15 Fantasy football scoring leaders from NFL Week 6
After a busy NFL Sunday, fantasy football Week 6 is just about over. To catch up on any highlights you may have missed, check out these top 15 fantasy football scoring leaders on the following slides.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and tight end Coby Fleener (82) are both in our fantasy football scoring leaders from Week 6 after the Saints defeated the Panthers 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Week 6 was another great week of NFL football highlighted by several teams getting statement wins. The Chiefs, Cowboys, Saints, Giants, and Texans were among the days big winners, but hopefully your fantasy football team was able to get you the win you were hoping for as well. If you’re team performs well, it was probably stocked with the top 15 fantasy football scoring leaders of week 6 which you can find on the following slides.
Some of these players are stars who stepped up while others are sleepers who came through with a big game. To see who led the way in fantasy football this week check out the next few slides where I’ll also outline what I think these players’ value is moving forward.
In this weekly list of fantasy football scoring leaders, you can find the top options at each of the main fantasy positions. I try to highlight the players who went off and powered their fantasy teams to win. You want your players to be on this list and not on the fantasy football busts which will come out later today. Make sure to check back later today for the busts and our our fantasy football sleepers who emerged out of Week 6.
To stay locked in to all our weekly coverage make sure to drop a bookmark on our fantasy football hub so that you’re ready to have your own bounce back week in Week 7. You can also check out our new start/sit tool and follow @FansidedFantasy on Twitter to help you get into the winners’ circle for next week.
Let’s kick off our fantasy football scoring leaders for today with a look at the top fantasy defense that come up large against a divisional foe.
Oct 13, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers cornerback Craig Mager (29) reacts after recovering a fumble by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Chargers D/ST
The Chargers were the top defense in fantasy football week 6 with a great defensive performance against the defending champions on Thursday Night Football. The Chargers knocked off Denver to improve to 2-4 while dropping Denver to 4-2.
The Chargers held Denver to just 13 points and only one offensive touchdown. They forced a pair of fumbles and got to QB Trevor Siemian all day. San Diego was led by Jatavis Brown’s 14 tackles. They finished with a pair of sacks and stepped up big time to beat their division rivals.
The Chargers aren’t one of the defenses you’d expect to find in our fantasy football scoring leaders, but they stepped up on Thursday. Coming up, San Diego heads on the road for a pair of tough matchups against the Falcons and Broncos, so they’re not a great defense to target moving forward, but they did come up big for their owners in Week 6.
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) runs against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jonathan Stewart-RB-Carolina Panthers
I had J-Stew in my RB sleepers for the week, and he came through in a big way for the owners who stuck with him or who grabbed him on waiver wires. Stewart hadn’t played a full game since Week 1, but he came back in a great matchup against the Saints.
Stewart delivered in a wild 41-38 loss in New Orleans and got his first two touchdowns of the season. He totaled 85 yards on his 19 carries with a long of 26 yards. Both his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter from short yardage. It was a great sign for him to get those goal line carries since Cam Newton had been running those in himself..
If Stewart stops losing all the red zone work, he could be a solid RB2 the rest of the way. Carolina continues to prove they can run the ball, and Stewart got a big workload (19 carries) despite the time off.
Oct 16, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate (15) runs after a catch for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field. Lions won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Golden Tate-WR-Detroit Lions
Tate has been a major disappointment so far this season, but he had a monster game against the Rams in a surprisingly entertaining matchup in Detroit. Tate scored a 23-yard touchdown and celebrated with the cheerleaders highlighting his best game of the season.
Tate was targeted a team-high ten times and pulled in eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. Coming into the game, he had posted just 17 catches and 134 yards on the season, so his monster game was such a surprise that most owners had him on their bench.
There’s definitely a possibility that Tate turned the corner and will be good the rest of the way, but I’m still cautious headed into next week’s matchup against Washington. At this point, I would hold Tate on my bench if possible to see if this game in the fantasy football scoring leaders was an outlier or the start of a trend in in the right direction.
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) catches a touchdown over Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Shaq Green-Thompson (54) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Panthers 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Brandin Cooks-WR-New Orleans Saints
The first of three Saints players on our fantasy football scoring leaders this week is receiver Brandin Cooks who was a key part of the Saints 41-38 win over Carolina. Cooks was struggling headed into the bye week, but he tore up the Panthers secondary in the shootout at the Superdome.
Cooks was targeted nine times by Drew Brees (more on him later) and hauled in seven passes for 173 total yards and a touchdown. His touchdown was another home run as he toasted CB Zack Sanchez on a double-move for an 87-yard touchdown as the Saints built an early lead.
