Week 6 features the first byes of the 2021 NFL season — the Saints, 49ers, Jets and Falcons — layering on yet another factor to consider when making our start/sit decisions. To help start making your decisions, I outlined the early version of my Week 6 fantasy football rankings into tiers for each position: Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers and defenses.
These will change before the main slate of games kickoff, so be sure to check back on Sunday morning for the final edition of these tiers. But as always, you can see my real-time rankings at any time here.
Fantasy Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy QB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Josh Allen (@ TEN)
Lamar Jackson (vs. LAC)
Patrick Mahomes (@ WAS)
Jackson looks a lot like the version of himself we saw back in 2019, when he finished about 70 points ahead of the QB2 — in fact, he would be the QB1 through five weeks if Marquise Brown didn’t drop two potential touchdowns in Week 3.
Instead, Mahomes is the QB1 through Week 5, and a few factors are allowing him to play at his true ceiling right now:
- The Chiefs’ defense ranks dead-last in Football Outsiders’ DVOA on the season. As a result, they’re forcing Mahomes and the offense to keep their foot on the gas for all four quarters.
- Mahomes is starting to tap into his scrambling ability more. He’s been averaging 44 rush yards over the past three games.
- Josh Gordon could develop into another weapon for Mahomes once he learns the playbook (it could take a couple more weeks).
Tier 2
Jalen Hurts (vs. TB)
Tom Brady (@ PHI)
Both QBs will elevate each other’s ceiling in what should be a shootout on Thursday Night Football. The Bucs will be without linebacker Lavonte David and (potentially) safety Antoine Winfield, which should make this a much easier matchup for Jalen Hurts.
Tier 3
Kyler Murray (@ CLE)
Justin Herbert (@ BAL)
Matthew Stafford (@ NYG)
Dak Prescott (@ NE)
Consider Stafford a high-floor play this week. The Rams should have their way with the Giants, but as 10-point favorites (check real-time NFL odds here), the Rams may become run-heavy in the second half to preserve the win.
Tier 4
Taylor Heinicke (vs. KC)
Joe Burrow (@ DET)
Aaron Rodgers (@ CHI)
Heinicke is my favorite streaming option at QB this week. He’ll be forced into a pass-heavy game script against the league’s worst defense and has rushed for 40+ yards in two straight games. Considering Ryan Fitzpatrick could return to practice next week, Heinicke will be extra motivated to prove he deserves to be the team’s starting QB for the remainder of the season.
Tier 5
Sam Darnold (vs. MIN)
Teddy Bridgewater (vs. LV)
Ryan Tannehill (vs. BUF)
Kirk Cousins (@ CAR)
Tua Tagovailoa (@ JAX)
Trevor Lawrence (vs. MIA)
Carson Wentz (vs. HOU)
Jared Goff (vs. CIN)
Tannehill has been a “bust” as the QB20 through five weeks. He faces a Bills defense that ranks first in DVOA against the pass and could be without Julio Jones again this week, so I’m treating him as a mid-range QB2. However, his schedule eases up soon with matchups against Kansas City, Indianapolis and Houston, so he should return to the low-end QB1 discussion for those weeks if both Jones and A.J. Brown are healthy.
Tier 6
Baker Mayfield (vs. ARI)
The Browns’ 28.4 points per game ranks sixth on the season, but Mayfield has thrown for only four TDs. They have scored a league-leading 12 rushing TDs thanks to having the best RB duo in the league in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Baker will have spiked weeks ahead with some positive TD regression, but this run-focused offense.
Tier 7
Derek Carr (@ DEN)
Daniel Jones (vs. LAR)
Ben Roethlisberger (vs. SEA)
Mac Jones (vs. DAL)
Daniel Jones is shaping up to be a game-time decision due to being in the concussion protocol. This, coupled with four WRs being questionable, means you should take any Giants player’s rank with a grain of salt until we get more clarity on who will suit up.
