Fantasy Football Week 6: Takeaways from Sunday's Action

Week 6 of the fantasy football season was downright crazy.

During the 1 p.m. EDT games, the first half was kind of calm, but then all hell broke loose in the second half.

Quick shoutout to Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi. During the offseason, I was all in on Ajayi and wrote about his fantasy value, so regardless of a loss in one of my key leagues at the hands of Ajayi, I'm downright happy about his game Sunday, in which he went over 200 yards rushing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We saw numerous near-injuries to Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

And although Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to his game, he's scheduled to be out for some time.

According to Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roethlisberger will require surgery on a torn meniscus, with no timetable for his return.

However, Roethlisberger, McCoy and Beckham came back and, with the exception of Roethlisberger, balled out. And when I say balled out, I mean, multiple touchdowns and tons of yardage.

As you can tell, there were numerous takeaways from Week 6 with potential room for more.

Leading off, Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate.

Lions WR Golden Tate Is Alive and Well

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

This is one of the biggest surprises of the day.

Coming into Week 6, Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate had 17 catches for 134 yards with no touchdowns on the season.

In Week 6, Tate had eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.

Tate has essentially been useless in fantasy to this point, but if you've stuck with him, you were greatly rewarded.

Unfortunately, though, this was probably one of, if not the best game, he'll have this season. He's still a risky play on a weekly basis, but the Lions will be hosting the Washington Redskins in Week 7, so Tate has a decent chance for another good game.

He'll be a high-upside WR3 in Week 7.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick Has Decent Day; WR Torrey Smith Benefits

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Although the San Francisco 49ers got absolutely demolished by the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, there were some bright spots on the 49ers in terms of fantasy value.

Who? Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and wide receiver Torrey Smith.

Yes, Kaepernick did miss Smith deep, but he did end up getting him, albeit on an under-thrown ball.

However, Kaepernick showed his legs still work, rushing for 66 yards on eight carries, so his rushing upside makes him a decent streaming option moving forward.

For Smith, it was encouraging to see him get targeted seven times—his second-highest total of the season.

Moving forward, this should be the duo to keep an eye on in the 49ers offense. Will it be boom-or-bust? Sure, but when it hits, it'll be a sight to see.

In Week 7, the 49ers will get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their leaky pass defense. Couple that with his rushing ability and Kaepernick makes for a nice streaming option with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on a bye week.

Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi Dismantles Steelers

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

To be honest, I've loved Ajayi ever since he came out of Boise State. We all have those players in the league you can't really figure out why you like them, but you just do.

Ajayi is one of those for me.

Though I'm one of his biggest fans, I, in no way, shape or form expected a 200-plus rushing day with multiple scores.

Coming off an injury that sidelined him the last few weeks, fellow running back Arian Foster played in just 11 snaps.

From here on, this is Ajayi's backfield. Sorry, Foster—you'll get action in the receiving game, but the carries are going to Ajayi.

He's an RB2 moving forward. The Miami Dolphins need to run him as much as they can.

And oh, his knees looked fine.

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. Goes Nuts

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

This is simply a slide to acknowledge New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s greatness.

In Week 6, he had eight receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

But perhaps the best thing about Week 6: His relationship with the kicking net is at an all-time high.

OBJ is on a mission.

Bills RB LeSean McCoy Avoids Injury; Scores Three Times

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Just another insane game from an insane player.

Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy had a game for the ages: 140 rushing yards and three scores.

What made this even more impressive was early on in the game—we all thought McCoy was seriously injured and turned to fellow Bills running back Mike Gillislee.

Well, McCoy is doing fine—at least according to his three touchdowns.

False alarm on the injury. Enjoy this one, shady owners.

Browns QB Cody Kessler Poised in Loss; WR Pryor Scores Twice

James Kenney/Associated Press

Cleveland Browns at the Tennessee Titans. What a recipe for a borefest and the least-watched game this season (most likely).

Well, both of these teams impressed in terms of fantasy.

