Hey, folks! We’re back with our second block of games for the Week 6 NFL slate, and we’re staying with the early games here as we’ve got the rest that we didn’t cover in the first block!

We’ve compiled the groupings of games here to make it easier to find the games you want:

• Block 1: SEA-DEN, HOU-JAC, CHI-ATL, BAL-CLE, TEN-IND
• Block 2: NYJ-NE, NO-NYG, CAR-PHI, PIT-TB
• Block 3: ARI-LAR, LAC-KC, BUF-LV, DAL-GB, WAS-SF

“The Outlook” will give you details, stats, angles, recommendations and everything else you need to know to help you make your fantasy football decisions. Every fantasy-relevant player on each team playing this week will be profiled in this article. We want everyone reading this to bring home championships in their fantasy leagues!

I’m incredibly excited to bring this article to all of you this season, and I hope you all enjoy the ride. If you have any questions, feel free to find me on Bluesky (@ktompkinsii.bsky.social) and tag me in a post with any lineup questions you have. I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Let’s get into it!

All game and implied point totals listed were compiled via DraftKings Sportsbook on Wednesday night for NYJ-NE, NO-NYG, CAR-PHI and PIT-TB.

Teams on bye in Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.

New York Jets at New England Patriots

• Favorite: Patriots –7.5
• Game Total: 43.5
• Implied Point Total: Patriots 25.5, Jets 18

Jets Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

RB Braelon Allen

With Breece Hall still week-to-week and trending toward missing another game in Week 6 against the Patriots, Allen will get another game as the Jets’ workhorse back. Allen saw all but two running back carries on the afternoon, finishing with a 24-110-1 line. He was also dominant on the field in almost every situation, logging 86% of snaps and running routes on 80% of dropbacks. Having at least a moderately competent passing game does wonders for even a backup running back running behind a solid offensive line. Against the Patriots and until Hall returns, it should be more of the same for Allen.

Fantasy Advice: Allen has been a serviceable RB2 for fantasy, and it won’t be much different against the Patriots in Week 6.

WR Garrett Wilson

No Jets pass-catcher other than Wilson earned more than three targets or recorded more than 26 receiving yards against the Browns in Week 5. Wilson continues to be a target-dominant force for the Jets as Geno Smith’s main target. Wilson led the team with 11 targets, a 7-104 line and a touchdown on the Jets’ first drive of the game. There’s not too much else to say other than this: when the Jets REALLY stink in a game, Wilson can at least provide the bare bones of a fantasy floor. He’s pretty reliable when the Jets are functioning at something close to normalcy.

Fantasy Advice: The only thing keeping Wilson from must-start status is this offense and its tendency to sink into a pit of despair once a month. Fire up Wilson as a high-end WR2 against New England in Week 6.

Patriots Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Drake Maye

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson should have the New England backfield pretty much to himself, as fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 5’s game against the Raiders. The injury is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks, although it apparently isn’t bad enough to keep him from logging limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday. Stevenson has had bouts of efficiency, with more peaks and valleys than consistent production, but he’s scored touchdowns in his last two games. He put up a 13-carry, 64-yard performance in New England’s Week 5 blowout against Las Vegas, and Stevenson should retain his solid hold on receiving work if Henderson remains out.

Fantasy Advice: With Stevenson likely to see almost every meaningful touch for the Patriots, consider him a mid-range RB2 with plenty of touchdown equity in an offense that’s hitting its stride following an early-season malaise.

Patriots Pass-Catchers

Maye tossed four touchdown passes in the Patriots’ blowout of the Raiders in Week 5, but it was an “all hands on deck” approach rather than one or two receivers dominating the workload. DeMario Douglas caught two touchdowns on four receptions for 65 yards. Efton Chism led the Patriots with six targets, catching five for 57 yards. Romeo Doubs led the Patriots in routes (95%) and snaps (83%) but caught just one ball for 16 yards on three targets. Kyle Williams (3-91-1) caught a long touchdown, and Hunter Henry got in the end zone with his first touchdown of the season on a 3-44-1 line. A.J. Brown, who hasn’t played since Week 1, returned to practice this week, so his Week 6 availability remains uncertain. A Brown return would knock each of the wide receivers down a peg if he’s back in uniform against the Jets.

Fantasy Advice: Until Brown returns, most of the wide receivers are flex options, with Doubs, Douglas and Chism taking priority in that order. Williams doesn’t run enough routes for fantasy viability, and Henry is merely a streaming, touchdown-dependent option at tight end against the Jets.

