Josh Larky's Week 6 Fantasy Rankings
Fantasy 10/16/22
Below you’ll find my Week 6 fantasy rankings for PPR/Half-PPR leagues. Included are my top-28 QB Rankings, top-42 RB Rankings, top-56 WR Rankings, and top-21 TE Rankings.
For each player, you can view their ranking, matchup, and implied team total, according to Vegas. For example, the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have a Vegas game total of 51, with the Cardinals favored by 2.5 points (26.75 points implied for the Cardinals, 24.25 points implied for the Seahawks). Seeing the implied point totals can help you understand which games are projected to be the highest scoring.
xPPR (expected PPR points) is a new stat added last week. Think of this as each player’s average expected fantasy points per game based on their underlying usage.
To provide further context to my rankings, detailed player write-ups appear beneath each position group. My goal is to make my weekly rankings the most actionable and thorough place for you to make your start/sit decisions, along with better understanding how I view these players each week.
Top-28 Quarterbacks
Rank | Name | Pos | Team | Opp | Team Total | xPPR |
1 | Josh Allen | QB | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 25.1 |
2 | Jalen Hurts | QB | PHI | DAL | 24.25 | 24.6 |
3 | Lamar Jackson | QB | BAL | NYG | 24.5 | 23.5 |
4 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 22 |
5 | Kyler Murray | QB | ARI | SEA | 27 | 19.8 |
6 | Justin Herbert | QB | LAC | DEN | 26 | 17.7 |
7 | Joe Burrow | QB | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 18.7 |
8 | Tom Brady | QB | TB | PIT | 25.25 | 15.5 |
9 | Kirk Cousins | QB | MIN | MIA | 24 | 16.7 |
10 | Geno Smith | QB | SEA | ARI | 24.5 | 17.6 |
11 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | GB | NYJ | 26 | 14.8 |
12 | Carson Wentz | QB | WAS | CHI | 19 | 17 |
13 | Russell Wilson | QB | DEN | LAC | 20 | 16.2 |
14 | Matthew Stafford | QB | LA | CAR | 25.25 | 14.5 |
15 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JAX | IND | 19.5 | 16.8 |
16 | Jimmy Garoppolo | QB | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 13.2 |
17 | Justin Fields | QB | CHI | WAS | 20.5 | 12.7 |
18 | Jacoby Brissett | QB | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 16.5 |
19 | Daniel Jones | QB | NYG | BAL | 19 | 14.7 |
20 | Marcus Mariota | QB | ATL | SF | 18.25 | 15.4 |
21 | Kenny Pickett | QB | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 13.6 |
22 | Zach Wilson | QB | NYJ | GB | 19 | 15.9 |
23 | Matt Ryan | QB | IND | JAX | 21.5 | 14.9 |
24 | Cooper Rush | QB | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 9.8 |
25 | Andy Dalton | QB | NO | CIN | 21.75 | 13 |
26 | PJ Walker | QB | CAR | LA | 16.25 | - |
27 | Skylar Thompson | QB | MIA | MIN | 21 | 12.2 |
28 | Bailey Zappe | QB | NE | CLE | 19.75 | 8.3 |
- This week, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson form a Big-3 at the top, as usual. However, Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray are close behind. Mahomes faces a very strong Buffalo defense, but this matchup between arguably the two most aggressive pass offenses likely devolves into a shootout. Mahomes will need to carry the Chiefs in this matchup, in a game where they are home underdogs. Kyler faces a Seahawks pass defense allowing 8.9 yards per attempt to opposing passers, by far the highest in the NFL. Rondale Moore played his first full complement of snaps last week, and a litany of injuries at RB (James Conner, Darrel Williams, and Jonathan Ward) should force the Cardinals to skew even more towards the pass in this contest.
- Joe Burrow faces a Saints team that will be without cornerback Marshon Lattimore, as well as their top three receiving options. Burrow still has a chance to get Tee Higgins for this Week 6 game. The only issue is the Saints may not be able to score many points against a talented Bengals defense. This game looks more lopsided by the day, but I still expect Burrow to give you at least 250 yards and a couple touchdowns in a must-win dome game.
