With only two teams on bye this week compared to four last week, fantasy football QB streamers have a few more options to consider. We now have five weeks of data to sift through, and that should allow us to make some decisions we feel good about. With that said, here are the three that have my eye for Week 6.
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Top QB Streamers for Week 6
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (at Falcons)
A lot of his season-high 25.4 fantasy points on Thursday night came as a result of 55 straight pass plays called due to the Chicago Bears jumping out to a big lead, but nonetheless, Howell cleared 19.5 fantasy points for the third time in four weeks.
The floor appears stable, and there is a path to upside. Not only does Howell have a 35-yard completion in four straight games, but he also has a 10-yard run in all of those games. We saw the Atlanta Falcons use A.J. Terrell as a Calvin Ridley shadow in London (Week 4), but with how this Commanders offense is functioning (four players averaging 5.4-6.2 targets per game), they should be able to simply avoid the shutdown corner and not be any worse off.
The value of his individual pass catchers is a tough call weekly, but for those looking to stream the position, Howell is a fine option!
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (at Jaguars)
Anthony Richardson went down with a shoulder injury and has now missed more than two full games worth of snaps early in his career. The star rookie will miss at least one month with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain, robbing us of his highlight plays in the short-term.
Gardner Minshew started Week 3’s win against the Baltimore Ravens, and while it wasn’t a useful fantasy day (227 yards and one touchdown on 44 attempts), it’s that last number that has me interested.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming back from spending two weeks across the pond, and while they are coming off of a nice win against the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen didn’t struggle to pick them apart (9.0 yards per attempt on his way to 359 passing yards). With Jonathan Taylor back in the mix, I’m expecting less volume but more efficiency from Minshew in this spot, and that’s of interest for those streaming the position this week.
Of note, the Indianapolis Colts host the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints in Weeks 7-8. I’m fine with the idea of looking Minshew’s way to bail you out this week — I’m just not banking on anything behind a one-week rental, even if Richardson is out.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (vs. Cardinals)
We all wondered how this offense would look with Cooper Kupp back in the mix, and it turns out that a pocket passer playing with confidence can make it work. Kupp cleared 100 yards while both Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell found the end zone.
It’s still early, but Cooper Kupp looks like this year’s Puka Nacua
— Josh Larky (@jlarkytweets) October 8, 2023
That’s not to suggest that Matthew Stafford had a massive day against the Philadelphia Eagles; he didn’t. But the ability to spread the ball around is something I like betting on for a QB who doesn’t have access to rushing production. Kyren Williams has been a strong fantasy option, though he has yet to show us much in the way of efficiency.
This offense wants to move the ball through the air and with a healthy trio of receivers lining up against an Arizona Cardinals secondary that just allowed the Cincinnati Bengals offense to get right, Stafford deserves to be on your radar.
QB Rankings for Week 6
1. Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs. DEN)
2. Josh Allen | BUF (vs. NYG)
3. Jalen Hurts | PHI (at NYJ)
4. Lamar Jackson | BAL (at TEN)
5. Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (vs. CAR)
6. Kirk Cousins | MIN (at CHI)
7. Justin Fields | CHI (vs. MIN)
8. Justin Herbert | LAC (vs. DAL)
9. Trevor Lawrence | JAX (vs. IND)
10. Jared Goff | DET (at TB)
11. Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. SEA)
12. Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
13. C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. NO)
14. Sam Howell | WAS (at ATL)
15. Geno Smith | SEA (at CIN)
16. Brock Purdy | SF (at CLE)
17. Russell Wilson | DEN (at KC)
18. Daniel Jones | NYG (at BUF)
19. Joshua Dobbs | ARI (at LAR)
20. Deshaun Watson | CLE (vs. SF)