The Sportsnaut Week 6 fantasy football rankings break down the most important positions in fantasy, evaluating individual matchups, recent performances, and injuries for the best players in the NFL. Bookmark this page for updates leading up to every game.
Our preliminary rankings for Week 5 are done before the latest NFL injury report comes out. There are plenty of injuries to monitor, including to NFL stars like Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. We’ll also provide you with waiver wire options to replace injured players and evaluate the best fantasy matchups in Week 6.
Before diving into our Week 6 fantasy football rankings, here are the NFL teams on a bye this week.
NFL bye weeks – Week 6
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
Here are our Week 6 fantasy football rankings.
Week 6 fantasy QB rankings
Related: Week 6 waiver wire targets
| Rank: | Player | Opponent |
| 1 | Josh Allen | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2 | Patrick Mahomes | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 3 | Tom Brady | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | Lamar Jackson | @ New York Giants |
| 5 | Kyler Murray | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 6 | Kirk Cousins | @ Miami Dolphins |
| 7 | Jalen Hurts | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 8 | Joe Burrow | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 9 | Geno Smith | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 10 | Justin Herbert | vs Denver Broncos |
| 11 | Aaron Rodgers | vs New York Jets |
| 12 | Jimmy Garoppolo | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 13 | Matthew Stafford | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 14 | Russell Wilson | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 15 | Daniel Jones | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 16 | Trevor Lawrence | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 17 | Zach Wilson | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 18 | Matt Ryan | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 19 | Skylar Thompson | vs Minnesota Vikings |
| 20 | Marcus Mariota | vs San Francisco 49ers |
The Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Royals game delivers the top two quarterbacks in our Week 6 fantasy rankings. Beyond Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, we’re rolling the dice on Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is slowly regaining its form and the recipe to accelerate that is a matchup gainst a Pittsburgh Steelers defense coughing up 287.6 pass ypg to quarterbacks.
Turning the spotlight to quarterbacks with favorable matchups in Week 6, Kirk Cousins takes the field against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (Miami Dolphins) and the Justin Jefferson-Adam Thielen duo is more than enough to exploit it. Week 6 could also be the time when Kyler Murray delivers video-game-like numbers, facing a Seattle Seahawks secondary that has already allowed nine passing touchdowns and a 106.6 passer rating this season. It’s an even more favorable game script in a projected shootout, which makes Geno Smith an underrated option.
As for the quarterbacks we’re staying away from in DFS and tempering expectations in season-long fantasy leagues, Justin Herbert could be without Keenan Allen in Week 6 against a Denver Broncos secondary allowing just 176.6 pass ypg with a 1.8% touchdown rate and a 62.9% completion rate. There is also no reason to trust a struggling Matt Stafford right now, especially against an above-average Carolina Panthers defense.
Kyler Murray and Geno Smith are locks this Sunday in what projects to be a high-scoring affair. Not only can they deliver two passing touchdowns with 250-plus rushing yards, but there is also the ability to tack on 30-plus rushing yards. With the Thursday Night Football game over, Skylar Thompson and Matt Ryan jump into our Week 6 fantasy football QB rankings.
