Roto Arcade Fantasy Football Mock, RDs 5-6: RGIII, Stafford spark QB mini-run
Due to long runs on rushers and receivers, second-tier QBs finally have their day. With six rounds now in the books, our teams are beginning to take shape. Who's crushing it? Who will get crushed? Give us your two cents in the comments section below.
ICYMI: Rounds 1-2, Rounds 3-4
Round 5
Matthew Stafford, QB, Det — Let's see, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush, Joique Bell and Eric Ebron – Yeah, that's an embarrassment of riches. Destined for a top-5 season. (EVANS)
Robert Griffin III, QB, Was — The Shanahans misuse of Griffin combined with his slow recovery from reconstructive knee surgery greatly hindered him. Gruden's open mind and bevy of weapons points arrow up. (EVANS)
Julian Edelman, WR, NE — A key to any fake-team pursuit is accepting where fantasy and reality disconnect. This is one of those times. Edelman's a legitimate PPR monster. (PIANOWSKI)
Vernon Davis, TE, SF — Fantasy's No. 2 tight end last year, and floor appears safe with the passing improvement of Colin Kaepernick. (PIANOWSKI)
Jordan Cameron, TE, CLE — With Josh Gordon's season/career in jeopardy, Cameron is the clear No. 1 in Cleveland. He belongs in the second tier at his position, with Orange Julius & Gold Vernon. (BEHRENS)
TY Hilton, WR, IND — Hilton's owners are supposed to worry about Hakeem Nicks? Seriously? The same Nicks who was an every-week disaster in 2013? Pffft. Hilton is both great and safe. (BEHRENS)
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, MIN — Dangerous is his middle name as he scored twice on returns, three times on runs and four times as a receiver in a rookie season in which the Vikings saddled him with training wheels most of the year. (FUNSTON)
Cam Newton, QB, CAR — He's finished in the top 5 among fantasy quarterbacks in each of his three seasons. Why should I expect '14 to be any different? (FUNSTON)
Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE — He's clearly an injury risk at this point who might not even be ready for Week 1 recovering from a torn ACL. But Gronk has scored 42 touchdowns over 50 career games and has the upside of a first round pick if healthy. (DEL DON)
Joique Bell, RB, DET — He totaled 1,197 yards with eight touchdowns while Reggie Bush both stayed healthy and acted as Detroit's lead back, neither of which should be true in 2014, making Bell one of my favorite RB targets. (DEL DON)
Stevan Ridley, RB, NE — Easily could be a wasted pick or perhaps 1,100 yards and double-digit touchdowns. No one knows, probably not even Belichick. (SALFINO)
Toby Gerhart, RB, JAC — Have no idea about his skill level but the volume should be there and he could even be the every-down and goal-line back. The offseason's highest-paid runner. (SALFINO)
Round 6
Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI — He's back and slated for the bulk of DeSean Jackson's touches. What's not to like about that? Chip Kelly will make sure those touches are high-impact, too. (SALFINO)
Michael Floyd, WR, ARI — Most explosive receiver on Cards but afterthought in coverages because of his bigger-named running mate. Floyd beat Fitz by over two yards per target, huge. (SALFINO)
Torrey Smith, WR, BAL — Despite seeing 27 more targets than the year before while becoming the focal point of Balitmore's passing offense, Smith scored half as many touchdowns in 2013 than 2012. That seems like a fluke that will be corrected in 2014. (DEL DON)
Terrance Williams, WR, DAL — If you prorate his stats over his eight starts last year, you'd get 968 yards and six touchdowns. This came during a rookie season in which he was mostly the fourth option at best. There's upside here. (DEL DON)
Ray Rice, RB, BAL — If he manages to avoid suspension, he's in line for a bounce-back campaign as he's slimmed down in preparation for a Gary Kubiak system that is oh-so-kind to RBs (FUNSTON)
Chris Johnson, RB, NYJ — He'll be part of a RBBC in NY, but the Jets will likely be one of the most run-heavy teams in the league, so workload should still be ample. (FUNSTON)
Matt Ryan, QB, ATL — With Roddy and Julio back at full strength, Ryan is a good bet to reach 4800 and 30. I wanted this team to pick its QB before Pianowski's squads each drafted twice. (BEHRENS)
Kendall Wright, WR, TEN — I waffled on this pick, considering a few other receivers. But ultimately the half-point PPR format steered me toward Wright, coming off a 94-REC season. (BEHRENS)
Frank Gore, RB, SF — I would never intentionally try to land opposing players on the same offense, and Gore has his fleas - but he also holds an excellent floor for this late in the dance. (PIANOWSKI)
Greg Olsen, TE, Car — Who else are they going to throw to? You love having the only show in town. (PIANOWSKI)
Eric Decker, WR, NYJ — His reality TV show and shift from the Broncos to Jets are equally deplorable, but he's still a large red-zone target who should generate at least 8-10 looks per game. (EVANS)
Golden Tate, WR, Det — Seattle's ball control style handicapped his overall potential. That won't be the case in an offense that threw the fifth-most times last year. A 65-950-6 line is quite attainable. (EVANS)
