Week 6 of the NFL season is here and we’re finally seeing some truly big passing games, as teams get their offenses in order. Kirk Cousins showed that yes, the Falcons can put up big numbers through the air, as he threw for over 500 yards and four touchdowns last Thursday night. After watching quarterbacks fail to get to 300 yards passing as the norm this year, it was nice to see an offensive explosion. Then we got an even bigger explosion from the Ravens-Bengals matchup, where Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow traded heavyweight blows through the air.
Through five weeks, Lamar Jackson leads all quarterbacks in fantasy points, while rookie Jayden Daniels is second, then Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow and Geno Smith. It’s been an odd season, but with five weeks of data, we are no longer able to call any of these top fantasy quarterbacks a fluke. Things will change as the season goes on, but these guys are playing very well and leading strong offenses and should continue to do so as long as they stay healthy.
Week 6 quarterback byes
Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Tyler Huntley/Tua Tagovailoa, Sam Darnold
Week 6 quarterback injuries
Anthony Richardson, Colts
Richardson missed Week 5 due to his oblique injury, while Joe Flacco put up great numbers. Head coach Shane Steichen continues to tell reporters that Richardson is the starter when healthy, so we can expect Flacco to head back to the bench sooner than later, as Richardson was questionable after getting some practice in last week.
Derek Carr, Saints
Carr injured his oblique in Week 5 on Monday Night Football. Jake Haener took over for him and would be next up if Carr can’t return for Week 6 against the Buccaneers. Carr did say he’ll do everything he can to be ready to go, but his injury still may be too much to overcome.
Will Levis, Titans
Levis suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4, but his head coach told reporters he was improving and should be able to return to practice this week, per Jim Wyatt. If he can’t, Mason Rudolph would take over until Levis can return.
Week 6 quarterback sleepers
Caleb Williams, Bears vs. Jaguars
Williams continues to get better as he gets more snaps under his belt. Last week against a poor Carolina defense, he had his best fantasy game, as he completed 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns, adding 34 yards on five carries. This week he gets another great matchup against Jacksonville.
The Jaguars rank dead last in pass defense EPA and fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Really any pass defensive stat you can find, they are near the bottom. They’ve allowed huge games to Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud, Josh Allen, and Tua Tagovailoa so far this season
Daniel Jones, Giants vs. Bengals
Jones has been playing well, for the most part, since his Week 1 debacle. In his last four games, he’s finished QB6, QB11, QB23, and QB11 again. Last week he put up 257 yards passing, two touchdowns and 38 yards rushing without Malik Nabers, who was out with a concussion. The hope is that Nabers will return this week for a strong matchup, giving Jones a boost.
The Bengals rank 29th in pass defense EPA and 28th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. They’ve also been playing great offensively, which means they should be able to get a lead in this one, pushing Jones to throw and run more than he would with a lead. They’ve given up two or more passing touchdowns in every game except Week 1 against the Patriots.
