Updated Fantasy Football WR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, best sleepers, injuries, waiver wire picks at wide receiver

Ed Williams

Updated Fantasy Football WR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, best sleepers, injuries, waiver wire picks at wide receiver image

The wide receivers came to play in Week 5! Heading into SNF and MNF, 11 wide receivers had gone over the 100 yard mark. That's the most this season, and there's still two games to go. Ja'Marr Chase led the way with 193 yards for the Bengals in an overtime loss to the Ravens.

Drake London was the second leading receiver in terms of yards, but the Falcons had a second receiver crack the century mark in Darnell Mooney. You can read more about Mooney below in our waiver section, but this was a very encouraging performance for London who was running more routes out of the slot. If that trend continues, and Cousins continues to build his chemistry with him, then London may finally be on the path to reaching his potential. 

And of course there were also the usual mind-boggling clunkers and disappointments. DK Metcalf was expected to have a monster game at home against the Giants, but was only able to manage 55 scoreless yards on four catches. Nico Collins looked like he was on his way to another big game, but he went down with a hamstring injury. And Deebo Samuel had just one catch for 11 yards for the 49ers. On a positive note, Brandon Aiyuk finally made a splash, turning eight catches into 147 yards in a shocking loss to the Cardinals.  

WEEK 6 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
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Fantasy WR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, sit at wide receiver

Rankings based on PPR 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.

RANKPLAYER NAMETEAMOPPONENT
1CeeDee LambDALvs. DET
2Ja'Marr ChaseCINat NYG
3Amon-Ra St. BrownDETat DAL
4A.J. BrownPHIvs. CLE
5DK MetcalfSEAvs. SF
6Deebo Samuel Sr.SFat SEA
7Jayden ReedGBvs. ARI
8Drake LondonATLat CAR
9Marvin Harrison Jr.ARIat GB
10Mike EvansTBat NO
11DJ MooreCHIvs. JAC
12Zay FlowersBALvs. WAS
13Chris GodwinTBat NO
14Terry McLaurinWASat BAL
15Garrett WilsonNYJvs. BUF
16Chris OlaveNOvs. TB
17Tee HigginsCINat NYG
18DeVonta SmithPHIvs. CLE
19Brandon AiyukSFat SEA
20Diontae JohnsonCARvs. ATL
21Wan'Dale RobinsonNYGvs. CIN
22Josh DownsINDat TEN
23Stefon DiggsHOUat NE
24Amari CooperCLEat PHI
25George PickensPITat LV
26Jameson WilliamsDETat DAL
27Jaxon Smith-NjigbaSEAvs. SF
28Christian KirkJACat CHI
29Tank DellHOUvs. BUF
30Calvin RidleyTENvs. IND
31Brian Thomas Jr.JACat CHI
32Michael PittmanINDat TEN
33Darnell MooneyATLat CAR
34Jalen TolbertDALvs. DET
35Rome OdunzeCHIvs. JAC
36DeAndre HopkinsTENvs. IND
37Rashid ShaheedNOvs. TB
38Dontayvion WicksGBvs. ARI
39Jerry JeudyCLEat PHI
40Courtland SuttonDENvs. LAC
41Tre TuckerLVvs PIT
42Xavier LegetteCARvs. ATL
43Darius SlaytonNYGvs. CIN
44Keenan AllenCHIvs. JAC
45Christian WatsonGBvs. ARI
46Michael WilsonARIat GB
47Quentin JohnstonLACat DEN
48Tyler LockettSEAvs. SF
49Ray-Ray McCloudATLat CAR
50Ja'Lynn PolkNEvs. HOU
51Ladd McConkeyLACat DEN
52Alec PierceINDat TEN
53Greg DortchARIat GB
54DJ TurnerLVvs PIT
55Luke McCaffreyWASat BAL
56Gabe DavisJACat CHI
57Jauan JenningsSFat SEA
58Adonai MitchellINDat TEN
59Jalen McMillanTBat NO
60Keon ColemanBUFat NYJ
61Romeo DoubsGBvs. ARI
62Joshua PalmerLACat DEN
63Curtis SamuelBUFat NYJ
64Andrei IosivasCINat NYG
65Olamide ZaccheausWASvs. CLE
66Rashod BatemanBALvs. WAS
67Mike WilliamsNYJvs. BUF
68Kristian WilkersonLVvs PIT
69DeMario DouglasNEvs. HOU
70Allen LazardNYJvs. BUF
71Van JeffersonPITat LV
72Elijah MooreCLEat PHI
73Jahan DotsonPHIvs. CLE
74Calvin AustinPITat LV
75Tyler BoydTENvs. IND
76Dyami BrownWASat BAL
77Nelson AgholorBALvs. WAS
78Lil'Jordan HumphreyDENvs. LAC
79Mack HollinsBUFat NYJ
80Tyquan ThorntonNEvs. HOU
81Trey PalmerTBat NO
82Kendrick BourneNEvs. HOU
83Olamide ZaccheausWASat BAL
84Jonathan MingoCARvs. ATL
85Troy FranklinDENvs. LAC
86Cedric TillmanCLEat PHI
87Johnny WilsonPHIvs. CLE
88Roman WilsonPITat LV
89Marvin Mims Jr.DENvs. LAC
90Ainias SmithPHIvs. CLE