Fantasy RB rankings – Week 5
| Rank: | Player | Opponent |
| 1 | Saquon Barkley | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 2 | Leonard Fournette | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 3 | Dalvin Cook | @ Miami Dolphins |
| 4 | Christian McCaffrey | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 5 | Nick Chubb | vs New England Patriots |
| 6 | Austin Ekeler | vs Denver Broncos |
| 7 | Rhamondre Stevenson | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 8 | Alvin Kamara | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 9 | Kenneth Walker III | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 10 | Melvin Gordon | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 11 | Jeff Wilson Jr | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 12 | Aaron Jones | vs New York Jets |
| 13 | Joe Mixon | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 14 | Raheem Mostert | vs Minnesota Vikings |
| 15 | Eno Benjamin | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 16 | J.K. Dobbins | @ New York Giants |
| 17 | Miles Sanders | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 18 | Travis Etienne Jr | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 19 | Breece Hall | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 20 | Ezekiel Elliott | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 21 | Devin Singletary | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 21 | A.J. Dillon | vs New York Jets |
| 23 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | vs Buffalo Bills |
| 24 | Kareem Hunt | vs New England Patriots |
| 25 | Michael Carter | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 26 | Najee Harris | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 27 | Cam Akers | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 28 | Tony Pollard | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 29 | James Robinson | @ Indianapolis Colts |
Right ahead of Taylor in our Week 6 fantasy running back rankings are Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette. The Baltimore Ravens’ defense allows 5 yards per rush this season and Barkley is a lock for 20-plus touches, receiving some of the same check-down passes we saw from the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. Regarding Fourntte, Brady has now provided his 6-foot running back with 17 receptions in the last two games, delivering 50-plus receiving yards and a touchdown in both contests. Against a bad Pittsburgh defense, we’ll take that usage and pair it with the touchdown upside Fournette provides.
Among our favorite matchup plays at running back in Week 6, Rhamondre Stevenson and Melvin Gordon could deliver huge performances. With Damien Harris injured, the New England Patriots will make Stevenson the centerpiece of their ground game. It comes at the perfect time because the Cleveland Browns just allowed 440 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the last two weeks. Likewise, Gordon squares off against a Los Angeles Chargers front with 495 rushing yards and 6.1 ypr surrendered in the last three games.
As for the rest of our fantasy football rankings at running back, James Conner is out and replaced by Eno Benjamin Meanwhile, Travis Etienne Jr. surpasses James Robinson because he looks like the better player (4.9 ypr vs 4.1 ypr) and his involvement in the passing game can’t be ignored.
Najee Harris is quickly becoming one of the biggest disappointments this season. Once a top-10 lock in the fantasy football rankings, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back now can’t even crack the top-25 entering Week 6. He is averaging just 3.2 yards per rush with one touchdown on 69 carries and three games under 50 rushing yards. Oh, the second-year back also hasn’t eclipsed six receiving yards this year.
Fantasy Football Rankings – Week 6 wide receivers
| Rank: | Player | Opponent |
| 1 | Justin Jefferson | @ Miami Dolphins |
| 2 | Cooper Kupp | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 3 | Stefon Diggs | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 4 | Ja’Marr Chase | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 5 | Mike Evans | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | Tyreek Hill | vs Minnesota Vikings |
| 7 | A.J. Brown | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 8 | Deebo Samuel | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 9 | CeeDee Lamb | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 10 | Chris Godwin | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 11 | Marquise Brown | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 12 | Courtland Sutton | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 13 | Tee Higgins | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 14 | Gabriel Davis | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 15 | Amari Cooper | vs New England Patriots |
| 16 | Tyler Lockett | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 17 | Jaylen Waddle | vs Minnesota Vikings |
| 18 | Mike Williams | vs Denver Broncos |
| 19 | Michael Pittman Jr | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 20 | D.K. Metcalf | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 21 | DeVonta Smith | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 22 | Michael Thomas (Q) | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 23 | Christian Kirk | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 24 | Diontae Johnson | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 25 | Adam Thielen | @ Miami Dolphins |
| 26 | Brandon Aiyuk | vs Atlanta Falcons |
| 27 | Jerry Jeudy | @ Los Angeles Chargers |
| 28 | Chris Olave | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 29 | Randall Cobb | vs New York Jets |
| 30 | Drake London | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 31 | Devin Duvernay | @ New York Giants |
| 32 | Allen Lazard | vs New York Jets |
| 33 | Garrett Wilson | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 34 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | vs Buffalo Bills |
| 35 | George Pickens | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 36 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | vs Buffalo Bills |
| 37 | Alec Pierce | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 38 | Allen Robinson | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 39 | Jakobi Meyers | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 40 | DJ Moore | @ Los Angeles Rams |
Justin Jefferson reclaims his spot atop our fantasy football rankings. The Minnesota Vikings fed him the football early against the Chicago Bears and to the surprise of no one it ignited the offense. It needs to be the same game plan in Week 6, especially because the Miami Dolphins are allowing the third-highest yards per pass attempt (8.3), the fifth-most passing yards per game (276.8) and the fifth-most yards after catch (583).