- Tom Brady is finding his stride with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin healthy. The Steelers just allowed Josh Allen and the Bills to put up a casual 38 points against them. This is no longer a vaunted Steelers defense, and injuries are hitting their secondary hard. Expect an ugly game for the Steelers, and a 300 yard - three TD effort from Brady is a likely outcome. The Steelers have allowed the third most passing yards per game (298, at a healthy 7.8 yards per attempt), according to our free, flagship tool, The Edge.
- Football Outsiders has Miami as the stone worst pass defense in the NFL, and Kirk Cousins is in for a big day against their secondary. The Dolphins have given up the fifth most passing yards on the third highest yards per attempt. Opponents have scored eight TDs through the air and seven on the ground against them, and rest of season I'd expect those numbers to skew further in favor of passing TDs.
- Geno Smith is playing out of his mind, and is currently sixth in QB fantasy points. He's completing a league high 75.2% of his passes, via The Edge. The Cardinals pass defense is Bottom-10 in nearly every metric, and this game has a 51-point over/under. I want to start as many pieces from this game in fantasy and DFS this week as possible.
- When looking at a spreadsheet, the Bears are a bad fantasy matchup for Carson Wentz. However, the Bears have allowed twice as many rushing TDs (8) as passing TDs (4). This is not a trend that's likely to continue over the course of the season, and Football Outsiders has the Bears as a league average pass defense according to DVOA. Wentz has not played well this year, but the Commanders have allowed him to throw early and often, as Wentz has the second-most pass attempts in the NFL through five weeks.
- Aaron Rodgers has between 17-18 fantasy points in each of his past four games - remarkably consistent. The Jets have a below average pass defense, and the 3-2 Packers cannot leave any future games to chance against inferior teams. Rodgers has a high floor and a solid ceiling in this matchup.
- The Colts pass defense has been solid but unspectacular this season, and Trevor Lawrence remains in the streaming conversation for Week 6, after a solid initial showing against Indy earlier this season.
- Justin Fields is another viable streamer for Week 6. While he's only passing about 20 times per game, he has chipped in at least seven rush attempts in every game this year, including eight red zone attempts. The Commanders boast one of the league's best run defenses, yet are among the league's worst against the pass. This sets up well for Fields to build upon Week 5, his first game above 200 passing yards.
Top-42 Running Backs
Rank | Name | Pos | Team | Opp | Team Total | xPPR |
1 | Saquon Barkley | RB | NYG | BAL | 19.00 | 18 |
2 | Austin Ekeler | RB | LAC | DEN | 26.00 | 18.5 |
3 | Leonard Fournette | RB | TB | PIT | 25.25 | 18.5 |
4 | Alvin Kamara | RB | NO | CIN | 21.75 | 14.2 |
5 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | CAR | LA | 16.25 | 17.2 |
6 | Nick Chubb | RB | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 16.4 |
7 | Joe Mixon | RB | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 18.2 |
8 | Dalvin Cook | RB | MIN | MIA | 24.00 | 13.4 |
9 | Breece Hall | RB | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 16.2 |
10 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | NE | CLE | 19.75 | 12.9 |
11 | Aaron Jones | RB | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 12.6 |
12 | Devin Singletary | RB | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 11.4 |
13 | Miles Sanders | RB | PHI | DAL | 24.25 | 14.8 |
14 | Eno Benjamin | RB | ARI | SEA | 27.00 | 8.2 |
15 | Jeff Wilson | RB | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 11.9 |
16 | Kareem Hunt | RB | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 13.3 |
17 | Kenneth Walker | RB | SEA | ARI | 24.50 | 6.1 |
18 | Melvin Gordon | RB | DEN | LAC | 20.00 | 11 |
19 | Raheem Mostert | RB | MIA | MIN | 21.00 | 8.9 |
20 | Darrell Henderson | RB | LA | CAR | 25.25 | 7.7 |
21 | Najee Harris | RB | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 13 |
22 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | BAL | NYG | 24.50 | 9.8 |
23 | Deon Jackson | RB | IND | JAX | 21.50 | 6.2 |
24 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 9.7 |
25 | David Montgomery | RB | CHI | WAS | 20.50 | 10.1 |
26 | Travis Etienne | RB | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 9.6 |
