Running back PPR rankings for Week 6 fantasy football

We’re officially through five weeks of the 2021 NFL season, and to all of our surprises, Cordarrelle Patterson remains a top-six fantasy running back in PPR formats. Who woulda thought?

Outside of the usual excellence from Derrick Henry and Austin Ekeler among other elite names in Week 5, we saw a true breakout performance from rookie Najee Harris, who tallied his first career 100-yard rushing game.

Injury news

Saquon Barkley left Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle and is likely to miss some time.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire left Sunday Night Football with a knee injury, which was confirmed as a sprained MCL. He was placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least three games. Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon saw work in his absence.

Patriots’ RB Damien Harris left Sunday’s game with rib and chest injuries. Ian Rapoport noted Monday that he’s considered day-to-day.

We could potentially see a return for Christian McCaffrey this week from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 3 against the Texans. Matt Rhule said he’s “hopeful” for a return, but if not, rookie Chuba Hubbard will continue to get the call.

Bye weeks

The Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are on bye in Week 6. Fantasy managers will most notably be without running backs Alvin Kamara and the duo of Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis.

Week 6 RB start of the week

James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins

It still doesn’t seem like James Robinson has amassed the proper amount of hype for how he’s performed so far in the season. He sits as the RB10 in full PPR scoring formats and seems to have a firm grip on the starting role since Carlos Hyde was a surprise inactive in Week 4. This week, the Jags will face the Dolphins who have struggled to stop the run. Miami has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, averaging 120 rushing yards and 1.2 rushing touchdowns allowed per game. While the Dolphins struggle with health themselves, the game script should be perfect for a run-heavy outing and big day for Robinson, who’s averaged 20 touches per game since Week 3.