First and foremost, Browns quarterback Cody Kessler, despite being sacked six times, hung in there and still tossed over 330 yards and two scores, both going to wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr.

Kessler was not highly lauded whatsoever coming out of USC, and going to the Browns, we assumed he was destined for mediocrity.

Not so fast.

Kessler was coming off a Week 5 in which he was forced to leave the game early due to injury, and now he has at least one touchdown in each of his last three games.

The Browns will visit the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, so maybe Kessler will need to throw to keep pace.

I'm not entirely confident in him, but Pryor is a guy who needs to be started essentially every week.

This will be a fun duo to watch moving forward.

Rams WR Kenny Britt with Two TDs Outta No Where

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

No words. Just. No. Words.

Like the old saying goes, a broken clock is right twice a day.

That logic applies here.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt had well over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

There are lots of things wrong with that sentence, considering a Rams receiver hasn't had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns in a game since fellow Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin did it...in Week 10 of 2013.

So yeah, it's an anomaly to say the least.

Kudos if you started Britt, but this was definitely his best performance of the season.

Ravens RB Terrance West Cemented as Starting RB

Nick Wass/Associated Press

With fellow Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon coming back from an injury earlier this season, we were fairly quick to write off Terrance West.

Like usual, most of us were dead wrong.

Over his last three games (including Week 6), West is averaging just over 18 carries a game for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown.

Of course, his two-touchdown day in the team's loss to the New York Giants helped.

Dixon is not overthrowing West. He's an RB2 from here on out.

Steelers' Struggles on Road Continue; Roethlisberger Hurt

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Steelers have played road games in Weeks 1, 3 and 6 this season.

In those games, they've been outscored by 24 points despite a 38-point showing in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins.

In those weeks, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the QB18, with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Steelers' struggles will seemingly continue, though, given Big Ben's potential extended absence from the torn meniscus.

Of course, you're not benching wide receiver Antonio Brown, who is still a top-five PPR wide receiver in road games, but with fellow quarterback Landry Jones set to start, I'm somewhat worried.

With that said, it appears Brown is obviously still viable, as well as running back Le'Veon Bell, who had over 100 total yards in the Week 6 loss to the Dolphins and should see extra work with Jones under center.

Patriots RB James White Shows Up, Scores Two TDs

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

After the first four weeks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady being absent, running back James White has found his groove.

Finally.

Since Brady's return in Week 5, White is a top-three running back in PPR leagues—mostly assisted by his two-touchdown outburst in Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Moving forward with Brady, White is a high-end RB2 in PPR leagues.

There's no doubt about it at this point. The Patriots love their pass-catching running backs.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski Has Career Game

David Richard/Associated Press

In the midst of his 29-point PPR day in Week 6, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski set a career high in receiving yards in a single game with 162.

This surpasses his previous high of 160 set in 2011.

Gronk got off to a rough start to the season, but he's roaring back. He should be the TE1 from here on out even with fellow tight end Martellus Bennett lurking.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart Returns, Scores Twice

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

After missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury, Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart rebounded with a two-touchdown game against the horrendous New Orleans Saints defense.

This game was an absolute shootout, with the Saints narrowly escaping, 41-38.

At 1-5, the Panthers will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals, at the Los Angeles Rams and at home against the Kansas City Chiefs over the next three games.

These teams all give up well over 100 rushing yards per game. Stewart should be a quality RB2 for the near future.

Fellow running backs Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne will return to being irrelevant, with Stewart competing for carries with Newton.

Saints QB Drew Brees Is Insanely Good

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Minus his bye week, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is the QB2 in fantasy and will likely find a way to stay there all season.

Without Brees, this Saints team is no more than a two- or three-win team—no doubt about it.

In Week 6, Brees showed up once again and carried his putrid defense, throwing for nearly 470 yards and four touchdowns.

As long as the Saints defense stinks, Brees will be lighting it up.

He's the QB1 this season. Mark it down.

