Fantasy Football RB Sleepers for Week 6: Five Running Backs to Consider

Finding the right fantasy football RB sleepers can make a huge impact in Week 6, especially for managers dealing with injuries, bye weeks, difficult matchups or tough start-sit decisions. Aside from the obvious weekly starters, several running back sleepers could be positioned for increased opportunities this week.

Each week, we highlight five running backs who have a path to outperform expectations because of their role, matchup, recent usage or opportunities in their offense. These picks can help season-long fantasy football managers looking for a sleeper or FLEX option, while DraftKings salaries are included for players who are also in good spots to provide DFS value.

Best Fantasy Football RB Sleepers for Week 6

Here are five fantasy football RB sleepers to consider for Week 6. Quick analysis for each running back is below.

1. Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals ($4,800)
2. Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints ($4,600)
3. Kenneth Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,400)
4. Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears ($4,200)
5. Audric Estime, Cleveland Browns ($4,000)

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals ($4,800)

Why he’s a Week 6 fantasy football sleeper: The Cardinals ruled out Jeremiyah Love (ankle), so Allgeier is expected to lead the backfield in Love’s absence when they visit the Rams in Week 6. Allgeier had 17 carries for 61 yards and 9.0 FPTS in Week 1 with a bigger workload and had 12.9 FPTS in Week 4 against the Giants when he scored his only touchdown of the year. He also has multiple catches in every game this season, so he brings a solid floor and high ceiling in a full-time role with Bam Knight ($4,000) as his primary backup.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints ($4,600)

Why he’s a Week 6 fantasy football sleeper: Miller is in a three-way rotation in the Saints backfield with Alvin Kamara ($5,100; back, questionable) and CJ Donaldson ($4,100). Miller led the team with 10 carries last week and scored the only touchdown of the trio while rushing for 30 yards. He didn’t have any catches and may continue to share third-down work, but as the early-down and goal-line option, Miller is worth a look at this salary.

Kenneth Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,400)

Why he’s a Week 6 fantasy football sleeper: Gainwell will take on his former team as the Steelers come to Tampa. Sean Tucker ($4,000; quadriceps, questionable) could be at less than 100% or out. Gainwell has multiple catches in four straight games and had a season-high 10.7 FPTS against the Packers two weeks ago when he scored his lone touchdown of the season. He will look to get into the end zone again in this potential revenge spot against the Steelers, making him an interesting fantasy football sleeper.

Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears ($4,200)

Why he’s a Week 6 fantasy football sleeper: With Kyle Monangai (toe) out for a second straight week and still considered week-to-week, Johnson will again mix in with D’Andre Swift ($6,700). Johnson had five carries for six yards and five catches for 34 yards in last week’s loss to the Packers while playing 39% of snaps. While the quarterback situation is still uncertain, Johnson should be involved in the running game enough to be a solid bargain play with good upside this week.

Audric Estime, Cleveland Browns ($4,000)

Why he’s a Week 6 fantasy football sleeper: The Browns lost Raheim Sanders (hip) to IR this week and Dylan Sampson (knee) won’t be activated from IR yet after returning to practice. Quinshon Judkins ($5,500; hamstring, questionable) is worth considering if he plays through his own injury, while Jaleel McLaughlin ($4,900) and Estime would carry the load if Judkins is out. McLaughlin has not been a workhorse option in his previous NFL stops, while Estime showed interesting potential last year with the Saints. He’s still new to the team and will be making his Browns debut, but he has the upside to be an incredible bargain at the minimum salary if he gets enough of the workload this week.

Last Week’s Fantasy Football RB Sleeper Results

Here’s how our five fantasy football RB sleeper picks performed last week:

• Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers: 5.9 FPTS
• Najee Harris, New York Giants: 2.4 FPTS
• CJ Donaldson, New Orleans Saints: 3.0 FPTS
• Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders: 2.0 FPTS
• Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears: 9.0 FPTS

Fantasy Football RB Sleepers FAQ

Who are the best fantasy football RB sleepers for Week 6?

Tyler Allgeier, Kendre Miller, Kenny Gainwell, Roschon Johnson and Audric Estime are five running backs to consider as fantasy football sleepers for Week 6.

What is a fantasy football RB sleeper?

A fantasy football RB sleeper is a running back outside the most obvious weekly starters who has an opportunity to outperform expectations because of factors such as an expanded role, increased targets, injuries, recent usage or a favorable matchup.

Can these RB sleepers also be used in DraftKings DFS lineups?

Some fantasy football RB sleepers can also provide DFS value when their DraftKings salary does not fully reflect their projected role or upside. DraftKings salaries are included above to help identify players who may be useful in both season-long fantasy football and DFS contests.