Fantasy Football Rankings Risers and Fallers For Week 6: Xavier Worthy, Zay Flowers & More

There’s a saying in poker: it’s better to win late than win early. The same can be said in fantasy football. From a weekly standpoint, the rankings leading into kickoff are far more important than the fantasy football rankings early in the week. We get more information as the week progresses, with the final piece of news dropping when inactives are officially announced.

We got our first big wave of news with the Friday injury reports. A handful of big-name players were ruled out, while others appear poised for returns. This results in a definite shake-up in the Week 6 fantasy football rankings.

Let’s dive into some of the biggest movers.

Risers In The Week 6 Fantasy Rankings

Chuba Hubbard, RB, CAR

Hubbard entered the season seemingly on shaky ground. The Panthers were talking about Jonathon Brooks, who they made the first running back off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. They clearly believed in his talent, so a timeshare seemed like the most likely outcome.

Of course, that all depended on Brooks staying healthy. Brooks was limited to just three games and nine carries across his first two NFL seasons, and he unsurprisingly went down with an injury early this season.

That allowed Hubbard to move into the lead back role. He’s played on 84% of the team’s offensive snaps and handled 80% of their carries over the past two weeks. As a result, he’s finished as a top-12 fantasy RB in both outings.

Hubbard’s workload should only grow in Week 6. AJ Dillon has been his primary backup since Brooks went down, and he’s been ruled out vs. the Eagles. It leaves Hubbard as the only active RB currently on the team’s roster. Trevor Etienne is expected to be activated off IR before Sunday’s game, but it still figures to be Hubbard almost exclusively in the team’s backfield.

Our consensus rankers have Hubbard as RB11 vs. the Eagles, while our projections have him at RB10. Philly isn’t the greatest matchup, but it’s still a slam-dunk spot.

Xavier Worthy, WR, KC

Worthy has quietly been the Chiefs’ No. 1 option in the passing game to start the year. He leads the team with a 20% target share, putting him just slightly ahead of Travis Kelce (19%).

Worthy’s role also appears poised to grow over the next few weeks. Tyquan Thornton went down with a potential season-ending injury in Week 4, and he has quietly been a big part of the passing attack. He has a 13% target share for the year, including a team-high 31% mark in their last contest.

Additionally, Rashee Rice has also been ruled out vs. the Chargers. Rice has gotten off to a quiet start this season, but he was the team’s No. 1 pass catcher over the past handful of years. With him and Thornton both sidelined, it leaves the team very thin at receiver.

We’ve seen Worthy in games without Rice in the past, and the results have typically been uninspiring. Still, it’s tough to avoid him in a week with four teams on bye. He checks in as a top-25 option at receiver in our rankings and projections.

Germie Bernard, WR, PIT

The Steelers are another team missing two of their top receivers this week. Michael Pittman is currently on IR, while Roman Wilson has been ruled out with a finger injury. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Wilson is going to miss multiple weeks, so this could be more than just a one-week fill-in.

Additionally, DK Metcalf was a late addition to the injury report. He is reportedly dealing with an illness, which puts his status for Sunday in doubt. It’s hard to imagine him sitting with the rest of the receiving corps already so thin, but it could make him less effective than usual. It leaves Bernard as one of the only truly healthy bodies at the position.

Bernard showed what he was capable of with an expanded workload last week. He posted a season-high 94% route participation, and he responded with a 29% target share and 45% air yards share. He ultimately racked up 11.4 0.5-PPR points, making him the WR21 for the week.

There’s no reason Bernard can’t do it again. Our rankings and projections see him as a clear starter at WR3 or Flex.

Fallers In The Fantasy Football Rankings For Week 6

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE

It appeared that Stevenson was poised to take over as the Patriots’ clear-cut RB1 this week vs. the Jets. TreVeyon Henderson reportedly suffered a high-ankle sprain, which typically sidelines players for multiple weeks.

However, Henderson was able to practice this week on a limited basis, and he’s officially questionable for Sunday. He told reporters that he was feeling “pretty good,” so it seems like he has a legit chance of suiting up.

Stevenson still profiles as the Patriots’ lead back. He’s handled most of the high-value touches this season, and that should continue to be the case with Henderson banged up. But the prospect of him getting a true bell-cow role would be diminished if Henderson is active. He’s still a clear fantasy starter – especially with the Patriots listed as 7.5-point favorites – but he’s more of an RB2 than an RB1.

Zay Flowers, WR, BAL

The talk all week was that Lamar Jackson would return for the Ravens in Week 6. The team managed to escape without him vs. the Falcons in overtime, but the offense struggled to move the ball consistently with Tyler Huntley under center.

Unfortunately, Jackson is going to miss at least one more game. He didn’t log a single practice this week and has already been ruled out vs. the Browns.

Flowers still managed a 30% target share and 10.6 fantasy points with Huntley at QB last week, but he could have more competition for targets vs. Cleveland. Ja’Kobi Lane practiced in full all week, and he could be activated from IR. Rashod Bateman has also been removed from the injury report and led the team with 62 receiving yards last week.

Add in a matchup vs. a good Browns pass defense (sixth in EPA), and Flowers doesn’t bring a ton of upside to the table. He has a solid floor, but expectations should be tempered.

Harold Fannin, TE, CLE

For a minute, it looked like Fannin could be the Browns’ unquestioned top receiving target this week. Denzel Boston was limited at practice to start the week, while KC Concepcion was in the concussion protocol. They rank first and second, respectively, in target share for Cleveland this season, so their absences would’ve been a big deal.

Unfortunately for Fannin, both guys are good to go vs. the Ravens. Boston was officially removed from the injury report, while Concepcion has cleared the concussion protocol. It leaves Fannin in the exact same spot that he’s been for most of the year: a middling option for a mediocre passing attack.

Fannin is still a promising young talent, and he checks in as TE11 in our projections and TE10 in our consensus rankings. He’s a potential low-end starting option, but it’s hard to get excited about him.