New Orleans Saints at New York Giants

• Favorite: Saints –1.5
• Game Total: 45.5
• Implied Point Total: Saints 23.5, Giants 22

Saints Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Chris Olave

QB Tyler Shough

Shough’s stat line looked much worse than it actually was, considering the Saints ran just 45 plays, a Week 5 low. There wasn’t much volume, with just 25 pass attempts, and the Vikings’ pressure harassed Shough all day. He threw for just 96 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, with only six Saints players catching a pass on the afternoon. Better days are in store for Shough, but the Vikings’ defense is a buzz saw. The Saints lost drives to an immediate fumble on the kickoff return to start the third quarter, a defensive touchdown following a fumble and Shough’s two interceptions.

Fantasy Advice: Shough is a borderline QB1/QB2 heading into the Saints’ road game against the Giants in Week 6. There should be considerably less pressure, considering the Giants have the league’s lowest defensive line pressure rate at 25.8%.

Saints RBs

This backfield… is something else. That said, Kendre Miller saw the majority of the carries in Week 5 against Minnesota, albeit inefficiently at 3.0 yards per carry. Miller did score a touchdown early in the second quarter, though, if you’re into that. Alvin Kamara has been dealing with back issues and touched the ball five times for a total of six yards. CJ Donaldson led all backs in on-field involvement, running routes on 22% of dropbacks and playing 42% of snaps, but he touched the ball five times for 29 yards.

What a mess.

Fantasy Advice: Starting a Saints running back in fantasy football is a 100% recession indicator, but times are tight in this running back economy. Miller is a dart-throw flex option based on the work he’s been getting compared with the rest of the backfield. As a man and a fantasy football player, I cannot recommend the headaches that come with starting Kamara in the year 2026 AD.

WR Devaughn Vele

On an afternoon with just 96 passing yards, 45 total plays and 25 pass attempts, the volume afforded to the top options was going to be minimal. That was certainly true for Vele, as he co-led the Saints in targets with Chris Olave at six but brought in just four catches for 26 yards. Vele is still on the field for almost every snap, with 96% route participation, but it simply wasn’t a day for the passing game.

Fantasy Advice: We aren’t downgrading Vele as a solid flex option; these games happen. I’m happy to trot him out in my lineups during these bye weeks, and that will be the case when Vele and the Saints travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants.

TE Juwan Johnson

Basically, you can copy and paste Vele’s synopsis for Juwan Johnson. Johnson caught all four of his targets for just 16 yards on a minuscule 0.3-yard aDOT, as every target came at or near the line of scrimmage. This was likely intended to give Shough an outlet against the blitz and help him get the ball out quickly, allowing Johnson to turn upfield. This won’t be the case every week, of course.

Fantasy Advice: Johnson should be in all fantasy lineups as a mid-range TE1 against the Giants in Week 6.

Giants Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Malik Nabers, TE Isaiah Likely

QB Jameis Winston

Week 5 was the first game in Winston’s four games played this season in which we truly got “peak Jameis,” and it was a game the Giants tied with the Commanders. Winston tied for the Week 5 high with 54 pass attempts, finishing with 326 passing yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Giants were also three air yards shy of the Week 5 high in that category, but Winston peppered Malik Nabers (11-121-1) and Isaiah Likely (11-94-2) all game long. (Why wouldn’t he?) Winston finished as QB6 for the week, and against the Saints, he should be a startable option yet again.

Fantasy Advice: With quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Jared Goff on bye, Winston makes a ton of sense as a streamable QB1/QB2 option for fantasy managers.

RB Cam Skattebo

While Skattebo’s role is still at least solid, the running game took a complete backseat in Week 5 as Nabers and Likely were on massive heaters alongside Winston. Skattebo still put up 71 total yards on 15 touches, but the Giants seem determined to get Tyrone Tracy (31 total yards on five touches) and Najee Harris (14 yards on six touches) involved in the offense as well. (The general public can only speculate about the “reasons.”) The Giants have been a pretty run-heavy team this season and have skewed negative in PROE every week for the last four weeks. With Winston leading the charge in regulation and overtime, the Giants posted a healthy 8.1% PROE, the eighth-highest mark of the week. The high number of pass attempts (54) doesn’t leave much else for the running game, especially when you’re still splitting the rushing pie with two other backs.

Fantasy Advice: Skattebo’s role is perfectly fine, even with some minor involvement from other backs. There should be better returns from Skattebo as an RB2 at home against the Saints, who allow the MOST fantasy points per game to opposing rushers.

Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles

• Favorite: Panthers –3.5
• Game Total: 38.5 (lowest game total in Week 6)
• Implied Point Total: Panthers 21, Eagles 17.5

Panthers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Tetairoa McMillan

QB Bryce Young

The Panthers were off last week, but Bryce Young has been excellent through the team’s four games before its bye, with three top-10 fantasy finishes. The offense has taken a step forward thanks to the play of Tetairoa McMillan and the first couple of weeks from Jalen Coker, whom the Panthers may get back in Week 6 against the Eagles. Young hasn’t run much, with just 19 rushing yards in his four games, but nine passing touchdowns against just two interceptions will more than compensate for the lack of rushing production.

