Week Six Positional Rankings
Week six is probably the most difficult time of the fantasy football season. Is your dynasty team a “contender” or “pretender”? Have you gotten lucky up to this point for your 4-1 record or are you a true powerhouse? Should you look towards next season sitting at 2-3? While we have plenty of dynasty experts to consult on these topics and more, the goal remains the following: get the most out of your team. Every team is still in it at this point; at least one team sitting at 1-4 in my leagues has a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
One of the most challenging aspects of providing this article each week is the possibility of COVID delays. Hence, I will assume that – as of this writing – all games will be played. That way, I can provide the most information possible for you in case these games do wind up occurring.
In this series, I’ll give you my top 30 quarterbacks, 60 running backs, 60 wide receivers, and 30 tight ends each week to help you with your start/sit decisions in your leagues. To generate this list each and every week, I examine team trends, Vegas over/unders, implied points, pace of play, among various other factors to build a projection for each player and subsequently adjust rankings for upside and more detailed matchup specifics.
Among the rankings, there will surely be some that surprise you or that you may disagree with. At the end of each position section, I’ll give you my thoughts on some players that perhaps are ranked higher/lower than you might expect and insights as to why they are a good/bad play this week. Ultimately, these rankings should help your start/sit dilemmas and ensure you have the requisite resources to make an informed decision.
Without further ado, let’s dive into week six’s positional rankings!
Quarterback
Pos | Player | Matchup | Rank |
QB | Patrick Mahomes II | @BUF | 1 |
QB | Kyler Murray | @DAL | 2 |
QB | Josh Allen | KC | 3 |
QB | Lamar Jackson | @PHI | 4 |
QB | Aaron Rodgers | @TB | 5 |
QB | Ryan Tannehill | HOU | 6 |
QB | Deshaun Watson | @TEN | 7 |
QB | Matthew Stafford | @JAC | 8 |
QB | Kirk Cousins | ATL | 9 |
QB | Ben Roethlisberger | CLE | 10 |
QB | Cam Newton | DEN | 11 |
QB | Gardner Minshew II | DET | 12 |
QB | Ryan Fitzpatrick | NYJ | 13 |
QB | Andy Dalton | ARI | 14 |
QB | Tom Brady | GB | 15 |
QB | Jared Goff | @SF | 16 |
QB | Matt Ryan | @MIN | 17 |
QB | Teddy Bridgewater | CHI | 18 |
QB | Philip Rivers | CIN | 19 |
QB | Daniel Jones | WAS | 20 |
QB | Joe Burrow | @IND | 21 |
QB | Carson Wentz | BAL | 22 |
QB | Baker Mayfield | @PIT | 23 |
QB | Nick Foles | @CAR | 24 |
QB | Drew Lock | @NE | 25 |
QB | Joe Flacco | @MIA | 26 |
QB | Kyle Allen | @NYG | 27 |
QB | Jimmy Garoppolo | LAR | 28 |
Start ‘em: Ryan Tannehill, QB TEN
The Titans didn’t miss a beat on Tuesday night after missing their week four game against Pittsburgh due to COVID-19. Tannehill was on fire early and often, completing 75% of his passes with three touchdowns through the air, adding another 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Tannehill is quietly the QB8 in fantasy points per game on the season and has shown underrated ability on the ground throughout his time as the Tennessee starter.
In week six, Tannehill gets to face the Houston Texans, and the Titans have the fourth-highest implied team total on the week at 28.5 points. The Texans rank middle of the pack in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but they are also the only team in the NFL yet to have an interception on defense. Tannehill and the Titans should be involved in a high-scoring game in week six, with Tannehill standing to benefit as a top quarterback option on the week.
Sit ‘em: Carson Wentz, QB PHI
Wentz has been one of the most disappointing fantasy quarterbacks on the season. Averaging under 240 yards per game and more interceptions than touchdowns, Wentz simply cannot be trusted as a startable option in one-quarterback formats. While dynasty managers should have some long-term hope he improves once Jalen Reagor plays consistently and other weapons on the Eagles get healthy, but in a week six matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, it’s best to leave him on the bench.
