Fantasy Football Week 6 Review

Week 6 was defined by a Sunday full of huge statistical outings in fantasy football. Shootouts and tight battles throughout the NFL brought out some big box scores, which are always fun for those of us who adore imaginary football.  

The Buffalo Bills' LeSean McCoy survived an injury scare and entered the end zone three times against the San Francisco 49ers in a rewarding outing for his fantasy managers. It was a special day for big backfield performances, which we cover in this comprehensive review of the week in fantasy football. 

Join us in canvassing the results of Week 6 with a specific eye on the fantasy football marketplace. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and questions about fantasy football in the comments below.

(So it's clear to readers, when we reference a player's positional ranking in fantasy points, we're using ESPN's scoring leaderboard as the source.)

Star Signal-Callers

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Each week, statistical superstars change outcomes in fantasy football. In this section, we highlight the most influential quarterback performances.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Brees entered Week 6 having averaged a gaudy 25.6 fantasy points in ESPN leagues over his past 10 starts in the Superdome. After his performance Sunday, he's leading all signal-callers with 32 fantasy points for the week. Brees has averaged right around 14 fantasy points on the road since the start of last season, so you've been warned of his massive splits margin for Week 7's trip to Kansas City to face the Chiefs.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Brady has a passer rating of 135.5 after his first two games this season, his highest rating through two games of any season in his storied career. It's not deflating at all to consider Brady has averaged 391 yards and three touchdowns to start the year. A visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their lackluster pass rush should see Brady atop the QB rankings again in Week 7.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

Mariota is the only quarterback with more fantasy points in ESPN leagues than Brady over the past two games. He has seven touchdowns in that span after tallying just four over his first four games. The hot stretch has been aided by soft matchups, which will continue with the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars coming to town for the next two games.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

After tossing four touchdowns in a home win over the L.A. Rams, Stafford now has four games with at least three passing scores this season, matching his 2015 total. A home meeting this coming week with the Washington Redskins looks inviting for fantasy purposes.

Honorable Mention

Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons became the first player to throw for three touchdowns in a quarter against the Seahawks in the past five seasons. His 21 fantasy points on the road suggest we can now trust his hot start.

Cam Newton made a triumphant statistical return to the field for the Carolina Panthers, but his team lost yet another close game as it limps into the bye. With the Panthers defense looking shoddy over a growing sample this season, shares of Newton could prove rewarding given increased pressure on the offense to produce big games.

Eli Manning of the New York Giants finally revived his sluggish statistics, finishing with 403 yards after multiple connections to his mercurial superstar wideout, who we discuss in the receiver section.

Did you start Case Keenum of the Rams in Week 6? If so, how is your 30-team league going this year? We don't think Keenum was in many lineups save for deep multi-quarterback formats, but those who had him netted the second-most fantasy points at the position this week. Keenum delivered four total touchdowns and completed over 84 percent of his passes. The main takeaway from Keenum's stellar game? We can confidently target the Lions with quarterbacks for fantasy purposes.

Top Tailbacks

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In this section, we highlight the most influential rushing outings of the week.

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

According to ESPN.com's Mike Rodak, the Bills' 312 rushing yards against the 49ers marked the franchise's most since 1992 and the fifth-most in team history. McCoy scored three times in the victory to lead all tailbacks in fantasy points in ESPN leagues. A trip to Miami looks inviting in Week 7 for a Bills team leading the league in rushing since installing Anthony Lynn as offensive coordinator. Trading for McCoy in a few weeks (if he struggles in Seattle or is available during his bye week) could prove pivotal for fantasy playoff runs. He has one of the sweeter finishing stretches among star tailbacks: the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Elliott didn't net a touchdown in his team's sound win over the Green Bay Packers, but he's still solidifying his perch as a fantasy superstar. He's become the first rookie in NFL history to top 130 rushing yards in four straight games, as we learned on the game's broadcast. The Packers entered the contest having allowed 171 yards on the ground on the season, while Elliott tallied 174 from scrimmage in the game.

