My Week 6 rest-of-season fantasy football rankings provide a comprehensive overview of projected player performances for the season’s remaining games, helping you make informed decisions regarding trades, waiver wire transactions, and starting lineups.
You can find my full set of ROS rankings here — they're free for everyone!
Here are some notes heading into Week 6:
No Major Movement in QB Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
There has not been a lot of notable movement among the top 12 QBs since last week.
Guys like Lamar Jackson (QB1), Jayden Daniels (QB3), Joe Burrow (QB8), and Brock Purdy (QB11) saw subtle bumps whereas Josh Allen (QB2), Jalen Hurts (QB4), Patrick Mahomes (QB9), and Anthony Richardson (QB12) saw subtle dips. There is nothing too concerning here, but we’d like to have Richardson return from his oblique injury in Week 6 and perform at the level expected from a top-12 fantasy QB, which he hasn’t done since Week 1 when he finished as the QB4.
Hurts’ value is further reinforced with his bye week behind him, while Mahomes takes his in Week 6, Prescott in Week 7, and Purdy in Week 9.
It was nice seeing Mahomes and Travis Kelce (TE2) get back in rhythm in Week 5 since they will have to make a habit of it now that Rashee Rice underwent successful LCL ligament reconstruction surgery. The Chiefs are still struggling to score in the red zone, though, with Mahomes accounting for 31 passes within the 20-yard line and 3 TDs to 2 INTs to show for it.
He’s tossed six within the 5-yard line, with just one going for a TD while another for an INT. Kelce has seen just five red zone targets this season and has yet to find paydirt when it matters the most. Seeing how Mahomes has struggled to find a trustworthy WR to operate in goal-to-go situations, it’s likely we see Kelce see an uptick in those red zone looks.
After averaging 22.05 FPPG through the first two weeks of the season, Derek Carr (QB20) failed to reach double-digit FPs in Weeks 3 and 4, and then sustained an oblique injury late in the game Monday night which is expected to sideline him for “multiple games.” It’s a tough time for Carr to miss time, as the next three games could have offered him a bounce back opportunity seeing how over the next three weeks, the Saints are in line to face defenses allowing the 6th-, 13th-, and 3rd-most points to opposing QBs this season.
It felt like it took a bit too long to get here, but rookie Drake Maye (QB30) is expected to draw his first start for the Patriots while an underwhelming Jacoby Brissett (QB35) takes a backseat. The Patriots appear invested in seeing what kind of spark Maye can initiate in their offense in hopes that it can inflate their 14% playoff berth probability. I’m doing my best to avoid any Patriots players from a ROS standpoint, but Maye could make things interesting.
Upgrade Kyren Williams in RB Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
Much like what we saw with the QBs, no big changes with the top 12 RBs other than a big bump for Kyren Williams (RB2), who scored his 7th TD of the season in Week 5 and hasn’t left a game without a notch on the scoreboard this season.
Williams currently leads all RBs in snaps with 267--34 of which have been offered in short down and distance situations, and 10 presented within the 5-yard line.
After an unnaturally slow start to the season, D’Andre Swift (RB21) has a rushing TD in back-to-back weeks. Before his first TD of the season in Week 4, Swift was averaging 5.4 FPPG as the RB42. In his last two games, he’s averaging 22.5 FPPG, which is second to only Derrick Henry (RB3) over that span. Other than a Week 7 bye, Swift is projecting for a very favorable stretch from a strength of schedule (SOS) standpoint through Week 11, with those five opponents allowing an average of 20.64 FPPG to opposing RBs this season.
After averaging 7.5 YPC and scoring a TD on 13 carries in Week 5, Chuba Hubbard (RB27) has now produced top-10 RB numbers for the third week in a row, silencing any doubt that he will simply allow rookie Jonathon Brooks (RB35) to take his job when the opportunity presents itself. It’s realistic to expect the Panthers to open Brooks’s 21-day practice this week or next, which would allow him a ramp-up leading to the Panthers' Week 11 bye.