The Ravens have been a top defense against opposing quarterbacks on the season, and aside from a game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, they have let to allow opposing offenses score more than 17 points. You can certainly do better this week than starting Wentz.
If you’re desperate: Kirk Cousins, QB MIN
A theme you’ll notice week after week in this column is that the quarterback playing the Atlanta Falcons is – at the very least – a desperation option. While Cousins hasn’t lit the fantasy world on fire this season – rankings as just the QB26 in points per game – his week six matchup is too good to ignore. The Falcons have allowed a whopping 30 points per game against opposing quarterbacks, which is six points per game higher than the number two team (the Seattle Seahawks).
The Vikings, despite losing Dalvin Cook for the week, have the second-highest implied team total of the week at 29 points. Expect Cousins to have a multi-touchdown floor with a chance to post top-five numbers this week if all goes right. He’s a mid/low-end QB1.
Running Back
Pos | Player | Matchup | Rank |
RB | Ezekiel Elliott | ARI | 1 |
RB | Derrick Henry | HOU | 2 |
RB | Jonathan Taylor | CIN | 3 |
RB | Kareem Hunt | @PIT | 4 |
RB | Aaron Jones | @TB | 5 |
RB | James Robinson | DET | 6 |
RB | Mike Davis | CHI | 7 |
RB | James Conner | CLE | 8 |
RB | Alexander Mattison | ATL | 9 |
RB | Miles Sanders | BAL | 10 |
RB | Joe Mixon | @IND | 11 |
RB | Todd Gurley II | @MIN | 12 |
RB | David Montgomery | @CAR | 13 |
RB | Ronald Jones II | GB | 14 |
RB | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | @BUF | 15 |
RB | Myles Gaskin | NYJ | 16 |
RB | David Johnson | @TEN | 17 |
RB | Raheem Mostert | LAR | 18 |
RB | Antonio Gibson | @NYG | 19 |
RB | Devin Singletary | KC | 20 |
RB | Darrell Henderson | @SF | 21 |
RB | Kenyan Drake | @DAL | 22 |
RB | Devonta Freeman | WAS | 23 |
RB | Chase Edmonds | @DAL | 24 |
RB | James White | DEN | 25 |
RB | Melvin Gordon III | @NE | 26 |
RB | Adrian Peterson | @JAC | 27 |
RB | Damien Harris | DEN | 28 |
RB | Nyheim Hines | CIN | 29 |
RB | D’Andre Swift | @JAC | 30 |
RB | Le’Veon Bell | @BUF | 31 |
RB | Mark Ingram II | @PHI | 32 |
RB | Jerick McKinnon | LAR | 33 |
RB | Cam Akers | @SF | 34 |
RB | J.K. Dobbins | @PHI | 35 |
RB | J.D. McKissic | @NYG | 36 |
RB | Duke Johnson Jr. | @TEN | 37 |
RB | Phillip Lindsay | @NE | 38 |
RB | Zack Moss | KC | 39 |
RB | Leonard Fournette | GB | 40 |
RB | Frank Gore | @MIA | 41 |
RB | Malcolm Brown | @SF | 42 |
RB | Rex Burkhead | DEN | 43 |
RB | Brian Hill | @MIN | 44 |
RB | Gus Edwards | @PHI | 45 |
RB | D’Ernest Johnson | @PIT | 46 |
RB | Tony Pollard | ARI | 47 |
RB | Chris Thompson | DET | 48 |
RB | Jamaal Williams | @TB | 49 |
RB | Anthony McFarland Jr. | CLE | 50 |
RB | Dion Lewis | WAS | 51 |
RB | Giovani Bernard | @IND | 52 |
RB | Matt Breida | NYJ | 53 |
RB | Boston Scott | BAL | 54 |
RB | Mike Boone | ATL | 55 |
RB | Ke’Shawn Vaughn | GB | 56 |
RB | Kerryon Johnson | @JAC | 57 |
RB | Benny Snell Jr. | CLE | 58 |
RB | Lamical Perine | @MIA | 59 |
RB | Jeff Wilson Jr. | LAR | 60 |
Start ‘em: Myles Gaskin, RB MIA
Gaskin has been a surprisingly consistent option for dynasty players this season. As a second-year back, Gaskin has taken full command of a wide-open depth chart and has performed well. Gaskin, week in and week out, has brought a consistent PPR floor; he has scored at least 5.2 PPR points only as a receiver in every game so far. What’s hurt Gaskin to date has been a lack of touchdowns, as the second-year back has just one on the season.
