Each week, I’ll be looking to spotlight players and defenses that I think have a tough matchup that could prevent them from producing their usual value. However, this is not intended as blanket advice to play fringe players ahead of established studs—for example, even if I call out a negative matchup for Josh Allen, it doesn’t mean he should be benched for Cam Ward—so always consider your own lineup alternatives.
With that out of the way, let’s look at Week 6:
Quarterbacks
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Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
While his clock mismanagement grabbed the headlines, Daniels delivered for fantasy owners in his return, running for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Don’t bet on a repeat performance this Monday against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners rank sixth in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and only one club has held QBs to fewer rushing yards (6.6 per game). Can Daniels generate enough value with his arm?
Others I Don’t Like
- Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers: Rodgers is on a roll, averaging 275 yards and three TDs per game over his last three outings. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however, have surrendered just seven TD passes on the year.
- C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: It’s unclear how much the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. will move the needle for Stroud, who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in London this Sunday. The Jags are one of just three teams with more interceptions than touchdowns allowed.
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos: The switch to Sean Payton as play caller had little impact for Nix, who continues to underwhelm. A Thursday night meeting with the Seattle Seahawks is unlikely to help on that front.
Running Backs
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Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
In three games without Rico Dowdle (toe), Warren has been a beast, averaging 163 combined yards with a pair of touchdowns. Few teams are tougher on backs than the Bucs, though. Tampa Bay trails only Jacksonville in fewest rushing yards per game, and they’re also second in TDs allowed to RBs with just two on the year. As hot as Warren is, this is a tough matchup.
Others I Don’t Like
- Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars: Other than Javonte Williams, no one has had much success running on the Texans this season. Houston sits fifth in fantasy points allowed to opposing backs.
- D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears: While they had their issues with Derrick Henry, the Atlanta Falcons locked down the running game in the first four weeks. Swift hasn’t been great since Week 1, and Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) could return to action in Week 6.
- Woody Marks, Houston Texans: Marks should see most of the work in Week 6 with David Montgomery (groin) injured. Unfortunately for Marks, Jacksonville has been easily the best run defense in the NFL thus far, allowing RBs to run for a paltry 42 yards per game.
Wide Receivers
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Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Wilson topped 100 yards for the second time in three games this past Sunday, putting up a 7-104-1 effort. Consistency has been lacking, though, with the Ohio State product averaging just 54 yards per game in his other three outings. The New England Patriots haven’t been airtight, ranking a respectable 12th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, but that’s skewed by what the Buffalo Bills did in Week 4. This is a tough draw for Wilson.
Others I Don’t Like
- Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos: In five games with the Broncos, Waddle has played four dismal games of 2, 10, 35, and 19 yards, respectively. How is he going to handle a physical Seahawks secondary on Thursday night?
- Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It’s been rough going for Egbuka with Baker Mayfield (thumb) on the shelf. Don’t expect that to change versus Pittsburgh. The Steelers are sixth in fantasy points allowed to receivers through five games.
- Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers: McConkey is dealing with a foot issue and played zero snaps last week despite being active. Even if he’s given a clean bill of health before Week 6, you’d be hard-pressed to rely on him against the only team in the NFL to not allow a touchdown to an opposing receiver this season.
Tight Ends
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Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Right up front, you’re not going to bench McBride. It might be wise to temper expectations, however. In two meetings with the Los Angeles Rams last season, McBride averaged 62 yards without a touchdown. Thus far in 2026, the Rams have held tight ends to a league-low 98 receiving yards to go with one score. It’s going to be tough duty for McBride.
Others I Don’t Like
- Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: Pitts scored his first touchdown of the year in Week 5, but he faces a stern test this Sunday. The Bears are fourth in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, and they haven’t given up a touchdown to the position this year.
- Hunter Henry, New England Patriots: Only two teams in the NFL have allowed fewer than 200 yards and zero touchdowns to tight ends this season. The Jets are one of them.
Defensive Teams
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- Atlanta Falcons: They’re coming off a tough loss and are now likely to face a returning Caleb Williams (hamstring) after the Bears got blown out in Week 5.
- New York Jets: A couple of weeks ago, this looked like a plus matchup. Over the last two games, however, the Patriots have scored 74 points with Drake Maye looking rejuvenated.
- Las Vegas Raiders: After a strong start to 2026, Las Vegas’ defense folded late in Week 4 and just kept on folding in a blowout loss to New England last week. With the Bills on deck, the Raiders don’t belong in your lineup.
