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Week 6 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown
October 8, 2019
Buckle in, fellow fantasy football fanatics.
Week 6 of the 2019 NFL season is the first in which four teams will have a bye. So, even if owners aren't overly reliant on players from the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders, having all four inactive at once still qualifies as a tricky obstacle.
We're here to help you avoid any pitfalls by laying out our top-10 rankings at every position and taking a closer look at some names to know for the four offensive spots.
Quarterbacks
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
2. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
3. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
5. Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
6. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
7. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons
8. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns
9. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
Deshaun Watson owners must be downright giddy right now.
The third-year quarterback just delivered his best outing of the campaign, torching Atlanta to the tune of 28-of-33 passing for 426 yards and five scores. Now, he has a chance to build off that success by visiting the fantasy-friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs might not be running weekly track meets like they were last season, but three of their first five opponents have scored at least 26 points. Two quarterbacks have thrown multiple touchdown passes against them, and—increasing the dual-threat appeal of Watson—two others have rushed for scores.
Elsewhere, expect another fireworks display involving the Falcons. After Atlanta and Houston combined for 85 points in Week 5, the Falcons could have another shootout in Arizona. The Falcons and Cardinals allow the second- and fifth-most points per game, respectively, making Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray potential goldmines on Sunday.
Running Backs
1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
3. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
6. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons
7. Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints
9. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks
10. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos
This ranking could have a different No. 1 by Thursday night, and it's not someone on our current top 10.
Saquon Barkley, the consensus No. 1 pick this draft season, could return after a two-week absence with a high ankle sprain. Giants coach Pat Shurmur said, "We'll decide that as we go here," so any Barkley owners could receive some welcome relief ahead of Thursday's Giants-Patriots clash.
For anyone riding the Derrick Henry hype train, this is hardly the time to get off.
He's been awesome so far. He has five scores in five games, and in the only contest where he didn't find the end zone, he rushed for a season-high 100 yards. Denver's defense allows the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, per Yahoo Sports, so Henry could be the gift that keeps on giving.
Wide Receivers
1. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
3. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
4. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
7. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
8. Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks
9. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
10. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
While owning Amari Cooper has its ups and downs in terms of yardage, he's cementing his status as an elite WR1 during his tenure in Dallas.
This past weekend, Cooper erupted for 11 catches on 14 targets for 226 yards and a score. Green Bay entered the week having allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, per Yahoo Sports. Now, Cooper gets a crack at the New York Jets, who allow the third-most fantasy points to the position. Expect more ups for Cooper, in other words.
Julian Edelman has had his own bouts with inconsistent fantasy production, finishing two of his five contests with four receptions for fewer than 60 yards. But the target volume looks good—seven-plus targets in four games—and remember, those targets are coming from Tom Brady.
Considering the Giants have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts, all signs are pointing to another big outing for Edelman.
Tight Ends
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings
4. Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
5. Evan Engram, New York Giants at New England Patriots
6. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns
8. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
9. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins
If you drafted George Kittle expecting even better numbers than his record-setting season, then you set yourself up for disappointment.
But if you drafted Kittle to be an elite tight end, then you surely aren't complaining. He's been targeted at least eight times in three of his first four games, and he's had six-plus catches in each of those contests. San Francisco utilizing him for an 18-yard rush Monday night proves this team wants to maximize his impact.
It almost doesn't matter which tight end goes against the Cardinals; you'll want that player in your lineup. This week, that happens to be someone you likely already planned on playing, as Austin Hooper has at least six catches in three straight games. He's made the most of those chances, too, tallying 252 receiving yards and two scores during this stretch.
His numbers should keep trending up against the Cardinals, who have allowed five different tight ends to find the end zone.
Kickers
1. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
3. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
4. Joey Slye, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
6. Zane Gonzalez, Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons
7. Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
9. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings
10. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers
Defense/Special Teams
1. New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
2. Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
4. Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
6. Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
7. Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins
8. Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles
9. Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos
10. Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns