Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good

Six weeks in, and the 2015 fantasy season is as bizarre as ever.

Hey, you. Yeah you, looking all smug and victorious with Devonte Freeman in your lineup. Get over yourself. You had zero idea that he would amount to anything. You picked Freeman in the middle rounds mostly because you needed another running back and didn’t have any better ideas. You probably didn’t start him until after his Week 4 explosion in Dallas.

You’re not a fantasy genius. You’re lucky as all get out.

And you. That guy who swears he knew DeAndre Hopkins was going to have a breakout season. No, you didn’t. You drafted him because you figured somebody had to catch the ball in Houston, even if they didn’t have a decent quarterback. You’re just as surprised as the person who took a flier on grandpa Larry Fitzgerald in the ninth or tenth round.

You didn’t see any of this coming.

You’re not getting away with anything either, Mr. Andy Dalton lover. You drafted him as a backup, figuring you’d reluctantly use him as a bye-week sub. You were aiming for Ryan Tannehill or Sam Bradford, but your league-mates scooped them up before you could. You held your nose when you took Dalton, so you can stop patting yourself on the back now. We’re not fooled.

And don’t even get me started, you Gary Barnidge owners. Most Browns fans didn’t even know who the guy was until four weeks ago.

Okay, so I’m still a little bitter over losing Jamaal Charles...

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers. I’m on record as being unapologetically anti-Doug Martin. His disappointment-to-delight ratio is ridiculously out of whack. Sims regularly flashes his potential from the backup position, and he’s a useful bye-week or injury sub in PPR leagues even when Martin is around. Given his size/speed combination and excellent hands, Sims should be starting, and probably will be before long. 

Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals. Now relegated to the No. 3 receiver role in Arizona, a fully healthy Floyd still has all the talent that made him a fantasy darling heading into this season. He finally found the end zone on Sunday and should continue to attract more of Carson Palmer’s attention. He will be startable in favorable matchups going forward.

Ben Watson, TE, Saints. Clearly, the Saints game plan ran through Watson on Thursday night. That’s not going to be an every-week thing, but we know from history that Drew Brees loves him some tight ends. Given the dearth of talent at the position league-wide, Watson’s upside makes him eminently roster-worthy.

Don’t be fooled

Marvin Jones, WR, Bengals. You’d think the No. 2 wideout in an offense as potent as Cincinnati’s would be a more consistent fantasy contributor, but Jones never has been. In any given week, he can put up 90-plus yards and a TD (as he did in Weeks 3 and 6) or be virtually invisible (see Weeks 1 and 4). Heading into his bye, Jones remains a flier at best.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings. Diggs has put up solid numbers in the first two games of his NFL career, but tap the breaks on his immediate potential. The rookie could very well emerge as a favorite target of Teddy Bridgewater; but given the low-octane nature of Minnesota’s passing offense, and the presence of Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson, Diggs will surely struggle with consistency. Maybe next year.