Who are the best fantasy WRs Week 6?

Two of our top-3 wide receivers come from the same game as the Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions in what could be an offensive track meet. While the Lions do have a good pass rush led by Aidan Hutchinson, their secondary is still a weakness, and Dak Prescott doesn't need much time to get into CeeDee Lamb's hands in space. Look for Lamb to go over 100 yards and notch at least one TD. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown will be on the opposite sideline, and he checks in at WR3 this week. He's also coming off a bye week, so he should be well-rested. St. Brown managers have to be somewhat disappointed in the stud WR's start this year, but after a super quiet Week 1, his target share is closer to what we've become accustomed to. As long as this one stays close, the Lions will have to lean on the passing game, and coming off the bye, this should be a smash spot for St. Brown. 

And Ja'Marr Chase is in the middle of our Lamb-St. Brown sandiwch. Chase had a mammoth game against the Ravens in a losing effort, amassing 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. This comes on the heels of games of 3-85-1 and 6-118-2. The Giants did surprisingly contain Seattle's offense in Week 5, but I wouldn't bet on them doing the same to Chase who's scorching hot right now. 

Who are the WRs on byes in Week 6? 

Kansas City Chiefs: With Rashee Rice already out with a knee injury, the bye week for the Chiefs shouldn't have a major impact of fantasy managers. Xavier Worthy is the most notable name that won't be available this week at the position for Kansas City. 

Miami Dolphins: Not having the name value of Tyreek Hill and Jayden Waddle available to fantasy managers looks brutal on paper, but since Tua Tagovailoa went down with a concussion, the entire Miami offense has looked absolutely lost. The bye week actually gives fantasy managers an excuse not to play Hill and Waddle who have been hurting more than helping the last few weeks. Odell Beckham Jr. also returned in Week 5, so this will give him a chance to rest up after his first action in quite some time.  

Minnesota Vikings: This one truly does sting, of course, as the bye for the Vikings means no Justin Jefferson this week. There really isn't a replacement for a WR of that caliber, so you just have to try and minimize the damager here. It also means you have to make sure Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor are out of your lineups.   

Los Angeles Rams: The early bye week is actually a positive for the Rams as they've been banged up the entire season so far. Fantasy managers have been without Puka Nacua practically the entire season, and they've been without Kupp since Week 2.  

Who are the best fantasy WR waiver pickups Week 6?

Josh Downs continues to impress for the Colts, and he's had success with both Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco under center. Downs racked up nine catches for 69 yards and is only rostered in 40% of leagues. His teammate Alec Pierce had an even bigger game with 134 yards and a touchdown on just three caches. Downs' production is much stickier, and thus, the better recommendation. Pierce will be very volatile, but his spike weeks can help carry teams if you can pick your spots wisely. 