Going up against a Jets defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs as well as the second-most running back touchdowns, Gaskin should have a good floor and carries top-ten upside on the week. Start him with confidence as a high-end RB2 in your fantasy lineups.
Sit ‘em: Jerick McKinnon, RB SF
Prior to last week, McKinnon had been an incredibly solid fantasy football contributor, scoring at least 13 points in every game from weeks one through four. In week five, however, McKinnon took a noticeable back seat to teammate Raheem Mostert coming back from his injury. McKinnon played just 25% of the team’s snaps as compared to 92% in the team’s week four matchup against Philadelphia.
While his usage in the passing game makes for a solid floor – hence why McKinnon is still ranked as a low-end RB3 – it’s difficult to trust the veteran back heading into a tough matchup against the Rams. Los Angeles ranks 11th-best against opposing running backs on the season. While not amazing, this – combined with the 49ers implied team total of just 24.5 points (seventh-fewest on the week) makes McKinnon a risky play in week six.
If you’re desperate: D’Andre Swift
As a pre-draft rookie favorite to dynasty players, many had Swift pegged to command a lead-back role early on in 2020. With the signing of veteran Adrian Peterson, however, Swift has taken a clear back seat for the time being. The rookie ranks as the RB33 in PPR points per game through five weeks, which itself is not hugely impressive, but this performance has come when Swift has yet to receive more than 43% of the Lions’ snaps in any game. Coming off the team’s bye, it’s reasonable to believe that Swift will be more involved in the team’s offensive gameplan moving into the second quarter of his rookie season.
Despite the relative lack of consistent usage, Swift has managed to score over 11 PPR points in three of his four games. In week six, the Lions have a dream matchup against the Jaguars, where they have the third-highest implied team total of the week at 28.5 points. More specifically, the Jaguars have allowed the ninth-most points to opposing running backs, including over 30 receptions to the position on the season. While Swift’s overall usage makes him simply a high-ceiling FLEX play, there are few running backs in this range who have the ceiling he does in week six.
Wide Receiver
Pos | Player | Matchup | Rank |
WR | DeAndre Hopkins | @DAL | 1 |
WR | Tyreek Hill | @BUF | 2 |
WR | Adam Thielen | ATL | 3 |
WR | Allen Robinson II | @CAR | 4 |
WR | Calvin Ridley | @MIN | 5 |
WR | Davante Adams | @TB | 6 |
WR | Stefon Diggs | KC | 7 |
WR | Amari Cooper | ARI | 8 |
WR | Terry McLaurin | @NYG | 9 |
WR | A.J. Brown | HOU | 10 |
WR | Cooper Kupp | @SF | 11 |
WR | Mike Evans | GB | 12 |
WR | Kenny Golladay | @JAC | 13 |
WR | Robert Woods | @SF | 14 |
WR | Jamison Crowder | @MIA | 15 |
WR | Will Fuller V | @TEN | 16 |
WR | Robby Anderson | CHI | 17 |
WR | Marquise Brown | @PHI | 18 |
WR | CeeDee Lamb | ARI | 19 |
WR | D.J. Moore | CHI | 20 |
WR | Justin Jefferson | ATL | 21 |
WR | Tyler Boyd | @IND | 22 |
WR | Odell Beckham Jr. | @PIT | 23 |
WR | Darius Slayton | WAS | 24 |
WR | DeVante Parker | NYJ | 25 |
WR | JuJu Smith-Schuster | CLE | 26 |
WR | Laviska Shenault Jr. | DET | 27 |