Tier 8
Geno Smith (@ PIT)
Justin Fields (vs. GB)
Smith looked solid when he replaced Russell Wilson in Week 5. Smith has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at his disposal, along with sneaky rushing upside. Therefore, he’ll have weeks in which he sneaks into the QB2 conversation. However, with a tough matchup against the Steelers this week, he is more of a desperation QB3.
Tier 9
Davis Mills (@ IND)
Mills is coming off what could end up being the best game of his career and now has an easy matchup against the Colts, but please don’t take the bait — he is still unplayable until further notice.
Fantasy RB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Derrick Henry (vs. BUF)
Despite having a brutal matchup against the top defense in DVOA, King Henry remains the RB1.
Tier 2
Christian McCaffrey (vs. MIN)
CMC is 50/50 to suit up this week, according to head coach Matt Rhule. If CMC is held out again, Chuba Hubbard will become a low-end RB2 play.
Tier 3
Austin Ekeler (@ BAL)
Najee Harris (vs. SEA)
Aaron Jones (@ CHI)
Ezekiel Elliott (@ NE)
The Steelers offensive line showed signs of improvement last week, providing Harris with running lanes. He took advantage of the improved O-line play to post his best rushing line to date (23/122/1).
Tier 4
Jonathan Taylor (vs. HOU)
Nick Chubb (vs. ARI)
Tier 5
Darrell Henderson (@ NYG)
James Robinson (vs. MIA)
Antonio Gibson (vs. KC)
D’Andre Swift (vs. CIN)
Henderson could see his first 20+ touch game of the season with Rams positioned as 10-point favorites on the road, leading them to a potential run-heavy game script against the Giants.
Tier 6
Leonard Fournette (@ PHI)
Kareem Hunt (vs. ARI)
Joe Mixon (@ DET)
Dalvin Cook (@ CAR)
Cook was able to get in a limited practice on Wednesday, but his Week 6 status is still up in the air. Alexander Mattison would become a low-end RB1 play if Cook were to sit out again this week. However, Mattison is also questionable with a shoulder issue. Luckily, the Vikings play at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, which will make it easy for us to handle this situation from a sit/start perspective.
Tier 7
Josh Jacobs (@ DEN)
Darrel Williams (@ WAS)
Myles Gaskin (@ JAX)
Devontae Booker (vs. LAR)
Javonte Williams (vs. LV)
Zack Moss (@ TEN)
Chase Edmonds (@ CLE)
Damien Harris (vs. DAL)
Jamaal Williams (vs. CIN)
Miles Sanders (vs. TB)
Damien Williams (vs. GB)
Melvin Gordon (vs. LV)
The window to buy low on Javonte Williams is about to slam shut. He’s been able to produce as a RB3/Flex despite being in a near 50/50 timeshare with Melvin Gordon. However, I expect Williams’ role only to grow as time goes on, and he’s a Melvin Gordon injury away from being a high-end RB2.
Gordon missed practice this Wednesday, but it’s unclear what held him out. Either way, we could see Williams start to separate from Gordon as soon as this week.
Javonte ranks fourth in PFF’s elusive rating, and his .35 missed tackles per rush rank first among qualified RBs. The talent is there; all he needs is the opportunity, which could be coming very soon.
Tier 8
Tony Pollard (@ NE)
Latavius Murray (vs. LAC)
Tier 9
Alexander Mattison (@ CAR)
Chris Carson (@ PIT)
J.D. McKissic (vs. KC)
A.J. Dillon (@ CHI)
Carson’s stock takes a massive hit with Russell Wilson out for several weeks. Carson is less likely to bail fantasy managers out with short-yardage TDs with Geno Smith leading the Seahawks offense. It’s also unclear if he will be able to return from his neck injury this week.