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

We all saw this one coming. Which is to say, no one saw this coming. Ajayi became the fourth rusher since 1960 to tally more than 200 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the game's broadcast. With Arian Foster limited to just five touches on the day, Ajayi could take over the Miami running game going forward with his historic 204-yard effort. The Bills defense poses a stronger challenge in Week 7 in what should be a revealing outing for Ajayi's mysterious fantasy value.

Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

We were of the belief it was only a matter of time until Miller erupted with a huge fantasy outing given his massive workload so far this season. Miller finally satiated his investors with a two-touchdown, 178-yard explosion on Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts. If he can't get untracked in Denver next week, buy-low shares of Miller could prove rewarding for the second half of the season.

Honorable Mention

Spencer Ware of the Kansas City Chiefs waited until Jamaal Charles was back in form to produce his best game of the season. Ware rumbled for a season-high 131 yards on the ground, and he should be a top option against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7. Even as Charles earns more work going forward, Ware is a fine RB2 asset given his strong share of early-down work.

The Seattle Seahawks might have found their feature back in Christine Michael. Fantasy investors have to like the fact he has at least 14 fantasy points in three straight games and at least 20 touches in each game over that stretch. If you can market and net anything of value in return for Thomas Rawls, go ahead and do so.

James White of the New England Patriots was second in fantasy points per route run last season in points-per-reception formats. It's fitting to see him become the second Patriots back over the last 10 seasons with multiple receiving scores (the other being Shane Vereen in 2014). White led the team's backfield in snaps for the second straight game, per Pro Football Focus, establishing the receiving dynamo's value.

The Carolina Panthers' Jonathan Stewart had just six fantasy points on the season entering Week 6, so it was rewarding to see him net 20 points in standard ESPN leagues. We touch on Stewart's fantasy stock later in this series of slides.

The Washington Redskins' Matt Jones has double-digit fantasy production in three games this season and at least 14 touches in five straight. While he's not going to deliver big fantasy metrics each time out, the steady workload supports RB2 stock for Jones going forward.

Winning Wideouts

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

In this section, we highlight the week's most influential receiving performances.

Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

Per ESPN Stats & Info, "Beckham Jr.'s 222 receiving yards are the most by a Giants player since Del Shofner had 269 against the Redskins in 1962." We know you had Shofner in your lineup in '62, which makes this performance that much more meaningful. The buy-low window has officially closed, especially as Beckham faces a soft Los Angeles Rams secondary without top corner Trumaine Johnson for Week 7.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Doubts over Jones' ability to deliver in adverse conditions against the Seahawks' stingy secondary proved foolish. The superstar should be started every week without question. Sure, we'll net some down weeks given the variance of the game, but Jones is as special as they come. He demonstrated that with a stellar 139-yard outing in Seattle on Sunday. A costly late drop led to a game-changing interception, but Jones remains a trusted weapon of Matt Ryan's going forward.

Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

To manage Cooks in fantasy football, you need to accept the variance of his production pattern. He's essentially a supercharged DeSean Jackson: He'll deliver a variety of big and quiet games throughout the season, but his huge weeks can prove truly slate-shifting for the win column. Cooks had one of his big ones in Week 6 with 173 yards and a series of huge plays. A tough stretch of games is on the way with trips to Kansas City and Seattle, so get your buy-low bids ready in a few weeks.

Kenny Britt, Los Angeles Rams

File this one in the "no one saw it coming" department, as Britt and quarterback Case Keenum both exploded with huge fantasy outings in Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Britt is like Cooks in that he's a variant producer, except that he only has big games once every four years. Call us skeptical, but this could have been a one-off performance. For those brave enough to test if he's real, Britt is available in over 85 percent of ESPN leagues.

Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

As ESPN's Matthew Berry revealed on Twitter Sunday, 60 percent of Tate's fantasy points for the season came in Week 6's huge outing. Dropped in a good deal of formats, Tate merits interest again given his revived rapport with Matthew Stafford. A meeting with an exploitable Washington Redskins secondary (besides Josh Norman) is up next.

