Updated Fantasy Football QB Rankings Week 6: Who to start, best sleepers, injury updates, waiver wire picks

Fantasy managers may have been scratching their heads wondering what year it was in Week 5 as Kirk Cousins led the entire league in passing yards for the week with 509, and Joe Flacco was QB5 heading into SNF and TNF. And on the flipside, Josh Allen, who was ranked as QB1 heading into the week, could only put up a QB15 performance in a tough loss to the Texans. 

As we turn the page over to Week 6, we get Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff back. While the Eagles have struggled, there's also a very good chance that they'll get A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith back against the Browns, and if that's the case, Hurts could be in line for a big day. And while Goff is the type of QB you want to pick and choose your spots with, this is definitely a spot to fire him up and attack a struggling Cowboys defensive unit. With a total of 51.5, scoring should come early and often in this one, and assuming Detroit doesn't jump out to a big lead, they'll have to keep the petal to the metal and air it out. 

Rookie phenom Jayden Daniels also shoots up the rankings all the way to QB2 this week. The Ravens have given up 20 or more points in every game so far except one, and they just gave up 38 points to Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Whether it's through the air with deep shots to Terry McLaurin or whether it's on the ground using his legs, Daniels shouldn't have any issues putting up points this week. 

Let's break down the rest of the biggest stories and situations heading into Week 6 at the QB position. 

WEEK 6 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
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Fantasy QB Rankings Week 6: Who to start, sit at quarterback

These rankings are based on four-point passing TD scoring. These rankings were updated on Oct. 11 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often. 

Those who have played already are listed in italics.

What are the notable rankings changes at QB for Week 6?

While the Jets firing head coach Robert Saleh took up most of the headlines, it was reported later in the day that the New England Patriots would be making a change at quarterback. Rookie Drake May is now expected to make his first career NFL start Sunday against the Texans as Jacoby Brissett reverts to a backup role. The New England offensive line is still Swiss cheese, and the Texans' defense is a formidable unit, so Maye is only ranked at QB25, but that's a few spots higher than we had Brissett thanks to Maye's added mobility and rushing upside. 

With Derek Carr suffering from an oblique injury, the Saints decided to make the call to go with rookie Spencer Rattler. While Jake Haener came on in relief in Week 5 for Carr, Rattler has the better chance to be the team's long term starter, so they'll use Week 6 to get a sneak peek. 

And the Raiders also made the switch to Aidan O'Connell. With Davante Adams still ailing (and likely to be traded), the weapons aren't there to set up O'Connell for success, especially against a tough Steelers' defense. 

Who are the best fantasy QBs for Week 6?

We finally had a somewhat significant shakeup at the top of the QB rankings for Week 6. Josh Allen had manned the top spot all season through five weeks, but it's becoming clear that his arsenal of weapons at WR might not cut the mustard this year after losing Stefan Diggs and Gabe Davis. Khalil Shakir had to miss Week 5, and it clearly hurt as the Bills fell to the Texans. They also get a tough Jets defense this week so he fell to QB 5 this week. 

Lamar Jackson ascends to the top spot after a massive game against the Bengals. Lamar flourished through the air, going for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 56 yards on the ground, but this insane TD pass to Isaiah Likely helped set things up to send this game to overtime. 

OH MY GOD LAMAR JACKSON NO WAY!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/6EFIeisrzf

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 6, 2024

He did suffer a brutal fumble on a snap out of shotgun in overtime, but the Ravens were able to overcome that and walk away with a huge win. Jackson gets Washington next, and while the Commanders' pass rush has been improving, their secondary has been very soft at times. Look for Lamar to keep rolling and show what rookie phenom Jayden Daniels should be aspiring to become.

Speaking of which, Daniels' meteoric ascent continues as he lines up as QB2 this week. Now that Daniels is uncorking the deep ball more often, his potential could be limitless. The Ravens just gave up 41 points to the Bengals, so Daniels should have some opportunities to let it rip, and if the Ravens' pass rush starts getting home, then look for Daniels to try and do even more damage with his legs.  

Who are the QBs on byes in Week 6? 

Kansas City Chiefs: On paper, losing Patrick Mahomes for Week 6 looks like a brutal blow, but Mahomes hasn't been very Mahomsian so far this season. Perhaps the bye week will help the Chiefs' offense work on some things and figure out how best to deal with the loss of Rashee Rice from the WR corps. 

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa is still sidelined after suffering his latest concussion. Skylar Thompson struggled in relief and then went down with an injury of his own. Tyler Huntley has looked a little better than Thompson, but not by much. Head coach Mike McDaniel needs to figure out a lot of things on offense, so this bye comes at a good time for the Dolphins.  

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFC after defeating the Jets in London in Week 5. After the long trip, surprising MVP candidate Sam Darnold gets to take a breather so make sure he's out of your fantasy lineups.  

Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford has been doing an admirable job trying to get by with a Swiss cheese offensive line and missing his top two WR targets in Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Hopefully the bye week helps the rest of the offense heal up so Stafford can start doing more Stafford things when the Rams return from the bye. 

Who are the best fantasy QB waiver pickups Week 6?

We usually stick to players who are rostered in less than 50% of leagues, but given Kirk Cousins' performance this week couple with the fact he's only at 51%, we think he's worth mentioning here. Cousins looked like a statue in Week 1, but he's looked better and better each week since then, and he's really starting to click with his top receiver Drake London. Cousins went off for 509 yards and four TDs against the Bucs on TNF and now gets a vulnerable Carolina defense that just made rookie Caleb Williams look like a seasoned veteran. As long as Atlanta doesn't get too far ahead, Cousins could smash again. 

Jameis Winston came in very briefly at the end of the Browns' 34-13 loss to the Commanders, but it was likely just because the game was already out of hand. In fact, head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that they're not making the switch. But you know who else said that recently? Carolina head coach Dave Canales said the same thing about Bryce Young just one day before he did, in fact, make the switch to Andy Dalton. It's not a given that Stefanski makes the switch, but it's not a given that he doesn't either. If you have roster flexibility, Winston could be a nice stash. 

WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE ADVICE
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Who are the best fantasy QB sleepers Week 6?

Caleb Williams is finally starting to look like the type of elite QB we thought we'd see right from the get go this season. After a brutal first couple of games, Williams put up 363 yards and two TDs in a losing effort to the Colts. He followed that up with a victory over the Rams. While the game flow didn't dictate a pass-heavy gameplan, he did go 17-for-23 for a 73.9% completion percentage. And then he excelled against Carolina in Week 5, going 20-for-29 for 304 yards and two touchdowns, both to DJ Moore. With the leaky Jacksonville secondary up next, look for Williams to keep the momentum going. 

What are the biggest QB injuries Week 6?

The biggest situation to monitor, much like last week, was in Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson went down in Week 4 with an oblique injury, but he wasn't ruled out until Sunday morning. While Joe Flacco looked great in relief again, the Colts did ultimately fall to the Jaguars. While Richardson has looked brutal at times this season, the Colts reiterated that this is Richardson's team once he's healthy, It was widely believed he'd get the start Sunday, but he will surprisingly only be available as the emergency QB3, and Flacco gets the nod once again in a tough matchup against the Titans. 

Aaron Rodgers suffered a low ankle sprain against the Vikings in London Sunday morning. Rodgers did play through the injury in a losing effort, but sometimes those types of injuries can get worse once the adrenaline wears off. We have him ranked for now, but we'll be monitoring for any updates. 

Russell Wilson will be active this week, but he'll be the backup to Justin Fields. If Fields struggles again this week, though, we could see Wilson in Week 7.