Week 6 Matchups – Fantasy Football Player Spotlights

Every week, I do the dirty work for you and dig into every Sunday matchup to determine who is the player from each team to spotlight. This involves looking at Fantasy Points Per Game (PPG) and yardage allowed by defenses, along with looking at player usage and performances. I will always have hits and misses, but I will also always have detailed reasoning behind the points I am making. Here are some of the hits in points per reception (PPR) leagues from last week’s article:

• Travis Etienne: 36.4 Fantasy Points
• Breece Hall: 28.4 Fantasy Points
• George Pickens: 26.6 Fantasy Points
• Dallas Goedert: 25.7 Fantasy Points
• DeAndre Hopkins: 22.0 Fantasy Points
• De’Von Achane: 21.5 Fantasy Points
• David Montgomery: 20.9 Fantasy Points
• Puka Nacua: 20.1 Fantasy Points
• Alvin Kamara: 18.7 Fantasy Points
• Rashee Rice: 13.3 Fantasy Points

Definitely had some misses last week as well, but I feel great through five weeks of footbal with my hit-to-miss ratio. Keep in mind that we the Packers and Steelers are on a BYE this week. Below are players I feel will have a solid Fantasy Football performance, and are considerations to add to your DFS lineups for Week 5. Let’s get it!

Week 6 Matchups – Player Spotlights

Ravens vs. Titans

**keep in mind that this game is at 9:30 ET in London**

• Zay Flowers: The Titans allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 10th most passing yards per game this season. Zay Flowers was targeted 11 times last week but caught just five of those with some frustrating drops. Flowers did finish with 73 receiving yards, which marks his second week over 70 receiving yards this season. Flowers leads the Ravens with 40 targets, with Mark Andrews in second with 28 targets while playing one less game. Leading in targets has been a very positive sign for the 2023 first-round selection, with Week 5 being Flowers’ third game of double-digit targets. Three weeks above 14 yards per catch, along with some rushing attempts on the season shows some upside as well. Look for Flowers to have a splash in Week 6.
• DeAndre Hopkins: The Ravens are not necessarily the best Fantasy Football matchup for wide receivers ranking 18th in PPG allowed, but I feel Week 5 could have been a great sign of things to come for DeAndre Hopkins. Week 1 Hopkins was targeted 13 times and caught seven of those for 65 yards. In the next three weeks, Hopkins was targeted 5-7-6 times and had a high Fantasy score of 10.3. Week 5 meant a return back to solid target volume, with 11 targets from Ryan Tannehill, and Hopkins caught eight of those for 140 receiving yards. To put it very simply – DHop looked great. Here is to hoping the Titans are settled in on feeding DHop again in Week 6, in a tougher Baltimore matchup that may be tough to rely the run on.

Panthers vs. Dolphins

• Bryce Young: The Dolphins allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the 13th most passing yards per game this season. Bryce Young had his best performance of the season in Week 5, throwing 25/41 for 247 passing yards and three touchdowns. The 41 passing attempts was a season-high for Young as the Panthers chased the Lions last week in a 42-24 final. The same sort of game script should be in store against the Dolphins in Week 6. Adam Thielen has looked great and both DJ Chark and rookie Jonathan Mingo are healthy. Week 5 can be an indicator of a positive Fantasy Football trend for Young.
• Raheem Mostert: The Panthers allow the second-most Fantasy PPG to running backs and seventh-most rushing yards per game this season. De’Von Achane has been a rookie on absolute fire the last three weeks but unfortunately was placed on the IR with a knee injury this week. Jeff Wilson Jr. is progressing in his return from the IR himself, with the chance to play in Week 6. Raheem Mostert should operate this week as the lead back and has been hot himself this season. Mostert has had games of 121, 82, and 65 yards rushing and has totaled eight total touchdowns this season. Mostert’s weekly Fantasy Football finishes have been the RB18, RB5, RB2, RB41 and RB11. No Achane in the mix should bump Mostert’s snap percentage back up, and he is lined up in one of the best running back matchups to have a massive Week 6.

