We're now five weeks into the regular season. Plenty of season-long sleepers have emerged, but there are still under-the-radar potential starters. Whether these players are on your roster or sitting on the waiver wire, they have sneaky upside to give you an edge in Week 6. Players like Darrel Williams and Tua Tagovailoa are the types of players on the start 'em, sit 'em bubble this week (assuming Tua comes off the IR), and we like their chances enough to put them on our Week 6 fantasy sleeper list.
It's also worth noting that any of our selections could bust this week. We're taking some chances here, as we don't want to say anyone too obvious. A list of easy choices wouldn't do anyone any good. You aren't going to start the guys below over consistent, proven producers, but you're probably not searching for fantasy sleepers if your lineup is set. However, even if that's the case, our sleepers list can help you find value in DFS, as the prices of these players should be affordable.
WEEK 6 FANTASY: Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Last week, Tony Pollard, Damien Williams, Jamies Winston, Emmanuel Sanders, Dawson Knox, and the Titans' defense were wins in our season-long column. We went bold with rookies Zach Wilson and Trey Lance. While Lance wasn't a home run, his 89 rushing yards saved a disastrous day. Kenny Gainwell, Tyler Conklin, and Zach Ertz fell flat, but spoiler alert, we're touting Gainwell again this week.
As always, we won't bore anyone with obvious starters, but we'll help you identify players with enhanced outlooks in Week 6. Like with Gainwell, we won't banish a player for the full season after a one-week letdown. Sleepers are fluid week to week, and we'll continue to rely on matchups and expected usage.
WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 6 Fantasy Sleepers: Running backs
Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles vs. Buccaneers (Jackson Sparks). The Bucs' defense has given up the most receptions to running backs (42), and we just saw Myles Gaskin feast through the air against them. He caught all 10 of his targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns. This is a blueprint for offensive success against Tampa, and Gainwell has already proven to be a capable weapon in the passing game.
Latavius Murray, Ravens vs. Chargers (Vinnie Iyer). The Ravens will go back to running the ball at a high clip against a weak front seven, and Murray will bust through for a nice day and a score.
Darrel Williams, Chiefs @ Washington (Matt Lutovsky). Williams figures to be the lead back with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (knee) out, and with Washington 10th in fantasy points allowed to RBs, Williams should have success. That includes big games to Cordarrelle Patterson and Alvin Kamara through the air the past two games. Williams isn’t as good of a pass-catcher as those two, but he can still post 100 total yards and have a good shot at a score.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 6 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Jaguars. Tagovailoa certainly carries risk if he returns to his first action after missing three games with a rib injury, but come on -- it's the Jags. Miami doesn't have the ground attack to simply ground-and-pound. You could do a lot worse than Mike Gesicki, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVante Parker (if healthy) as pass-catchers, and they're talented enough to take advantage of a porous Jags' secondary that has given up 19 or more fantasy points to four of the five quarterbacks it's faced. The only exception was Ryan Tannehill, who attempted just 22 passes in a game without Julio Jones (hamstring) and with A.J. Brown on a snap count. Unless Miami finds a Derrick Henry on their depth chart, they should take this game to the air.
Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos vs Raiders (Iyer). He is healthy and back putting up his regular high-floor numbers in the offense, and it happens again at home against a weakening pass defense.
Carson Wentz, Colts vs. Texans (Lutovsky). Wentz is averaging 264.4 passing yards per game, and although he has just seven TDs, he’s clearly doing better than many expected. Against Houston, who has given up multiple quarterback touchdowns every week this season, Wentz could produce QB1-level stats.
WEEK 6 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
Week 6 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide receivers
Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Texans (Sparks). Pittman is quietly enjoying a breakout season, as he's the WR24 in PPR leagues through five weeks. Since Week 1, he's drawn at least seven targets in all four games and is averaging 14.5 fantasy points per game. We know Houston lacks talent at all levels of their defense, and Pittman should continue his hot streak.
Allen Robinson II, Bears vs. Packers (Iyer). This is where we’re at with his horrible start to the season. You need some encouragement to stick with him, so count on a decent game through volume with no Jaire Alexander (shoulder).
Cole Beasley, Bills @ Titans (Lutovsky). Most of the trends with Beasley are bad, as he played a season-low 39 percent of snaps last week, and he has just four total targets in the past two games combined. As good as last week’s matchup was, this week is even better, as Tennessee has allowed the most fantasy points to WRs this year. Dawson Knox won’t keep scoring every week, and Beasley will get back on track at some point. Against a strong TE defense, as Tennessee has been this year, this could be the week their hot/cold streaks end.
MORE WEEK 6 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 6 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight ends
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington vs. Chiefs (Sparks). In Washington's first game without Logan Thomas (hamstring), Seal-Jones caught five-of-eight targets for 41 yards. While his point total was less than stellar, he finished as a top-14 TE in PPR leagues. That game was against a good defense, while this week he'll get the dreadful defense of the Chiefs, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends.
Jared Cook, Chargers @ Ravens (Iyer). Justin Herbert is looking for the big plays all the time, but he can’t ignore Baltimore’s ineptitude in covering the tight end.
Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Cowboys (Lutovsky). Henry has scored in each of the past two weeks, but more important, his targets are rising. Last week, he saw a season-high eight looks, and it what figures to be a pass-happy game for New England, he could see even more in Week 6.
WEEK 6 NFL PICKS ADVICE: Pick 'em pools | Survivor pools
Week 6 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Defense
Minnesota Vikings @ Carolina Panthers (Sparks). We're banking on Sam Darnold playing like the Sam Darnold we remember from New York again this week. Minnesota has given up just 16.5 points per game over its past two contests, so perhaps Mike Zimmer is turning their defensive unit around. We like the Vikings to force a few turnovers.
Miami Dolphins vs. Jaguars (Iyer). They have been awful despite all their playmakers, but here they capitalize on one big London mistake by Trevor Lawrence.
Green Bay Packers @ Bears (Lutovsky). Since a disastrous Week 1, the Packers have had multiple takeaways in every game while averaging 2.5 sacks per contest. The Bears have been better since Justin Fields' disastrous starting debut in Cleveland, but those performances were against the Lions and Raiders. The Packers will be a tougher test for the rookie, and they should rack up enough fantasy points to be a starting D/ST this week.