WR | Michael Gallup | ARI | 28 |
WR | Chase Claypool | CLE | 29 |
WR | Brandin Cooks | @TEN | 30 |
WR | Jarvis Landry | @PIT | 31 |
WR | Marvin Jones Jr. | @JAC | 32 |
WR | Tee Higgins | @IND | 33 |
WR | John Brown | KC | 34 |
WR | Deebo Samuel | LAR | 35 |
WR | Christian Kirk | @DAL | 36 |
WR | Jerry Jeudy | @NE | 37 |
WR | Brandon Aiyuk | LAR | 38 |
WR | Julian Edelman | DEN | 39 |
WR | D.J. Chark Jr. | DET | 40 |
WR | Mecole Hardman | @BUF | 41 |
WR | Diontae Johnson | CLE | 42 |
WR | T.Y. Hilton | CIN | 43 |
WR | Golden Tate | WAS | 44 |
WR | Keelan Cole | DET | 45 |
WR | Travis Fulgham | BAL | 46 |
WR | Cole Beasley | KC | 47 |
WR | Preston Williams | NYJ | 48 |
WR | N’Keal Harry | DEN | 49 |
WR | A.J. Green | @IND | 50 |
WR | Russell Gage | @MIN | 51 |
WR | Curtis Samuel | CHI | 52 |
WR | Randall Cobb | @TEN | 53 |
WR | Scotty Miller | GB | 54 |
WR | Zach Pascal | CIN | 55 |
WR | Greg Ward | BAL | 56 |
WR | Tim Patrick | @NE | 57 |
WR | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | @TB | 58 |
WR | James Washington | CLE | 59 |
WR | Gabriel Davis | KC | 60 |
Start ‘em: Marquise Brown, WR BAL
Hollywood Brown might be the unluckiest wide receiver in the league in regards to opportunity vs fantasy points scored. The second-year pro ranks third in the league in total air yard share (43%) behind Adam Thielen and DK Metcalf, the WR2 and WR4 respectively in 2020, yet Brown ranks as just the WR31. Much of this can be attributed to the Ravens’ overall low-volume passing offense, but one might say Hollywood is “due” for a big game. His usage in this offense dictates it.
In week six, Brown goes up against the Eagles secondary that has allowed the eighth-most points per game to opposing wide receivers, and the Ravens as a team have an implied team total of 28 points: fifth-most on the week. This week, Brown ranks well ahead of his seasonal ranking and looks to be in a prime spot for a big game. He’s a mid-range WR2 with massive upside.
Sit ‘em: Golden Tate, WR NYG
With bye weeks starting to get into full swing, dynasty players may be looking to their depth options more frequently for desperation options. While Tate has certainly been consistent for fantasy thus far – scoring between six and ten PPR points in every game since week two – his overall lack of ceiling and difficult matchup in week six makes him an avoid player if possible. Tate has seen at least five targets in every game he’s played in 2020, but the veteran has yet to eclipse 50 yards receiving nor score a touchdown on a struggling Giants team.
In week six, the Giants face Washington, who have allowed the second-fewest points to opposing wide receivers on the season. While the Giants are three-point home favorites, the game’s 43 point over/under is the lowest in week six. This is a matchup to avoid playing Tate unless you want another seven fantasy points.
If you’re desperate: Christian Kirk, WR ARI
As a third-year pro, Kirk has taken a clear back seat to newly acquired stud DeAndre Hopkins. Averaging just 8.2 PPR points per game, Kirk ranks as just the WR76 overall. After a lackluster first three weeks to start the season, Kirk has finally shown some life. Over the last two games, Kirk has managed to earn at least five targets and has scored at least 10 PPR points in each.