Diving into our top-10 fantasy WR rankings, we’re in wait-and-see mode with Tyreek Hill. Otherwise, the lack of consistency from Jaylen Waddle in recent weeks slides him down the list significantly. As for the Ja’Marr Chase vs Marshon Lattimore matchup, Lattimore grades out as PFF’s 80th-best cornerback on the season. Tee Higgins, if healthy, is also high in our Week 6 rankings because he faces Paulson Adebo (158.3 passer rating allowed).
We’re not starting D.J. Moore, outside of the deepest leagues, until we know what he looks like with P.J. Walker. From everything we’ve seen from Walker in his time in the NFL, expectations our low. Another high-end player we’re low on is Drake London. While the San Francisco 49ers are hurting at cornerback, they will still have Charvarius Ward out there and he is exceptional in coverage.
Among our favorite plays in Week 6, Darnell Mooney squares off against a Washington Commanders’ secondary that allowed a 103.7 passer rating through its first five games. Justin Fields looks better as of late and the connection with Mooney against a secondary that makes a lot of mistakes, is enticing. Adam Thielen is a great play for the same reasons as Justin Jefferson, along with Curtis Samuel (32 receptions in five games).
Week 6 fantasy football sleepers – Wide Receivers
- Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers vs New York Jets
- Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Devin Duvernay, Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants
Week 6 fantasy tight end rankings
| Rank: | Player | Opponent |
| 1 | Travis Kelce | vs Buffalo Bills |
| 2 | Mark Andrews | @ New York Giants |
| 3 | George Kittle | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 4 | Dallas Goedert | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 5 | Tyler Higbee | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 6 | Kyle Pitts (Q) | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 7 | Zach Ertz | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 8 | David Njoku | vs New England Patriots |
| 9 | Hayden Hurst | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 10 | Evan Engram | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 11 | Taysom Hill | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 12 | Dawson Knox | @ Kansas City Chiefs |
| 13 | Gerald Everett | vs Denver Broncos |
| 14 | Pat Freiermuth | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 15 | Robert Tonyan | vs New York Jets |
| 16 | Tyler Conklin | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 17 | Will Dissly | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 18 | Noah Fant | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 19 | Irv Smith Jr. | @ Miami Dolphins |
Week 6 is like any other Sunday in the NFL with Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews atop the fantasy tight end rankings. Andrews ranks second in the NFL in targets for tight ends (46), turning those into 349 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce is a lock for 50-plus receiving yards and can usually deliver a touchdown.
It might come as a surprise to see Tyler Higbee vault up the fantasy football rankings, but it’s earned. He leads all NFL tight ends in targets (48) and receptions (33), becoming a go-to target for Stafford when Kupp is covered. Even if Higbee never finds the end zone, it’s hard to turn down five receptions and 40-plus receiving yards as the floor for a position.
Among the other recommended plays in Week 6, we’re spotlighting David Njoku. He’s delivered 250 receiving yards in the last three games receiving 23 targets from Jacoby Brissett during that stretch. As for Taysom Hill, we’re never going to see him replicate his Week 5 but production but the usage inside the 10-yard line and his role in the rushing attack can no longer be ignored.
Week 6 fantasy kicker rankings
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants
- Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings vs Baltimore Ravens
- Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
- Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs New Orleans Saints
- Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers
- Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers
- Nick Folk, New England Patriots vs Cleveland Browns
- Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers vs New York Jets
- Chase McLaughlin, Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Will Lutz, New Orleans Saints vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Graham Gano, New York Giants vs Baltimore Ravens
- Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals
- Matt Prater, Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks
10 longest field goals in NFL history
