Fantasy Football Outlook: Jerome Ford, Curtis Samuel, Joshua Reynolds, Brandin Cooks

Every week we’ll bring you The Primer, a deep dive into every fantasy-relevant player from every NFL game of the week. You can find the full weekly Primer here. Below we dive into a few notable players ahead of this weekend’s games.

Fantasy Football Outlook

Curtis Samuel: Over the last two games, Samuel has averaged 7.5 targets (16.3% target share) with 1.53 YPRR and a 19.3% first-read share. He could see another busy day against Atlanta with how these corner matchups stack up. Samuel will run about 72% of his routes against Dee Alford (72.7% catch rate and 110.3 passer rating) in the slot. Atlanta has allowed the fifth-highest PRR points per target to slot wide receivers. Week 6 Positional Value: WR4 with WR2/3 upside

Jerome Ford: You have to feel bad for Ford. After taking over as the team’s starter, he has faced a horrible list of run defenses with TEN, BAL, and now SF on deck. As the team’s lead back, he has played 56-62% of snaps, averaging 14 touches and 48 total yards. Among 63 qualified running backs, he ranks 33rd in explosive run rate, 23rd in missed tackles forced per attempt, and seventh in yards after contact per attempt. The 49ers remain an elite run defense, allowing the lowest explosive run rate, the ninth-lowest yards after contact per attempt, and the 12th-lowest yards before contact per attempt. They have held gap runs to the sixth-lowest yards per carry (Ford 56% gap). Week 6 Positional Value: RB3

Joshua Reynolds: Last week, the Lions deployed a committee approach at wide receiver. Reynolds led the way with a 17.9% target share and had a 42% TPRR, but if not for that hyper-targeted usage, he would have face-planted. Reynolds was fourth among the group with a 40% route run rate. Asking him to walk that thin of a tightrope moving forward (if it holds) is too dangerous to depend on weekly. Reynolds has only seen two red zone targets. It’s not like we can even hang out hat on massive touchdown equity in this offense. Week 6 Positional Value: Must sit

Brandin Cooks: Cooks has a 15% target hsre and a 25.9% air-yard share with a 0.72 YPRR and a 18.5% first-read share. The Chargers have operated in zone coverage on 72.4% of their defensive snaps. Against zone, Cooks target share has been 18.2% and his first-read share sits at 25%. Cooks has only two deep targets and two red zone targets this season. Cooks will run about 64% of his routes against Asante Samuel Jr. (72% catch rate and 84.2 passer rating) and Michael Davis (71.9% catch rate and 138.8 passer rating). Week 6 Positional Value: WR3/4