Fantasy Advice: Even in a tougher matchup in Philadelphia against the Eagles, fire up Young as a QB1 with some upside to overcome the matchup.

RB Chuba Hubbard

To say Hubbard has been excellent is an understatement. Even after taking the week off because of the Panthers’ Week 5 bye, Hubbard is STILL the overall RB13 in PPR formats and the RB6 with 19.8 fantasy points per game. Hubbard has been a top-12 running back in every game he’s played, with a touchdown in every game except Week 3 against the Browns. The Eagles have historically been a tough assignment, but that hasn’t been the case as much this season. With Hubbard having the job to himself and Jonathon Brooks still sidelined, it’s all systems go for Hubbard moving forward.

Fantasy Advice: The Eagles are in the middle of the pack in terms of allowing fantasy points to opposing rushers, so continue to fire up Hubbard as a mid-range RB2 with plenty of upside.

WR Jalen Coker

Coker’s quad injury has kept him sidelined since he left the game in Week 3, but he practiced in full on Wednesday and is making strides toward returning in Week 6. The first two weeks were sublime for Coker and for any fantasy manager who scooped him up in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. Coker put up back-to-back games with nine targets, recording a massive 8-138-2 line against the Bears followed by an 8-66 line against the Falcons. Hopefully, Coker can pick up where he left off during the season’s first two weeks.

Fantasy Advice: If Coker does return, slot him into fantasy lineups as a high-end WR3 with massive upside playing alongside McMillan.

Eagles Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

QB Tanner McKee

Without Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and DeVonta Smith in Week 5, the Eagles’ offense sputtered in London. Jalen Hurts went 21-of-40 passing for 220 yards and a touchdown while dealing with what amounted to a shell of the Eagles’ offense. That shell keeps shellin’, as Hurts will be out for Week 6 with a superficial blood clot. With Andy Dalton released, McKee and Cole Payton remain as the Eagles’ signal-callers, with McKee the likely starting quarterback in Week 6. This is a clear downgrade for every offensive weapon going forward.

Fantasy Advice: McKee is a bottom-end QB2 in superflex leagues and isn’t a recommended starter in single-quarterback leagues.

Eagles RBs

Already without Barkley and Bigsby in Week 5, the Eagles added Will Shipley to this M*A*S*H unit during the team’s trip to London after he suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his foot and left the game early. The Eagles’ top three running backs are now sidelined, and Dameon Pierce, who appears to be healthy, was awful in Week 5 against the Jaguars in London. Pierce had 11 carries for just 14 yards, along with four targets and two receptions for –2 yards. Thirteen touches for 12 yards? Not great, Bob (or Dameon). The Eagles will need to do something about this running back room, and FAST. The only saving grace for Pierce and this backfield as a whole could be that the Panthers allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing backs.

Fantasy Advice: If you have to start Pierce in your flex this week, Godspeed. It’s a good matchup, but I’m just not sure I can get there with Pierce, currently the RB4 in Philadelphia. Add in the fact that Hurts is out with a blood clot, and you’re really reaching with any of these Eagles running backs for fantasy purposes.

Eagles Pass-Catchers

Not having Smith in the lineup really condensed the routes among the top three Eagles pass-catchers: Dontayvion Wicks (5-63-0, eight targets), Makai Lemon (5-43-0, seven targets) and Darius Cooper (2-71-1, three targets). The returning Dallas Goedert (6-38-0) also featured prominently, leading the Eagles with nine targets. Targets were spread pretty evenly, while routes were heavily concentrated among these four players. Lemon’s 3.1-yard aDOT and Goedert’s 4.0-yard aDOT kept them closer to the line of scrimmage as outlets for Hurts, while Wicks (13.8) and Cooper (13.7) served as downfield options. Cooper also scored his third touchdown in his last two games, so there’s that! He probably won’t mean much in the long run, however.

Fantasy Advice: THIS week, Hurts is out with a blood clot, so it’s going to be tough sledding when considering any of these players for your fantasy lineups. Goedert is the only player here worth considering, but even then, he’s a touchdown-dependent TE2.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Favorite: Steelers –2.5
• Game Total: 39.5
• Implied Point Total: Steelers 21, Buccaneers 18.5

Steelers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

QB Aaron Rodgers

In Rodgers’ (alleged) swan song as an NFL player this season, he’s been fairly competent not just as a quarterback but as a fantasy asset as well. Don’t look now, but Rodgers has three consecutive QB12-or-better finishes, including a QB12 finish against the Colts with three touchdown passes and 235 passing yards. His day was relatively easy: get out of Jaylen Warren’s way after Warren put up 188 total yards and two scores. Rodgers will be tested by injuries to his pass-catchers, but with young talent ready to step up, the situation shouldn’t hurt him too badly.

