The fantasy football season is flying by, as Week 6 is already upon us. Last week saw plenty of big fantasy days, most notably Justin Fields posting his second straight top-two finish at the position. Although he didn't put up nearly as many points as Fields, Joe Burrow's 317-yard, three-touchdown effort was a welcomed sign for his owners. We trust him enough to put him in the top 12 in our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings even with a much tougher matchup this week.
Burrow wasn't the only QB who had a much-needed bounce-back performance last week, as Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, and Tua Tagovailoa reminded us all why they're every-week starters.
Let's look ahead to Week 6 and see which QBs you can trust in your lineup.
MORE: Watch NFL RedZone live with Sling (50% off first month)
Which QB are on bye in Week 6?
In Week 6, only the Packers and Steelers are on bye, so you won't see Jordan Love or Kenny Pickett in this week's rankings. Love's been one of the better sleeper fantasy QBs to begin the season, so his loss could force fantasy owners to pivot to a bench or streaming option. Pickett's only real appeal comes in two QB/superflex leagues, as not many owners are starting Pittsburgh's QB1 in his current form.
WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Both the Steelers and Packers' defenses entered Week 5 within the top half of the league in dropback EPA, doing a fine job of limiting QB's fantasy outputs, so it's an added bonus for the QB position to not have those two defenses on the field this week.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy QBs in Week 6?
The usual suspects (Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson) headline our Week 6 rankings. This week in particular, our top two ranked QBs, Allen (vs. Giants in Week 6) and Mahomes (vs. Broncos), draw juicy matchups in games their squads are hefty favorites in.
Hurts (@ Jets) faces a Jets defense that's held its own against QBs, but the Eagles high-powered offense can still help him to a top-three fantasy finish in Week 6. Tua Tagovailoa (vs. Panthers) is always a threat to end the week as the overall QB1 and now faces a Panthers defense that just got shredded by the Lions.
Kirk Cousins (@ Bears) also sees a boost in his Week 6 ranking in a favorable matchup against a Bears defense that entered Week 5 allowing the most fantasy points per game to QBs. While the game script played a part in the Commander's high pass rate, Sam Howell did still throw for nearly 400 yards and two TDs, so Cousins could pick apart the Bears' secondary even without Justin Jefferson (hamstring).
WEEK 6 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy QB sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 6?
The aforementioned Howell (@ Falcons), could be a nice pivot option for fantasy owners in need of a streaming option or injury replacement. Howell's looked the part in Eric Bieniemy's offense, and despite a rough first half against Chicago in Week 6, he's a stable pivot option in Week 6 thanks to his high volume.
For those in deeper leagues, Baker Mayfield (@ Lions) could be worth a look. Mayfield doesn't have nearly as favorable of a matchup as Howell, but a potential negative game script against the Lions could result in a high number of pass attempts in the second half.
Other Week 6 deep sleepers and streamers include Josh Dobbs (@ Rams), Bryce Young (@ Dolphins), and Derek Carr (@ Texans).
WEEK 6 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential QB busts in Week 6?
While he's yet to truly struggle in his young career, Brock Purdy (@ Browns) draws another challenging task against a sound Cleveland defense. It's hard to leave Purdy on your bench given how efficient the 49ers offense has been, but if you have a second QB with a better matchup, you could consider benching him.
He's unlikely to truly put forth a "dud" effort, but Justin Herbert's Week 6 ranking (vs. Cowboys) is lower than it typically is. Again, Herbert's still a must-start, but don't expect a huge performance like his Week 4 showing against the Raiders, especially if his thumb injury is still bothering him.
Other dud candidates include Deshaun Watson (vs. 49ers), C.J. Stroud (vs. Saints), and Russell Wilson (@ Chiefs).
What are the biggest QB injuries in Week 6?
Despite three QBs popping up on their squad's Week 5 injury report (Kenny Pickett, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo), each team's top signal-caller was healthy enough to suit up, giving fantasy owners ample options at QB.
Unfortunately, we saw rookie sensation Anthony Richardson exit early with a shoulder injury, complicating his Week 6 status. For now, we've replaced Richardson with Gardner Minshew (@ Jaguars), but we'll be keeping a close eye on the Colts' injury report to see if their dual-threat QB is able to return to play on Sunday.
After taking yet another sack, Daniel Jones (neck) exited the second half of New York's Week 5 loss to Miami. Jones isn't healthy enough to start on Sunday Night Football, so backup Tyron Taylor's slated to face his former team. Lastly, Deshaun Watson's (shoulder) set to miss his second consecutive game, with P.J. Walker making his first start as a Brown against the 49ers.
We'll be updating these QB rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
Fantasy QB Rankings Week 6: Who to start, sit at quarterback
These rankings are based on four-point passing TD scoring
Rank Player
1 Josh Allen, Bills vs. Giants
2 Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs vs. Broncos
3 Jalen Hurts, Eagles @ Jets
4 Lamar Jackson, Ravens vs. Titans
5 Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Panthers
6 Justin Fields, Bears vs. Vikings
7 Kirk Cousins, Vikings @ Bears
8 Justin Herbert, Chargers vs. Cowboys
9 Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars vs. Colts
10 Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. Cardinals
11 Joe Burrow, Bengals vs. Seahawks
12 Geno Smith, Seahawks @ Bengals
13 Jared Goff, Lions @ Buccaneers
14 Brock Purdy, 49ers @ Browns
15 Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ Chargers
16 C.J. Stroud, Texans vs. Saints
17 Sam Howell, Commanders @ Falcons
18 Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers vs. Lions
19 Josh Dobbs, Cardinals @ Rams
20 Bryce Young, Panthers @ Dolphins
21 Derek Carr, Saints @ Texans
22 Russell Wilson, Broncos @ Chiefs
23 Jimmy Garoppolo, Raiders vs. Patriots
24 Mac Jones, Patriots @ Raiders
25 Tyrod Taylor, Giants @ Bills
26 Ryan Tannehill, Titans vs. Ravens
27 Gardner Minshew, Colts @ Jaguars
28 Zach Wilson, Jets vs. Eagles
29 Desmond Ridder, Falcons vs. Commanders
30 P.J. Walker, Browns vs. 49ers
Week 6 QB fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 6 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for quarterbacks -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!
TRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!