He could have had an even bigger day, but Drew Brees just overthrew him on another long bomb. At home, Cooks is a must-start in almost every format, but next week he and the Saints head on the road to Kansas City. Remember in his two previous games he totaled just 44 yards on five catches, so he isn’t a lock despite his humongous upside that he flashed this week.
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Coby Fleener (82) celebrates after a touchdown catch during the first quarter of a game against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Coby Fleener-TE-New Orleans Saints
One of the most unexpected touchdowns of the day went to Coby Fleener. The fact that Fleener is in our fantasy football scoring leaders isn’t shocking, but the way he got here was unorthodox.
Fleener opened the scoring with a two yard rushing touchdown. He followed up with another touchdown later in the game in a more typical receiving fashion and totaled a solid 74 yards on his six catches.
The Panthers secondary has been a mess this season, but Fleener continues to settle in nicely to his new home in the Big Easy. He’s a low-tier TE1 most weeks, but he has the upside to get into our fantasy football scoring leaders any week when he is the focus of the Saints potent passing attack especially at home.
Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware (32) is brought down by Oakland Raiders middle linebacker Cory James (57) during the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Spencer Ware-RB-Kansas City Chiefs
Jamaal Charles is back in action for the Chiefs, but it was the back that replaced him that had a monster game on Sunday against the Raiders. Spencer Ware has definitely earned his way into a larger role with the Chiefs, but exactly how the new timeshare plays out remains to be seen.
Ware rolled up 131 yards on 24 carries on Sunday and got into the end zone for a touchdown. Charles also had a touchdown on his nine carries for 33 yards, but Ware was the more effective and more-used running back this week. Ware caught two passes for 32 more yards as well.
Since opening the season with 199 total yards, Ware has totaled at least 80 yards rushing and receiving in every game this season and now has a pair of touchdowns. Moving forward, Ware makes a great play the next three weeks against the Saints, Colts, and Jaguars. He will split time somehow with Charles, but he still managed to get into the fantasy football scoring leaders in a timeshare this week.
Oct 16, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller (26) looks for running room up the middle against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Lamar Miller-Houston Texans
In the Sunday Night Football game, Miller finally got into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. He liked it so much that he returned for more later in the game in his best fantasy game of the season.
Last week, Miller led our fantasy football busts list, but I said to try and buy low on the Texans RB. This week, at least, he looked the part of an elite back. He totaled 139 yards on his 22 carries with a one-yard touchdown plunge and added his second score on one of his three receptions for 29 more yards.
Miller is a great play moving forward since he gets so much work in the Texans backfield. There’s no timeshare concerns or any way that coach Bill O’Brien will not let him get the touches he needs to produce. This week is a tough matchup against the Broncos, but then Miller is in a series of favorable matchups including Jacksonville, Oakland, San Diego, and another shot at Indy in Week 14.
Oct 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Rob Gronkowski-TE-New England Patriots
The top tight end of the week was a familiar name, but he hadn’t been among the fantasy football scoring leaders yet this season. Gronk was back at his best with a big game on Sunday against the Bengals as the Patriots cruised to a 35-17 home win.
Gronkowski hauled in seven of his nine targets and totaled 162 yards and a touchdown. He was by far the most productive tight end in terms of yards and edged out Coby Fleener despite Fleener’s unusual rushing touchdown.
Next week and for the rest of the season, look for Gronk to be the top tight end in everyone’s weekly TE rankings. Gronk and Brady are back and ready to carry fantasy owners the rest of the way.
Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Terrance West (28) runs the ball against New York Giants linebacker Devon Kennard (59) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Terrance West-RB-Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have given the reins in their backfield to Terrance West for the last three weeks, and he has been excellent in his role as feature-back. He helped the Ravens lead the Giants late, but Odell Beckham’s late touchdown gave the Giants the win.
West ran for a pair of touchdowns against the Giants while still dominating the backfield share over Kenneth Dixon. West had 23 carries to just two for Dixon. He racked up 87 rushing yards to go with his two scores and also added 36 yards receiving on his four catches.
For as long as West stays the main running back in Baltimore, he’ll be an RB2 option. Next week, the Ravens will look to snap their three-game losing streak as they take on the Jets in New York. As long as he can hold off Dixon, West will be a good fantasy option moving forward.
Oct 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) makes an adjustment at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Brady-QB-New England Patriots
Two weeks back from suspension and two weeks in our fantasy football scoring leaders–Brady is definitely back as an elite fantasy option. Brady threw for three touchdowns for the second week in a row, and this week piled up 376 yards against the Bengals.
In his two games, Brady has 782 yards and six touchdowns while not throwing an interception. The Patriots offense stuttered at times against Cincinnati, but by the end of the week they rolled over Cincinnati 35-17.
