Week 6 winners and losers: Dowdle makes case to keep starting; time to sack Fields?

Week 6 of the 2025 fantasy football season featured several big performances and also quite a few disappointing ones.

Who were the big winners and losers?

Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analyses.

Jump to a topic: Ranking winners | Ranking losers Biggest injuries and what's next

1. Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers: Wow, 32-plus PPR fantasy points in back-to-back weeks, and this from a player who was available in 85% of ESPN leagues at the beginning of the month. Dowdle has totaled 66.3 points, 10 explosive runs, 140 more rushing yards than expected, and a 60.4% rushing success rate in his two starts, filling in for the injured Chuba Hubbard (calf). Though that's a wholly unsustainable level of performance, not to mention Hubbard is important enough to the Panthers' offense to reclaim at least some semblance of his former starting role, there's no question that Dowdle has a clear place in this backfield. If he gets the call against the Jets again in Week 7, he'd be a fantasy RB1. -- Cockcroft

2. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins: He's doing remarkably well for a running back on a team that has averaged only 289 total yards per game while running 57% of its offensive plays while trailing on the scoreboard. Achane scored a season-best 31.0 PPR fantasy points, thanks in large part to his top-shelf speed -- his 13.8 mph average speed, per Next Gen Stats, is fastest among running backs with at least 20 carries -- and contributions in the receiving game. His team's struggles and likelihood of being trade deadline sellers make Achane more risk/reward than you might want from a fantasy RB1, but he has the skills to finish 2025 as one. -- Cockcroft

3. Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants: His "Thursday Night Football" performance was significant from a couple of angles. First, he took a trio of goal-to-go carries (4, 1 and 1 yards) in for touchdowns, alleviating fantasy managers' possible worry about his ability in that regard after he had scored on only one of six such tries entering the night. Second, Skattebo played a significantly greater percentage of offensive snaps (72%) and had more total touches (21) than Tyrone Tracy Jr. (30% and 4) in what was the latter's return from a shoulder injury. Skattebo has quickly shaped up as a high-end fantasy RB2, with the quarterback switch to Jaxson Dart helping diversify the Giants' offense. The team's task is more challenging in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, but Skattebo should be started with confidence, nevertheless. -- Cockcroft

4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Smith-Njigba scored a season-high 30.2 points against the Jacksonville defense in the Week 6 win. Smith-Njigba, who caught eight of a team-high 13 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown, showed his traits at every level of the route tree, including his scoring grab on a 61-yard vertical throw. Smith-Njigba has now posted 20 or more points in three of his past four games. He'll remain a solid WR1 -- even in a tough matchup -- for the Week 7 game versus Houston. -- Bowen

5. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers: For the second consecutive game, Jacobs exceeded 30 PPR fantasy points; his 32.0 on Sunday coming after the 31.7 he had the week before the Packers' Week 5 bye. This was Jacobs' best game yet in 2025, as he averaged 5.2 yards per carry, had four explosive runs and continued to hold the crown as the best goal-line running back in football, turning a 3-yard opportunity into a score in the second quarter. He's the NFL's leader with 46 carries, 18 touchdowns and a 5.0 yards-per-carry average on goal-to-go plays since the beginning of last season. Jacobs should continue to perform like an RB1 against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7. -- Cockcroft

6. George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys: Pickens' 31.8 points led all wide receivers through the early window, when he caught nine passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in the Week 6 loss to the Panthers. Pickens showcased his playmaking traits here, plus we saw how quickly he can get up to top speed on his touchdown catch. Take the slant route and erase the defensive angles after the catch. With at least one touchdown reception in five straight games, Pickens will be in the WR1 discussion for the Week 7 game versus Washington if CeeDee Lamb (ankle) is still out. -- Bowen

7. Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: If Week 6 was any indication, there was little doubt as to who is the Chargers' No. 1 running back in Omarion Hampton's (ankle) absence. Vidal played 68% of the offensive snaps, had 18 of the team's 24 rushing attempts and totaled 21 touches to Hassan Haskins' six, scoring a career-best 22.8 PPR fantasy points. Vidal had four explosive runs and 58 more rushing yards than expected, per Next Gen Stats. He needs to be added in the remaining 72.9% of ESPN leagues in which he's available, even with his next opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, having performed well against running backs the past three weeks (17.7 PPR FPTS per game allowed). -- Cockcroft

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Can Kayshon Boutte build on a successful Week 6 in fantasy?

Eric Karabell explains why he expects Kayshon Boutte to continue his recent fantasy success in Week 7 vs. the Titans.

