The first five weeks of the NFL season are behind us and that also means we’re entering a critical stretch for fantasy football teams. One position where there have been quite a few surprises and stars this year is at quarterback, leading us to our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings. Let’s immediately dive into our evaluations of the 15 best QBs for fantasy football in Week 6.
15. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys – vs Detroit Lions
Our concern with Dak Prescott in Week 6 is that the Detroit Lions just dominate on the ground and bleed the clock dry, giving this Dallas Cowboys offense fewer opportunities to make plays. Aidan Hutchinson is also a one-man wrecking crew right now and this Cowboys’ offensive line isn’t one of the team’s strengths. There’s certainly the upside for passing yards here, we just don’t think the touchdowns will come.
14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers – @ Seattle Seahawks
We were definitely let down by Brock Purdy in Week 5, but the environment with this San Francisco 49ers offense is too good to pass up on. In a must-win game for Kyle Shanahan and Co., Purdyshould be able to find success against a Seattle Seahawks secondary that has allowed a 141.8 QB rating and 79.2% completion rate in the last two games, including a 10.5 ypa average and 5 TDs.
13. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers – @ Las Vegas Raiders
There’s a legitimate chance Justin Fields isn’t even the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback in Week 6. It’s not just performance-related, with the Sunday Night Football broadcast indicating the Steelers might want Russell Wilson back under center. For now, we view Fields as a back-end fantasy QB1 against a Las Vegas Raiders defense surrendering 201.4 pass ypg this year.
12. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – @ New Orleans Saints
Baker Mayfield has officially reached “surefire’ fantasy football starter territory. He had one bad game this season, Week 3 against the Denver Broncos, but otherwise has been sharp. He is also responsible for 107 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns this season, something we never saw coming. We’re just setting a low ceiling on him in our fantasy QB rankings for Week 6 because this New Orleans Saints defense – 1-6 TD-INT line and 68.0 QB rating allowed – has thrived against the pass in 2024.
Related: See where the Bucs land in Sportsnaut’s Week 6 power rankings
11. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears – vs Jacksonville Jaguars
While he is well behind Jayden Daniels, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is starting to make strides in his rookie season. The No. 1 overall pick is responsible for a 99.2 QB rating and 67.3% completion rate in the last three games with a 5-2 TD-INT line. In Week 6, he takes on a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that has allowed 316 pass ypg with a 73.3% completion rate, 124.7 QB rating and 9-0 TD-INT ratio over the last three games.
10. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions – @ Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys defense is only allowing 194.4 passing yards per game this year with opponents generating just 6 passing touchdowns in five contests. We like Jared Goff for a different reason. Dallas will likely be without its top three edge rushers on Sunday, a devastating blow against one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Goff should have all day to throw and with the success Detroit’s rushing attack will have, that will set up the play-action and lead to red-zone trips.
Related: Week 6 fantasy rankings
9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals – @ Green Bay Packers
A 50-yard rushing touchdown really saved Kyler Murray’s day in Week 5. We’ll start with the good news for fantasy managers, which is that Murray is averaging 49.4 rushing yards per game this season and that number would be even higher if not for a 3-yard game against the Washington Commanders. However, Murray has also thrown for under 200 yards in consecutive games and he’s averaged just 181.3 pass ypg with a 3-2 TD-INT line in the last three weeks. There are vulnerabilities in this Green Bay Packers defense, but neither Murray nor the Cardinals’ offense is consistent enough right now to have confidence in.
8. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills – @ New York Jets
It might come as a surprise to see Josh Allen this low in our fantasy QB rankings for Week 6, but the numbers don’t lie. In the last two games, the Buffalo Bills quarterback has a 42.4% completion rate with a 65.0 QB rating and is averaging just 155.5 passing yards per contest. Meanwhile, this New York Jets defense has held its last four opponents to 115.5 pass ypg with a 55.9% completion rate and 5.2 yards per attempt. Allen is an MVP-caliber QB, so we respect if managers start him, but this is a bad matchup amid a Bills’ slump.
Related: NFL defense rankings
7. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons – @ Carolina Panthers
The Atlanta Falcons finally got the Kirk Cousins they paid for and it could be a launching point for him moving forward. It’s easy to see the chemistry he’s already built with this Falcons receiving corps and now coming off a 509-yard performance, Cousins faces a Carolina Panthers defense that is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed (11) along with a 111.5 QB rating and 70.8% completion rate. This is a matchup-specific pick, but Cousins easily earned a top spot in our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings.
6. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans – @ New England Patriots
Before facing Tyler Huntley in Week 5, the New England Patriots defense allowed 287.3 pass ypg with a 70.8% completion rate and a 104.9 QB rating average to its previous three opponents. Nico Collins (hamstring) is iffy for Week 6, but even if he can’t go, C.J. Stroud is a must-start fantasy option with a fantastic matchup and an opportunity for this Houston Texans offense to finally take off.
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – vs Cleveland Browns
The Philadelphia Eagles should be getting back A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson this week. Even if two of those players return, it’s a huge boost for Jalen Hurts’ fantasy football stock. Making this Week 6 return even better for the Eagles offense, this Browns’ defense is starting to become unglued, especially on the ground. With multiple red-zone trips, Philadelphia can use this as a get-right game for Hurts.
4. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers – vs Arizona Cardinals
There seems to be more Brett Favre in Jordan Love’s game than we realized, as he enters Week 6 with one of the highest interception rates (4.4 percent) in the NFL this season. With that said, he’s also averaging 291 passing yards per game and has recorded 2 passing touchdowns in every start. Headed into a potential shootout against the Arizona Cardinals defense – 72.5% completion rate and 212.8 pass ypg allowed – Love should have another strong fantasy showing.
Also Read: NFL TV ratings 2024
3. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders – @ Baltimore Ravens
Jayden Daniels won’t win NFL MVP this season, but there’s a compelling case to be made for him to win fantasy football MVP. The rookie quarterback threw an interception for the second consecutive game this past Sunday and completed just 56% of his passes (ESPN). However, he also rushed for 80-plus yards for the second time this season and cleared 230 passing yards for the fourth consecutive game. We’d bet he throws an interception on Sunday, but Daniels is locked near the top of our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings facing a Baltimore Ravens defense that allows the second-most passing yards per game (280.2) and the eighth-highest average QB rating (101.0).
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals – @ New York Giants
The Cincinnati Bengals will be in desperation mode on Sunday Night Football. Joe Burrow is on a tear right now, responsible for 12 touchdown passes with a 70-plus completion rate and over 1,200 passing yards in the last four games. While we do have some concerns with the New York Giants’ defensive line creating penetration, Burrow should be able to feed Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with targets against a secondary that has allowed a 7-1 TD-INT line with a 72% completion rate this season.
Related: See where Joe Burrow lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens – vs Washington Commanders
Lamar Jackson is on fire right now, earning the top spot in our Week 6 fantasy rankings. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback boasts a 7-1 TD-INT ratio with 2 rushing touchdowns and over 190 rushing yards in the last three games. Similar to last week, he projects to be in a shootout with the added advantage of facing a Washington Commanders defense that has allowed a 114.7 QB rating this season with 11 passing touchdowns and 0 interceptions.