Moving forward, Brady will always be a top-five QB option as long as he’s healthy. He has a ton of weapons, and he should be set up for a fun shootout next week against the Steelers. He’ll be a great play the rest of the season, so deploy him with confidence going forward.
Oct 16, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum (17) runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Case Keenum-QB-Los Angeles Rams
The most surprising QB performance of the week came for Case Keenum of the Rams who went off against the Lions. Detroit was allowing the most fantasy points in the NFL to opposing QB’s before this game, and they let Keenum blow up after he had struggled for most of the season.
Keenum has been a bit better lately with over 250 yards the last two weeks, but there weren’t many signs that he would suddenly go off for 321 yards like he did on Sunday. Keenum completed 27 of his 32 passes and threw for three touchdowns. He added a fourth touchdown on the ground in his first rushing score of the season.
Unfortunately for Rams’ fans, Keenum wasn’t able to get the team in position for a winning score and threw a bad interception to finish the contest. His trip to our fantasy football scoring leaders this week is almost surely a one-week blip, but it’s worth noting since it indicates just how beatable the Lions are through the air.
Oct 16, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) for a touchdown during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 30-15. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jay Ajayi-RB-Miami Dolphins
The biggest surprise of the week was the Dolphins win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh had been cruising with big wins over the Steelers and Jets before taking their talents to South Beach and laying an egg against Miami.
One of the biggest performers of the day for Miami was running back Jay Ajayi who had a breakthrough week. Arian Foster returned, but it didn’t slow down the second-year back out of Boise State. Ajayi took his 25 carries for 204 yards and punched the ball into the end zone twice. He was already have a good day before his breakout 62-yard touchdown at the end of the game to put the exclamation point on the end of Miami’s big win.
Ajayi looks like he’ll continue to be the top running back for Miami even with Arian Foster back. He hadn’t shown this kind of upside yet this season with just 117 yards on 31 carries before Sunday’s breakout. He’s a RB2 next week, but it’s hard to know whether this week in our fantasy football scoring leaders is an outlier or a sign of things to come.
Oct 16, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) runs with the ball for a touchdown during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at New Era Field. Buffalo beat San Francisco 45-16. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
LeSean McCoy-RB-Buffalo Bills
The Bills ran all over the 49ers after Colin Kaepernick kept them close early. By the end of the game,though, the Bills rolled 45-16 behind a huge game from LeSean McCoy.
McCoy scampered for three touchdowns while piling up 140 yards on his 19 carries. McCoy only added two more yards on his two catches, but he almost had a fourth touchdown as a receiver. A penalty took away that score, but he still got into the fantasy football scoring leaders as the top running back of the week.
So far this season, McCoy has been a beast for the Bills and has put up a total of 470 yards in the last four games. Next week, he has another great matchup agains the Dolphins, so look at McCoy as a legit RB1 moving forward.
Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) runs for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Odell Beckham Jr.-WR-New York Giants
The Giants had dropped three in a row coming into today’s game against the Ravens. Things didn’t look good early as Baltimore jumped up 10-0 and Odell Beckham left with an injury.
The good thing for the Giants and Beckham’s owners was that Odell was able to return. He ended up with a career-high 222 yards to lead all WR in our fantasy football scoring leaders. Beckham hauled in a 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter and a 66-yard to give the Giants the win, 27-23.
Beckham is a top-tier receiver, and he came through with a big game to carry his fantasy teams to victories this week. Beckham is one of the best receivers in the game and should be started every week. He had a couple bad weeks on the road against the Vikings and Packers, but he is definitely a good play next week in London against the Rams.
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) calls a play in the huddle in the second quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Drew Brees-QB-New Orleans Saints
The Saints came back off a bye week with a monster win at home hanging 41 on the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. They needed all 41 points since their defense allowed the Panthers to storm back to finish just three short of the Saints. In fact, after a 21-0 lead, New Orleans needed a 52-yard FG in the closing seconds to pull out the win.
Drew Brees was exceptional in the team’s win putting up his second 400-yard performance of the season. He completed 34 of his 49 passes for a massive 465 yards passing. He threw four touchdowns to go with one interception and came through as he always seems to at home at the Superdome.
As usual, Brees is an elite option next week even though he’s on the road in Kansas City. I seriously got this question on Twitter:
@FanSidedFantasy drew Brees or Marcus Mariota
— Fabian Maciel (@fmaciel91) October 16, 2016
Thankfully, I answered Brees. Don’t get too cute with matchups, people! Brees reminded us all of why you always start your stars and came through with yet another huge game at home.
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