27 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 13.2 |
28 | Tony Pollard | RB | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 8.4 |
29 | James Robinson | RB | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 13.5 |
30 | AJ Dillon | RB | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 10.8 |
31 | Mike Boone | RB | DEN | LAC | 20.00 | 7.4 |
32 | Michael Carter | RB | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 11.6 |
33 | Rachaad White | RB | TB | PIT | 25.25 | 6.6 |
34 | Tevin Coleman | RB | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 16.3 |
35 | Antonio Gibson | RB | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 13.2 |
36 | Jerick McKinnon | RB | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 7 |
37 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | ATL | SF | 18.25 | 6.2 |
38 | J.D. McKissic | RB | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 9.9 |
39 | Brian Robinson | RB | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 4.7 |
40 | DeeJay Dallas | RB | SEA | ARI | 24.50 | 3.2 |
41 | Phillip Lindsay | RB | IND | JAX | 21.50 | 10.5 |
42 | Jaylen Warren | RB | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 4.4 |
- Despite Rachaad White's snap share continuing to tick up, Leonard Fournette is still seeing elite usage. In Week 5, Fournette had 31 expected fantasy points, the most among RBs for the week. He had 14 carries (including a red zone carry and a goal line carry), along with 11 targets, one of which came in the end zone.
- Alvin Kamara is fully back. In Week 5, he had 23 carries, 6 targets, and 194 total yards. He is healthy and once again the focal points of the Saints offense.
- Christian McCaffrey still has the highest fantasy floor among RBs, but there are ceiling concerns this week. PJ Walker is fairly mobile, and may not check down to CMC as much as Baker did the past couple weeks. Also, with two coach firings this week, the Panthers offense may be even more dysfunctional than usual against a strong Rams defense.
- Breece Hall is RB10 in expected fantasy points per game (16.2) despite not being the true starter until Week 4. Green Bay allows 5.1 yards per carry to RBs on the season, and has a strong pass defense. The Jets likely lean heavily on Breece Hall in this matchup.
- With Damien Harris out of the mix, Rhamondre Stevenson toted the rock 25 times for 161 yards against Detroit. He was targeted twice, as well, including once in the red zone. The Browns are getting gashed on the ground, allowing 5.9 yards per carry. Expect another massive day for Rhamondre.
- The Devin Singletary splits are nutty. The Bills put him in the dairy factory for bell cow usage when games are close, and preserve the man in blowout wins. This week's matchup against KC qualifies as a dairy game, folks. He is a RB1 candidate for Week 6.
Situation | Snaps | Carries (RZ) | Routes | Targets | Total Yards | PPR |
Close Games | 61 | 10 (2.5) | 36 | 8 | 94 | 18.9 |
Blowout Wins | 32 | 7 (0.3) | 22 | 2.3 | 43 | 6 |
- James Conner and Darrel Williams have both been ruled OUT with injuries. Eno Benjamin has an all-purpose skill set, and should see 15-20 touches against one of the league's worst defenses in Seattle. The Seahawks also allow RBs to catch passes out of the backfield, surrendering the third most yards through the air to RBs (277), via our free and flagship tool, The Edge.
- Kareem Hunt continues to have elite usage in the red zone. Hunt has more red zone opportunities (20) than Nick Chubb (18) on the season, and is an excellent redraft trade target before Deshaun Watson returns. I'd trade away Clyde Edwards-Helaire for Kareem Hunt, straight up. That's probably an easy deal to get done in redraft right now.
- Kenneth Walker now finds himself in weekly RB2 range rest of season with Rashaad Penny’s season-ending leg fracture. Walker doesn’t project for much involvement in the passing game, but he should get you 15 carries and 1-2 targets per game on a surprisingly decent offense led by Geno Smith. The Seahawks have been playing more uptempo from Week 3 onward, and the increased play volume should raise the weekly floor and ceiling of the SEA run game.
- Melvin Gordon had strong usage in Week 5 without Javonte Williams, and the Chargers are allowing 6.2 yards per carry to opposing backs, most in the NFL. Mike Boone is a fine flex play this week, too, assuming there is no coach speak about Latavius Murray stepping into the DEN RB2 role this week.
