Fantasy Football Week 6: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action

Friday is no-man's land for fantasy owners.

Sunday, of course, is nirvana and hell all wrapped into one, depending on how your team is doing. Monday night is crunch time. Tuesday you're worried about waivers. Wednesday you're mulling over potential trades. Thursday you start worrying about your lineup before Thursday Night Football. Saturday is a day of rest because, you know, college football. 

So what, then, is Friday? You're still buzzing from the TNF results, still seeking out potential injuries, still worrying about your lineup, but the real crunch for all of that will come on Sunday morning. So, in your day of limbo, why not check out my grades for the smartest players to start this week? 

Don't cram all of your worrying and tinkering into Sunday morning. Check out my rankings below and get an early start on your preparation. 

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, go here. Abridged version: "Ability" measures a player's overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. "Offense" measures how much that team's offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall "startability" grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Sunday, Oct. 12	Time (ET)
Monday, Oct. 13	Time (ET)
Jacksonville at Tennessee	1 p.m.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.
Denver at NY Jets	1 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota	1 p.m.
New England at Buffalo	1 p.m.
Carolina at Cincinnati	1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland	1 p.m.
Green Bay at Miami	1 p.m.
San Diego at Oakland	4:05 p.m.
Chicago at Atlanta	4:25 p.m.
Dallas at Seattle	4:25 p.m.
Washington at Arizona	4:25 p.m.
NY Giants at Philadelphia	8:30 p.m.
San Francisco at St. Louis	8:30 p.m

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Peyton Manning	50	22	15	10	A+ (97)
2	Philip Rivers	45	15	12	9	A (81)
3	Aaron Rodgers	49	7	14	9	A (79)
4	Matt Ryan	46	13	12	8	A (79)
5	Eli Manning	40	23	9	6	A- (78)
6	Jay Cutler	41	15	13	7	B+ (76)
7	Russell Wilson	44	12	10	8	B (74)
8	Matt Stafford	48	10	8	7	B (73)
9	Colin Kaepernick	43	13	10	6	B- (72)
10	Nick Foles	40	12	14	6	B- (72)
11	Andy Dalton	40	14	11	6	C+ (71)
12	Tony Romo	42	12	11	6	C+ (71)
13	Ben Roethlisberger	41	16	6	5	C (68)
14	Kirk Cousins	38	13	11	6	C (68)
15	Joe Flacco	39	16	8	4	C (67)
16	Tom Brady	44	9	8	5	C (66)
17	Cam Newton	47	5	7	7	C (66)

There are a lot of players who have spent time in the past on the QB1 column who fall into QB2 territory this week.  

Andy Dalton? He'll likely be without A.J. Green, and the Cincinnati Bengals have been excellent pounding the rock this season. I'll pass.

Tony Romo? I don't trust him against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. The Seahawks have been surprisingly vulnerable to the pass this year, but this feels like one of those weeks where Romo might try to do too much on his own and start confusing his wide receivers with Seattle's defensive backs.

Tom Brady? One 20-point week won't make me forget that he was averaging 8.7 points per week over the first month of the season. Color me cautious.

Cam Newton? Until he starts running the ball more consistently—he has just 14 carries for 42 yards this season—he's nothing more than a QB2 to me. 