Saints vs. Texans

• Alvin Kamara: The Texans allow the 7th most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season. In Alvin Kamara’s Week 4 return, he rushed the ball 11 times for 51 yards but more importantly, caught 13 of 14 targets for 21.4 Fantasy Points. The very next week, Kamara doubled his rushing attempts and finished with 80 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown along with three receptions for 18.7 Fantasy Points. So in the two-game sample size, we saw both high receiving volume and then high volume on the ground which makes you think he can be utilized in either way or a mix of both on any given week. Two Top 10 Fantasy Football performances to start Kamara’s year, with plenty more of that to come, especially this week in a plus matchup.
• CJ Stroud: The Saints are a rough matchup for Fantasy Football this season for every position, ranking 22nd or worse in PPG allowed to quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. I do want to highlight CJ Stroud though, as a rookie who has really taken off this year and has been one of the fastest Fantasy Football risers in both redraft and dynasty leagues. Stroud ranks just outside the Top 12 for Fantasy Football as the QB14 so far this season, with two Top 12 performances so far this year. Stroud ranks fifth in passing attempts, ninth in completions, this in passing yards and has seven passing touchdowns on the year. The Saints will be a tough test, but there is faith in the rookie to step up when it matters in Week 6.

Commanders vs. Falcons

• Logan Thomas: The Falcons allow the second-most Fantasy PPG to tight ends this season. Logan Thomas is coming off his best Fantasy Football scoring week (20.7 Fantasy Points) since Week 15 of 2020. Thomas caught nine of his 11 targets for 77 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 5. Thomas earned some solid volume in Week 1 with eight targets then went on to score in Week two before leaving that game with a concussion that held him out of Week 3. It is clear that Thomas has a great connection with Sam Howell since he has been the heaviest-targeted player in two of his three games played. Great matchup for Thomas to stay hot in for Week 6.
• Drake London: The Commanders allow the third-most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 12th-most passing yards per game this season. Drake London is coming off of season highs in targets (nine) and receiving yards (78) in Week 5. London opened up the season with concerning volume, earning just one target, but then went on to earn 8-6-7-9. The former first-round talent will look to continue his positive performance in Week 6 with such a positive Washington matchup.

Colts vs. Jaguars

• Michael Pittman Jr.: In Week 1 against the Jaguars, Michael Pittman Jr. caught eight passes for 97 yards and a touchdown for a season-high 23.7 Fantasy Points. This big MPJ performance did come with rookie Anthony Richardson at quarterback, who unfortunately was placed on the IR this week which means Gardner Minshew will be the team’s quarterback in Week 6. Pittman opened up the season with 11-12-11 targets but has dipped to five and seven in the last two weeks. The Jaguars allow the 15th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the sixth most passing yards per game this season. A plus matchup along with the Week 1 performance lines up Pittman for a big Week 6.
• Calvin Ridley: The Colts allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and fifth most passing yards per game this season. In Week 1 against the Colts, Calvin Ridley caught eight passes for 101 receiving yards and a touchdown for a season-high 24.1 Fantasy Points. Ridley cooled off following Week 1 in both Fantasy Points and usage but looked back to his Week 1 form in Week 5’s matchup. Last week Ridley caught seven of his eight targets for a season-high 122 receiving yards for another Top 10 Fantasy week. Round two for Ridley in a matchup he already excelled in looks promising.

Seahawks vs. Bengals

• Jaxon Smith Njigba: This will be my spicy take of this week, after hitting on Rashee Rice being a spotlight in last week’s article who was FLEX worthy. The Bengals rank 23rd in Fantasy PPG allowed to wide receivers this season, so this is not a plus matchup by any means. I do see the script of this game being through the air though. With Jaxon-Smith Njigba not doing anything significant yet this season, the focus will ultimately be on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in this matchup. JSN did have wrist surgery right before the season but did not end up missing any time due to it. Not sure if that meant he was or was not 100%, but JSN did earn 11 targets across the opening two games. In Week 4 JSN earned six targets as well, which did not amount to much. I am a true believer in the talent, which warranted him being the first wide receiver off the board in this year’s NFL Draft. We often see rookie wide receivers take off in the later parts of the season, and often times we see changes following a BYE week, and that change might just be JSN being more implemented in the Seahawks game plan. The spicy take here is that Week 6 is the JSN coming out party.
• Ja’Marr Chase: The Seahawks allow the second most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and third most passing yards per game this season. Tee Higgins missed Week 5 after leaving Week 4 with rib injuries and continues to be limited at practice. Ja’Marr Chase had a slow start to the season, seeing under 10 targets in each of the opening two weeks with both games resulting in under 10 fantasy Points. The last three weeks, however, have looked very much like the Chase we know and love for Fantasy Football. 15-9-19 targets, 141-73-192 receiving yards and 26.1-14.3-52.2 Fanntasy Points. That looks like a great combination of target volume, receiving production and Fantasy Football scoring – which is expected of Ja’Marr Chase. After an explosion of a Week 5 as the week’s best scorer for Fantasy Football, look for Chase to stay on fire this week.

