FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast: "5 Moves You Need to Make Ahead Of Week 6" (Ep. 1755)

Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Ryan Warmley, Tara Roberts
Main Theme:
Actionable fantasy football strategy for Week 6—highlighting key "buy," "sell," and "drop" moves based on trends, future matchups, and player perception. The hosts focus on leveraging fantasy managers’ frustrations, schedule analysis, and trade value for season-long success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buy Candidates

Derrick Henry (RB, Ravens)

Timestamp: 01:08–04:39

• Why Buy Now? His recent underwhelming performance, combined with Lamar Jackson’s injury and a looming bye week, have created a prime buying window.
• Ravens Schedule: Brutal first six games, but after the Week 7 bye, matchups get significantly easier: Chicago, Miami, Minnesota, then Cincinnati, New England, and Green Bay for the playoffs.
• Long-Term Outlook:
  • Tara: “If you’re a team with an excellent record and you don’t need Derrick Henry specifically to put up big numbers this week… it can pay off dividends for you.” (01:56)
  • Both hosts agree Henry’s still a top-10 RB rest of season (RB8 in consensus rankings), but recommend buying only if your team can afford to wait for the late-season surge.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “There’s no issue with him being cooked, him being too old, anything at all. We saw in Week one that he looked fantastic… After the Ravens bye, things start to look up.” —Tara Roberts (01:17)
  • Ryan: “His manager is saying not only has he been bad, but he has the Rams coming up and then a bye. So that’s two more weeks of struggles… you can almost take advantage of that.” (03:29)

Kenneth Walker III (RB, Seahawks)

Timestamp: 05:00–08:12

• Buy Rationale: Perception is worse than his production. Red zone usage is more balanced with Zach Charbonnet, but Walker still dominates snaps and remains the clear RB1.
• Rest-Of-Season Strength: No challenging matchups left—all upcoming games are labeled as “easy” or “neutral” for RBs.
• Underrated Consistency: Only one bad week (Week 1). Since then, he’s posted two top-12 finishes and hasn't finished below RB26 aside from the slow preseason ramp-up week.
• Opportunity: Many managers are frustrated by Charbonnet’s involvement, making Walker a “buy low” despite steady output.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “He’s got possibly the worst luck of any running back… but when you look at the numbers, overall, outside of Week 1… the opportunity is there. He’s got a safe floor, high ceiling, he’s a weekly top 24 running back.” —Tara Roberts (05:25)
  • Ryan: “He is such a fun player to watch at times, and then so frustrating at other times when they’re taking him off the field… he’s 10th in the NFL in rushing yards this season. Again, that’s including his down Week 1.” (06:53)
• ROS Rank: RB14 for Walker, in line with consensus.

2. Sell Candidates

DeVonta Smith (WR, Eagles)

Timestamp: 09:07–11:09

• Sell-High Timing: Smith coming off a strong game due to an unusually high pass volume (38 passes from Jalen Hurts)—not the Eagles’ normal game script.
• Role Concerns: When game scripts return to normal, Smith becomes touchdown-dependent week-to-week, offering a very low floor.
• Alternative Targets:
  • “A guy that I always like to say is just, you know, it’s Michael Pittman for me. A guy that doesn’t have that same perception… consistent volume, wide receiver one for his team.” —Tara Roberts (10:39)
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “It’s no insult to him, the talent… but the Eagles don’t naturally want to be a pass-heavy team… when the pass volume comes down, unfortunately DeVonta Smith is going to be reliant on touchdowns.” —Tara Roberts (09:18)

Sam LaPorta (TE, Lions)

Timestamp: 11:11–14:54

• Sell Case: Classic “sell star power for a stronger asset in return.” Just came off a 92-yard, 1 TD game, but his floor is low (three straight games of ≤7 fantasy points).
• Schedule Concerns: A “lot of red” ahead—tough matchups for tight ends, only one favorable (“green”) remaining.
• Positional Depth: More viable TE options than usual—managers likely have backup TEs who are producing (names mentioned: Darren Waller, Mason Taylor, Theo Johnson, Jake Ferguson, Hunter Henry, Tyler Warren, Kyle Pitts, Tucker Kraft).
• Current Rank: Now in the TE7-8 range, possibly dropping as season progresses due to competition and underperforming stars elsewhere.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “When the boom games don’t exist, his floor is super low. We had three straight games of seven or less fantasy points. This was his first touchdown of the season.” —Tara Roberts (11:36)
  • “With all these other fantastic performances… if you have Sam Laporta, there’s a good chance you’ve got another tight end that you picked up… maybe it’s time to rely on that, and then Sam Laporta, sell him, upgrade at another position.” —Tara Roberts (12:23)

3. Drop Candidate

Jerry Jeudy (WR, Browns)

Timestamp: 15:22–17:31

• Drop Reasoning:
  • Multiple factors working against Jeudy: offense shifting to focus on tight ends with new QB Dylan Gabriel, lower downfield pass volume.
  • Even before the QB switch, Jeudy was already being out-produced or matched by teammates Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond.
  • Skillset fits best with downfield passers, which Cleveland currently lacks.
  • While the schedule improves, he’s not positioned to benefit, and roster spots are valuable with surging waiver options—managers shouldn’t hesitate to drop him for higher upside players.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “There is way too much working against Jerry Jeudy at this point… if you can’t afford to hold on to Jerry Jeudy, it’s okay to let him go at this point.” —Tara Roberts (15:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Henry’s value:
  “If you’re a team with an excellent record and you don’t need Derrick Henry specifically to put up big numbers this week… it can pay off dividends for you.” —Tara Roberts (01:56)

• On navigating trade targets:
  “If you can sell him for somebody else that has more reliable production…” —Tara Roberts, (on DeVonta Smith, 10:23)

• On tight end landscape:
  “We’re deep at the position… If you can take the flashier name… and sell him, upgrade at another position, that’s something you can realistically do.” —Tara Roberts (14:27)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Key Points/Actions | |-----------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:40 | Episode Start: Moves for Week 6 | Outline of 5 major moves: buys, sells, drops | | 01:08 | Buy #1: Derrick Henry | Long-term buy, future schedule strong | | 05:00 | Buy #2: Kenneth Walker III | Buy low opportunity, perception/production gap | | 09:07 | Sell #1: DeVonta Smith | Sell-high after big week, inconsistent floor | | 11:11 | Sell #2: Sam LaPorta | Capitalize on star power, TE depth explained | | 15:22 | Drop: Jerry Jeudy | Multiple red flags, not likely to rebound | | 17:31 | Wrap-up & Final thoughts | |

Takeaways for Fantasy Managers

• Strategic buying: Focus on players with proven upside whose current managers may be frustrated, like Derrick Henry and Kenneth Walker.
• Sell at peak perception: Move on from players with volatile roles even after big performances (DeVonta Smith, Sam LaPorta).
• Efficient roster management: Don’t hesitate to drop underperformers stuck in poor situations (Jerry Jeudy) in favor of higher-upside waiver adds or emerging positional depth.
• Roster flexibility: With increased depth at positions like tight end, you can trade high-profile names to shore up weaker roster spots.

Original podcast language and tone maintained throughout; actionable, expert-level insights provided for the upcoming week and beyond.