Top 3 Fantasy Football Storylines of Week 6 (2025)

The 49ers are the walking wounded, but will one of their fantasy-friendly position groups be healthier after the extended break, following their Thursday Night Football contest in Week 5? There’s a Monday Night Football doubleheader in Week 6, and they could be fantasy bonanzas. Finally, an offense with exciting fantasy options has a favorable matchup, but can they capitalize on it?

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Fantasy Football Storylines

Who Will Be Healthy in San Francisco’s Receiving Corps?

Neither Jauan Jennings nor Ricky Pearsall practiced last week before missing San Francisco’s Thursday Night Football game. Brandon Aiyuk is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and George Kittle isn’t expected back from injured reserve (IR) this week. The practice reports for Jennings and Pearsall will shed light on their availability against the Buccaneers this week.

Kendrick Bourne balled out without San Francisco’s regulars last week. Bourne was on the same page with a familiar quarterback, previously playing with Mac Jones in New England.

Bourne torched the Rams for 10 receptions and 142 receiving yards, and his underlying data was, predictably, fantastic. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, Bourne had a 22.4% target share, 0.29 targets per route run, a 25.0% first-read rate, a 32.8% air yards share, 3.74 yards per route run and two missed tackles forced. Bourne was superb, and he’d be a desirable starting option in all league sizes if Pearsall and Jennings were out again. If one is out, Bourne could still be a rock-solid option in most leagues, but he’s likely only a deep-league option if Pearsall and Jennings return.

Pearsall and Jennings would instantly be viable starting options in 12-team leagues with three starting wideouts and at least one Flex if they return this week. Pearsall has a 43.7% air yards share and 0.22 targets per route run, and Jennings has a 22.5% air yards share and 0.21 targets per route run this season. Meanwhile, according to RotoViz’s pace app, the Buccaneers faced a 60% situation-neutral pass rate through Week 4, and the Seahawks attempted 34 passes versus 20 rushes against Tampa Bay in Week 5. The 49ers will have intriguing fantasy options at wide receiver this week, but health will determine which players fit the bill.

Which Monday Night Football Game Will Produce More Fireworks?

Does it matter which game provides the most points between the Bills at the Falcons and the Bears at the Commanders? No. Did it offer me an excuse to look at the non-obvious fantasy options? Yes.

Gamers don’t need to be instructed to start Josh Allen, James Cook, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Rome Odunze, Jayden Daniels and Deebo Samuel. However, both contests could be fantasy football treasure troves.

First, the betting info is eye-catching. The Bills and Commanders are both 4.5-point favorites, and the games have totals of 48.5 points in Atlanta and 50 in D.C. Beyond the obvious fantasy starters, there are some intriguing players to use from both games.

D’Andre Swift wasn’t an oversight from the no-brainer fantasy starters. He should be started in most 12-person leagues with two starting running backs and at least one Flex. However, it’s on my radar that the Bears are coming out of their bye. Swift has been inefficient as a runner, and he handled 27 rush attempts for 71 yards (2.63 yards per carry) versus 10 for 34 (3.40 per carry) for Kyle Monangai in Chicago’s final two games before their bye. The rookie could get a post-bye rookie bump. Roschon Johnson could even factor into the mix after Ben Johnson had the bye week to self-scout Chicago’s putrid rushing attack. Nevertheless, Swift should be started in most leagues.

The Bears could also make the wise decision to increase Luther Burden‘s route participation, which is worth monitoring. And if Colston Loveland is healthy, he’s another candidate for a post-bye rookie bump. Gamers with a need at tight end and the good fortune of a healthy enough roster to use a bench spot for a speculative stash could do worse than scooping up Loveland to monitor his usage out of Chicago’s bye.

DJ Moore hasn’t had a banner year. Nonetheless, he has an 83% route participation rate, 17.5% air yards share, 15.8% target share, 16 receptions (four per game), 173 receiving yards (43.3 per game), one receiving touchdown, six rush attempts and 15 rushing yards this season. Moore is even a candidate for a larger share of Chicago’s backfield pie. Despite failing to live up to his average draft position (ADP) expectations, Moore is an acceptable Flex option in an above-average fantasy matchup for wideouts against the Commanders.

Caleb Williams is also an adequate fantasy starter in a plus matchup. The second-year quarterback isn’t as good as his most vocal supporters would suggest, but he’s also a better fantasy option than his most ardent haters, a group I’ve largely fallen into, would have believed entering the season.

Beyond Daniels and Samuel, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Zach Ertz are useful options from the Commanders. Croskey-Merritt had a massive showing against the Chargers, and I highlighted his rock-solid usage in a piece published on Monday. Sadly, Ertz had only one target and zero receptions against the Chargers last week. Still, the veteran tight end has a 72.7% route participation rate, 13.3% target share, nine receptions (three per game), 90 receiving yards (30 per game) and two touchdowns in Daniels’ three starts this season, putting Ertz in streamer or low-end starter territory.