Player | Snaps | Carries (RZ) | Routes | Targets | Total Yards | PPR |
Melvin Gordon | 39 | 15 (6) | 21 | 3 | 103 | 13.3 |
Mike Boone | 30 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 85 | 11.5 |
- Raheem Mostert has back-to-back games with at least 42 snaps 15 carries, 20 routes, and three targets. He has taken over this backfield, and with Skylar Thompson starting in Week 6, the Dolphins should lean on the run against a porous Minnesota run defense.
- Darrell Henderson is in line for a heavy workload in Week 6, as Cam Akers is OUT for Sunday, and may not return to the team this season. The Panthers are a middling run defense, but the Rams offensive line woes are serious. I'd anticipate 15-20 inefficient touches from Henderson in Week 6.
- Both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are OUT for Week 6, so Deon Jackson and Phillip Lindsay will be receiving the RB touches against JAX. I'm fairly high on Deon Jackson this week, who out-snapped Lindsay nearly two-to-one (stats for Week 5 below).
Player | Snaps | Carries | Routes | Targets | Total Yards | PPR |
Deon Jackson | 44 | 13 | 24 | 4 | 91 | 13.1 |
Phillip Lindsay | 26 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 54 | 8.4 |
- Travis Etienne has now out-snapped James Robinson in back-to-back games. The fantasy points haven’t followed the increased snap share yet, but Etienne has 103 rushing yards on his 18 carries the past two weeks, while Robinson has 18 carries as well, but just 56 yards, roughly half of Etienne’s total. Etienne also nearly doubled Robinson’s routes from last week, and had five targets to Robinson’s two. I would expect Etienne’s role to continue to grow in Week 6 onward.
- AJ Dillon's usage declined in Week 5, though the matchup against the Jets should feature a Dillon-friendly game script. He has been held to under ten fantasy points in four of five games this season, but does have four games with two red zone carries on the season. He has a low floor, but a high ceiling in this Week 6 matchup.
- Tevin Coleman came out of nowhere in Week 5, turning eight carries and three targets into two touchdowns and over 21 fantasy points. Jeff Wilson is still the clear lead back, but Coleman has flex appeal against the Falcons this week.
- I am not clamoring to start any WAS RBs against CHI this week. I detailed the Week 5 usage initially on Monday, in my 33 fantasy takeaways from Week 5 article. Brian Robinson has a chance to capitalize on a weak Bears run defense, assuming he continues to get the lion's share of the carries. The table from the linked article reappears below.
Player | Snaps | Carries (RZ) | Routes | Targets | Total Yards | PPR |
Antonio Gibson | 19 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 39 | 6.9 |
Brian Robinson | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2.2 |
JD McKissic | 24 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 37 | 8.7 |
- DeeJay Dallas has shown he can be an all-purpose back in spot starts before, and now finds himself along with Kenneth Walker on the depth chart. I assume he will be their third down back with Rashaad Penny out for the season and Travis Homer on IR. However, there is potential for Dallas to chip in 3-7 carries per game in addition to pass game involvement. He is a desperation play for RB-needy teams in Week 6.