Tier 10
James Conner (@ CLE)
Nyheim Hines (vs. HOU)
Alex Collins (@ PIT)
David Johnson (@ IND)
Mark Ingram (@ IND)
Khalil Herbert (vs. GB)
Sony Michel (@ NYG)
Kenneth Gainwell (vs. TB)
Devin Singletary (@ TEN)
Samaje Perine (@ DET)
Jerick McKinnon (@ WAS)
Fantasy WR Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Davante Adams (@ CHI)
Aaron Rodgers is making the most out of what will likely be the final season throwing to Adams. He is targeting Adams an eye-popping 36.7% of the time when he runs a route.
Tier 2
Tyreek Hill (@ WAS)
Cooper Kupp (@ NYG)
Hill missed Wednesday’s practice due to knee/quad injuries. He’s expected to suit up this week, but we’ll need to monitor his participation and status over the next few days.
Tier 3
Stefon Diggs (@ TEN)
D.J. Moore (vs. MIN)
Terry McLaurin (vs. KC)
Mike Williams (@ BAL)
Diggs has been targeted 12 times 20+ yards downfield (tied for the league lead) but has managed to haul in only four of those passes (all four of his catchable targets), so stay patient with him because the big game(s) are coming.
Tier 4
Justin Jefferson (@ CAR)
DeAndre Hopkins (@ CLE)
Robert Woods (@ NYG)
Chris Godwin (@ PHI)
Mike Evans (@ PHI)
Ja’Marr Chase (@ DET)
Keenan Allen (@ BAL)
CeeDee Lamb (@ NE)
Chase already looks like a top 10 wide receiver at just 21 years of age, so hopefully you were able to take advantage of the panic surrounding his drops during late August when his ADP dipped into the WR30 range. Instead, he’s shaping up to be a “league winner” and gets a mouth-watering matchup against the Lions this week.
Tier 5
Antonio Brown (@ PHI)
Devonta Smith (vs. TB)
Diontae Johnson (vs. SEA)
Courtland Sutton (vs. LV)
Marquise Brown (vs. LAC)
Sutton is tied with Diggs for the league lead with 12 targets 20+ yards downfield. Similarly, Sutton has only hauled in four of those passes, leaving quite a few fantasy points on the field. He should be treated as a WR2 until Jerry Jeudy makes his return.
Tier 6
Tee Higgins (@ DET)
D.K. Metcalf (@ PIT)
Michael Pittman Jr. (vs. HOU)
Chase Claypool (vs. SEA)
Tyler Lockett (@ PIT)
Brandin Cooks (@ IND)
Amari Cooper (@ NE)
A.J. Brown (vs. BUF)
Adam Thielen (@ CAR)
Metcalf and Lockett plummet to the WR2/3 range with Russell Wilson (finger) likely out until Week 10. Forward-thinking managers should consider buying low on either WR if they struggle the next couple games — Week 8 may be the perfect time to target either wideout.
Claypool looks set to become a WR2/3 for the remainder of the year with JuJu Smith-Schuster out for the season.
Look for Cooks to bounce back after two tough matchups against the Bills and Patriots. The Colts have been torched by WRs this season: Lockett (4/100/2), Metcalf (4/60/1), Cooper Kupp (9/163/2), DeVante Parker (4/77/1) and Marquise Brown (9/125/2).
Tier 7
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. ARI)
Emmanuel Sanders (@ TEN)
Tyler Boyd (@ DET)
Jakobi Meyers (vs. DAL)
Tim Patrick (vs. LV)
Marvin Jones (vs. MIA)
Kadarius Toney (vs. LAR)
Jaylen Waddle (@ JAX)
After posting another (2/20/0) dud in a game in which 89 total points were scored, Odell’s stock has hit rock bottom. However, the underlying usage is there, and it’s only a matter of time until he and Baker get on the same page. The time to buy low on Beckham is now.
Toney was a top waiver wire add this week, and for a good reason — he posted a massive (10/189/0) game despite only having a 59% routes run rate. The Giants will lean on their first-round pick heavily moving forward, and he should be treated as a WR3/4 with WR2 upside.