No, this week I'll take the Manning brothers, or safe bets like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers. The question marks outlined before them are simply too risky for my tastes.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Matt Forte	48	24	14	10	A+ (96)
2	Le'Veon Bell	47	20	13	9	A (89)
3	Marshawn Lynch	49	11	15	10	A (85)
4	Giovani Bernard	44	17	12	8	A (81)
5	LeSean McCoy	48	15	10	6	A (79)
6	DeMarco Murray	48	3	14	10	A- (75)
7	Frank Gore	42	12	12	8	A- (74)
8	Chris Ivory	38	20	9	7	A- (74)
9	Eddie Lacy	43	12	10	6	B+ (71)
10	Alfred Morris	44	5	13	9	B+ (71)
11	Andre Ellington	43	11	10	6	B (70)
12	Andre Williams	37	17	12	4	B (70)
13	Branden Oliver	36	21	10	3	B (70)
14	Darren Sproles	41	15	9	5	B (70)
15	Knowshon Moreno	39	18	8	5	B (70)
16	C.J. Spiller	43	15	7	4	B- (69)
17	Reggie Bush*/Joique Bell*	40	17	7	4	B- (68)
18	Fred Jackson	38	15	8	6	B- (67)
19	Ben Tate	38	10	10	6	C+ (63)
20	Justin Forsett	35	15	7	6	C+ (63)
21	Matt Asiata	33	9	14	7	C+ (63)
22	Lamar Miller	37	18	5	4	C+ (63)
23	Chris Johnson	35	20	4	4	C+ (63)
24	Ronnie Hillman	37	6	12	5	C (60)
25	Jeremy Hill	35	17	4	3	C (59)
26	Zac Stacy*	38	4	9	7	C- (58)
27	Doug Martin	40	5	8	5	C- (58)
28	Bishop Sankey	32	22	2	2	C- (58)
29	Shonn Greene	28	22	3	3	D+ (56)
30	Stevan Ridley	36	3	8	4	D (53)

Let's talk about the confusing committee situations, starting with the Miami Dolphins. With Knowshon Moreno returning this week, there's a lot of uncertainty over who will be the more valuable back to own, Moreno or Lamar Miller. 

In this case, all we really have is a brief history to reflect upon. Before he was injured, Moreno rushed 24 times for 134 yards and a score in Week 1. Miller had 11 carries for 59 yards in that game and also added four receptions for 19 yards and a score.

Based on the one week both players were healthy, it would appear that Moreno is the top option here. Monitor his situation carefully, of course, as Miller is a great RB2 if Moreno can't go, but if they both play Moreno would appear to be the top option. 

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

I'm staying away from both running backs in New England, simply because their production is so erratic, but also because the Buffalo Bills are giving up just 9.8 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, second in the NFL. If you are desperate and have to choose between the pair, go with Stevan Ridley over Shane Vereen. 

My philosophy on the Detroit running backs is simple—if Reggie Bush plays and Joique Bell sits, I love Bush this week, and vice versa. If they both play, however, I'm bumping them each into the risky RB3 realm. Neither has produced consistently enough to start if they're splitting reps. 

Justin Forsett continues to be the man you want to own in Baltimore. Ditto for Ahmad Bradshaw in Indianapolis and Chris Ivory with the New York Jets. As for what to do with the Buffalo Bills, well, C.J. Spiller is the more explosive player, but Fred Jackson just keeps on producing. They limit the other's productivity, but both are still generally a flex consideration each week. 

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Demaryius Thomas	47	20	14	8	A+ (89)
2	Julio Jones	49	17	13	8	A+ (87)
3	Antonio Brown	47	16	12	10	A (85)
4	Victor Cruz	43	24	10	7	A (84)
5	Steve Smith	41	23	12	8	A (84)
6	Brandon Marshall	48	15	12	8	A (83)
7	Jordy Nelson	48	12	14	8	A- (82)
8	Emmanuel Sanders	40	20	15	7	A- (82)
9	Dez Bryant	49	10	13	9	A- (81)
10	Randall Cobb	45	12	13	8	B+ (78)
11	Alshon Jeffery	44	15	12	6	B+ (77)
12	Jeremy Maclin	42	12	14	8	B (76)
13	DeSean Jackson	45	16	10	5	B (76)
14	Vincent Jackson	44	15	10	6	B (75)
15	Mike Wallace	44	11	12	8	B (75)
16	Pierre Garcon	40	16	11	6	B- (73)
17	Golden Tate	39	16	11	6	B- (72)
18	Michael Crabtree	40	16	10	4	B- (70)
19	Wes Welker	38	20	8	5	C+ (69)
20	Percy Harvin	44	8	10	5	C (67)
21	Terrance Williams	40	10	10	7	C (67)
22	Roddy White	38	17	8	4	C (67)
23	Rueben Randle	30	24	9	4	C (67)
24	Kendall Wright	36	20	5	5	C (66)
25	Kelvin Benjamin	40	7	10	7	C (64)
26	Julian Edelman	37	11	10	6	C (64)
27	Keenan Allen	38	10	10	4	C- (62)
28	Michael Floyd	40	13	5	3	C- (62)
29	Larry Fitzgerald	40	13	5	3	C- (61)
30	Brian Quick	36	8	7	6	D+ (57)
31	Allen Hurns	33	14	5	4	D+ (56)
32	Sammy Watkins	41	3	5	5	D (54)
33	Andre Johnson	38	4	5	6	D (53)
34	Eddie Royal	30	10	10	3	D (53)
35	Cordarrelle Patterson	42	5	3	2	D- (52)

