With bye weeks starting to hit hard in fantasy football, the quarterback position is becoming more important than ever. With some of the top passers out, streamers and sleepers are becoming hot commodities in two-QB/Superflex leagues, while standard owners are also competing for resources at the position. Dak Prescott was, unfortunately, lost for the season with an ankle injury in Week 5, so his owners may be looking for new QBs. Cam Newton, Sam Darnold, and Drew Lock are among the passers that have missed action in recent weeks who could have an impact on our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings and, potentially, waiver wire claims for teams desperately needing QBs.
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WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Cam Newton playing Week 6?
Before the Patriots' Week 5 game against the Broncos was postponed to Week 6, there were rumblings about Newton potentially playing on Monday night. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe said on Saturday that it was "in the realm of possibility" that Newton could play just 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. Newton was asymptomatic and would have been 10 days removed from his positive test by Monday.
With an extra week off to get healthy, Newton should be able to return against the Broncos. Of course, he'll need to be medically cleared, but considering that Monday night was a possibility for him, a Sunday game six days later makes it seem probable that Newton will be able to return to action.
Newton's return would give a boost to the Patriots' receivers, Julian Edelman, N'Keal Harry, and Damiere Byrd, and it would be a minor downgrade for the running backs like Damien Harris solely because Newton may vulture some goal-line opportunities. Still, the Patriots as a whole will be better off, so trusting the playmakers around Newton seems like a safe move.
MORE WEEK 6: Top waiver pickups | FAAB Planner | Buy-low, sell-high
Sam Darnold injury update
Darnold (shoulder) was held out of the Jets' Week 5 loss to the Cardinals after playing through an AC joint sprain he suffered against the Broncos in Week 4. With extra time to recover, though, there is hope that Darnold will be able to play in Week 6 against the Dolphins.
Darnold had been pushing to play in Week 5, per Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, so it seems likely that after a week off, he will be able to return to action, especially since the injury he suffered against the Broncos came on a Thursday night. So, he'll have two and a half weeks of recovery time between games. Nonetheless, his practice status bears watching, as the Jets could decide to play things extra safe with the former No. 3 overall pick.
If Darnold's can't play in Week 6, Joe Flacco would once again quarterback the Jets. That would represent a downgrade given Flacco's lack of mobility, so Jamison Crowder and Le'Veon Bell's ceilings may be capped even if they are starter-worthy in a decent matchup against the Dolphins.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Drew Lock injury update
Before the Broncos-Patriots game was postponed last week, Lock (shoulder) was considered a true 50-50 shot to play, per NFL Network's James Palmer. With an extra week to heal, he should have a chance to return to action against the Patriots barring any type of setback in practice.
Lock's return will provide a minor boost to Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick after both players did well with him out. Lock himself will only draw consideration in two-QB/Superflex leagues though, but he could end up being a streamer in some better matchups down the road (Chiefs, Chargers, Falcons, Raiders in Weeks 7-10).