Darnell Mooney had a monster game on TNF against the Bucs, hauling in nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. But this wasn't an anomaly. In fact, Mooney has had at least six targets in every game after Week 1 and had a whopping 16 targets this week. Cousins has clearly build up a rapport in short order with Mooney, and he's rostered in 48% of leagues. At that number, he's not available in every league, but if he's on your wire, pounce on him now. 

WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE ADVICE
Full Waiver Wire list | Top Players to Target | How to spend FAAB 
 

Who are the best fantasy WR sleepers Week 6?

Jaxon Smith-Njigba managers thought they had a great matchup against the Giants in Week 5, but JSN didn't deliver - not much of the Seattle offense did for that matter. It was a game to forget for most of the Seattle skill players, but JSN only had one target, which he did convert into a catch, but it was for just three yards. If Seattle is going to keep pace with the 49ers this week, Smith-Njigba will have to have a much better game. 

One of the most anticipated games of the Week 6 slate for fantasy purposes has to be Dallas vs. Detroit. The offensive fireworks should be going off early and often in this one. And while CeeDee Lamb will be the focal point of the offense as usual for the Cowboys, look for Jalen Tolbert to also play a sizeable supporting role. With Brandin Cooks on IR, this is Tolbert's time to shine and really run away with the WR2 role on this team. 

What are the biggest WR injuries Week 6?

The biggest new injury to come out of Week 5 action belongs to Houston's Nico Collins, as he went down with a hamstring injury against the Bills. It was initially thought he may not miss any time, but he surprisingly landed on IR, so the Texans are giving him plenty of time to heal up. That could mean that Tank Dell will re-emerge as a threat in the passing game as he's been relatively quiet since Stefon Diggs came to town. Diggs can expect an uptick in targets as well and could also see more time outside with Collins out. 

The injury bug hit quite a few notable wide receivers heading into Week 5 as well that we'll have to keep tabs on. Malik Nabers had to sit as he remains in the concussion protocol. He got in a limited practice on Wednesday, but he was a DNP on Thursday and could have had a setback. He was finally ruled out on Friday, so expect increased roles for Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton again.   

Davante Adams sat again with a hamstring injury, but the next time we see him on the field, it will likely be in a new uniform as rumors continue to run wild that the Raiders will be moving him, and there are no shortage of suitors. The hamstring injury is said to be legit, though, and regardless of which team he's on, he's likely to sit again this week. 

A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith will be coming off a bye, and are on track to return against the Browns after being full participants in practice this week.  

Christian Watson had to sit out for the Packers with an ankle injury in Week 6. It came down to the wire, but he was ruled active and will suit up against the Cardinals. Romeo Doubs, sat in Week 5 due to a 1-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, but he'll also be back this week. Jayden Reed is the clear No. 1 for the Packers, but then after that it's very messy. With Watson coming back form an injury, we have Dontayvion Wicks as the team's WR2, followed by Watson, and then Doubs. 

Khalil Shakir sat for the Bills against the Texans with an ankle injury. And while he may not be a household name yet, he was clearly a massive part of the Bills' passing game, because without him, it looked like a completely different offense out there. Josh Allen struggled mightily, so the sooner Shakir can return the better. He was ruled out on Friday, though, so Week 7 will be the earliest we might see him back. 

And Michael Pittman was surprisingly a DNP most of the week with a back injury. It was originally reported he might land on IR, but then he was back at practice Friday. He's listed as questionable, but we've added him back into the rankings. Josh Downs is also questionable with a toe injury, but we're also leaving him in the rankings for now. If Downs or Pittman have to sit out, Adonai Mitchell and Alex Pierce should see increased roles. 

Ed Williams

Ed Williams Photo

Ed Williams is a Fantasy Sports Editor at The Sporting News. A two-time Sports Emmy Award winner, he brings two decades of experience in sports media including a 16-year run at NBC Sports/Rotoworld, most recently as the Sr. Director of Content for Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting. He is also the founder of Macklyn Sports Media Consulting.