Vikings vs. Bears

• Kirk Cousins: The Bears are the best Fantasy Football matchup in PPG allowed to quarterbacks and allow the second most passing yards per game this season. Kirk Cousins currently ranks #1 in passing attempts (204), #1 in completions (137), #2 in passing yards (1,614), #1 in passing touchdowns (13) and #4 in Fantasy Points. Justin Jefferson unfortunately hit the IR which is a major blow to the Vikings as one of the league’s best wide receiver talents, but Cousins being number one or number two in the previous listed categories brings confidence still. Cousins has thrown for at least two touchdowns in every game this year, and has been a Top 10 weekly Fantasy scorer three times now. The weapons of TJ Hockenson, Jordan Addison and KJ Osborn are still a quality trio to have in such a great matchup.
• DJ Moore: The Vikings allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 11th most passing yards per game this season. The DJ Moore – Justin Fields connection has looked like one of the best in football across the last two weeks. In Week 4 DJ Moore caught eight of his nine targets for 131 receiving yards and a touchdown for 27.1 Fantasy Points. Moore followed this performance up with a massive week in Week 5, catching eight of his 10 targets for 230 receiving yards and three touchdowns for 49 Fantasy Points. No wide receiver has had more receiving yards or Fantasy Points than Moore across the last two weeks of football, who will look to capitalize on a great matchup to keep the hot streak alive in Week 6.

49ers vs. Browns

• George Kittle: The Browns are a rough matchup for Fantasy Football ranking 30th, 29th and 32nd to quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers this season in PPG allowed. Cleveland is the least rough on tight ends, allowing the 20th most Fantasy PPG. George Kittle is coming off of a huge Week 5 performance, where he caught three of his four targets for 67 yards and three touchdowns. Wild that every catch was a touchdown score. The target volume for Kittle this season has fluctuated: 6-3-9-1-4 targets, but you would think his huge performance earned him more looks in Week 6.
• Amari Cooper: The 49ers are also a very tough matchup for Fantasy Football, most friendly to wide receivers by allowing the 16th most Fantasy PPG. A big part of this plug will be if Deshaun Watson does or does not play this week. Watson did not practice Thursday, and reports came out that if he is a no-go it would be PJ Walker to take the lead. A backup in Cleveland against a tough 49ers team would not be very appealing. So let’s project (hope) Watson does play, which would draw attention to Amari Cooper. Cooper looked solid in Weeks 2 and 3 with Watson, being targeted 18 times across those matchups and finishing as the WR29 and then WR10. Not the most stellar year for Cooper, but he will be the focal point through the air in this game.

Patriots vs. Raiders

• Rhamondre Stevenson: The Raiders are a middle-of-the-park matchup for Fantasy Football across all positions. Rhamondre Stevenson opened up the season with 14.9 and 15 Fantasy Points in the first two games but has scored under eight Fantasy Points in the three games to follow. There has been a committee with Ezekiel Elliott, but it has not resulted in Stevenson ever playing less than 50% of the snaps. With Mac Jones getting benched in back-to-back games now, the game plan may need to shift to utilizing the running game more. Jones has thrown 150 or fewer yards in back-to-back weeks and has totaled zero touchdowns and four interceptions across that span.
• Josh Jacobs: The Patriots allow the 12th most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season. After a slow start for Fantasy Football through three weeks, Josh Jacobs has been producing up to expectation the last two weeks. Back-to-back games with a rushing touchdown, at least 25 touches in both games, and RB3/RB6 Fantasy Football finishes the last two weeks. Jacobs’ involvement in the passing game has been important to note as a Fantasy Football boost with Jacobs leading the position in both targets (30) and receptions (23) for the year. Jacobs should have a big role per usual in Week 6.