With A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson seeming unlikely to play, wide receiver was shaken up a bit at the top. Still, there are some certainties at the wide receiver position, it would seem. 

Antonio Brown is Mr. Consistent, for instance. Even when he has a mediocre game by his own standard, like he did in Week 5, he still catches five passes for 84 yards. He's reliability personified. 

Some teams boast multiple WR1s or WR2s. The Chicago Bears (Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery), Green Bay Packers (Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb) and Denver Broncos (Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders) are the leaders of the pack in this regard. All of these offenses have proven they have plenty of targets to go around, so don't assume any of them will slow down anytime soon.

You don't know when it will happen, but players like DeSean Jackson and Vincent Jackson can blow up at any moment and help you win your week. D-Jax surprised more than a few folks by doing it last week against Seattle. 

Golden Tate is a high-upside WR2 as long as Calvin Johnson is hobbled or out of action. In the past two weeks, he has 15 receptions for 250 yards and a score. Detroit's No. 2 option is playing like a No. 1 right now.

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

The scores are coming for Percy Harvin. I've never seen a player have three touchdowns taken off the board due to penalties in one game. I was thankful, as I was playing against a Harvin owner in one of my leagues, but I also know how lucky I was. Be patient, Harvin owners, the touchdowns are coming.

Cordarrelle Patterson will continue to flummox. For some reason, the Minnesota Vikings have decided they don't need to feed him the ball. Until they reverse this confounding trend, keep him affixed to your bench. 

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Julius Thomas	47	18	14	10	A+ (89)
2	Rob Gronkowski	47	13	12	8	A (80)
3	Delanie Walker	39	22	9	6	A (76)
4	Greg Olsen	42	15	11	8	A (76)
5	Jordan Cameron	42	15	10	7	A- (74)
6	Antonio Gates	39	12	12	6	B+ (69)
7	Jordan Reed*	37	20	8	4	B+ (69)
8	Martellus Bennett	41	5	13	7	B (66)
9	Jason Witten	40	14	5	6	B- (65)
10	Owen Daniels	36	16	8	5	B- (65)
11	Larry Donnell	37	7	13	7	C+ (64)
12	Vernon Davis*	35	9	10	8	C (62)
13	Zach Ertz	40	5	9	5	C (59)
14	Heath Miller	35	10	7	4	C- (56)

With Jimmy Graham on a bye this week, Julius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski are the clear elite options this week. Thomas amazingly has seven touchdowns this week, while Gronk finally looked like himself against Cincy, catching six passes for 100 yards and a score. They tower head and shoulders above any other players this week. 

Still, Delanie Walker has a great matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he should post big numbers this week. And don't forget about Greg Olsen and Martellus Bennett, who have each been steady producers thus far. 

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team
1	Detroit Lions
2	San Francisco 49ers
3	San Diego Chargers
4	New England Patriots
5	Cincinnati Bengals
6	Seattle Seahawks
7	Green Bay Packers
8	Baltimore Ravens
9	Denver Broncos
10	Tennessee Titans

Kickers

Rank	Player
1	Nick Novak
2	Cody Parkey
3	Justin Tucker
4	Matt Bryant
5	Brandon McManus
6	Stephen Gostkowski
7	Phil Dawson
8	Shaun Suisham
9	Josh Brown
10	Matt Prater

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than Russell Wilson imitating a chicken with its head cut off.