Honorable Mention

The Tennessee Titans' Kendall Wright somehow dominated the team's target market with nearly 40 percent of Marcus Mariota's passes in the win over the Browns. Wright is widely available and the most talented incumbent receiver the team had entering the season.

The Browns' Terrelle Pryor continues to shine as the team's top target, delivering his first multi-touchdown game as a receiver and once again consuming a massive share of the team's targets.

For the Dallas Cowboys, diminutive dynamo Cole Beasley continues his career season. He hauled in two scores on Sunday, and he looks like a fine addition in all points-per-reception leagues even when Dez Bryant returns.

Top Tight Ends and Defenses

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In this section, we highlight the most influential tight end and defensive performances of the week.

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

According to an ESPN database, Gronkey Kong produced four receptions of at least 25 yards on Sunday, marking a career high for so many big plays in a single game and matching Vernon Davis' figure in 2013 for the most in the last 15 years. In fact, Gronkowski's 271 yards over the past two contests are the most in a two-week stretch of his career. He's back, y'all.

Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints

We know you expected Fleener to score a rushing touchdown, and he finally delivered in Week 6. The tight end rushed for a touchdown and caught another in a big day in the Superdome. Fleener is a frustrating fantasy asset, but he also merits trust because of a growing rapport with Drew Brees and the shallowness of the position.

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

Olsen netted another big game in Week 6 and is now second only to Julio Jones in receiving yardage. On pace for over 1,600 yards for the season, Olsen is an elite fantasy option in the midst of a historic campaign.

Honorable Mention

The San Diego Chargers' Hunter Henry delivered another big game this past Thursday and has been the most bankable target on the team since Week 3. With a growing sample of success, we suggest adding Henry, as he's available in nearly half of ESPN leagues.

Decisive Defenses

In forcing two turnovers and limiting an elite Oakland offense to just 10 points, the Kansas City Chiefs defense produced one of the best fantasy showings of the week.

Even in a loss that saw their secondary regularly exposed, the Philadelphia Eagles delivered big numbers thanks to two return touchdowns.

Fantasy Flops

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Not all players can deliver value every game, and some downright leave us in the lurch. The following crop of disappointing performances felled fantasy teams this week.

(For clarity, we don't count injuries in this section, as we don't blame players for getting hurt in this brutally physical sport. We instead focus on poor performance and frustrating fantasy results.)

Quarterback

The Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz had an ugly game facing the Washington Redskins' pocket pressure. Without right tackle Lane Johnson for the next nine games (suspension), Wentz was sacked five times in the loss after being sacked just seven times over the first four games. Wentz is difficult to trust against the Minnesota Vikings' aggressive pass rush in Week 7.

Running Back

The San Francisco 49ers' Carlos Hyde has been buoyed by touchdowns for much of the season, so his quiet Week 6 is a reflection of what his fantasy profile will look like in the weeks he doesn't score. Without much support in the passing phase, Hyde could endure some costly variance in fantasy production going forward.

Isaiah Crowell of the Cleveland Browns has come back to earth, failing to top 22 yards on the ground over the past two games. Given we can expect him to still net a strong share of touches going forward, Crowell is actually a reasonable buy-low if the cost is low enough.

As for another deflating outing from a bruising Ohio back, Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals has just four fantasy points over the past two games. He's another buy-low candidate we discuss later in this series of slides.

We don't blame you if you're done trusting Rashad Jennings of the New York Giants. He's inconsistent and lacks the durability to offset his weak weeks.

Receiver

With just four receptions and a 50-percent catch rate in the loss to the Miami Dolphins, Antonio Brown proved disappointing as the Pittsburgh Steelers passing game vanished in South Florida. With Ben Roethlisberger injured, which we discuss in detail in our injury section of this slideshow, Brown's fantasy stock could become more variant going forward.

The New England Patriots' Julian Edelman has hauled in just over half of his targets from Tom Brady this season, but he caught over 70 percent of them in 2015. A positive correction is coming for this points-per-reception maven.