Lions vs. Buccaneers

• Jameson Williams: The Buccaneers allow the 17th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season, which is not a major plus for matchups but is the most friendly for Fantasy compared to what they allow to other positions. Jameson Williams made his debut in Week 5 to play 47% of the snaps and earned three targets. We should not have expected Williams to step straight into a full-time role and volume in his season debut, so seeing that he has had an additional week now of practice I believe he can step into more importance for the Lion. Especially with Amon-Ra St. Brown still listed as questionable after missing last week with an abdominal injury. Williams was a former first-round talent, with amazing downfield speed, who could show us exactly what he has in Week 6.
• Baker Mayfield: The Lions allow the 13th most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks this season. The BYE week may have made you forget about Baker Mayfield’s Week 4, but he finished as the QB7 for Fantasy Football against the Saints. In Week 4 Mayfield threw 25/32 for 246 passing yards, three touchdowns, and interception and rushed for a season high31 yards. Week 4 was the second time Mayfield threw multiple touchdowns, and he has thrown 32+ times in three of his four starts. The combination of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin has been a big benefit of Mayfield’s in Tampa Bay, and Week 6 presents a potential Fantasy Football streaming week for him.

Cardinals vs. Rams

• Zach Ertz: The Rams allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to tight ends this season. Zach Ertz has finished as a Top 12 fantasy tight end in three of his fives games played this season. Ertz has been a favorite target of Joshua Dobbs this season as well, being targeted 10 times in Weeks 1 and 4 and then eight times in Week 2. Two games of 50 receiving yards this season, and a touchdown last week for Ertz. A positive Rams matchup makes the veteran a good play for Week 6.
• Matthew Stafford: The Cardinals allow the third most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks this season and the seventh-most passing yards per game. Matthew Stafford currently ranks second in passing attempts, and fourth in passing yards on the season. What has been missing for Stafford is touchdowns, but upon Cooper Kupp’s return last week Stafford threw a pair of touchdowns for the first time this year. In Week 5 Cooper Kupp was targeted 12 times and rookie sensation Puka Nacua 11 times, which is likely going to continue happening as this looks like a great wide receiver pair for the rest of the year. The Cardinals present a solid matchup for Stafford to finally finish as a Top 12 quarterback.

Eagles vs. Jets

• D’Andre Swift: The Jets allow the 10th most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season and the fourth most rushing yards per game. D’Andre Swift took over as the lead back in Philadelphia starting in Week 2, and from Week 2-5 he has ranked #5 in total Fantasy Points, #3 in rushing yards, and #7 in receptions for the position. Swift has finished as a Top 12 running back in three of his last four games and has finished two of these weeks with 175 and 130 rushing yards. Consistency along with the matchup makes Swift a great play for Week 6.
• Garrett Wilson: The Eagles allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and eighth most passing yards per game this season. Garrett Wilson has struggled for consistent Fantasy Football production with Zach Wilson under center. Wilson still has managed three weeks over 14 Fantasy Points and has been targeted eight times three times this season with a high of 14 in Week 4. The Jets will have to try to keep up with the Eagles this week, which may mean chasing the game through the air. Garrett Wilson has 20 more targets than any other player on the Jets right now.

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Week 6 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty

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Sunday Night Football

Giants vs. Bills

• Saquon Barkley: We are not entirely sure if Saquon Barkley will be suiting up or not this week, as he continues to practice in a limited fashion due to an ankle injury that has held him out the last three weeks. In Barkley’s last game, he rushed the ball 17 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and was also highly involved in the passing game catching six of his seven targets for a receiving touchdown as well. The Bills allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and eight most rushing yards per game. We will have to pay attention to the news, and if Barkley will be on a snap count, so stash Matt Breida if you are looking to play Barkley in Week 6.
• James Cook: Terrible Week 5 for James Cook, who rushed the ball five times for negative four yards and was saved by three catches from Fantasy Football disaster. In Week 4, Cook was also saved for scoring by a touchdown since he totaled just 13 touches. Both Latavius Murray and Damien Harris have each had roles in this Bills offense, which feels like a thorn in Cook’s side. Back in Weeks 2 and 3 though Cook rushed for 123 and 98 yards, and then in Weeks 1 and 2 he finished the games with four receptions a piece. The Giants present a potential matchup for Cook to get back to better usage, and for him to be more of a feature in a game the Bills may be able to handle better in Week 6.