Luke McCaffrey is a deep-league dart throw if Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown miss this week’s contest. He had only a 37.1% route participation rate in the previous two weeks. Yet, the second-year pro had an eye-catching 27.4-yard average depth of target (aDOT), 26.2% air yards share, two end-zone targets and one touchdown reception. McCaffrey has big-play potential, which sometimes is enough in deeper formats.

The Bills rotate through their wideouts, and their everybody-eats philosophy leaves all of the wide receivers with a low floor. Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman are defensible options in 12-team leagues that start three wideouts and at least one Flex, though. Shakir has team highs for route participation rate (72.5%) and receptions (22), and he’s second in receiving yards (235) and tied for second in touchdown receptions (two). Coleman is second on the Bills in route participation rate (70.9%), first in air yards share (31.3%), first in target share (18.8%), first in first-read share (26.0%), second in receptions (21), third in receiving yards (226), first in end-zone targets (four) and tied for second in touchdown receptions (two).

Meanwhile, per the data suite at Fantasy Points, the Falcons have faced the second-highest target rate (45.9%) out wide and are tied for the fourth-highest target rate (35.7%) to the slot. Coleman has aligned wide 83.7% of the time and in the slot 16.3% of the time, and Shakir has alignment rates of 31.1% out wide and 65.9% in the slot.

While Coleman and Shakir are defensible fantasy options, Dalton Kincaid genuinely belongs with the no-brainer starters. However, I sandbagged his inclusion in this section because his Week 5 showing warrants calling out. Kincaid had a career-high 108 receiving yards against the Patriots, securing all six of his targets. He had a juicy 12.5-yard aDOT, 28.8% air yards share, 19.4% target share, 0.29 targets per route run, a 66.7% slot rate, 19% out wide rate and 14.3% inline rate in Week 5.

The route participation enthusiasts will continue to turn their noses up at Kincaid, and it will admittedly lead to some duds, but the third-year pro’s 0.24 targets per route run, 9.3-yard aDOT and three end-zone targets illustrate he’s earning valuable, downfield and end-zone targets when he’s on the field. Kincaid’s not just getting in steps like the high route participation rate, cardio-king tight ends who don’t earn targets — I’m looking at you, Cade Otton.

According to Stathead, Michael Penix Jr. has completed 64.7% of his 133 pass attempts for 1,125 yards (281.25 per game), 7.89 adjusted net yards per attempt, five touchdowns and three interceptions in four career starts at home. Penix’s Superflex value gets a bump this week, and he’s an entirely acceptable streamer.

Darnell Mooney left Atlanta’s game before the bye with a hamstring injury. The severity of the injury is unknown, and the injury report will provide more information. Mooney hasn’t played well enough yet this season to trust him in most leagues, but if he were absent, Kyle Pitts would benefit.

Pitts had an 80.9% route participation rate, 19% target share, 0.21 targets per route run, seven receptions and 59 receiving yards in Week 1, when a shoulder injury sidelined Mooney. In three subsequent games, Pitts has had an 89.7% target share, 0.18 targets per route run, 13 receptions (4.3 per game), 146 receiving yards (48.7 per game) and one receiving touchdown. Pitts is in the low-end TE1 mix with or without Mooney this week, but he’d face less target competition if Mooney were ruled out.

Tyler Allgeier is the final potentially-useful fantasy option from the Monday Night Football doubleheader. Allgeier has had at least 10 rush attempts in three out of four games this year. He’s averaged 10.8 rush attempts and 38.8 rushing yards per game and splashed paydirt twice on the ground. Conversely, the Bills have allowed 98.8 rushing yards and 1.2 rushing touchdowns per game to running backs this season.

Will the Chargers’ Injuries Undermine a Mouthwatering Matchup?

The Chargers lost starting left tackle Rashawn Slater to a torn patellar tendon before the season, leading the club to move right tackle Joe Alt to the left side and thrust Trey Pipkins into the starting lineup. Alt suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 4, and he’ll almost certainly be out again this week. Pipkins left last week’s game briefly with a knee injury before returning. A less-than-100% Pipkins could be a turnstile.

Sadly, the blows don’t stop there. Omarion Hampton was also placed on IR on Monday. Najee Harris is already on the IR. The Chargers’ backfield is left with Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson. Yikes.

Can Justin Herbert keep the offense afloat behind an injury-ravaged offensive line and without the threat of a competent rushing attack? He’ll be put to the test this week. Thankfully, Miami’s pass defense is dreadful, tying for the second-most expected points added (EPA) per pass allowed this season.

There’s added risk to using Herbert, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey this week because of the cluster of injuries suffered by Los Angeles’ offense. Still, the quality of the players in question, the matchup and the Chargers’ pass-happy tendencies this season should keep them in many starting lineups.

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.