Tier 8
Hunter Renfrow (@ DEN)
Allen Robinson (vs. GB)
Darnell Mooney (vs. GB)
Cole Beasley (@ TEN)
DeVante Parker (@ JAX)
Julio Jones (vs. BUF)
Robby Anderson (vs. MIN)
Mecole Hardman (@ WAS)
Jones returned to practice on Wednesday, putting him on track to return to action this week. Treat his current rank with a grain of salt, though, and be sure to check my updated tiers on Saturday night once we have more information — he could end up being a high-risk, high-reward WR2.
Tier 9
Henry Ruggs (@ DEN)
Rondale Moore (@ CLE)
Christian Kirk (@ CLE)
Laviska Shenault (vs. MIA)
Sterling Shepard (vs. LAR)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (vs. CIN)
Jalen Reagor (vs. TB)
Van Jefferson (@ NYG)
A.J. Green (@ CLE)
Zach Pascal (vs. HOU)
Sammy Watkins (vs. LAC)
Moore continues to amaze me every single week. According to NextGenStats, he had only an 11.8% chance to catch this pass (the third-most “improbable completion” of the season):
Truly a thing of beauty.@moore_rondale x #RedSea pic.twitter.com/xP64GTrRFU
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 10, 2021
He’ll struggle with consistency as long as DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green are healthy. However, Moore’s upside would be unlocked if 1-2 of those WRs were ever to miss time.
Tier 10
Kalif Raymond (vs. CIN)
Quez Watkins (vs. TB)
Kendrick Bourne (vs. DAL)
John Ross (vs. LAR)
Randall Cobb (@ CHI)
K.J. Osborn (@ CAR)
Nelson Agholor (vs. DAL)
Bryan Edwards (@ DEN)
Adam Humphries (vs. KC)
James Washington (vs. SEA)
Terrace Marshall (vs. MIN)
DeAndre Carter (vs. KC)
Parris Campbell (vs. HOU)
Rashard Higgins (vs. ARI)
Ross has a chance to jump a few tiers depending on the availability of Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton and Kenny Golladay this week.
Fantasy TE Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Travis Kelce (@ WAS)
Tier 2
Mark Andrews (vs. LAC)
Darren Waller (@ DEN)
Andrews joins Waller in Tier 2 for the first time this season. Andrews is coming off of a massive 11-catch, 147-yard and two-touchdown performance in Week 5 and now draws a matchup against a Chargers defense that’s allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing TEs.
Tier 3
T.J. Hockenson (vs. CIN)
Mike Gesicki (@ JAX)
Dawson Knox (@ TEN)
Noah Fant (vs. LV)
Zach Ertz (vs. TB)
Goedert will miss Week 6 due to COVID, which means Ertz makes his long-awaited return to TE1 status. In addition, the Bucs have ruled out LB Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield, enhancing Ertz’s Week 6 outlook even more.
Tier 4
Dalton Schultz (@ NE)
Tyler Higbee (@ NYG)
Schultz has now topped a 75% routes run rate two weeks in a row and leads Dallas in targets (26) over the past four games. He’s a top-10 TE until further notice.
Tier 5
Hunter Henry (vs. DAL)
Henry is the clear-cut dividing line this week between the TE1 Tier and streaming options. Jonnu Smith has been used more as a blocker (59% block rate, 34% routes run), while Hunter Henry has played the more fantasy-friendly role (40% block rate, 65% routes run).
Tier 6
David Njoku (vs. ARI)
Jared Cook (@ BAL)
Ricky Seals-Jones (vs. KC)
Tyler Conklin (@ CAR)
Robert Tonyan Jr. (@ CHI)
Dan Arnold (vs. MIA)
Evan Engram (vs. LAR)
Njoku is coming off a massive Week 5 (7/149/1). He’s talented enough to try to ride the wave to see if he can turn into a low-end TE1. However, as long as Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant remain healthy, the Browns will use all three TEs, which lowers Njoku’s weekly floor/ceiling.