Top-56 Wide Receivers
Rank | Name | Pos | Team | Opp | Team Total | xPPR |
1 | Cooper Kupp | WR | LA | CAR | 25.25 | 19.2 |
2 | Stefon Diggs | WR | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 19 |
3 | Justin Jefferson | WR | MIN | MIA | 24.00 | 18.8 |
4 | Marquise Brown | WR | ARI | SEA | 27.00 | 15.5 |
5 | Ja'Marr Chase | WR | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 15.8 |
6 | Mike Evans | WR | TB | PIT | 25.25 | 13 |
7 | A.J. Brown | WR | PHI | DAL | 24.25 | 14.4 |
8 | CeeDee Lamb | WR | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 15.6 |
9 | Chris Godwin | WR | TB | PIT | 25.25 | 10.1 |
10 | Mike Williams | WR | LAC | DEN | 26.00 | 14.4 |
11 | Courtland Sutton | WR | DEN | LAC | 20.00 | 16.2 |
12 | Christian Kirk | WR | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 12.5 |
13 | DK Metcalf | WR | SEA | ARI | 24.50 | 14 |
14 | Deebo Samuel | WR | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 14.4 |
15 | Gabe Davis | WR | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 9.1 |
16 | Michael Pittman | WR | IND | JAX | 21.50 | 13.7 |
17 | Amari Cooper | WR | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 13.9 |
18 | Jakobi Meyers | WR | NE | CLE | 19.75 | 13 |
19 | Tyler Lockett | WR | SEA | ARI | 24.50 | 12.9 |
20 | Tee Higgins | WR | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 11.7 |
21 | Tyreek Hill | WR | MIA | MIN | 21.00 | 15.3 |
22 | Jaylen Waddle | WR | MIA | MIN | 21.00 | 12.3 |
23 | Diontae Johnson | WR | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 14.9 |
24 | DeVonta Smith | WR | PHI | DAL | 24.25 | 13.3 |
25 | Curtis Samuel | WR | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 14.6 |
26 | Garrett Wilson | WR | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 14 |
27 | Adam Thielen | WR | MIN | MIA | 24.00 | 11.8 |
28 | Drake London | WR | ATL | SF | 18.25 | 12.8 |
29 | Juju Smith-Schuster | WR | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 10.3 |
30 | Elijah Moore | WR | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 10.5 |
31 | D.J. Moore | WR | CAR | LA | 16.25 | 12.1 |
32 | Romeo Doubs | WR | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 9.9 |
33 | Zay Jones | WR | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 14.8 |
34 | Terry McLaurin | WR | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 11.6 |
35 | Allen Lazard | WR | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 11.3 |
36 | Isaiah McKenzie | WR | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 9.2 |
37 | Rondale Moore | WR | ARI | SEA | 27.00 | 10.4 |
38 | Jerry Jeudy | WR | DEN | LAC | 20.00 | 10 |
39 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | WR | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 10.5 |
40 | Josh Palmer | WR | LAC | DEN | 26.00 | 9.8 |
41 | George Pickens | WR | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 9.8 |
42 | Alec Pierce | WR | IND | JAX | 21.50 | 10.3 |
43 | Tyler Boyd | WR | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 8 |
44 | Corey Davis | WR | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 10.7 |
45 | Randall Cobb | WR | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 9 |
46 | Allen Robinson | WR | LA | CAR | 25.25 | 9.6 |
47 | Michael Gallup | WR | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 7 |
48 | Donovan Peoples-Jones | WR | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 12.6 |
49 | Devin Duvernay | WR | BAL | NYG | 24.50 | 10 |
50 | Chase Claypool | WR | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 10.9 |
51 | Brandon Aiyuk | WR | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 8.9 |
52 | Marquez Callaway | WR | NO | CIN | 21.75 | 7.5 |
53 | K.J. Osborn | WR | MIN | MIA | 24.00 | 7.8 |
54 | Darnell Mooney | WR | CHI | WAS | 20.50 | 8.4 |
55 | Wan'Dale Robinson | WR | NYG | BAL | 19.00 | 3.5 |
56 | Jamal Agnew | WR | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 5.8 |
- Welcome to the Top-4, Marquise Brown. He now has double digit targets in four straight games, and over 20 fantasy points in three of those contests. He faces a Seahawks team allowing a league-high 8.9 yards per pass attempt. The nuclear Hollywood Brown game could very well happen in Week 6.
- CeeDee Lamb has quietly led all NFL players in target share through five weeks. There is nothing sexy about the Cooper Rush offense, but the Eagles should put up points against Dallas, forcing Rush to throw to stay competitive in this game. Lamb has at least 15 fantasy points in three of four games with Rush, and at least ten points in all of them. He has a strong floor and ceiling this week. Screenshot courtesy of The Edge, our free and flagship tool.
- After talking with my therapist, I have decided to forgive Christian Kirk for his one catch performance in Week 5. He's still averaging 15 fantasy points per game on the season, and 249 of his 314 receiving yards have come against zone coverage. Spoiler alert: the Colts run a zone heavy scheme. The Christian Kirk bounce back game is coming. Screenshot courtesy of our free, flagship tool, The Edge.