8. Drake Maye, QB; Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots: Maye scored a season-high 27.24 in Sunday's win over the Saints, and he was dialed in as a thrower. Maye completed 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he also added 28 yards rushing on nine carries. Boutte caught all five of his targets in this one for 93 yards, with two of those receptions going for touchdowns. Maye will remain a QB1 with a positive Week 7 matchup versus the Titans, while Boutte, who is available in over 90% of ESPN leagues, could be a potential waiver pickup/streaming option in deeper formats. -- Bowen

9. Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts: He scored double-digit fantasy points for the fifth time in his first six NFL games, benefiting significantly from Daniel Jones' rebound season. Warren, who matched his Week 4 seasonal best with 18.3 PPR fantasy points this week, leads the Colts in targets (40), receptions (29), receiving yards (370) and red zone targets (7), effectively being Jones' go-to receiver. Consider the rookie a fantasy TE1, even in Week 7 against a tough Los Angeles Chargers matchup. -- Cockcroft

10. Brian Thomas, Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: After a slight uptick in fantasy numbers over his past two games, Thomas posted his best totals of the season in the Week 6 loss to the Seahawks. Thomas finished with 23.0 points, catching eight of a team-high 10 targets for 90 yards, plus he brought in his first touchdown catch. Thomas has caught 17 of 23 targets over his past three games, and we are seeing more efficient throwing from quarterback Trevor Lawrence when targeting his No.1 receiver. The arrow is pointing up on Thomas heading into the Week 7 game versus the Rams. -- Bowen

11. Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: Goedert played a volume role in the Thursday night loss to the Giants, producing season highs in receptions (nine), targets (11), receiving yards (110) and fantasy points (26.0). And even though Godert's recent touchdown grabs have a gadget-like feel to them, he has found the end zone at least once in four straight games. This Eagles pass game needs some work, but Goedert continues to post numbers as an underneath option for quarterback Jalen Hurts. And those are high-percentage throws to the tight end. Goedert sticks in the midtier TE1 range for the Week 7 game at Minnesota. -- Bowen

1. Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets: In a bad football game in London, Fields scored just 4.9 points during the 13-11 loss to the Broncos, finishing with as many completions as sacks (nine). Fields added 31 yards rushing on seven carries; however, his inability to play on time as a thrower, plus his poor pocket awareness versus pressure, contributed to his rough final line (9-of-17 passing, 45 yards). With an 0-6 record and Fields regressing as a passer, the Jets could make a move to backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor for the Week 7 matchup versus Carolina. Stay tuned. -- Bowen

This game was a statistical nightmare. Fields' 4.90 fantasy points were his worst in any game he played to completion since his 1.16 in Week 7 of 2021, the fifth career start during his rookie campaign. The Jets totaled 24.5 PPR fantasy points from their skill-position players (QB, RB, WR and TE), the fewest by any team in a game since the Arizona Cardinals totaled 17.2 in a 27-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 9 of the 2023 season, in Clayton Tune's only career NFL start. -- Cockcroft

2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Barkley scored a season-low 8.7 points in the Thursday night loss to the Giants. After a strong start on an opening drive that featured two rushes of 10 or more yards, Barkley was limited by the Giants' defense. The Eagles' offensive tackles (and tight ends) failed to win the edges, and I didn't see enough vertical displacement to create running lanes for Barkley on zone run schemes. Barkley, who finished with 67 total yards on 14 touches, gets the Vikings' defense in Week 7. And there's a lot to fix with this Eagles offense. -- Bowen

3. Matthew Stafford, QB, and Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua's injury (see below) set the Rams' passing game back, despite what was an extremely favorable matchup on paper, as Stafford and Adams mustered only 9.34 and 7.9 PPR fantasy points, respectively. Adams had to tangle with CB Nate Wiggins, by far the Ravens' most effective defender in coverage this season, as the veteran wideout managed only two catches for 29 yards on five targets with Wiggins the nearest defender. Even if Nacua can't play in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the matchup is every bit as favorable (if not more so), meaning Stafford and Adams should rebound in a big way. -- Cockcroft

4. Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys' well-regarded offensive line couldn't open any holes for him, especially up the middle, as Williams was stuffed at or behind the line four times, had 27 fewer rushing yards than expected, and scored a season-worst 8.4 PPR fantasy points against the Carolina Panthers. It was his most disappointing performance as a Cowboy, and he was started in 81.0% of ESPN leagues. Williams has good odds of a rebound against the Washington Commanders in Week 6, however. -- Cockcroft