Grossman, Garcon Week 6 fantasy flops

The Packers rolled to a 24-3 win over the Rams, but fans and fantasy owners that watched the second quarter aerial assault were left wanting in several respects.

Jermichael Finley was limited to a single reception for 20 yards on four targets. All three of Finley’s touchdown receptions in 2011 came against Chicago in Week 3. He’s been limited to fewer than 30 receiving yards in two of the past three weeks (68 or fewer in five of six).

James Starks carried the ball 49 yards on 13 yards, hardly the dominant effort anticipated as the Packers’ closed out the home win. He added two receptions for 17 yards. Starks hasn’t seen the end zone since Week 1.

It pains me to put Eli Manning in the “Flops” piece following Sunday’s effort against the Bills. Manning completed 21-of-32 pass attempts for 292 yards and had two receivers tackled at the one-yard line.

Victor Cruz was the white-hot waiver wire darling in fantasyland following his three-week rise in the New York passing game. Cruz was limited to two receptions for 12 yards on four targets. The bandwagon overloaded and toppled.

Pierre Garcon caught eight passes for 52 yards against the Bengals, but his late lost fumble virtually erased his efforts in standard leagues. Garcon was targeted 11 times in the loss.

Reggie Wayne, whose name surfaced on the rumor mill with the trade deadline approaching, caught five passes for 58 yards against the Bengals. Wayne was targeted six times by Curtis Painter.

The Falcons did a fantastic job to thwart the “Cam Newton Express” on Sunday. Newton passed for 237 yards (21-of-35) with two sacks and three interceptions. He did amass 50 rushing yards and scored a touchdown.

In shutting down Newton, the Falcons also held Steve Smith at bay. Smith caught five passes for 66 yards on seven targets.

Conversely, the Panthers also cracked down well on top target Roddy White. White was limited to 21 receiving yards on two receptions. He was targeted only five times as the Falcons ground down the Panthers with Michael Turner.

Tony Gonzalez was also virtually invisible in this contest. The future Hall of Famer yielded three receptions for 29 yards. Gonzalez had caught five or more passes in four of the Falcons’ first five games.

The Redskins failed miserably in front of the home crowd against the Eagles. With the exception of tight end Fred Davis, it was a mess all around.

• Ryan Torain got the call as the top running back against the heretofore sieve-like Philadelphia run defense. Torain generated 22 rushing yards on 10 carries.
• Santana Moss caught two passes for 38 yards on six targets. He’d caught five or more passes in each of the Redskins’ first four games.

The Eagles ran the ball well with LeSean McCoy, but the passing game was hit-or-miss. Jeremy Maclin caught five passes for 101 yards and Brent Celek was targeted early and often (four receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown).

Speedster DeSean Jackson was taken out of the mix, producing just three receptions for 46 yards on seven targets. This was Jackson’s third game with fewer than 50 receiving yards.

Fantasy owners acquired Jason Avant off of the waiver wire in anticipation of another solid PPR effort. Avant produced three receptions for 28 yards on four targets. He’d amassed 18 receptions for 241 yards in the Eagles’ previous three games.

Top target Mike Thomas of the Jaguars caught four passes for 36 yards in Jacksonville’s narrow loss to Pittsburgh. Thomas was targeted six times in the loss. He’s eclipsed 60 receiving yards only once this season.

Veterans Hines Ward and Heath Miller produced strong performances for the Steelers in Week 5. I anticipated strong follow-up efforts against the Jaguars, but neither produced fantasy-worthy numbers in Week 6. Ward caught three passes for 47 yards. Miller, whom I highly endorsed as a plug-in “Ninja,” caught four passes for 27 yards.

Colt McCoy posted a strong game against the Raiders on Sunday, but tight end Ben Watson hardly worked into the mix. He caught three passes for 35 yards (second on the team), but McCoy worked the ball to eight different receivers.

Denarius Moore was on the radar as a deep “Ninja” behind Darrius Heyward-Bey against the Cleveland secondary. The injury to Jason Campbell obviously didn’t help his efforts as a burner downfield, and owners left Sunday’s game with little production. Moore recorded a single reception for nine yards on four targets.

Tight end Owen Daniels of the Texans came into Sunday’s game with grand expectations as the No. 1 receiver despite the tough matchup against the Ravens. Baltimore limited Daniels to two receptions and 13 receiving yards on three targets.

“Ninja” tight end option Ed Dickson was quieted by the Houston defense. Dickson caught two passes for 20 yards in the victory.

The Buccaneers rebounded from a terrible effort in San Francisco and performed well against Drew Brees and the Saints. Brees passed for 383 yards (29-for-45) with a touchdown and three interceptions. To his credit, Brees rushed for 21 yards to offset one of those turnovers.

Lance Moore caught two passes for 46 yards on three targets. Following a strong effort against the Texans in Week 3, Moore has been quiet. He’s amassed 10 receptions for 126 yards during this three-game period.

I had high hopes for the tenured members of the Tampa Bay passing attack against the Saints. However, Mike Williams and Kellen Winslow failed to ring any bells for owners in standard leagues. Williams caught six passes for 59 yards. Winslow logged 40 yards on five receptions.