- DK Metcalf makes his first appearance of the season in the weekly Top-15. The Cardinals sport one of the league's worst pass defenses, and since SEA dialed up the play volume in Week 3, Metcalf is averaging ten targets, over 100 receiving yards, and over 132 air yards per game. The Cardinals skew more towards zone coverage (shoutout to our Head of DFS and coverage maestro Jordan Vanek), which has historically benefitted Tyler Lockett. However, with Metcalf playing out of his mind, I'm currently too stubborn to flip the two in my weekly rankings. Either way, both are strong starts against the Cardinals this week.
- Â Jakobi Meyers has at least six targets in all three games played this season, and 95 or more yards in two of three. He is now averaging nearly 18 PPR points per game, and has had a 38% target share in each of his past two games. The Browns pass defense has been among the league's worst through five weeks, so even with Bailey Zappe at the helm, confidently fire up Jakobi Meyers in your WR2/WR3 spot this week.
- Tee Higgins is ACTIVE for Week 6, but I'm still not convinced he's fully healthy, and the Saints have no healthy WRs themselves. Chances of a shootout are limited, and Higgins being active hurts Tyler Boyd, who sees a target share decrease when both Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins are on the field. I lean towards firing up Ja'Marr Chase as a WR1, and then treating Higgins like a low floor WR2, with Boyd as a WR4 candidate.
- MIA QB Skylar Thompson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and never threw for more than 2,300 yards in college, where he played five seasons at Kansas State. I have low expectations for this passing offense in Week 6 against Minnesota, and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both took a sizable fall down the rankings.
- Rondale Moore is a PPR/Half-PPR option only, as his average depth of target was a paltry two yards on his eight targets in Week 5, which lines up with his rookie usage from 2021. Positively, he earned a full snap share and route share in Week 5, and the Cardinals did a great job getting him in space, as he had 68 yards in that contest. Despite the low target depth, my model still gave him a healthy 12.6 expected PPR points for Week 5, as one of those targets came in the end zone. The Seahawks are arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL, and Rondale is primed for a big week if he sees similar usage to the prior week.
- The Steelers face another tough defense this week, going up against the Buccaneers. With no concern for rookie Kenny Pickett's health, PIT allowed him to drop back 56 times (three sacks taken), and this benefitted all the pass catchers. Pat Freiermuth is questionable with a concussion, and I expect the targets to cluster around Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Diontae is still ranked well ahead of Pickens, as Diontae had 13 targets in Week 5 to Pickens' eight, and Diontae's 155 air yards also dwarfed Pickens' 89. After a one week hiatus, Chase Claypool also returns to the weekly rankings, as he should see a volume uptick with Freiermuth likely sidelined. Additionally, Claypool is coming off his best game of the season, a nine target and 50 yard effort against Buffalo in Week 5.
- Alec Pierce is a WR on the rise. In three straight games, the rookie has at least 61 receiving yards, and Week 5 was his first game playing the majority of the snaps. If his usage continues to trend upward, he should be a weekly WR3 or WR4 type, as the clear WR2 on Indy with a high average depth of target and elite athleticism.