Saints TE Coby Fleener Has Two-TD Day

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Over his last two home games, Saints tight end Coby Fleener is the best fantasy tight end in PPR leagues.

With that said, Fleener has been up and down this season, totaling just 54 receiving yards in his other three games.

What helped inflate Fleener's numbers a bit this week was a rushing touchdown. Yes, a rushing touchdown.

Fleener is volatile given Brees' ability to spread the ball around, but he is a TE1 moving forward.

Patriots QB Tom Brady Is Unstoppable

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Eight quarters of football. Six passing touchdowns.

That about sums up Brady.

In case you haven't heard, he's the greatest to ever play the position, so even with him approaching 40 years old, this shouldn't surprise anyone.

He's made the Patriots offense incredibly relevant (as usual) in fantasy and is definitely a top-five option at a minimum moving forward.

The four-game "rest" served him well. If you play against Brady this season, may God have mercy on you.

Chiefs RB Spencer Ware Has 26 Touches

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid improved to 16-2 in his coaching career following a bye week.

In the process of that 16th win, two Chiefs running backs found the end zone: Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware.

After little action in Week 4, Charles saw 11 touches this week, but Ware led the way at the running back position with 26.

Once again, Ware impressed, going over 130 yards.

At this point, Ware is the lead back; he's just performing time after time. Charles will get some work, but Ware has this job locked down for the rest of the season.

Charles is a flex play for the foreseeable future.

Raiders WR Amari Cooper Has Another 125-Plus-Yard Game

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

So, I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is the Oakland Raiders have two incredibly talented receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.

The bad news is only one is going to go off each week, it seems.

To start the season, it was Crabtree, but over the past two games, Cooper has gone over 125 yards in both.

Although he didn't score in Week 6, he still had a 10-catch day.

Cooper is a definite WR2.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Struggles

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

This has been a strange season for the Green Bay Packers.

Well, the strange continued in Week 6.

With under eight minutes to go in the game against the Cowboys, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally threw his lone touchdown of the game and finished with under 300 yards.

I know Rodgers hates talking about it, but there is something going on with him and the Packers.

Rodgers' struggles are impacting the skill-position players, too, with wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb being held to under 75 yards in Week 6. The one bright spot, however, was Cobb's touchdown—the only one for Rodgers.

On a weekly basis, it's hard to sit Nelson and Rodgers, but Cobb is a question mark.

Rodgers and Nelson will look to improve off this game in Week 7 on a short week, hosting the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football.

If Rodgers struggles here, I'll be pretty surprised.

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Crushes Packers

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Coming into Week 6, the Packers were the best defense when it came to stopping the run, holding opposing running backs to less than 50 yards rushing per game.

Well, that didn't stop Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Against the Packers in a winning effort, Elliott ran for over 150 yards but didn't score a touchdown.

Didn't matter—Elliott still crushed them.

This was Elliott's fourth straight game of 134 or more rushing yards.

He could end the season as the RB1.

Falcons WR Julio Jones and QB Matt Ryan Keep It Going

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

The high-flying duo continued to shine in Week 6.

The duo? Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones.

Even in Seattle against the Seahawks, Ryan threw for over 330 yards and three touchdowns, while Jones caught seven passes for 139 yards and a score.

Of course, the score did not come against Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who was visibly upset he wasn't covering Jones on the play. Jones did manage three catches for 40 yards off Sherman, though.

This is arguably the best fantasy tandem going right now.

Texans RB Lamar Miller Finally Scores

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Well, it's about damn time.

In what was another horrid effort from Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (besides the game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts), running back Lamar Miller was a bright spot to the tune of his first touchdown on the season.

In addition to his touchdown, Miller had nearly 150 yards on the ground and added another touchdown in the passing game, totaling 29 receiving yards on three catches.

With Osweiler struggling, it's hard for opposing defenses to respect the passing attack, so Miller will have a hard time finding space.

Miller is still an RB1, but we won't get to see what Miller can really do with Osweiler playing so terribly.

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and ESPN.com.

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.