Tom Brady has one weekly finish outside the top-four quarterbacks, Kareem Hunt is out-scoring Nick Chubb, and Mike Williams is shaping up to be a league-winner — just like we all predicted.
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All jokes aside, the NFL season has already been an emotional rollercoaster ride of ebbs and flows. The constant change and variance in the NFL have made it critical to continually adjust fantasy football player rankings based on new information and trends. Understanding that DeAndre Hopkins has not finished as a top-five wide receiver once in 2021 due to his declining target share cannot go unnoticed.
Now that the season has accumulated five weeks of games, we have enough data to adjust rankings based on a player’s high-value opportunities, expected fantasy point output, fantasy football utilization and routes run participation. Those key data points — along with PFF player grades, implied team totals, PFF fantasy projections and strength of schedule — are all factored in to create my position-by-position Week 6 fantasy football rankings.
Trade targets are also highlighted because making sharp transactions beyond the waiver wire can go a long way to helping your fantasy squad.
Related content for you: Fantasy Football Week 6: 5 to Waiver Wire Add, 5 to Drop, 5 to Buy Low, 5 to Sell High via Nathan Jahnke
2021 WEEK 5 QB FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
Name | Team | Rank |
Josh Allen | BUF | 1 |
Patrick Mahomes II | KC | 2 |
Lamar Jackson | BAL | 3 |
Tom Brady | TB | 4 |
Kyler Murray | ARI | 5 |
Jalen Hurts | PHI | 6 |
Justin Herbert | LAC | 7 |
Dak Prescott | DAL | 8 |
Matthew Stafford | LAR | 9 |
Joe Burrow | CIN | 10 |
Aaron Rodgers | GB | 11 |
Taylor Heinicke | WAS | 12 |
Trevor Lawrence | JAC | 13 |
Ryan Tannehill | TEN | 14 |
Kirk Cousins | MIN | 15 |
Carson Wentz | IND | 16 |
Sam Darnold | CAR | 17 |
Daniel Jones | NYG | 18 |
Derek Carr | LV | 19 |
Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | 20 |
Baker Mayfield | CLE | 21 |
Jared Goff | DET | 22 |
Teddy Bridgewater | DEN | 23 |
Mac Jones | NE | 24 |
Justin Fields | CHI | 25 |
Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 26 |
Geno Smith | SEA | 27 |
Davis Mills | HOU | 28 |
Jacoby Brissett | MIA | 29 |
Drew Lock | DEN | 30 |
Andy Dalton | CHI | 31 |
Mason Rudolph | PIT | 32 |
Brett Hundley | IND | 33 |
JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Hurts has yet to finish outside the weekly top-12 at quarterback in his eight full games as the Eagles starter. And his 26-point outing Thursday night versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers indicate that streak should continue.
JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS
I'm pleased to announce that the pass-happy Bengals we were promised to see during the entire offseason took the field last Sunday. With all weapons at his disposal, Burrow and company increased their pass-play rate on early downs to 63% — a massive uptick from the stagnant 46% they were throwing through the first four weeks. As a result, Burrow accumulated a season-high in dropbacks and pass attempts even while excluding overtime.
Look for Burrow to build off his 18.3 fantasy-point performance with a salivating matchup versus the Detroit Lions in Week 6. The lowly Lions rank dead-last in explosive pass play percentage and yards per pass attempt allowed this season. So unsurprisingly, the Bengals own the easiest matchup on the week, per PFF’s strength of schedule tool.
TAYLOR HEINICKE, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
If you wanted to build the perfect streaming quarterback available off the waiver wire in a lab, Heinicke would emerge. Not only did he finish third in expected fantasy points per game last week, but he also draws the Kansas City Chiefs defense, who cannot stop anyone, in Week 6.
Kansas City ranks dead last in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks this season, setting the stage for Heinicke to be the Dark Knight for fantasy managers who are suffering through bye weeks or poor fantasy quarterback play.
TREVOR LAWRENCE, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The other great streaming alternative is Lawrence. The No. 1 overall pick flashed his rushing upside for the second straight week with seven rushes for 28 yards and a rushing touchdown. The rushing along with 273 passing yards led the rookie's first 20-point fantasy outing of the season.
He finished Week 5 fifth in expected fantasy points (26.2) — a tell-tale sign that more production is imminent.
With the Miami Dolphins up next, Lawrence should be a starting fantasy QB when the dust settles in Week 6. The Dolphins' once-feared defense has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the position over the last four weeks.
The Dolphins are particularly bad versus the deep ball, allowing a league-high of completions of 20-plus air yards.