Fantasy Football Week 6 Cheat Sheet: Identifying Sleepers for Deep Leagues

The 2019 NFL season has been filled with unpredictability. So, too, has the fantasy football season.

From injuries suffered by the likes of Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Saquon Barkley, to breakout performances from guys such as Matt Breida and DJ Chark Jr., the list of top fantasy options looks a lot different than it did ahead of Week 1.

Heading into Week 6, it's going to change again. Four teams—the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders—are on bye, meaning several quality options won't be available.

Here, we'll examine the top 25 fantasy players for Week 6, along with some deep-sleeper options you might be able to snag off the waiver wire.

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, Week 6 PPR

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars

4. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals

5. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles

6. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

7. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

8. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons

9. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars

10. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks

11. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

12. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints

13. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers

14. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans

15. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

16. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles

17. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns

18. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

19. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers

20. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

21. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons

22. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans

23. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns

24. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers at Los  Angeles Rams

25. Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings don't appear to be too sold on quarterback Kirk Cousins. Heading into Week 5, he had averaged fewer than 25 pass attempts, as the Vikings employed a run-first philosophy.

If you're in need of a streaming option to replace Josh Allen or Jacoby Brissett for the week, though, Cousins is a solid option.

The 31-year-old is coming off of a 306-yard, two-touchdown performance and going into a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. They have struggled against the pass this season, allowing an average of 271.2 yards per game through the air.

Cousins should again approach the 300-yard mark, and there's a good chance he's available in your league. He's rostered in just 42 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.

Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons

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If you're in need of a one-week replacement for a running back like Kerryon Johnson, Marlon Mack or Frank Gore, Atlanta Falcons runner Ito Smith might just fit the bill.

The 24-year-old hasn't seen a large percentage of Atlanta's backfield work this season, but he's been a more effective runner than Devonta Freeman.

While Freeman has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry, Smith has averaged 5.2. This trend might prompt the Falcons to utilize him a bit more moving forward.

If not, Smith's ceiling is a bit low. However, he does still hold some PPR value. He's caught eight passes over the past two weeks and had six catches in Week 5. Against an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks 24th against the pass (269.2 yards per game allowed) and 27th against the run (138.8 yards), he should have a chance to shine even with a limited workload.

Smith is currently owned in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.

DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

If you need a bye-week replacement at wide receiver or are dealing with Sterling Shepard's injury, Miami Dolphins wideout DeVante Parker is a viable waiver-wire option.

Yes, it's difficult to recommend any Dolphins player right now, but the 26-year-old is one of the few who has actually been productive this season. Over his past two games, he's caught seven passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

This week, the Dolphins host the Washington Redskins, who just fired head coach Jay Gruden and who have been shaky on defense, to say the least. Washington has allowed the third-most points in 2019—an average of 30.2 per game—and ranks just 23rd in pass defense (263.8 yards per game allowed).

If there's going to be a week in which to consider Parker a must-start, it's this one. He's currently available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.

Chris Herndon IV, TE, New York Jets

There are limited waiver-wire options at tight end this week, but Chris Herndon IV is worth scooping up.

The 23-year-old is coming off a four-game suspension and is likely off the fantasy radar for a lot of folks. However, he proved to be a reliable pass-catching option for New York last season—he finished with 39 catches, 502 yards and four touchdowns—and he's set to have quarterback Sam Darnold back at the helm of the offense.

Darnold, who has been out with mononucleosis, will give the sagging Jets offense a bit of a boost.

"Sam is able to hide things sometimes for us," head coach Adam Gase said, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. "If we make a mistake, he covers it up."

Don't expect Herndon or the Jets to carve up the Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 6. However, the Miami product should be a viable TE option moving forward. He's owned in 31 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.