Week 6 Quarterback Preview: Will Drake Maye Stay Hot?

Top Fantasy QBs for Week 6
Let's break down the key usage notes and matchups that are driving our Week 6 QB Rankings.
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Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets
In London
Bo Nix, Broncos
Nix keeps alternating between big games and dropping off the following week. If that trend continues, he should have a solid performance in Week 6. The Broncos are big favorites against the Jets, who are conceding the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing signal callers. Denver is projected to score the eighth-most points this week, so view Nix as a solid starting option with top-10 potential.
Justin Fields, Jets
Fields continues to pile up fantasy points, but an inordinate amount of that production has come in garbage time. That could factor in again this week as the Jets are sizable underdogs vs. Denver. However, the matchup isn't favorable for Fields. The Broncos allow the third-fewest adjusted fantasy points to QBs. View Fields as a borderline QB1 who will need to make up for the lack of passing stats with a big game on the ground versus a team that has allowed the fewest rushing yards to QBs.
Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens
Matthew Stafford, Rams
Stafford has been a top-10 fantasy QB for two straight games, throwing for at least 375 yards in each performance. The matchup this week against the Ravens is great, as they've allowed 37+ points in four of their five games this season. The only real downside for Stafford is the Rams getting up early and moving to the run. Still, start him with confidence.
Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers
Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Through five weeks, Dak ranks second league-wide in attempts and second in passing yards. He enters a favorable matchup with the Panthers, who just allowed Tua Tagovailoa to throw for 256-3 (on a 75% completion rate) without Tyreek Hill.
Bryce Young, Panthers
Young has tallied only one top-20 fantasy finish in five games. But he’s a viable QB2 this week against a Dallas defense allowing a league-high 284.6 passing yards per game. Per Next Gen Stats, the Cowboys also sit second-worst in average separation allowed (4.0 yards).
Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones, Colts
Jones has cooled off since a hot start, finishing QB27 and QB17 in fantasy points the last two weeks. He's continued to play well, but he's totaled two carries for one yard over those last two games, after averaging 18.3 yards and 1.0 TD over his first three games. Expect the rushing production to settle in between those two extremes going forward. Jones gets a Cardinals defense on Sunday that ranks a middling 15th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. The Colts' 26.75-point implied total is fifth-highest on the week.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Murray missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with the foot injury he suffered in last week’s loss to the Titans. He’s seemingly in real danger of missing the Colts game. And, even if he plays, it’s safe to assume his mobility would be impacted. Stay tuned to Shark Bites for updates on Murray.
Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Seattle’s defense has slipped to 15th in pass DVOA after a hot start to the season. That’s fueled at least in part by myriad DB injuries. The Seahawks appear likely to miss S Julian Love, CB Riq Woolen, and CB Devon Witherspoon this week. Any of those absences would add upside to Lawrence and the Jacksonville passing game. We’ll have to balance expectations a bit, though. Lawrence’s position-leading score from Week 5 marked his second top-11 finish this season. But his other three weeks landed 24th, 28th, and 28th.
Sam Darnold, Seahawks
It might seem like we’re underrating Darnold this week, especially off his No. 3 fantasy finish among QBs in Week 5. But the Seattle QB has still finished 17th or lower in three of his five outings. So there’s downside risk along with the upside. Jacksonville looks like a good matchup by our adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs, but the Jags also rank eighth-best in pass-defense DVOA. This seems like a neutral spot at best.
Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins
Justin Herbert, Chargers
Herbert’s O-line let him down in Week 5. Per Next Gen Stats, he saw pressure at an average rate of 2.20 seconds – the quickest time in any game in 2025. Entering Week 6, he’ll remain without OT Rashawn Slater and likely OT Joe Alt as well. The good news? Despite several big names, Miami’s generated pressure at one of the lowest rates league-wide. Their personnel issues in the secondary also give Herbert an edge.
Tua Tagoviloa, Dolphins
Last week, Tua tallied 253-3 (on a 75% completion rate) in his first game without Tyreek Hill. That one came against Carolina, while Week 6 turns up a tougher opponent in the Chargers. Through five games, they’ve surrendered only four total passing TDs.