While dynasty managers shouldn’t trust Kirk as an every-week starter, he can be a fine FLEX play in the high-powered Arizona offense in good matchups; this week presents one of those matchups. The Cardinals take on the Dallas Cowboys and their defense that has allowed a whopping 36 points per game. The Cowboys have been one of the most generous teams for opposing wide receivers, allowing the second-most points against to the position in 2020. Kirk’s recent uptick in volume and prime matchup makes him a great desperation FLEX or WR3 option.
Tight End
Pos | Player | Matchup | Rank |
TE | Travis Kelce | @BUF | 1 |
TE | George Kittle | LAR | 2 |
TE | Mark Andrews | @PHI | 3 |
TE | Jonnu Smith | HOU | 4 |
TE | T.J. Hockenson | @JAC | 5 |
TE | Robert Tonyan | @TB | 6 |
TE | Zach Ertz | BAL | 7 |
TE | Evan Engram | WAS | 8 |
TE | Mike Gesicki | NYJ | 9 |
TE | Hayden Hurst | @MIN | 10 |
TE | Tyler Higbee | @SF | 11 |
TE | Eric Ebron | CLE | 12 |
TE | Austin Hooper | @PIT | 13 |
TE | Jimmy Graham | @CAR | 14 |
TE | Rob Gronkowski | GB | 15 |
TE | Dalton Schultz | ARI | 16 |
TE | Trey Burton | CIN | 17 |
TE | Mo Alie-Cox | CIN | 18 |
TE | Irv Smith Jr. | ATL | 19 |
TE | Drew Sample | @IND | 20 |
TE | Tyler Eifert | DET | 21 |
TE | Logan Thomas | @NYG | 22 |
TE | Jordan Akins | @TEN | 23 |
TE | Ian Thomas | CHI | 24 |
TE | Gerald Everett | @SF | 25 |
TE | Kyle Rudolph | ATL | 26 |
TE | Darren Fells | @TEN | 27 |
TE | Cameron Brate | GB | 28 |
TE | Dawson Knox | KC | 29 |
TE | Chris Herndon IV | @MIA | 30 |
Start ‘em: TJ Hockenson, TE DET
After the top four tight ends, there’s a clear tier break this week. Hockenson is what I’d classify as “the best of the rest”. The second-year pro ranks as the TE8 in points per game in the 2020 season and has surpassed 50 yards or scored a touchdown in every game this season. Hockenson’s overall usage in the Lions offense has been promising to date, and in a great matchup against the Jaguars – who have allowed the eight-most points per game to opposing tight ends – he’s a mid-range TE1 option for week six.
Sit ‘em: Logan Thomas, TE WAS
If you follow stats like target share throughout the season, you’ll know that Logan Thomas was impressive in that category early on in the 2020 season. There was hope that he could be this year’s Darren Waller rather than 2018’s Ricky Seals-Jones. However, the veteran former-quarterback has yet to surpass 37 yards receiving this season and has been trending in the wrong direction. Over the last two games, Thomas has just two receptions for 12 yards on eight total targets.
Washington faces the Giants this week and have one of the week’s lowest implied team totals of 20 points. This, combined with the Giants only allowed in the third-fewest points per game to opposing tight ends on the season, make Thomas a clear sit for week six.
If you’re desperate: Irv Smith Jr, TE MIN
As a popular breakout tight end target this season, Smith had done little to show fantasy managers why they drafted him before his week five performance. Smith played a similar number of snaps in week five to his season average, but the second-year pro earned five targets, catching four of them for 64 yards.
While Smith still carries a low floor each and every week, he has a solid ceiling in a prime week six matchup against the Falcons. Atlanta’s defense has allowed the third-most points to opposing tight ends on the season, and the Vikings have the second-highest implied team total in week six at 29 points. If you’re desperate at tight end, there are few options with a higher ceiling than Irv Smith this week.
That concludes this week’s rankings article! If you’re wondering about a player I didn’t dive into detail about, feel free to reach out to me @FFzinger on Twitter. Best of luck this week, and I’ll be back next week to give week seven’s positional rankings.
- Week 17 Positional Rankings - January 1, 2022
- Week 16 Positional Rankings - December 23, 2021
- Week 15 Positional Rankings - December 16, 2021