Week 6 of the 2025 fantasy football season is upon us, and with five weeks of data now in the books, expert Justin Boone offers his critical start ’em, sit ’em recommendations. From breakout rookies to underperforming veterans, these insights are essential for setting winning lineups in what’s already been a wild ride of a season.
As the 2025 fantasy football season barrels into Week 6, astute managers are taking stock. Early leads must be protected, while those needing to make up ground might lean into higher-upside plays. Yahoo Sports’ own Justin Boone is here to cut through the noise, providing his definitive start ’em and sit ’em advice across all key positions. His weekly rankings are a go-to resource for managers making those crucial Sunday morning adjustments.
Week 6 Stars: Elevating Your Lineup
This week brings a host of favorable matchups and emerging talents that could single-handedly swing your league matchups. Let’s dive into Boone’s top recommendations for players you absolutely need in your starting lineup.
Quarterbacks to Trust
- Caleb Williams, QB, Bears (vs. Commanders): Despite an early season rollercoaster, Williams stands as the sixth-highest scoring quarterback in fantasy points per game. The Bears are fresh off a bye, allowing for potential scheme adjustments, possibly involving more of their exciting rookie skill players. This bodes well for Williams, who faces a Washington defense that has been generous to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the eighth-most passing yards and tenth-most fantasy points to the position this season. Washington’s defense has allowed at least 285 passing yards and multiple touchdowns to signal-callers like Jordan Love, Geno Smith, and Michael Penix Jr. in three of their five contests this year, according to ESPN Fantasy Football’s 2025 defensive rankings. In a game with a high projected point total of 49.5, Williams is poised for a strong QB1 performance.
- Jordan Love, QB, Packers (vs. Bengals): Love delivered his best performance of the season, throwing three touchdowns before Green Bay’s bye week. He returns to another prime opportunity against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that ranks as the ninth-best matchup for fantasy quarterbacks.
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions (at Ravens): Stafford has been exceptional recently, averaging 382 passing yards and three touchdowns over his last two games. Don’t expect Baltimore’s injury-riddled defense to be a significant obstacle, as they’ve allowed eight passing touchdowns in the past two weeks.
Running Backs Ready to Explode
- Rico Dowdle, RB, Panthers (vs. Cowboys): Dowdle is coming off a monstrous 234 scrimmage yards and a touchdown performance against the Dolphins. Now, he faces a Dallas defense that has struggled against running backs, giving up the sixth-most points to fantasy RBs this season. In the last two weeks alone, the Cowboys allowed Breece Hall 158 yards and Josh Jacobs 157 yards and two scores. With Chuba Hubbard potentially sidelined, this could be another “Dowdle Show,” projecting him as a top-12 RB.
- Quinshon Judkins, RB, rookie (at Steelers): The rookie back has consistently delivered, recording at least 70 scrimmage yards in all four of his NFL appearances. He gets a favorable matchup against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that isn’t as imposing as in previous years.
- Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers (vs. 49ers): White stepped up admirably filling in, posting 71 yards and two touchdowns last week. He now faces a San Francisco 49ers defense that has allowed over 120 yards to each of the past two starting running backs they’ve encountered.
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Bears (vs. Chargers): JCM is fresh off his best professional outing with 150 yards and two touchdowns. He looks to continue that production against an opponent that is the fourth-friendliest for fantasy running backs.
Wide Receivers with High Upside
- Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Panthers (vs. Cowboys): It might seem bold to double down on Panthers in the start section, but the matchup against the Cowboys is simply too good to ignore. Dallas is allowing the most fantasy points to receivers, particularly to No. 1 wideouts. Past examples this season include Malik Nabers (167 yards, 2 TDs), Rome Odunze (62 yards, 1 TD), Romeo Doubs (58 yards, 3 TDs), and Garrett Wilson (71 yards, 1 TD). McMillan himself has been consistent, averaging nearly five catches for 70 yards and almost nine targets through his first five NFL games. Boone projects over 100 yards and a touchdown for McMillan in Week 6.
- Stefon Diggs, WR, Patriots (at Saints): Diggs has firmly established himself as the Patriots’ primary target, delivering back-to-back 100-yard games. His slow ramp-up after a knee injury appears to have paid off, making him a much-needed difference-maker in the passing game for Drake Maye.
- Chris Olave, WR, Saints (vs. Patriots): Despite not yet topping 60 yards in a game, Olave ranks second in the league in targets. An intriguing factor is the status of Patriots’ top corner Christian Gonzalez, who was added to the injury report with a hamstring issue. Keep a close eye on his availability.
- Jakobi Meyers, WR, Titans (vs. Ravens): Meyers has seen a dip in production recently, held under 35 yards in his last two outings. However, the Ravens’ generous defense should provide a comfortable opportunity for him to get back on track.
Tight Ends Poised for Production
- Tucker Kraft, TE, Packers (vs. Bengals): Kraft started the season strong before a knee injury in practice. With a bye week to recover, he should be closer to the player who led Packers pass-catchers with 124 yards in Week 2. He also gets a dream matchup against the Bengals, who are allowing the most fantasy points to tight ends this year. Kraft remains a player with TE1 overall potential.
- Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys (at Panthers): While the eventual return of CeeDee Lamb might divert some targets, Ferguson is currently tied for fourth in the league with 9.6 targets per game. He’s primed for another big stat line against Carolina, which ranks as the second-softest fantasy matchup for tight ends.
- Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (at Saints): Despite a recent decline in targets with Stefon Diggs’ emergence, Henry continues to produce, with at least 45 yards and/or a touchdown in four of his five games. The Saints present another favorable opponent, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends.
Week 6 Busts: Who to Bench
Even star players can have off weeks, especially when facing tough opponents or battling internal team issues. Here are the players Boone advises you to keep on your bench for Week 6.
Quarterbacks to Fade
- Justin Fields, QB, Jets (vs. Broncos): The Fields experience is a rollercoaster, but his fantasy production often relies on favorable matchups or garbage time heroics. He feasted on an easy early schedule, posting huge stat lines against the Steelers, Dolphins, and Cowboys—all top-five defenses for fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. However, he struggled against a middle-of-the-pack Bills defense before getting hurt. Denver is one of the toughest opponents for fantasy passers, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position. They’ve also successfully contained mobile quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts (3 yards), Justin Herbert (6 yards), and Daniel Jones (2 yards) on the ground. If you’re considering a streamer, this is the week to sit Fields.
- Jared Goff, QB, Lions (at Chiefs): Goff performed well on the road in Cincinnati due to the matchup, but the Chiefs represent his toughest test of the season. Kansas City has historically been a challenging venue for quarterbacks, and their defense has given up the ninth-fewest passing yards and fourth-fewest passing touchdowns this year.
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins (vs. Chargers): Tua managed to produce without Tyreek Hill against the Panthers last week. However, the degree of difficulty significantly increases against the Chargers, whose defense is permitting just 188 passing yards per game and has yet to allow multiple touchdown passes to any quarterback this season.
Running Backs to Bench
- Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens (vs. Rams): With the Ravens battling numerous injuries, their offense lacks its usual firepower, forcing them into comeback mode too frequently. This scenario severely limits Henry’s fantasy potential due to his minimal involvement in the passing game. “King Henry” has been relegated to a low-end fantasy RB2, relying almost entirely on finding the end zone to justify a start. The Rams are also 7.5-point favorites and boast a stout run defense, giving up the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs, according to CBS Sports’ 2025 defensive rankings, even without considering the added threat of Henry being game-scripted out of the contest.
- David Montgomery, RB, Lions (at Chiefs): Montgomery’s production has been predictable this season. In favorable matchups, he exceeded 60 yards and scored a touchdown every time. Against tougher opponents, however, he was held to 43 and 12 yards, respectively, with no touchdowns. The Chiefs are not an easy matchup for fantasy backs, making Montgomery a touchdown-or-bust RB3 this week.
- Chase Brown, RB, Bengals (at Packers): While Joe Flacco’s arrival might eventually lead to more checkdowns and increased value for Brown in the long term, this week is not the time to trust him. He faces a Green Bay Packers defense that grants the fifth-fewest points to running backs.
- Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints (vs. Patriots): Kamara was already ceding snaps and touches to backup Kendre Miller, and he has now popped up on the injury report with a new ankle issue. This injury, coupled with Miller’s recent success and an above-average Patriots run defense, makes Kamara a risky sit.
Wide Receivers to Sit
- Jameson Williams, WR, Lions (at Chiefs): The decision to bench Williams isn’t solely about the matchup, which is his toughest of the season on paper, nor is it just about Goff’s often less productive outdoor performances. It boils down to Williams’ unusual fantasy profile this year. Outside of one outlier game where he posted 108 yards and a touchdown on just two catches, his stat lines have been modest: 4-23-0 (WR76), 2-43-0 (WR48), 2-40-0 (WR56), and 1-9-0 (WR89). The Lions’ offense simply has too many mouths to feed, rendering Williams a boom-or-bust WR4/Flex option.
- Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens (vs. Rams): Without Lamar Jackson under center, Flowers becomes a much riskier fantasy play. While the Ravens’ starting quarterback for this week is uncertain, Flowers’ fantasy ceiling will undoubtedly be capped until Jackson returns.
- DJ Moore, WR, Bears (at Commanders): Moore has only achieved double-digit fantasy points in one game this year, which coincided with him finding the end zone. Following the bye, the Bears have indicated a desire to get rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III more involved, potentially at Moore’s expense.
- Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (at Falcons): Coleman has struggled in his second season, remaining under 50 yards in four consecutive games. To further complicate matters, Falcons corner AJ Terrell, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, has confirmed he will play, presenting a tougher challenge.
Tight Ends to Avoid
- Zach Ertz, TE, Commanders (vs. Bears): After starting the season with touchdowns in two consecutive games, Ertz has steadily vanished from the fantasy radar. The veteran’s yardage has plummeted from 38 to 21 to zero over the last three weeks, making him an unplayable option until his production changes. His playing time has also declined, raising questions about whether age (he turns 35 in November) is becoming a factor. For now, Ertz should be benched, and managers might even consider dropping him for an upside waiver wire add.
- Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens (at Rams): Andrews has been limited to 30 yards or less in four of his five outings this season. When you factor in the absence of Lamar Jackson, there’s little reason to keep Andrews in your lineup against the Rams.
- Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints (vs. Patriots): Johnson’s numbers have dropped off over the last two weeks, resulting in just five catches for 45 yards. He’s also managing an ankle injury, compounded by the returns of Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau. He’s another tight end to consider dropping for a player with higher upside.
