Week 6 is here, and the season is starting to take shape. We’re learning which teams are legit, which matchups to target, and which players you can finally trust in your lineup. Every week is a new chance to climb the standings and stack those wins. To help you lock in the right calls, Andy, Mike, and Jason are back with their Week 6 Starts of the Week.
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Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB – Matthew Stafford @ Ravens
Matthew Stafford has quietly been on fire. With Puka Nacua doing his thing and the addition of Davante Adams giving this offense a new gear, Stafford has tossed 2+ TDs in four straight games and finished as a top-5 fantasy QB in back-to-back weeks. And this isn’t just TD luck — he’s leading the NFL in passing yards and slinging it all over the field. This week, he faces a banged-up Ravens defense that’s giving up 262 passing yards per game, the second-most in the league. Everything lines up for Stafford to stay hot. Keep him locked into your lineups.
RB – Rico Dowdle vs. Cowboys
Taking a page from Mike’s book, Andy is rolling with Rico Suave this week. The Cowboys’ defense has been horrendous, ranking 28th against the run. Meanwhile, Chuba Hubbard still isn’t practicing, leaving Dowdle in line for another week of heavy work yet again. Under Dave Canales, Carolina’s ground game has been the heartbeat of the offense, and Dowdle last week looked the part. This is his chance to lock down a bigger role even once Hubbard returns. The matchup, volume, and opportunity all point in the same direction. Up. Start him with confidence in Week 6.
WR – A.J. Brown @ Giants
Andy’s calling it: TD GUARANTEED. It’s Thursday Night Football, the lights are bright, and the Giants’ defense is nothing to be worried about. The Giants are 30th against the pass. A.J. Brown‘s been frustrated. Just 19 catches, 194 yards, and one score through five weeks is nowhere near his standard. Fantasy managers have felt it. But it’s not the time to waver now. He’s still getting 8+ targets a game, but the offense hasn’t let him stretch the field or do his usual YAC damage. That changes this week. Andy thinks Philly has heard the noise. Brown’s too good, too competitive, and too loud to stay quiet much longer. Start him. TNF bounce-back incoming — and Andy’s calling a TD.
TE – Tucker Kraft vs. Bengals
Tucker Kraft finally had his breakout game, then unfortunately got banged up — but he’s back and ready to roll. The Ballers are in full agreement here: consensus TE1 on the week. The matchup? Absolute gold. The Bengals rank dead last against TEs, getting shredded weekly by the position. If Kraft sees anything close to his pre-injury usage, he’s got top-5 upside locked in. He’s healthy, he’s hot, and the matchup’s perfect.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
QB – Drake Maye @ Saints
Drake Maye has been playing great football. He’s already posted three top-10 fantasy finishes on the year and continues to show dual-threat upside, pacing for nearly 400 rushing yards this season. The Saints’ defense looks tough on paper, but they’ve actually allowed every QB (except Jaxson Dart) to hit or exceed their fantasy average. With Stefon Diggs getting healthier and this game taking place in a dome, the TDs are coming for Maye.
RB- Breece Hall vs Broncos
Don’t let Denver’s reputation fool you; you can run on this defense. We’ve seen it already: Hampton’s breakout came against them, Jonathan Taylor dropped an RB1 overall week on their heads, and even Saquon Barkley found success last week thanks to his work in the passing game. With Braelon Allen sidelined, Breece has been EATING not only on the ground, but through the air. Breece has seen 19 and 20 total opportunities, including 5+ targets in each. Volume, matchup, and talent all align here. Plus, with trade rumors heating up, don’t be surprised if Breece tries to make a statement.
WR- Tetairoa McMillan vs Cowboys
Dallas’s defense has been an absolute fantasy cheat code for WRs. They’re giving up 14.4 points per game ABOVE what opposing WRs normally average. For comparison, the third-worst defense (the Rams) is allowing only +4.8. That’s not bad… that’s historic-level bad. Enter Tetairoa McMillan, who’s been a walking highlight reel. The rookie’s on pace for 145 targets and 1,200 yards, but somehow still searching for his first NFL TD. Jason thinks that changes this week. He’s been Mossing dudes weekly, and Dallas hasn’t stopped anyone through the air. The volume, the talent, and the matchup all point to a breakout.
TE – Juwan Johnson vs NE
Back-to-back dud weeks have you thinking about hitting that bench button, huh? Buuuut… let’s pump the brakes. Johnson’s still out there for 85–90% of snaps in one of the league’s fastest-paced offenses — and Spencer Rattler is on pace for over 600 pass attempts. That kind of volume eventually finds its way to a TE. The matchup is perfect for him. New England ranks 4th-worst against TEs, and with Kamara a bit banged up, those short-yardage dump-offs could start flowing Johnson’s way again. We’ve already seen the upside, TE3 and TE4 finishes in separate weeks, so we know he can deliver. Don’t bail now. The usage, matchup, and talent all say a bounce-back is coming.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
QB –Jordan Love vs Bengals
We all know you start your fantasy players against the Bengals. So Jordan Love as Mike’s start of the week comes as no surprise. The Bengals are allowing 4.2 fantasy points above expectation to QBs, which is the 4th most in the league. Love’s been averaging 250 yards and two TDs per game. We’ve even seen him flash some rushing production. Even with Josh Jacobs likely handling a big workload, Love’s efficiency and TD upside keep him firmly in the QB1 mix. Andy’s confidence says it all — he’s starting Love over Patrick Mahomes this week. If Andy and Mike are rolling with him, you should too.
RB- Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt vs. Bears
Don’t let the 47% snap share fool you; his usage tells the real story. He handled 31% of the team’s carries and targets, and made the most of every touch, finishing as RB4 on the week. He currently leads the league in yards per carry and grades out as PFF’s top-rated RB. The tape matches the stats: explosive runs, elite vision, and balance that’s drawing Saquon-level efficiency on half the workload. Now, under the lights on Monday Night Football, he gets a Bears defense that just allowed Jeanty’s breakout game. This is the spotlight game where Bill plants his flag as Washington’s real RB1.
WR- Chris Olave vs. Patriots
Only four wideouts in the league have commanded 30% or more of their team’s targets — Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. That’s elite company, and it tells you everything you need to know: the volume is there. The Patriots’ defense has tightened up the past two weeks, but I’m still chasing these targets. Olave’s sitting at 244 yards and just one TD, which screams positive regression is on the way. When a WR this talented gets this kind of volume, TDs follow.
TE- Jake Tonges @ Buccaneers
Mike put on his steel underpants and named Tonges his TE start of the week. Back-to-back 13-point fantasy games from Jake Tonges aren’t a fluke. Tonges has garnered a 19% target share, and with the WR group banged up and Kittle still on IR, he’s becoming a reliable piece of this offense. The matchup couldn’t be juicier. Tampa Bay has been leaking points to TEs the past two weeks, making Tonges a sneaky streaming option with real upside.
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October 09, 2025
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