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ESPN Writer- Matt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on "NFL Matchup." After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons.
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ESPN Senior Writer- Tristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also two-time LABR and four-time Tout Wars champion.
Week 6 of the 2026 fantasy football season featured big games by Malik Nabers, Kenneth Walker III and Trevor Lawrence. On the flip side, Bijan Robinson, Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams disappointing outings.
Who were the big winners and losers around the league during the sixth week of the fantasy football season?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Biggest injuries and what's next
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 6
1. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Nabers scored 28.5 points in the Week 6 loss to the Saints, catching 12 of 15 targets (from multiple quarterbacks), finishing with 165 receiving yards. This is Nabers' third straight game with 23 or more fantasy points, and he has seen 35 targets over his past two. After J.J. McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston under center Sunday, the Giants could make a switch at quarterback heading into Week 7. But I don't see how that impacts Nabers heading into the matchup versus a Houston defense that has been surprisingly poor against wide receivers this season. Keep Nabers as a WR1. -- Bowen
2. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Walker's 27.9 points in the Week 6 win over the Chargers led all running backs through the late window Sunday. Walker finished with 139 total yards -- and two touchdowns -- on 21 touches, and he is the only player in the league to score 20 or more points in five straight games to start the season. Big-time numbers for the Chiefs' free agent addition. Walker will stay as a top-three RB heading into Week 7, when he returns to Seattle. -- Bowen
3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, and Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tuten and the Jaguars' running game couldn't get much done on the ground against a tough Houston Texans defense, but he caught a pair of receiving touchdowns and nearly had a third when he was pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line on an 11-yard catch. Lawrence, meanwhile, has scored 20-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games in London, totaling 27.34 despite a 58.5% completion rate. The Jaguars' offense didn't have its best game in Week 6 -- and individually, Lawrence was picked in the end zone, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. had superior rushing metrics to Tuten -- but it seems sound on the whole. Heading into the bye, Lawrence is a clear fantasy QB1 while Tuten is a somewhat matchup-dependent RB2. -- Cockcroft
4. Germie Bernard, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bernard has emerged as a viable weekly fantasy starter in the injury absences of Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and Roman Wilson (finger), both placed on IR over the past eight days, piling up yards after the catch as a short-range target for Aaron Rodgers. Bernard scored 25.7 fantasy points on 12 targets, including catching the winning touchdown in overtime. Best yet, he gets great matchups over the next two weeks (@NO, CLE). -- Cockcroft
5. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
After a brutal Week 5 game versus the Vikings (minus-0.16 points), Shough bounced back in Sunday's win over the Giants, scoring a season-best 26.96 points. Shough finished with only 144 passing yards, but he threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 33 yards and a score on five carries. Shough has now topped the 22-point mark in four of six games played this season. He'll remain in the QB2 range for the Week 7 matchup against a Steelers defense ranking in the top five versus quarterbacks. -- Bowen
6. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Jaylin Noel's emergence -- coupled with the acquisition of WR Marvin Harrison Jr. -- has greatly strengthened Stroud's receiving options, giving him the deepest set he has had to work with since his rookie year in 2023. Playing on a slippery Wembley Stadium field, Stroud completed 7 of 10 throws of 10-plus yards for 164 yards and two touchdowns, including a perfectly placed 50-yard toss to Noel late in the second quarter to set up Stroud's second of three total TD passes. Stroud has three straight games with 20-plus fantasy points and should be regarded a weekly superflex option and standard league streamer. -- Cockcroft
7. Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
He returned to fantasy TE1 status in a big way against the Atlanta Falcons, turning seven targets into 18.5 fantasy points. The healthy return of QB Caleb Williams infused much-needed life into the Bears' offense, and Ben Johnson's renewed focus on Loveland in the passing game was a welcome sight. Loveland has seen an average of 7.0 targets the past three weeks, usage levels his fantasy managers want to see ahead of two of his toughest matchups on the 2026 schedule up next (NE, @SEA). -- Cockcroft
8. Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Tucker scored a season-high 26.7 points in Sunday's loss to the Bills, catching five of seven targets for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Tucker caught his first touchdown on an 11-yard throw from Kirk Cousins, then showed his big-play ability on a 44-yard grab for his second score. Given the tight end usage in the Raiders' pass game, Tucker isn't going to see high-level target volume on a weekly basis. However, with his vertical speed, Tucker has value as a boom/bust WR3. Tucker and the Raiders get the Rams defense in Week 7. -- Bowen
9. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, New York Jets
