Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. For the majority of the league, Tuesday morning brings a whole new week of football and preparing for their next game. However, a handful of players might not want to leave Week 6 so soon. Here’s a look at who impressed and who underachieved this week.
All point totals are based on PPR scoring.
Quarterback
Winner: Kirk Cousins (34.52 FPTS)
Kirk Cousins, much like Dak Prescott a few weeks ago, proved to the football community that the Panthers’ defense can be completely dismantled. The Minnesota signal-caller finished 33-for-48 with 373 passing yards and three touchdowns. His effort was boosted by an incredible game-winning overtime drive in which he went 5-for-6 with 50 yards and a touchdown. Fantasy managers should treat him as a very safe top-10 quarterback going forward.
Loser: Daniel Jones (4.08 FPTS)
Jones avoided being mentioned in this article last week due to injury. This time, though, there is no concussion to bail out his reputation. The former first-round pick went 29-for-51 with 242 yards, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, and one fumble against the Rams. After turning the ball over four times, the Giants replaced him with Mike Glennon. New York ultimately fell to Los Angeles by a score of 38-11, which also represented the first case of Scorigami in 2021.
Running Back
Winner: Leonard Fournette (30.7 FPTS)
We can’t just list Derrick Henry here every week, so let’s talk about a new player in the mix. Playoff Lenny is now 24/7 Lenny. The former first-round pick turned in another huge showing on Thursday night, picking up 22 rushes, six receptions, 127 scrimmage yards, and two touchdowns. Between Fournette’s rise to dominance and the growing list of injuries at running back, the ex-Jaguar can be considered a low-end RB1 for the time being. Deploy him in your lineups with full confidence, especially against the Bears in Week 7.
Loser: Myles Gaskin (3.4 FPTS)
Gaskin showed promise by accruing 31.9 fantasy points last week. However, he went overseas and struggled severely in the Dolphins’ loss to Jacksonville. He was outperformed by both Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed, dropping him to the low-end RB3 conversation. Fantasy managers should not feel pressure to start him right now.
Wide Receiver
Winner: CeeDee Lamb (36.1 FPTS)
Lamb exploded against New England, catching nine passes for 149 yards and two scores. One of those touchdowns was a game-winner in overtime. He has quickly become the lead receiver in this offense, taking that title from veteran Amari Cooper. The Cowboys have a Week 7 bye, but he’ll return to WR1 territory against the Vikings in Week 8.
Loser: Mike Evans (4.7 FPTS)
Evans laid a dud against the Eagles, leaving room for Antonio Brown to dominate on Thursday night. The former saw season-lows in targets (four) and catches (two) while racking up just 27 yards. One of football’s more inconsistent wideouts, Evans has not scored one touchdown in a single game this season. Instead, he has two games with multiple scores and four games without any.
Tight End
Winner: Noah Fant (24.7 FPTS)
Fant put together a strong finish to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, ultimately hauling in nine of 11 targets for 97 yards and one touchdown. The majority of the 23-year-old’s reps came in the second half as Denver relied heavily on the passing game. While such a negative game script can’t be guaranteed going forward, the Broncos’ three-game losing streak suggests they might be playing from behind more often. Fant remains in the mid-range TE1 conversation going forward. He gets an intriguing matchup against the Browns in Week 7.
Loser: Jonnu Smith (1.9 FPTS)
The tight end position had a fairly strong week, but Smith’s quiet game against the Cowboys can still be considered a disappointment after he had combined for 15.6 points over the two prior weeks. In an offense that also features Hunter Henry, it’s hard to rely on Smith on a weekly basis. As such, he falls into the mid-to-low TE2 range going forward. With that said, his stock does get a slight bump ahead of a favorable matchup against the Jets.
Defense
Winner: Los Angeles Rams (17.0 FPTS)
Remember how Daniel Jones turned the ball over four times? The Rams were the beneficiaries of that bizarre day, racking up three interceptions, two fumbles forced, one fumble recovered, and two sacks. The unit also allowed just 11 points and 261 yards, both of which were season-bests for the team. They oppose the Lions and Texans over the next two weeks, making them one of the top fantasy defenses for the time being.
Loser: New England Patriots (-4.0 FPTS)
The Patriots weren’t expected to have a great day by any means. However, they finished as the worst unit in the league this week, allowing 29 points and 567 yards despite forcing a pair of turnovers. The road does get easier for New England, though. They’ll take on the Jets in Week 7.
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