Football is a game of inches.
In fantasy football, we fight for that inch. In fantasy football, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches, that's gonna make the difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!
I'll tell you this: In any fight, it's the fantasy manager who's willing to die who's gonna win that inch. And I know if I'm gonna have any life anymore, it's because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch. Because that's what living is! The six inches in front of your face!
Yeah!
What? Like I can write that well.
The thing is, Tony D'Amato is right. In fantasy football, it's not the obvious lineup decisions that win matchups. Fantasy managers don't need to be told to start Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua this week against an injury-ravaged Baltimore Ravens defense. It's the difficult decisions that make the difference between victory and defeat. The few extra points that come from making the right choice at WR3 or in a "Flex" spot.
Fantasy matchups are won by making the right Close Calls.
And that's what we're here to do.
Every week here at Footballguys, Close Calls will make a case for a pair of closely-ranked fantasy options—and then make the call on which player will be more productive.
For the sake of this exercise, we'll only consider quarterbacks and tight ends outside the top 10, running backs outside the top 20, and wide receivers outside the top 30 in the Footballguys Weekly Rankings.
Week 6 Close Calls
Close Call: Bo Nix, Denver (QB13) vs. Justin Fields, NY Jets (QB14)
The Case for Nix: Nix's stats in last week's win over the Philadelphia Eagles were relatively modest—242 passing yards and a single touchdown. But the week before, the second-year pro showed what he can do in a favorable fantasy matchup—Nix torched the Cincinnati Bengals for 326 yards and two scores and scored a third time on the ground.
This week in London, Nix draws one of those favorable matchups against the New York Jets. The NFL's lone winless team has actually been OK against the pass in terms of yards allowed—13th in the league. But opposing quarterbacks have racked up fantasy points against Gang Green—the Jets have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position.
The Case for Fields: The Jets have been bad as a team, but Fields' individual numbers have been respectable—he's completing 67 percent of his passes, has thrown four touchdowns without an interception this season and his passer rating is just over 100. Most importantly for fantasy managers, Fields is averaging over 50 yards a game on the ground with three rushing scores.
Not surprisingly, those rushing numbers have boosted Fields' fantasy production—the 26-year-old has topped 25 fantasy points in three of four games in which he has played and sits fourth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game.
The Verdict: Fields. Nix wins the matchup fight by a wide margin (the Broncos have surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this year), but Nix's best outing of the year in fantasy points would be Fields' second-worst. 50-plus rushing yards and .75 touchdowns on the ground per game makes a dent.
Close Call: Michael Carter, Arizona (RB27) vs. TreVeyon Henderson, New England (RB28)
The Case for Carter: The Cardinals have been blasted by injuries at running back, with both James Conner and Trey Benson landing on injured reserve. That thrust Carter into the starting lineup last week against the Tennessee Titans, and as Matt Brandon wrote at SI, the fifth-year pro saw a featured back's workload.
"Carter had a very productive Week 5 showing as the workhorse back, earning 18.3 fantasy points," he said. "He accumulated 51 rushing yards on 18 attempts and a touchdown, while adding five receptions for an additional 22 scoreless yards against the Tennessee Titans. While the Titans are much easier to run the ball against than this week's opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, Carter is still in the RB2 conversation heading into Week 6."
The Case for Henderson: Henderson has been mostly a non-factor over the first five weeks of his first season. But Rhamondre Stevenson keeps fumbling, and Antonio Gibson tore his ACL last week against the Bills. SI's Michael Fabiano believes this could be the week the former Ohio State standout breaks out.
"Fantasy managers have been waiting for Henderson to make an impact, and this could be the week," he said. "The Patriots backfield lost Antonio Gibson for the year with a knee injury, so there will more touches to split between the rookie and Rhamondre Stevenson. The Saints have also allowed the 10th-most points to running backs after the first five weeks."
The Verdict: Carter—and who knew we'd be saying this in Week 6? Carter's matchup with the 4-1 Colts isn't great, but he has something going for him that Henderson hasn't—he got over 20 touches a week ago. Mike Vrabel has shown nothing to indicate Henderson is going to see a workload like that any time soon—even with Gibson's season over.