He returned following a four-week absence due to a high ankle sprain to score 22.3 fantasy points on seven targets, highlighted by a 48-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Cooper's big-play ability can make him a matchups-oriented fantasy WR3, though for Week 7, he'll be facing a Miami Dolphins defense that has overachieved against the position defensively (second-toughest schedule adjusted WR matchup entering Week 6). -- Cockcroft
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 6
1. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Negative game flow and the Bears' ability to control offensive tempo limited the opportunities for Robinson in Week 6. Robinson produced season lows in points (7.3) and touches (11), finishing with just 53 total yards. It was a rough day for Robinson managers, but he'll remain an elite play at the position when the Falcons host the 49ers in Week 7. -- Bowen
2. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Henry struggled to find daylight in Sunday's loss to the Browns, scoring a season-low 5.0 points. Henry rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries (3.4 YPC), while he added one reception for 2 yards. Henry, who also lost a fumble, will look to rebound in Week 7 versus the Bengals. He can be played as a mid-to-lower tier RB1. -- Bowen
3. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Sometimes, things proceed just fine and Williams scores you 15-plus fantasy points. Other times, there's Blake Corum creating headaches among Williams' managers. Though Williams dominated time on the field (71% of offensive snaps to Corum's 29%), the two almost evenly split the rushing chores, resulting in Corum (14.0) outscoring Williams (9.7) in fantasy points. The matchup had something to do with the quiet day -- the opposing Arizona Cardinals have been remarkably good against running backs thus far, thanks in large part to S Budda Baker and LB Zaven Collins -- but otherwise chalk this up to random happenstance. Williams should rebound with high-end fantasy RB2 numbers in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, though his ceiling isn't much higher than that most weeks due to Corum's presence. -- Cockcroft
4. Jameis Winston, QB, New York Giants
Facing a favorable matchup in the New Orleans Saints, Winston scored 6.48 fantasy points in his three-plus quarters of action, before being removed for backup J.J. McCarthy with his team trailing, 34-10. Worse yet, McCarthy rallied the Giants to a near tie, falling short at the Saints' 14-yard line on the final drive after McCarthy had totaled 16.32 fantasy points of his own. Though it seems likely that Winston will get another chance to start in Week 7 against the Texans -- another plus-matchup in which he'd have plenty of opportunity to pile up passing stats -- a quarterback controversy might be brewing in the Meadowlands. He'll be a high-variance superflex option for that game, as long as he's allowed to retain his starting spot. -- Cockcroft
5. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Stevenson led the team with 14 carries in the Week 6 win over the Jets, but this was a committee approach from the Patriots as Corey Kiner (11 carries, 57 yards) and TreVeyon Henderson (seven carries, 31 yards) also saw backfield work. Stevenson (3.6 points) averaged only 2.6 YPC, and he didn't record a reception. With the Bears up Thursday night, it's fair for Stevenson managers to have some concerns. I'll have Stevenson as a flex option for that matchup, but I don't feel great about it after seeing a three-man backfield rotation Sunday. -- Bowen
6. Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
As indicated before the game, the Giants started Najee Harris ahead of Skattebo in Week 6, and their running game paid the price. Giants running backs totaled 34 rushing yards, while Skattebo played only six offensive snaps, didn't have a carry and ran two routes without a target. Tyrone Tracy Jr. scored 18.5 fantasy points in Skattebo's absence, but the Giants' poor overall offensive effort makes it seem likely that they'll give Skattebo another chance in Week 7. With his role now in question due to his fumbling issues, Skattebo isn't a recommended fantasy option facing a tough matchup in the Houston Texans. -- Cockcroft
Injury impact
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
What we know: He left in the first quarter following his making a 17-yard reception and was quickly ruled out due to a head injury.
What's next: The Chargers have had a hard time keeping their wide receivers healthy this season as McConkey missed part of Week 4 and all of Week 5 with a foot injury, Quentin Johnston missed Week 5 with a chest injury and Tre' Harris missed Week 6 with a hamstring injury. KeAndre Lambert-Smith saw a spike in usage following McConkey's early departure, but it's wiser for fantasy managers to steer clear entirely of this injury-riddled, underperforming offense. -- Cockcroft
Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots
What we know: Doubs left the game in the second quarter versus the Jets after injuring a shoulder on a 42-yard touchdown catch. He was listed as questionable but did not return to the game.
What's next: If Doubs is out for the Week 7 Thursday night game in Chicago, managers can look to DeMario Douglas as a potential WR3 option. Douglas scored 22.5 points in Week 5, and he finished with 19.6 in Sunday's win over the Jets. Douglas is available in over 85% of ESPN leagues. -- Bowen
Carson Steele, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
What we know: That we've now had an Eagles running back in this space in three straight weeks (and four of five). Steele left Week 6 in the first quarter, suffering a shoulder injury when he collided with Panthers CB Will Lee III on a screen pass.
What's next: Steele's early injury left Dameon Pierce, promoted from the practice squad a little over a week ago, to play 97% of the offensive snaps and score 15.0 fantasy points. Jaydon Blue, promoted to the active roster Saturday, is the next highest on the depth chart. -- Cockcroft