Fantasy Advice: Rodgers is a perfectly fine stopgap if you have Goff or Burrow on bye this coming week. He’s more of a QB2 this week, but a solid one worth starting in a pinch if you need a fantasy quarterback.

RB Jaylen Warren

Warren was the focal point of Pittsburgh’s offense in Week 5 against the Colts, making that abundantly clear by piling up 188 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for 101 yards. Warren has thrived without Rico Dowdle in the lineup because of his toe injury, but Warren’s play prompted Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy to call him his “featured player.” We’ll see if that comes to fruition or if Dowdle takes a bit more of the workload, as he did before his injury.

Fantasy Advice: As a longtime tout of Warren dating back to his days as an undrafted rookie, it’s been a long time coming. Right now, Warren is a high-end RB2 with a strong hold on both the rushing AND receiving roles for the Steelers. Rodgers loves nothing more than to check it down, which should benefit Warren.

Steelers WRs

After losing Michael Pittman Jr. to injured reserve before Week 5, the Steelers lost Roman Wilson to a dislocated finger during Week 5, and he’s expected to miss multiple weeks. It’s another blow to this group, but DK Metcalf (3-14-0) is still around, even though his production has been hot and cold. That said, rookie Germie Bernard led the Steelers in nearly every receiving category except receiving yards, running a route on 94% of dropbacks. His 6-80 line on a team-leading eight targets prompted fantasy managers to add him to rosters en masse this week on waivers, and with good reason! Bernard could be a short-area difference-maker with a quarterback like Rodgers, who loves to throw short and rack up volume.

Fantasy Advice: Continue to start Metcalf as a low-end WR3 or flex play, but Bernard is an immediate plug-and-play flex option against the Bucs in Week 6.

TE Pat Freiermuth

Two receiving touchdowns carried the day for Freiermuth, who caught five of seven targets for 44 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers are going to need more of that because their pass-catchers are dropping like flies. Freiermuth has enjoyed a resurgence in fantasy football, ranking as the overall TE8 this season through five games. His production has mostly been touchdown-driven, as he has four scores on the campaign. With Pittman and Wilson out for the foreseeable future, look for Freiermuth to see more volume over the next few weeks before the Steelers’ Week 9 bye.

Fantasy Advice: Freiermuth is a low-end TE1 who could see more volume with a couple of Steelers wide receivers sidelined by injuries.

Buccaneers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

QB Jalon Daniels

In his second game as a pro, filling in for the injured Baker Mayfield, Jalon Daniels beat the Dallas Cowboys on the road on Thursday Night Football. As one does! Daniels went 16-of-25 for just 189 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 rushing yards to finish as QB19 on the week. Daniels was clearly managed in this game, as he didn’t throw downfield apart from a 64-yard catch by Tez Johnson on a play where the defender simply fell down. With bye weeks here, Daniels offers a little rushing value and still has more interceptions than touchdowns, but it’s hard to trust him in any meaningful capacity beyond QB2 status in superflex leagues. His group of pass-catchers isn’t exactly helping him much, either.

Fantasy Advice: Daniels is more of a superflex QB2 in Week 6 against the Steelers, who will bring a solid pass rush against the undrafted rookie.

RB Bucky Irving

Tampa Bay’s offense pretty much ran through Irving, who carried the ball 21 times for 165 yards and a touchdown at a whopping 7.9 yards per carry. Irving also caught two of three targets for 10 yards and a receiving score. Tampa also got Kenneth Gainwell meaningfully involved with seven touches for 28 yards, along with Sean Tucker, who had five carries. However, Irving did the heavy lifting for the Bucs’ offense in terms of moving the ball, and he looked AWESOME doing it.

Fantasy Advice: Irving should be started in every fantasy league, as Pittsburgh allows the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.

WR Emeka Egbuka

While Egbuka has been objectively “fine” for fantasy managers as the WR27 through five weeks, Mayfield’s injury hasn’t helped matters. That said, Egbuka led the Bucs in targets with nine in a week when no other Tampa pass-catcher had more than three. Egbuka hauled in six catches for just 38 yards but salvaged his night with a 14-yard rushing touchdown in the second half. Far and away the best pass-catcher on this Buccaneers team, Egbuka still hasn’t been overly productive this season, bringing him down to WR3 territory and nearly into flex-only status.

Fantasy Advice: Egbuka is nowhere near the sexiest option for your fantasy lineup, but he’s at least a top pass-catcher for an NFL team and is worth a WR3 or flex spot when the Bucs host the Steelers.