With how well Hubbard is running this season (RB10 in Utilization Score among all RBs with 150+ carries), it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out, especially considering the likelihood of a lost season before Brooks takes a snap.
Monday night showcased the resurgence of Kareem Hunt (RB37), who commanded a 75% rushing share and turned it into 27 carries for 102 yards and a TD—good for RB6 PPR numbers on the week and a respectable 7.7 Utilization Score. The only notable opportunities that Hunt ceded were the long down and distance and two-minute drill snaps, which Samaje Perine (RB69) has all been guaranteed the past two weeks. Carson Steele (RB78) now appears to be the last option for the Chiefs out of the backfield.
A New Top-10 WR Emerges in the Rest-of-Season Wide Receiver Rankings
Jayden Reed (WR10) finds his way into the top 10 WRs after appearing settled in as Jordan Love’s (QB7) WR1.
While he only has two TDs to show for on the season, the Packers are struggling to find consistency in their passing game with Christian Watson (WR53) nursing an ankle injury, Romeo Doubs (WR62) fresh off a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, and Dontayvion Wicks (WR57) working on his timing with Love.
The offense will look to funnel through Reed while the Packers find how to work out the kinks and this becomes especially noteworthy when you acknowledge the Packers have one of the easiest schedules for WRs ROS.
With the Rams on their bye, we are just one week away from seeing Cooper Kupp (WR26) return to the field. His return should offer some balance to the Rams’ offense considering that the Rams have not produced a top 12 WR since Kupp’s WR2 finish in Week 1.
Rookie teammate Jordan Whittington (WR67) has shown great promise lately and appears to be the best of the bunch sans Kupp and Puka Nacua (WR31), yielding a 7.2 and 7.5 Utilization Score in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively. It will be interesting to see how the splits play out for Whittington once Kupp returns.
While Kupp is trending toward returning, it was confirmed on Tuesday that Rashee Rice underwent successful LCL ligament reconstruction surgery and is out for the remainder of the season. Thanks to Hunt’s efficiency out of the backfield, Rice’s injury is undoubtedly a bigger loss than what the Chiefs lost in the short term with Isiah Pacheco (RB43).
While Pacheco is likely to see action at some point this season, Rice’s absence leaves a gaping hole in how the Chiefs need to operate efficiently. While we’re likely to see a Kelce-funneled offense, it was welcoming to see JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR55) step up in Week 5 and finish as the week’s WR12. He, along with Xavier Worthy’s (WR33) speed, Hunt’s versatility, and Kelce’s hands should offer Mahomes plenty of opportunities to jump-start a Chiefs offense struggling to efficiently move the ball and score TDs.
Brock Bowers Bounces Back In Rest-of-Season Tight End Rankings
After a down Week 4 against a beatable Browns defense, Brock Bowers (TE1) took advantage of a Broncos defense in Week 5, commanding 12 targets on 33 routes--a massive 36% targets per route run (TPRR) rate. Bowers has registered a 25% TPPR through five games this season which trails only Trey McBride’s (TE4) 26% among TEs that have run 75+ routes this season.
To make a good situation even better, the Raiders are projected for the easiest ROS schedule for TEs this season, with opposing defenses allowing an average of 11.05 FPPG to opposing TEs this season.
T.J. Hockenson (TE8) was recently designated to return from the PUP list and could return to action as soon as Week 7. In a position littered with inconsistencies, Hockenson should see notable work in the Vikings offense that is offering Justin Jefferson (WR1) a 35% team target share. One offseason removed from a 95/960/5 season; Hockenson offers top-3 TE upside ROS.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that Tucker Kraft (TE9) appears primed to be 2024’s breakout TE candidate after back-to-back weeks finishing as the PPR TE1. With inconsistencies among the Packers pass-catchers, Kraft appears established as Love’s latest second option in the passing game. With 3 TDs over the past two weeks, Kraft’s ROS stock should only bloom if Love continues to keep him involved. Favorable upcoming games against the Texans (Week 7), Lions (Week 9), and Bears (Week 11) will be the ideal time for the two to reconnect.
