with 14, and he was effective, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown in the game. Mostert served as the No. 2 back, but was arguably even more impressive, rushing for 87 yards on 12 carries. Morris, on the other hand, saw just one offensive snap, and did not record an official touch in the game.
There is no sign Morris was dealing with an injury, so it looks like he may have just lost his job. On the one hand, it's not hard to make sense of; Morris is a plodder, whose best quality earlier in the season was his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan. As the season has gone on, it's not terribly shocking to see him get passed over. On the other hand, Mostert and Breida are a strange combination for an NFL backfield committee, with neither bringing the thunder in the typical "thunder and lightning" combination. Both are listed at under 200 pounds on the depth chart, and both stand out more for their speed and big-play ability.
On the other hand, if they keep rushing for 150 yards between them every week, something tells me Shanahan will be pleased with the unorthodox arrangement.
The Packers are sticking with their RB committee
18 carries would be a healthy workload for one back, especially in an offense led by Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, the Packers haven't had a back reach that mark since the final game of the 2017 season, while all three members of their committee combined for that many Monday.
As usual, Aaron Jones looked like the best back in the group, rushing for 41 yards on his eight carries; Jamaal Williams managed 29 yards on six carries, while Ty Montgomery had 12 on four. Montgomery actually scored the only touchdown among the trio, a 2-yard run that was intended to be a pass but was changed to a lateral by the scorers. That came after Jones appeared to score from 17 yards out on the team's first drive; he was ruled down at the 1-yard-line on review.
That shows how slim the margin for error is in this committee. If you started Jones, you were mere feet from a decent showing, but ended up with a dud. If you started Williams … well, you're used to duds by now, as he hasn't topped seven Fantasy points in a standard scoring format yet. If it was up to Fantasy players, Williams would be out of the picture entirely, as Jones continues to outshine him – 5.9 yards per carry for Jones, compared to 3.8 for Williams. However, while Jones does have more touches since returning from his suspension, there is no sign of the Packers turning their backfield over to him for most of the touches. This looks like it will continue to be a headache for Fantasy players, one I'm looking to avoid if I can.
Mason Crosby redeemed himself
It pays to have a short memory as a kicker, and as a Fantasy player. Crosby has been a viable Fantasy option as long as he has been the kicker for the Packers, but coming off a game that saw him miss five kicks – one PAT and four field-goal attempts – plenty of Fantasy players were probably looking for another option for Week 6. The Packers stuck with their guy, and he rewarded them with a big game, hitting all four of his field goals – including a game-winner – along with three PATs. It is Crosby's third game with at least three field goals, and he leads the NFL with 20 attempts through six games. He will remain a viable option after the team's Week 7 bye.
Other notes from MNF
- Marquise Goodwin looked healthy … Hamstring and thigh injuries have limited Goodwin's effectiveness this season, but he looked healthy Monday, hitting on touchdowns of 67 and 30 yards and finishing with four catches for 126 yards. He'll be hit or miss with C.J. Beathard at QB, but Beathard showed a willingness to take shots down the field, and Goodwin is back to Fantasy relevance.
- Jimmy Graham has turned things around … Graham put together his best game of the season Monday, hauling in five of nine targets for 104 yards. He has 180 yards over the last two games and is averaging 68.2 yards per game since his 8-yard showing in the season opener.
- Davante Adams is making the leap … Playing his second game without Geronimo Allison and Randall Cobb, Adams was dominant yet again, hauling in 10 of 16 passes for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has 19 receptions for 272 yards and three touchdowns without Allison and Cobb.
Other notes from around the league
- The Steelers do not expect Le'Veon Bell to report during their bye … This continues to be a tough situation, without anything concrete to go on. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday the team does not expect to see Bell this week – though that doesn't necessarily mean he won't show up. Dave Richard wrote Sunday he's stopped worrying about James Conner and will treat him as a top-10 RB moving forward.
- Devonta Freeman (foot, groin) will likely miss Week 7 … Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters he does not expect Freeman to play in Week 7. Freeman has missed most of the season so far, due to knee, foot, and now groin injuries. Tevin Coleman will be the lead back once again, however Ito Smith continues to see an increased workload.
- Calvin Ridley (ankle) and Mohamed Sanu (hip) are dealing with injuries … The good news is, the Falcons have an extra day off before their Monday night game against the Giants, which should help Sanu and Ridley get healthy. Quinn is "hopeful" both will play.
- Cooper Kupp has a sprained MCL … Kupp was able to play through the injury Sunday but was clearly limited. Coach Sean McVay told reporters Kupp will "probably miss" Week 7 against the 49ers and will likely be week-to-week moving forward.
- D'Onta Foreman isn't expected to come off the PUP list in Week 7 … As Lamar Miller continues to disappoint, Fantasy players are looking to Foreman as a potential difference maker. However, coach Bill O'Brien told reporters Foreman isn't "quite ready" to come off the PUP list. Foreman is coming back from an Achilles tear, and once he is cleared to return to practice, the team has three weeks to activate him or put him on IR. Foreman seems like he's still a ways away and is tough to justify stashing during a week with four teams on bye.
- Josh Allen is dealing with an elbow injury … Allen was diagnosed with an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and the MRI will be sent to Dr. James Andrews. Baseball fans know a visit to Dr. Andrews isn't what you want to see, but it doesn't sound like Allen's injury is serious enough to consider surgery an option. Still, expect to see one of Nathan Peterman or Derek Anderson under center in Week 7 against the Colts in Week 7.
- Quincy Enunwa has a high-ankle sprain … Enunwa got off to a great start to the season, racking up 21 catches and 278 yards in the first four games, but that has been completely derailed. He had just one catch in the last two games and will now likely miss several weeks because of this injury.
- Niles Paul has a sprained MCL … It's been a tough injury season for the Jaguars, who already lost starting tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to IR, and now could be without Paul for several weeks.
- Matt Bryant (hamstring) could miss time … Bryant has been a steady presence this season, hitting all nine of his field-goal attempts and 16 of 17 extra points, but coach Dan Quinn told reporters he expects Bryant to miss Week 7. The Falcons will likely have to sign another kicker out of free agency.
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