Top-21 Tight Ends
Rank | Name | Pos | Team | Opp | Team Total | xPPR |
1 | Travis Kelce | TE | KC | BUF | 25.75 | 16.8 |
2 | Mark Andrews | TE | BAL | NYG | 24.50 | 16.5 |
3 | Zach Ertz | TE | ARI | SEA | 27.00 | 14.6 |
4 | Tyler Higbee | TE | LA | CAR | 25.25 | 13.5 |
5 | David Njoku | TE | CLE | NE | 22.75 | 10.3 |
6 | Dallas Goedert | TE | PHI | DAL | 24.25 | 8.5 |
7 | Kyle Pitts | TE | ATL | SF | 18.25 | 10.1 |
8 | Gerald Everett | TE | LAC | DEN | 26.00 | 9.6 |
9 | Taysom Hill | TE | NO | CIN | 21.75 | 8 |
10 | George Kittle | TE | SF | ATL | 24.25 | 8.3 |
11 | Irv Smith | TE | MIN | MIA | 24.00 | 8.4 |
12 | Dalton Schultz | TE | DAL | PHI | 19.25 | 8.6 |
13 | Dawson Knox | TE | BUF | KC | 27.75 | 6.8 |
14 | Hayden Hurst | TE | CIN | NO | 22.75 | 9.1 |
15 | Robert Tonyan | TE | GB | NYJ | 26.00 | 6.9 |
16 | Zach Gentry | TE | PIT | TB | 17.25 | 4.9 |
17 | Evan Engram | TE | JAX | IND | 19.50 | 9.1 |
18 | Cole Kmet | TE | CHI | WAS | 20.50 | 5.7 |
19 | Tyler Conklin | TE | NYJ | GB | 19.00 | 9.4 |
20 | Hunter Henry | TE | NE | CLE | 19.75 | 5.8 |
21 | John Bates | TE | WAS | CHI | 19.00 | 5.8 |
- Travis Kelce has double digit fantasy points in every game this season, and has both the highest weekly floor and ceiling at the position. Mark Andrews had at least 22 fantasy points in three of five games this year, and the gap between the two is incredibly narrow. I'll continue to lean slightly toward Kelce due to Kansas City's pass heavy offense.
- Zach Ertz has double digit targets in three of his past four games, and has scored at least nine fantasy points in all five games this season. He has a high floor and a decent weekly ceiling, and if you’re sensing a theme here, you should start players in that ARI-SEA game this week.
- Tyler Higbee continues to be the poster child for the Rams' offensive line woes, as he has an average depth of target of just 3.4 yards (Mark Andrews is at 10.5 yards for context). Higbee now has a 25% target share on the season, with nine or more targets in four of five games on the season. He has over 12 PPR points per game despite not finding the end zone yet. His six red zone (three in the end zone) targets on the season portend future scoring upside going forward.
- David Njoku is a difference maker at TE. He has seven red zone targets over the past four games, and is on a 1,200 yard full season pace over those four games. He’s had at least an 18% target share in each of those games, too.
- Dallas Goedert has 60 or more receiving yards in all but one game this season. He's pacing for over 1,150 yards on the season, and has a red zone target in four of five games. With only one TD to show for his efforts, expect sustained, if not increased, production moving forward. Don't get scared away by the matchup. While Dallas is allowing the ninth fewest fantasy points to the position, they've faced Tyler Higbee, Logan Thomas, Hayden Hurst, Daniel Bellinger, and Cameron Brate. Higbee was the only true fantasy threat they've faced, and he had 11.6 PPR points in Week 5 against them. Start Goedert with full confidence in Week 6.
- Kyle Pitts returned to practice on Wednesday, and appears on track to return to game action in Week 6. I have finally relented, and dropped him significantly down my weekly rankings. While he has the fourth highest targets per route run rate among TEs (27.8%, courtesy of The Edge), he is running the 25th most routes per game. Until the route participation ticks up, Pitts will struggle to capitalize on what should be a massive ceiling due to his athleticism and yards after the catch ability.
- Taysom Hill scored four times on Sunday, converting three of his nine carries and his lone pass attempt into touchdowns. He remains a high ceiling/terrifying floor option each week. If your team is projected to lose by at least ten points, Hill should get a boost in these rankings. If you're projected to win handily, consider dropping Taysom down a few more spots.
- George Kittle has not topped a 20% target share in any of his three games. In a lower volume 49ers passing offense, he'll need to get closer to 25-30% to be highly fantasy relevant. He's averaging only five targets per game, at an average depth of just 4.6 yards. The volume and usage simply are not there for Kittle, and he's a low-end TE1 type until this pattern changes.
- Dalton Schultz re-aggravated his PCL (knee) injury in Week 5, but has been a limited participant in practice all week. I'm skeptical about his effectiveness and would explore other options at TE for Week 6 if possible.
- Zach Gentry will be starting in Pat Freiermuth's spot for Week 6. Gentry reeled in five of six targets for 53 yards in Week 5 when Freiermuth left that game with a concussion.
These Week 6 fantasy rankings will be updated throughout the week. Make sure to check this post each day throughout the week as the news hits.