Allen Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars might just be a frustrating asset given he's tied to an inconsistent offense and quarterback. That said, Robinson maintains a nice target rate and can be considered a buy-low asset.

Tight End

The Tennessee Titans' Delanie Walker was a no-show in Week 6 despite the team's passing game thriving against the Cleveland Browns. We chalk this up to a quiet single game, as Walker is still Marcus Mariota's best target over the middle.

We're more concerned with Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles, though, as he's been so quiet in the past two games with just five fantasy points and 59 yards over this stretch. Without a sizable share of the offense, it's difficult to trust Ertz as a starting fantasy option against the Vikings next week.

We're similarly losing faith in Julius Thomas of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who has now entered the touchdown-or-bust tier at tight end.

Impact Injuries

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger is having knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Monday, according to Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via ESPN's Adam Schefter). It's unclear how long Roethlisberger will be out, but we can assume he's sidelined for the upcoming marquee matchup with the New England Patriots in Week 7. We await more information, as the Steelers offense will take a huge hit without Roethlisberger behind center.

For some speculative information, Dr. David Chao shared his take on Twitter: 

"

With bye in 2 weeks, likely @_BigBen7 back in 3 weeks but don't count him out.
Precedent for QB to play in one week. See #PhilipRivers 2008 https://t.co/3LSocoF32F

— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) October 17, 2016"

Will Fuller of the Houston Texans was active but didn't play any snaps in Week 6 given his lingering hamstring injury. We'd preach patience with Fuller, as the rookie speedster needs to be at full health to be productive.

The Indianapolis Colts' Dwayne Allen left the game early in Week 6 with an ankle injury and didn't return. With a history of ankle issues, we'll closely monitor Allen's status going forward.

Waiver Watch: Top Pickups to Consider

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The following assets are available in at least 40 percent of ESPN leagues and capable of building on strong Week 6 performances.

Quarterback

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

Mariota is the top-scoring fantasy arm over the past two weeks and has an inviting stretch of opponents on the way. The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars come to Nashville over the next two weeks, signaling real upside for this signal-caller. He's available in over half of ESPN leagues as of Monday morning.

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Taylor has at least 14 fantasy points in five straight games in ESPN leagues. This is helped in part by at least 25 rushing yards in each outing. A trip to Miami to face an exploitable Dolphins defense could prove rewarding in Week 7.

Running Back

James White, New England Patriots

Owned in just 49 percent of ESPN leagues, White has 155 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns since Tom Brady returned to the fold. With a majority share of backfield snaps over the past two games and Brady's trust on third downs, White is a fine RB2 asset until Dion Lewis returns (if he returns).

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

Owned in just 43.1 percent of ESPN leagues, Ajayi gained 98 yards after contact in Week 6, the most by any player this season. With his historic 204-yard outing established, Ajayi merits ownership. He could be taking a majority share of the early-down work from Arian Foster in Miami going forward.

Receiver

Cole Beasley, Dallas Cowboys

In the midst of a career campaign, Beasley has hauled in 84.6 percent of his passes and is on pace for 88 receptions on the season. Beasley is a fine addition in points-per-reception formats no matter who is under center for the Cowboys.

Kenny Britt, Los Angeles Rams

Even though we doubt the enduring upside for Britt, the surging success for Case Keenum merits some interest in his top vertical target.

Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears

The one-hit wonder talk can fade, but Meredith leads the NFL with 27 targets and 20 catches over the past two games. We'd advise using a high waiver on Meredith, as his rapport with Brian Hoyer appears real.

Tight End

Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins

It's unclear how long Jordan Reed will be sidelined, but given his long history of concussions, it's worth speculating with shares of Davis. The veteran has a proven touchdown pedigree at a shallow position.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

We've yet to see a breakout game from Clay, but with five catches in each of the past three games, his target share and increased role since Sammy Watkins went down offer value at a fickle fantasy position.

Data such as target share and pressure rates sourced from an ESPN database.