At this point, your fantasy team is either making you beat your chest, cringe, or wait to do any of these things. Winners win and losers lose; just ask the Bucs and Jets. Speaking of Beeches, how about Tez Johnson And Cameron Johnson filling once Was there a delay came down? It's probably not enough for them to be in Stock up version, but we will keep an eye on it. I wouldn't be in a hurry to turn my back either. Quinshawn Judkins after a 36-yard rushing performance. Help is on the way for the Browns (when they eventually, I hope, turn to Sheader Sanders). That aside, let's get into some of the ups and downs after Week 6 of the NFL.
STOCK
Drake Maye, QB, Patriots
I think if we all eyeball May, you can clearly see that he has improved significantly, but the extent of it from a fantasy (and real football) perspective is better than we would have hoped. May constantly comes across as “one of those guys,” and by guys I mean elite fantasy guys like Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen And Jalen Hurts. In six games this season, he has finished in the top eight four times. In Week 5 in Buffalo, he finished as QB25 and still somehow played the best game of his career. He just couldn't score a touchdown that day. In Week 6, he ran the ball against a vulnerable Saints secondary, completing 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, which was good for a QB2 this week (MNF expected). With what he also brings to the table as a runner, Maye solidifies himself as a top-tier fantasy quarterback for the long haul.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Panthers
If after rushing for 206 yards you gain 239 yards from scrimmage (183 on the ground), how can you ever get back to the bench? Now, to be clear, Dowdle has had some incredible games (meaning the defense is bad) over the last couple of weeks with the Cowboys and Dolphins, but this is the NFL and he got the job done. Dowdle had extra motivation in Week 6 against his former team (Dallas), and he parlayed it into his second straight week as the RB1 in fantasy (MNF pending). The most important thing now will be how the Panthers distribute their shots when… Chuba Hubbard coming back? Hubbard is good in his own right, but he has never had a game like Dowdle's last two games. However, Dowdle is the hot hand in Carolina.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, WRs, Bengals
I think all Chase and Higgins needed was a 40-year-old quarterback who entered Week 6 with two touchdowns, six interceptions and a 60.3 passer rating. It was like that Joe Flacco easily played his best game of the season, although he lost. The difference was (not Jake Browning) that Flacco made Higgins and Chase relevant early on so we didn't have to wait for garbage time. Higgins wasn't great statistically, but he caught 5 of 8 targets for 62 yards and narrowly missed the end zone (stopping at the 1-yard line). Chase, on the other hand, was (as he should have been) Flacco's main target from start to finish, with the wide receiver scoring a beautiful touchdown in the fourth quarter. Both Higgins and Chase would benefit from having a quarterback who doesn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off.
RESERVES ARE DECREASING
Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
You don't sit on Barkley's bench and think about it. However, he's certainly not putting up the numbers that managers were hoping for when they invested in him as a top-10 pick. In fact, Barkley had one top-10 fantasy running back finish in the week, and that happened in Week 1. He finished at RB19 in Week 6 after all Sunday games were played and is currently ranked at RB14 for the season. It's obviously solid, but considering it's lagging behind Ashon Janty for anyone who has had a difficult first few weeks of the season, this is just terrible. The biggest difference between this season and last is that there are no big runs; Barkley has yet to rush for 20 yards in six games. It's funny, but with a player like Barkley, things can change in an instant, and I believe they will. See if you can trade Barkley to your leagues now.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs
In Week 6, in a game in which Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, Worthy was lucky enough to catch 2 of 4 targets for 20 yards and a touchdown. Chill. In the games he has played this season, he averages 48.3 yards per play, which is fine, but with Rashi Rice For a full six weeks, it was his time to establish himself as a real force in the Chiefs' offense, but he didn't, and that's fine, since Mahomes just distributes the ball. Worthy will see an even smaller piece of the pie upon Rice's return, and if I had included him in the lineup, I would have struggled to sell him after that little touchdown he scored against the Lions. Sure, he'll have his days, but going forward he'll be a flex player that you'll be scratching your head about every week because of the nature of the Chiefs offense.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Raiders
After quietly passing for over 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, he is quietly WR44 in fantasy points per game after Sunday's Week 6 games. In fact, he gave in to his partner Tre Tucker (WR14, heavily skewed by a 40-point performance in Week 3). The last time Meyers topped 40 receiving yards was Week 3, which is alarming considering Brock Bowers missed the last two games (and played before that due to injury). Meyers was considered to have high WR2 upside heading into the season with Geno Smith will play quarterback, but Smith's numbers (seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions) aren't what you want to convey to your mom either. The Raiders offense as a whole has struggled this season, and until that changes, Meyers is off to a shaky start in fantasy.