Seals-Jones inherited the full “Logan Thomas role” as RSJ ran a route on 88% of dropbacks last week. He will be a solid streaming option until Thomas can return.
Arnold offers long-term upside considering his role will only grow on his new team. Last week his routes run rate shot up to 78%, and he has the potential to become Trevor Lawrence’s No. 2 or 3 target. Consider Arnold a Walmart version of Dawson Knox when I highlighted the latter’s increase in underlying usage back in Week 3.
Tier 7
Jonnu Smith (vs. DAL)
Mo Alie-Cox (vs. HOU)
Cameron Brate (@ PHI)
Cole Kmet (vs. GB)
Anthony Firkser (vs. BUF)
Austin Hooper (vs. ARI)
Tier 8
C.J. Uzomah (@ DET)
Pat Freiermuth (vs. SEA)
Kyle Pitts stole all of the attention from other rookie TEs this season (rightfully so), but don’t sleep on Freiermuth. “Baby Gronk” would have been the top rookie TE in any other draft class, and with JuJu Smith-Schuster out of the rest of the season, we could see his role grow in the offense.
Tier 9
Blake Jarwin (@ NE)
Eric Ebron (vs. SEA)
Jack Doyle (vs. HOU)
Jordan Akins (@ IND)
O.J. Howard (@ PHI)
Ian Thomas (vs. MIN)
Gerald Everett (@ PIT)
Pharaoh Brown (@ IND)
Donald Parham (@ BAL)
Fantasy Kicker Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Harrison Butker (@ WAS)
Tyler Bass (@ TEN)
Matt Gay (@ NYG)
Justin Tucker (vs. LAC)
Ryan Succop (@ PHI)
Evan McPherson (@ DET)
Jason Sanders (@ JAX)
Tier 2
Brandon McManus (vs. LV)
Rodrigo Blankenship (vs. HOU)
Greg Zuerlein (@ NE)
Dustin Hopkins (vs. KC)
Austin Seibert (vs. CIN)
Chase McLaughlin (vs. ARI)
Nick Folk (vs. DAL)
Tristan Vizcaino (@ BAL)
Zane Gonzalez (vs. MIN)
Matt Prater (@ CLE)
Mason Crosby (@ CHI)
Chris Boswell (vs. SEA)
Randy Bullock (vs. BUF)
Tier 3
Graham Gano (vs. LAR)
Daniel Carlson (@ DEN)
Jake Elliott (vs. TB)
Matthew Wright (vs. MIA)
Cairo Santos (vs. GB)
Greg Joseph (@ CAR)
Ka’imi Fairbairn (@ IND)
Jason Myers (@ PIT)
Fantasy Defense Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Indianapolis Colts (vs. HOU)
Los Angeles Rams (@ NYG)
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. SEA)
Miami Dolphins (@ JAX)
Tier 2
Green Bay Packers (@ CHI)
Denver Broncos (vs. LV)
Minnesota Vikings (@ CAR)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ PHI)
Cincinnati Bengals (@ DET)
Tier 3
Seattle Seahawks (@ PIT)
Kansas City Chiefs (@ WAS)
Dallas Cowboys (@ NE)
Cleveland Browns (vs. ARI)
Carolina Panthers (vs. MIN)
Tier 4
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. MIA)
Buffalo Bills (@ TEN)
Baltimore Ravens (vs. LAC)
Houston Texans (@ IND)
Las Vegas Raiders (@ DEN)
Detroit Lions (vs. CIN)
Arizona Cardinals (@ CLE)
Tier 5
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. TB)
New England Patriots (vs. DAL)
Chicago Bears (vs. GB)
Los Angeles Chargers (@ BAL)
Tennessee Titans (vs. BUF)
New York Giants (vs. LAR)
Washington Football Team (vs. KC)