Patrick Mahomes has looked human the past two weeks, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott are slowing down after hot starts, and Aaron Rodgers continues to disappoint fantasy football owners. These things factored into our Week 6 fantasy QB rankings, but ultimately, it was Rodgers's slow start that mattered most, as he dropped all the way to 16 despite a decent home matchup against the Lions. Ahead of him are such sleepers as Gardner Minshew and Kyle Allen, but the fact is, they've either performed better (or just as well) for fantasy purposes and/or have better matchups this week.
Jackson and Prescott definitely took advantage of favorable matchups in the first couple weeks, but guess what? They have favorable matchups again in Week 6. Jackson faces the Bengals at home and Prescott gets the Jets on the road. Both should bounce back in those get-right spots.
WEEK 6 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Starting at around No. 10 in our rankings, things get murky. Philip Rivers (vs. Steelers), Jared Goff (vs. 49ers), and Carson Wentz (@ Vikings) should be reliable, high-floor options, but like Rodgers (vs. Lions), all have had their ups and downs this year. With neutral, at best, matchups this week, none stand out as must-starts, but with guys like Minshew, Allen, Jameis Winston (vs. Panthers in UK), and Jimmy Garoppolo (@ Rams) presenting similar risks, most fantasy owners will side with the more proven options.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
For the real daring, you could try to take advantage of the Redskins-Dolphins matchup, as both defenses have struggled to stop anyone all season. We can't recommend Josh Rosen or whoever is starting for Washington, but they'll be there if you're desperate.
Josh Allen, Jacoby Brissett, Derek Carr, and Mitchell Trubisky/Chase Daniel are on bye this week, so a few owners might be in the market for a new starter. Minshew, Allen, and even Teddy Bridgewater (@ Jaguars) are in play as waiver pickups. Sam Darnold's likely return from mono also makes him intriguing, but with a tough matchup against the Cowboys on top, he should probably remain on waiver wires at least one more week.
Week 6 Fantasy QB Rankings
These rankings are for standard leagues with 4-point passing TDs.
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes II, KC vs. HOU |
| 2 | Tom Brady, NE vs. NYG |
| 3 | Matt Ryan, ATL @ ARZ |
| 4 | Deshaun Watson, HOU @ KC |
| 5 | Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. CIN |
| 6 | Dak Prescott, DAL @ NYJ |
| 7 | Russell Wilson, SEA @ CLE |
| 8 | Kyler Murray, ARZ vs. ATL |
| 9 | Jared Goff, LAR vs. SF |
| 10 | Philip Rivers, LAC vs. PIT |
| 11 | Kirk Cousins, MIN vs. PHI |
| 12 | Carson Wentz, PHI @ MIN |
| 13 | Gardner Minshew II, JAX vs. NO |
| 14 | Kyle Allen, CAR vs. TB (in UK) |
| 15 | Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. DET |
| 16 | Jameis Winston, TB vs. CAR (in UK) |
| 17 | Jimmy Garoppolo, SF @ LAR |
| 18 | Matthew Stafford, DET @ GB |
| 19 | Baker Mayfield, CLE vs. SEA |
| 20 | Teddy Bridgewater, NO @ JAX |
| 21 | Josh Rosen, MIA vs. WAS |
| 22 | Colt McCoy, WAS @ MIA |
| 23 | Daniel Jones, NYG @ NE |
| 24 | Marcus Mariota, TEN @ DEN |
| 25 | Andy Dalton, CIN @ BAL |
| 26 | Sam Darnold, NYJ vs. DAL |
| 27 | Joe Flacco, DEN vs. TEN |
| 28 | Devlin Hodges, PIT @ LAC |