Fantasy Football Week 6 Rankings: Projections for Players with Matchups We Love

A fantasy season seemingly filled with oddities continued during the Week 6 kickoff.

There, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz laughed in the face of a Carolina Panthers defense permitting the seventh-fewest points to opposing quarterbacks on average, tossing three scores on his way to a win and 21.38 points.

Cam Newton? Against a defense allowing the 13th-most points to his spot, he struggled at home, throwing three picks but tallying 23.66 points.

Owners shouldn't feel discouraged—the notable names at least seem consistent. Here's a look at full matchup rankings based on 12-team Yahoo standard leagues.

Week 6 Schedule

Chicago at Baltimore

Cleveland at Houston

Detroit at New Orleans

Green Bay at Minnesota

Miami at Atlanta

New England at N.Y. Jets

San Francisco at Washington

L.A. Rams at Jacksonville

Tampa Bay at Arizona

L.A. Chargers at Oakland

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

N.Y. Giants at Denver

Indianapolis at Tennessee

Quarterbacks

Player	Projected Points
Tom Brady	24
Matt Ryan	23
Drew Brees	20
Deshaun Watson	19
Aaron Rodgers	18
Kirk Cousins	18
Matthew Stafford	17
Jameis Winston	17
Philip Rivers	16
Carson Palmer	15
Jacoby Brissett	14
Derek Carr*	12
Alex Smith	12
Ben Roethlisberger	12
Case Keenum	12

Well, don't stop rolling with the rookie. 

Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans has improved on a weekly basis since his first NFL start, scoring 17.7, 22.14, 34.72 and 35.54 points over the first four outings of his career.

Sure, Watson might regress in Week 6 from the gaudy numbers, but even a dip here is still a nice fantasy output. And the slump shouldn't be too severe against the Cleveland Browns, as the team predictably coughs up the fourth-most points to opposing quarterbacks on average.

In a similar vein, keep having faith in Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as well.

The outlook here isn't as sexy. Ryan enters Week 6 off a bye and 10.48 points the week prior. He's greeted by a Miami Dolphins defense allowing the ninth-fewest points to quarterbacks.

But this is Ryan we're talking about, just as it's the Dolphins we're talking about—a team that has two losses by a combined score of 40-6 and has inflated numbers against quarterbacks thanks to games against Josh McCown and Matt Cassel.

Ryan is going to be just fine.

Running Backs

Player	Projected Points
Kareem Hunt	21
Le'Veon Bell	20
Todd Gurley	20
Leonard Fournette	18
Melvin Gordon	17
Devonta Freeman	16
Jordan Howard	15
Lamar Miller	14
C.J. Anderson	13
DeMarco Murray	12
Marshawn Lynch	12
Doug Martin	12
Mark Ingram	12
Jay Ajayi	11
Ameer Abdullah	11
Carlos Hyde	11
Aaron Jones	11
Mike Gillislee	11
Jerick McKinnon	10
Chris Thompson	10
Alvin Kamara	10
Tevin Coleman	9
Duke Johnson	8
Frank Gore	8
Tarik Cohen	8

It'a Todd Gurley sort of week at running back.

Make no mistake—Gurley owners need questioning. The Los Angeles Rams' lead back probably cost teams games outright in Week 5, when he totaled three points. While not expected, he wasn't exactly a great play against the Seattle Seahawks.

Redemption awaits, though, as Gurley gets the team coughing up the sixth-most points on average when he collides with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. He's scored 23 or more points three times already, with it looking like a viable benchmark once again thanks to a game against a defense that has helped Jalston Fowler, Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire look good.

Flip to the other side of that matchup, where owners should be all over rookie Leonard Fournette.

Jacksonville's lead back has three big games under his belt already and five rushing scores, two touchdowns and 181 yards coming on the road in Week 5 as he bullied his way to 30.4 points.

He carries that momentum into an encounter with the team allowing the most points to backs on average.

Sometimes it writes itself. Fournette at home with a full head of steam in this matchup could equate to the week's top outright scorer.

