Fantasy Football Week 6 Rankings: Darren Sproles, Felix Jones or Matt Forte?

Week 6 is a transitional time in fantasy football. Bye weeks are in full swing and you have to incorporate your bench players now more than in the previous five games. This is also when your team will either take control of the league, or fall to the back of the pack. Matchups are more critical now than ever before. 

Three intriguing running backs this week are Darren Sproles, Felix Jones and Matt Forte. These three players have had their ups and downs this season, and all have been solid fantasy contributors overall, but you need to know which one to start. 

Darren Sproles is going to get the fewest carries of the three running backs listed. The Saints want to get Mark Ingram comfortable in the primary running back position, and Sproles is not an every-down player. He usually gets around eight to 10 carries each week, but his value lies in his versatility.

Not only is Sproles going to average around six yards per carry, but he is good for at least five receptions as well. Going against a weak Tampa Bay defensive line is only going to help his total production. 

Matt Forte is a better version of Darren Sproles. When the season started, he wasn't getting a lot of carries because the Bears' offensive line was so bad, but has been given the ball 47 times in the last two weeks and run for 321 yards. 

In addition to those totals, Forte also leads the team with 30 receptions. He is Jay Cutler's best—more specifically, only—option as a receiver. 

Don't expect Forte's hot streak running the ball to continue, because he is matched up against a great run defense in Minnesota— the Vikings are allowing just 76.4 yards per game. Forte will get his catches, but look for his rushing yards to be closer to the 50 to 60 yard range.

Felix Jones looked like a bust after two weeks, but he had a great game against Washington in Week 3, and his stock is rising again. The Cowboys are traveling to New England this week, so they are going to have to run the ball in order to control the clock and keep Tom Brady on the sidelines. 

This is going to be the first game of the season that Jones gets 20 carries, and he will not waste any of them. He should crack 100 yards easily against a soft Patriots defensive line. 

Jones will not be featured as much in the passing game as Sproles or Forte, but if the Patriots try to blitz Tony Romo to attack his injured ribs, the Cowboys could check down to him more than usual. 

I would give Forte a slight edge over Jones and Sproles this week because Forte is by far the best playmaker on his team, but if you can start the other two at a flex position, they are definitely worth the risk.