Week 6 of the fantasy season brought us more unpredictable totals from unlikely players (hello, Bailey Zappe, Deon Jackson and Daniel Bellinger), but it did see some of the top wideouts make a statement. In fact, the three best fantasy players at the position were all superstars: Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill. There were some outliers at receiver too, as the likes of Chase Claypool, Tyquan Thornton, Parris Campbell, Dante Pettis and Ben Skowronek had nice numbers.
Fantasy fans also saw the continued decline of two of the top quarterbacks (one a lock Hall of Famer) from a year ago, while another signal-caller who was a fantasy star the past two weeks came crashing back down to earth in the Great Northwest. Those are among what I believe are the top 10 fantasy football story lines from this week that will no doubt affect your starting lineup decisions moving forward.
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes don’t disappoint. The battle between the Bills and Chiefs was the top matchup of the week, and it didn’t leave us wanting. While the game started slowly in the stats sheets, Allen finished with 329 yards, three touchdowns and 26.4 points while Mahomes went for 338, two touchdowns and 19.6 points (he lost two points on a late interception). The game also produced a pair of top-eight wide receivers, Stefon Diggs (30.8 points) and, surprisingly, JuJu Smith-Schuster (22.3 points). Two tight ends, Travis Kelce (19.2 points) and Dawson Knox (12.7 points) were also in the top eight.
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase shine back in the bayou. Burrow and Chase combined to put up bananas numbers together at LSU, and their return to Louisiana as pros was equally as fruitful. Burrow threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for another score and finished with a season-high 32.5 fantasy points in a win over the Saints. Chase was dominant as well, posting 132 yards, two touchdowns and 32.2 points. It’s the duo’s best statistical output of the season and was reminiscent of some of the huge lines the pair produced together in 2021. Burrow and Chase host the Atlanta Falcons next week.
Jonathan who? Deon Jackson goes off vs. Jaguars. The Colts entered the game against the Jaguars without Jonathan Taylor or Nyheim Hines, leaving Deon Jackson as their lead running back. He thrived in the role, catching 10 passes while producing 121 total yards, a touchdown and 28.1 fantasy points. The versatile back did leave the game late with an injury, however, and Taylor could return for the Colts’ next game, a Week 7 matchup in Tennessee. Regardless, Jackson made a huge impact for fantasy managers when it was desperately needed the most.
Rhamondre Stevenson meets high expectations. Stevenson was considered a virtual must start this week, facing a vulnerable Browns run defense as New England’s featured back in the absence of Damien Harris (hamstring). The second-year back rushed for 76 yards and scored two touchdowns, which was good enough to score 25.1 fantasy points in a big win. Stevenson has now posted 19-plus fantasy points in three of his last four games, and he’ll be in the RB1 conversation while Harris remains out of action. The Patriots face the Bears next on the slate.
Saquon Barkley pulls a Brian Westbrook move. Westbrook, and for that matter Maurice Jones-Drew, have famously gone down in front of the goal line rather than score a touchdown to secure a win for their NFL teams. Well, we can add Barkley’s name to that list. Late in the game against the Ravens, Barkley could have easily put up his second rushing touchdown. But rather than give Baltimore back the football, he took a seat and cost fantasy managers an additional six points. Barkley scored a solid 18.5 points and made the right move for Big Blue, but that lost six points will no doubt change the outcomes for many fantasy games.
Tyreek Hill again proves to be quarterback proof. The Dolphins opened the week with third-stringer Skylar Thompson under center, but he suffered a thumb injury and was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater. Regardless, Hill posted another huge stat line with 12 catches on 15 targets for 177 yards and 29.7 fantasy points. Not to be outdone, Jaylen Waddle posted six catches, 129 yards and 16.9 fantasy points of his own. Game script forced the Dolphins to throw often, but fantasy fans who were worried about Hill and Waddle because of the quarterback situation had their minds eased.
Kyler Murray’s struggles continue vs. Seattle. Murray entered this week with two straight modest stat lines (31.1 combined points), and things didn’t get better against the Seahawks. The veteran did rush for 100 yards on 10 carries, but he failed to throw a touchdown for the second straight week and turned the ball over twice in a 19-9 loss. In all, he finished with just 14.9 fantasy points. Murray has now committed at least one giveaway in three straight games, and he’s failed to throw for multiple scores four times in six games. The quarterback position isn’t great this season, but Murray is quickly becoming less of a “must start.”
Travis Etienne’s usage numbers are on the rise. Etienne was clearly second behind James Robinson in the Jaguars backfield over the first four weeks. In that time, Robinson had a 33% touch share and averaged 14.8 fantasy points compared to Etienne’s 21% touch share and 7.6 points-per-game average. That’s changed in the last two weeks, however, as the touch share is now even at 24% and Etienne has the lead in points-per-game average, 13.6 to a mere 6.2. Neither of these backs will take over a featured role unless someone gets hurt, but it’s good to see Etienne, a preseason fantasy darling, more involved in the last two weeks.
Geno Smith reminds us that he’s still Geno Smith. Smith was a popular starter in fantasy leagues, as he had put up two straight big stat lines (55.7 combined points). Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it three in a row in a win over the Cardinals. Smith threw for just 197 yards without a touchdown, and his 12.7 fantasy points was his lowest total since Week 2. That’s not to suggest Smith won’t remain a matchup-based option, but it’s also a reminder that he’s not yet a weekly starter.
Quarterback points come from surprising names. Fantasy managers who started Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson might want to look away. Among the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks this week, we find Matt Ryan (QB2), Trevor Lawrence (QB4), Marcus Mariota (QB5), Justin Fields (QB7), Bailey Zappe (QB8), Teddy Bridgewater (QB9) and Jimmy Garoppolo (QB10). Not exactly the elite of the elite, but it’s par for the course in what’s been a difficult-to-predict campaign
Notes
- Cam Akers was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the Panthers, and multiple media reports suggest he’ll be traded. That leaves Darrell Henderson as the team’s new No. 1 back. He did lead the Rams with 14 touches in a win over the Panthers, though Malcolm Brown saw eight of his own. Henderson, who found the end zone and scored 13.2 points, will be in the RB2/flex mix until further notice. With Akers seemingly out of the mix, Henderson’s value is rising.
- Aaron Rodgers can no longer be trusted as a No. 1 fantasy quarterback. He was held to just 11.8 points in a bad loss to the Jets, and the veteran has now failed to score more than 16.9 points in each of his first six games. Without a true alpha No. 1 wide receiver after the trade of Davante Adams, Rodgers has become mortal in fantasy circles. He faces the Commanders in Week 7.
- George Kittle produced his best stat line since the middle of last season, posting eight catches on 10 targets for 83 yards in a shocking loss to the Falcons. Kittle, who finished the game with 16.3 points, is now a viable sell-high candidate in fantasy leagues. The veteran has matchups against the Chiefs, Rams and Chargers next on the schedule. At a thin position, he could bring value.
- Ken Walker looked great in his first start for the Seahawks, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. He had a bananas 46% touch share, showing that coach Pete Carroll isn’t afraid to lean on his rookie in a prominent role. With Rashaad Penny out of the season, Walker is looking like a potential league winner in fantasy leagues. He’ll be a weekly No. 2 back.
- Marquise Brown has been one of the top wideouts in fantasy football, but he suffered an injured foot against the Seahawks and left the stadium in a walking boot. This is bad timing for Brown, as the Cardinals will get back DeAndre Hopkins next week. If Brown is forced to miss time, Nuk could reclaim his status as the unquestioned No. 1 (fantasy) wide receiver in Arizona’s offense.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!
