Who should I start in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 6 roster recommendations by position

Fantasy football managers are facing a challenging Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, with many top players already sidelined by injuries, including Joe Burrow, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, James Conner. This has forced managers to scramble for replacements and make difficult start/sit decisions.

Week 6 promises more tough choices as managers navigate committee situations and fill in for players on bye weeks, such as Nick Chubb, Jordan Mason, Justin Jefferson, and Nico Collins. With that said, here are our choices for who to start in Week 6.

NFL Fantasy Football Week 6 Start ‘Ems

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) @ Carolina Panthers

Strange as it is, with CeeDee Lamb sidelined, Prescott has emerged as a top fantasy quarterback again, stepping into true QB1 territory. Over the past two games, he’s exploded for 59.3 combined fantasy points, throwing eight touchdowns with zero turnovers. George Pickens has seamlessly filled the role of big-play receiver, while Jake Ferguson continues to shine as one of the league’s most reliable tight ends. This week, Prescott faces a Panthers secondary that’s had moments of competence but likely won’t be able to slow down his red-hot passing attack.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens’ defense is struggling to stay healthy, and have allowed a league-high 35.4 points per game through Week 5. Stafford has been hot lately, tossing three touchdowns and racking up 375 passing yards in each of the last two games. With Baltimore’s depleted lineup, this is an ideal matchup to ride the veteran QB for another strong fantasy performance.

Running Backs

Rico Dowdle (Carolina Panthers) vs Dallas Cowboys

Even if Chuba Hubbard is back in action this week, Dowdle is still worth a spot in your lineup. He exploded for 206 rushing yards against Miami last week and now faces a Cowboys defense that ranks sixth-worst in fantasy points allowed to running backs. On top of that, Dowdle has extra motivation facing the team that let him walk after four seasons in Dallas. Look for him to bring his A-game.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Washington Commanders) vs Buffalo Bills

Croskey-Merritt finally broke out last week, showing what he can do when given touches. He totaled 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries, plus added a couple of catches, even though he didn’t see more than half of the offensive snaps. This week, the Bears present a favorable matchup, surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing backfields, the perfect opportunity for Croskey-Merritt to continue his hot streak.

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs (New England Patriots) @ New Orleans Saints

Diggs delivered a huge game last week, catching 10 of 12 targets for 146 yards in a revenge matchup, proving he’s back to his pre-ACL tear form. He’s topped 100 receiving yards in consecutive games, and with a heavy target share again against New Orleans, he should offer a safe WR2 floor with plenty of upside for a big scoring night.

A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) @ New York Giants

Brown’s season hasn’t been smooth so far, but he showed flashes of his usual dominance with five catches for 43 yards last week. He even nearly scored on a long reception that slipped away thanks to an overthrow. Thursday night’s game against a Giants defense that has allowed the second-most receiving yards to wideouts could finally be the stage for Brown to produce a breakout performance.

Tight Ends

Evan Engram (Denver Broncos) @ New York Jets

Engram has been heavily involved in the Broncos’ passing attack lately, seeing 13 targets over his last two games and catching his first touchdown with Denver last week. The Jets have allowed more tight end touchdowns than any other team this season, making Engram a solid play in this matchup.

David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Njoku finally translated his consistent target volume into production last week, hauling in six catches for 67 yards and a touchdown while playing 96% of snaps. With rookie Harold Fannin Jr. drawing attention, Njoku still remains the top option at tight end for the Browns. This week’s matchup against Pittsburgh, which gives up the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends, should allow Njoku to continue his strong play.

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