Week 6 is another big week of byes with the Chiefs, Rams, Dolphins, and Vikings getting the week off. It’s also been a brutal week of big-name wide receiver injuries which has left many fantasy football teams scrambling for depth and even looking for an emergency option from the waiver wire. To help you make all your lineup decisions, you can find my positional rankings each Monday on DK Network.
As we prepare for Week 6 to begin with a fun NFC West matchup in Seattle on Thursday Night Football, let’s look at some of the biggest risers and fallers in my Week 6 fantasy football rankings.
QB Risers and Fallers
The top three in my rankings stayed the exact same from Week 5 to Week 6. However, this week the top two go head-to-head as Lamar Jackson hosts Jayden Daniels in a juicy game with the highest over/under of the week.
Joe Burrow forced his way into my rankings with his monster game against Jackson and the Ravens last week, and I have him all the way up to No. 4 for this week’s Sunday Night Football contest against the Giants. Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, and Caleb Williams also moved into the top 10 after not being there the previous week. Hurts returns from his bye at No. 8 and I slid Williams in at No. 10 for his matchup against the Jags in London.
The No. 10 spot was actually very tricky for me since I had Williams, Justin Fields, and Baker Mayfield all very close in my rankings. I ultimately went with Williams, leaving Fields out of my rankings for the first time in a few weeks. I do think he’s a great DFS value at his salary and should definitely be able to keep the job even though Russell Wilson is healthy.
Check out my full QB rankings for Week 6.
RB Risers and Fallers
Saquon Barkley returns to the top spot in my rankings just ahead of Derrick Henry. Jordan Mason has struggled a little bit the last few weeks and has a tough Seahawks matchup on a short week, so I dropped him from No. 1 in Week 5 to No. 6 in Week 6–still a strong play but not elite.
The Lions’ running backs are back from their bye week, checking in at No. 4 for Jahmyr Gibbs and No. 13 for David Montgomery in what should be a beautiful matchup for them vs. the banged-up Cowboys.
Speaking of injuries, Jonathan Taylor and Trey Sermon are both dealing with injuries for Indy, and their availability will be key to monitor the rest of this week. Former Colt Zack Moss also missed practice Wednesday, and Chase Brown would jump into the top 20 if Moss isn’t able to play this week against the Giants. Antonio Gibson would enter my top 25 if Rhamondre Stevenson is limited or out vs. the Texans.
Travis Etienne Jr. tumbled down my rankings from No. 13 to No. 21 since he’s losing so much work to Tank Bigsby, who debuted at No. 23. Bucky Irving, Jerome Ford, and Javonte Williams each fell out of my top 25 this week since they have struggled and are stuck in uncertain timeshares.
Check out my full RB rankings for Week 6.
WR Risers and Fallers
It’s been a wild week of WR injury news with Nico Collins landing on IR and Michael Pittman having a serious injury even though we didn’t know there was an issue until Wednesday. While a lot is still fluid heading into the first games of the week, there are some definite risers and fallers to take note of.
The big risers this week are the Falcons, who went off for a monster game as a WR group last week against the Bucs. Drake London is up to No. 6 in my rankings this week in what should be a good matchup against the Panthers. He could be even higher if Malik Nabers (concussion) is out and Jayden Reed gets other receivers taking targets from him in Green Bay.
D.J. Moore also vaulted up the rankings from No. 18 to No. 8 after his monster game last week against the Panthers. Not only was it a revenge game for Moore, but it established him as the go-to option for Williams as the team goes into a favorable matchup this week against Jacksonville.
Trending the other direction, Chris Olave dropped from No. 9 to No. 18 with Derek Carr’s injury and Spencer Rattler taking over at QB. George Pickens also slid eight spots down to No. 21 after his quiet game and lack of effort last week. I had already slid Pittman to No. 22 in my rankings, but if he is sidelined for multiple weeks as expected, Josh Downs (toe) could be a good play if he can battle through his own injury issues. If Downs is out as well, Alec Pierce would move into my top 25.
Check out my full WR rankings for Week 6.
TE Risers and Fallers
With Travis Kelce on a bye week, Trey McBride is back in the top spot in my rankings for this week after coming in at No. 3 in his return from a concussion last week. Sam LaPorta is back from his bye, and I gave him a slight edge at No. 3 ahead of breakout rookie star Brock Bowers, who seems to be coming for the top spot. A QB change and a tough matchup with the Steelers kept him from rising higher in my rankings, though.
Another big week from Tucker Kraft sets up his debut at the No. 5 spot in my TE rankings for Week 6, and Dallas Goedert comes back from his bye week slotting in at No. 8.
I dropped Dalton Kincaid from No. 6 to No. 9, and he may fall out of my rankings entirely if he doesn’t get going this week vs. the Jets. Cole Kmet dropped out of my top 10 and was replaced by Pat Freiermuth, who has a better matchup this week against the Raiders.
Just outside my top 10, Isaiah Likely seems to have passed Mark Andrews as the preferred tight end for the Ravens while sleeper Charlie Kolar made waves as a punt play last week.
Check out my full TE rankings for Week 6.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
