Fantasy sleepers NFL Week 6: Caleb Williams among 10 sneaky-great lineup plays

A couple of weeks ago, Love landed in this space because of his matchup against the Cowboys. He delivered with a season-high 26 points and a QB5 weekly finish. The thing about fantasy football is that sometimes, it can be a simple game. You find the weak spots and go after them. Love isn’t a player you should start every week, but he’s money in the right matchups. 

The right matchup could present itself again in Week 6 with the Cincinnati Bengals coming to Green Bay. The Bengals have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That number would be much worse without Cincy’s five interceptions. Zac Taylor’s defense has allowed the third-most passing yards and second-most passing touchdowns. We might not accurately pinpoint which Packers pass catchers will get most of the volume, we can have faith in the man slinging the rock.

Williams has had an uneven start to his fantasy season. In Weeks 1 and 3, he topped 24 points. His four-touchdown performance against the Cowboys was a high-water mark for 2025. The even-numbered weeks have been more frustrating, especially the 11-point outing against the Raiders in Week 4. Through the first month of the season, Williams is just short of a 4,000-yard pace. But this week could be where things turn around. 

Coming off the bye, the Bears take a trip to Washington to face an inconsistent Commanders defense. The Commanders shut down Russell Wilson in the season opener and held Justin Herbert in check in their Week 5 win. In between, however, they’ve been gashed through the air. Jordan Love, Geno Smith and Michael Penix Jr. each tallied at least 18 points against Washington. All three threw for at least 289 yards with multiple touchdowns. With Chicago unable to muster a consistent ground game (30th rushing offense), it will fall to Williams to lead the way offensively. That volume could go a long way toward helping him post another quality fantasy number. 

Skattebo might be the new rizz king in the Big Apple. Come for the infectious energy and viral-worthy social moments. Stay for the on-field production. Skattebo’s rise to prominent status in the Giants offense has been aided by injuries to Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Malik Nabers. He’s also made the most of his chances by averaging 4.7 yards per touch. 

Although Tracy (shoulder) is expected to return this week, Skattebo has earned a hefty role in the offense. Philly’s defense has been more reputation than production this year. The Eagles rank 22nd against the run while also having allowed the seventh-most receiving yards to running backs. It’s possible for Skattebo to succeed multiple ways on Thursday night. 

There’s no reason to doubt that White can be a lead running back. Back in 2023 B.B. (Before Bucky), White had more than 300 touches and posted more than 1,500 scrimmage yards with nine touchdowns. His 23-point outing last week against the Seahawks was a nice reminder of what he can do. Since then, he’s had the misfortune of being overtaken by a back who has just played better. But with Irving (foot) reportedly on the shelf for the next couple of weeks, White is back in the driver’s seat.  

The 49ers visit Tampa this week, fresh off a surprising win against the Rams in Week 5. While Robert Saleh’s defense did just enough to earn a win, it continues to be leaky. San Francisco is middle-of-the-pack in run defense and surrendered nearly 5 yards per carry to the Rams last week. With White likely getting a large workload this week, his chances for success are high.

You love Bijan Robinson. I love Bijan Robinson. We all love Bijan Robinson. I would even surmise that the Falcons love Bijan Robinson. But they also still love Tyler Allgeier. Even with Robinson sitting fourth in the league in total scrimmage yards, Allgeier still plays one quarter of Atlanta’s offensive snaps and has 20 percent of the team’s touches. His 155 rushing yards put him in the neighborhood of a couple of starting running backs -- just behind Chase Brown and well ahead of Rhamondre Stevenson.  

Coming off a bye, the Falcons welcome the Bills to town. Buffalo has had problems slowing down the run game, ranking 29th against opposing ground attacks. Expect Robinson to get the lion’s share of the rushing opportunities, but Allgeier will get his touches as well. If the score doesn’t get out of hand, the Falcons offense can stay balanced. With only two teams on a bye, Allgeier’s value is limited to deeper leagues, but he could produce in the flex. 

Between Emeka Egbuka and the buzzy pair of new rookie QB starters, I fear we haven’t given McMillan his due. He’s a top 25 receiver despite not having a touchdown and playing in a bottom-10 passing game. He makes up for it by rocking a 25 percent target share with more than 40 percent of the air yards, per Next Gen Stats.  

One thing that has been consistent across the fantasy season has been targeting the Dallas Cowboys. They shut down the Jets for most of last week’s game. But this unit still has allowed the most yards and touchdowns to receivers this year. With such a large share of the Panthers’ passing game, McMillan should again reach double-digits with a chance for a low-end WR1 finish. 

I owe you an apology, Tyquan Thornton. I wasn’t really familiar with your game. After three unremarkable seasons in New England, Thornton didn’t seem to figure into the Chiefs' passing game. He was thrust into action after Xavier Worthy was injured early in the season opener and has turned into Patrick Mahomes’ big-play receiver. Thornton leads Kansas City in receiving yards while sporting an eye-popping 23.5 air yards per target. It has turned into double-digit fantasy points in three of his past four games. 

The Chiefs are trying to shake off another tough loss with the challenge of the Detroit Lions staring them in the face. Detroit's defense has played well but will be without one of its top corners in Terrion Arnold for an extended period. It has also allowed the third-most explosive plays in the league. What Thornton might not get in volume, he makes up for in air yards. Look for him to have a couple of chunk plays in a game that could turn into a scorefest. 

Two things stood out about Dillon Gabriel's starting debut -- his moxie, and his love for targeting tight ends. Nearly 40 percent of Gabriel’s targets went to the duo of Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr., with Njoku getting nine looks. This is going to be a lower volume, short-yardage passing offense. Expect an emphasis on getting the ball out quickly. That benefits Njoku, who presents a big target in the middle of the field. 

Also benefitting Njoku would be a matchup against the Steelers, who have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends in their first four games. If Pittsburgh’s pass rush can get to Gabriel and force the ball out quicker, it could mean an even larger target day for Njoku. If he can find the end zone, a second straight top-10 weekly finish is very possible.

I may have lost every inch of my mind suggesting this. We’ve used the Cowboys as our fantasy punching bag all season long. I even did it earlier in this column. (Hi, Tetairoa McMillan!) There’s been good reason. Dallas’ defense has been bad. But maybe it found a little something in Week 5. For the better part of four quarters, that unit stymied the Jets. New York posted some late fantasy points for managers, but the game had long since been decided. 

This week, the Carolina Panthers come to town. Yes, the Panthers rallied for a win against the Dolphins. But it’s not like Miami’s defense is any great shakes. Still, the Fins notched three sacks and a pair of takeaways in the contest. If Matt Eberflus really has found something with this defense, the Cowboys could make things hard on Bryce Young and the Panthers this week. They’re worth a stream, but only if you’ve exhausted other options.

On paper, the Rams looked like a good option last week against a 49ers offense decimated by injuries. And while fantasy football is played on paper (or a computer. Whatever. You know what I mean.), actual football is not. That’s how the Niners could end up shredding L.A.’s defense and leaving the Rams to score a singular fantasy point. But I am undaunted. 

Overall, the Rams defense is average. The guys up front are tough, with Jared Verse and Poona Ford leading the way. The back seven are, well ... meh. However, this version of the Ravens is bad. Cooper Rush was harangued constantly by the Texans on his way to three interceptions. As long as Lamar Jackson remains on the shelf for Baltimore, the Ravens are an easy target for anyone streaming defenses.