Wide Receivers

Player	Projected Points
Antonio Brown	19
DeAndre Hopkins	17
Julio Jones*	16
T.Y. Hilton	16
Jordy Nelson	15
Michael Thomas	14
Mike Evans	14
Chris Hogan	14
Larry Fitzgerald	13
Brandin Cooks	13
Keenan Allen	12
Tyreek Hill*	12
Stefon Diggs*	12
Davante Adams	12
Michael Crabtree	11
Golden Tate	11
Adam Thielen	11
Pierre Garcon	11
Emmanuel Sanders	11
DeSean Jackson	10
Demaryius Thomas	10
Jarvis Landry	9
Terrelle Pryor	9
Randall Cobb	8
Amari Cooper*	8
Rishard Matthews	8
Will Fuller	8
Martavis Bryant	8
Tyrell Williams	7
Cooper Kupp	7

Seemingly endless top targets exist at wideout in Week 6, so let's take a look at two guys with some of the most upside. 

One is T.Y. Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck isn't under center, yet Hilton hasn't had many problems posting big numbers over his past few games, boasting a minimum of 17.7 points in two out of his past three appearances.

Hilton will keep seeing the love from the offense, and there isn't anyone on the Tennessee Titans who can stop him, a point illustrated by the fact the unit coughs up the fourth-most points to the position. 

Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints doesn't have a matchup that's as pretty when his side plays against the Detroit Lions, owners of a defense allowing the 15th-most points to wideouts. 

But this has the feel of a shootout regardless, and Thomas quietly has a minimum of eight targets in every game, not to mention consecutive outings at a minimum of 14 points. 

Thomas, as usual, will be one of quarterback Drew Brees' favorite options while he tries to counteract another potent offense. 

Tight Ends

Player	Projected Points
Rob Gronkowski*	11
Travis Kelce*	11
Jordan Reed	10
Delanie Walker	10
Cameron Brate	9
Hunter Henry	8
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	8
Evan Engram	8
Kyle Rudolph	7
Martellus Bennett	7
Jared Cook	6
Coby Fleener	6

The Colts-Titans clash offers an interesting option at tight end as well, as Delanie Walker of the latter gets to go against a bad defense.

Those Colts allow the fifth-most points to tight ends because the defensive personnel simply can't match up with talented players at the spot. As owners have learned over the years, Walker is one of those. He also has six or more targets in three of his five games this year, meaning he will be a big part of the game plan.

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Cameron Brate of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks like he could be the top-scoring name at the position outright when he faces the Arizona Cardinals.

This isn't a great matchup for Brate from a ranking perspective, but most games haven't been this year, and he's still at 9.3 or more points in three consecutive appearances. It's all about the usage here, as Brate has six or more targets in two successive games and has scored a touchdown in three games and counting.

Defense/Special Teams

Unit	Projected Points
Denver Broncos	13
Jacksonville Jaguars	10
Houston Texans	9
Baltimore Ravens	9
Atlanta Falcons	8
Tennessee Titans	7
Kansas City Chiefs	7
New England Patriots	6
Los Angeles Rams	6
Washington Redskins	6

The Denver Broncos might be in a position to post the top line of the year from a fantasy defense in Week 6. 

Already an elite unit without help, the Broncos get to take on the reeling New York Giants without Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, not to mention a lack of a serious threat in the backfield. 

Even with those two names at wideout, the Giants have allowed opposing defenses to hit 10 or more points three times, including a high of 17.

The Broncos, owners of 10 sacks and four interceptions, should feast as New York quarterback Eli Manning tries to predictably force the ball to reserves. 

Kickers

Player	Projected Points
Brandon McManus	11
Justin Tucker	10
Dustin Hopkins	9
Matt Bryant	9
Stephen Gostkowski	8
Matt Prater	7
Will Lutz	7
Harrison Butker	6
Mason Crosby	6
Ka'imi Fairbairn	6

Let's go back to back with the Broncos here thanks to Brandon McManus. 

McManus has scored a minimum of six points in every game this year, turning it on over the course of his past two before a Week 5 bye with 10 or more points. 

The streak shouldn't have a problem continuing against a Giants squad allowing the fifth-most points to the position. Every opposing kicker has scored at least seven points against the unit, and the high is 15. 

McManus should see plenty of scoring chances in what could be a grind-it-out affair. 

All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.