New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints
Drake Maye, Patriots
The Patriots have leaned pass far more than many predicted. As a result, Maye enters this game fifth in the league with 1,261 passing yards. He has also rushed for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Expect Maye to continue to thrive against a New Orleans defense that has allowed the third-most TD passes (11) through five games. Maye is a high-end QB1 in Week 6.
Spencer Rattler, Saints
He's not a player to start in single-QB formats, but Rattler has exceeded expectations. He enters Week 6 with a 6-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio and is coming off a season-high 225 passing yards in the Saints' first victory of the season. This week, New Orleans hosts a Patriots' squad that has allowed the 13th-most points to QBs. Rattler is a middling QB2 with a limited ceiling in a game where the Saints are projected to score a modest 21 points.
Tennessee Titans at Las Vegas Raiders
Geno Smith, Raiders
Smith gets a nice Week 6 spot at home for the Titans, who rank 23rd in our Pass Defense Power Rankings. But Smith simply isn't playing well enough to trust in fantasy lineups right now. He's totaled just 345 passing yards with 2 TDs and 5 INTs over his last two games. There were even whispers of a benching this past week, adding risk to Smith's outlook.
Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love, Packers
Green Bay limited passing volume over the first three weeks, but Love delivered the second-best QB score of Week 4 in the OT shootout at Dallas. He has tossed multiple TD passes in three of four games so far. The Bengals figure to present little defensive resistance this week (they’re 14-point underdogs). So the only real question for Love will be whether he gets enough chances to deliver a big fantasy score. That limitation is why he doesn’t sit even higher in our Week 6 rankings. But he’s an easy play this week.
San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
Mayfield enters Week 6 ranking fourth in passing yards (1,283) and third in TDs (10). He's having another elite season despite the injuries that have ravaged Tampa's skill position depth. This week, the Buccaneers are favored by 3 against a 49ers' team that has been solid against the pass, allowing the 12th-fewest adjusted fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. But Mayfield's play this season keeps him as a strong starting option in a Tampa offense that has the eighth-highest implied total (25..25 points) in Week 6.
Mac Jones, 49ers
In an alternate timeline, San Francisco never traded up to draft Trey Lance and instead landed Mac Jones. However it played out, Jones is proving to be a solid fit in Kyle Shanahan's offense. In three starts filling in for Brock Purdy, Jones is averaging 301.6 passing yards, 2 TDs, and has only tossed 1 INT. Tampa Bay has allowed the fifth-most adjusted fantasy points to QBs, including 10 TD passes surrendered so far. Jones is a high-end QB2 in a game with shootout potential.
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Mahomes looks back to being dominant with a top-10 QB finish in four his five games so far this season. Part of the reason is his rushing, including three rushing TDs in those four games. Xavier Worthy coming back helped prop Mahoems back up, and now he faces a Lions’ secondary brutalized by injuries. Mahomes is a must-start.
Jared Goff, Lions
Goff crushed the Bengals, throwing for 258 yards and 3 TDs. But the Chiefs offer a much tougher match-up, allowing only 10.4 fantasy passing points per game, fifth least in the league. Goff could also be down OT Taylor Decker. This isn’t a great spot for Goff, but he should have a low-end QB2 floor.
Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons
Josh Allen, Bills
Allen leads all QBs in fantasy points and enters with only one weekly finish worse than QB9. While Atlanta has flashed an improved pass rush, there’s no doubt that Allen remains a high-end QB1.
Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
Penix has proven up and down so far, with strong fantasy games in Week 1 and Week 4 sandwiching duds in Week 2 and Week 3. Coming out of a bye, he might be without WR Darnell Mooney, who’s battling a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the Bills have allowed only 6.3 yards per attempt through five weeks. Buffalo also sits 12th in pressure rate.
Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Daniels fared just fine in his Week 5 return from the knee injury, including averaging 8.9 yards per pass attempt and rushing for 39 yards. The biggest issue for his fantasy score was Jacory Croskey-Merritt claiming two of the team’s three TDs. This week presents a softer Bears defense (sixth-friendliest to QB scoring) and finds Daniels another week beyond his injury.
Caleb Williams, Bears
Williams’ fantasy finishes through four games say a lot: QB9, QB19, QB2, QB23. Anything still seems possible for the second-year passer. But Week 6 finds him facing the fourth most friendly QB defense (Washington) in a game tied for the week’s third-highest over-under.