Fantasy Football Flashback: QB-WR duos top Week 6's list of the most reliable players

Welcome to the Week 6 edition of Fantasy Football Flashback, where we celebrate the accomplishments of the week's most reliable players. The past week left many fantasy managers frustrated with a lack of overall production, as we saw just one 30-point scorer after having an average of five players reach that plateau during the initial five weeks. But despite the overall lack of high-end production, the men listed below led many of their fantasy squads to victory.

No. 1: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals, 32.50 points

After rocking a Ja'Marr Chase LSU jersey in his return to Louisiana, Burrow backed up his attention-seeking entrance by producing 300 passing yards and three touchdowns, adding 25 rushing yards and another TD, in a narrow win over the Saints. The former Tigers superstar has once again overcome mediocre Cincinnati offensive line play to thus far rank fifth among fantasy QB scorers. And with many veteran signal-callers posting disappointing totals, fantasy managers who do not want to mess around with the waiver wire would be wise to put in a solid trade offer for Burrow.

No. 2: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals, 28.70

Not only did Burrow tear through the Saints defense, but he made sure that his former LSU teammate had numerous opportunities to share in the glory. The end result was Chase’s best fantasy week to date, as the second-year star finished with seven catches for 132 yards and two scores. Many managers were frustrated with a recent lack of production from the 22-year-old, who averaged 53.5 yards per game from Week 2-5. Chase has now firmly returned to the WR1 group in terms of 2022 total points scored, and his recent success serves as a great reminder that we need to be patient with struggling stars.

No. 3: Matt Ryan, QB, Indianapolis Colts, 27.16

Falling behind to the Jaguars turned out to be a recipe for success for Ryan, who tossed 58 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns in a narrow victory. This game marked the third time this season that the veteran QB had passed for more than 300 yards, which shockingly has Ryan second in the NFL in passing yards. Overall, Ryan is a respectable streamer for the coming bye weeks, although the Colts may rely more heavily on the ground game when Jonathan Taylor returns from injury.

No. 4: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills, 26.36

Allen finds his way onto this list in most weeks, and he now holds a significant lead in fantasy points scored on the season (nearly 25 points more than Lamar Jackson). The oversized passer had 32 yards rushing, but his stat line was dominated by 329 passing yards and three touchdowns. Overall, Allen could be the safest asset in fantasy football.

No. 5: Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills, 25.80

Diggs completes the second QB-WR tandem on this list after pulling in 10 of 13 targets for 148 yards and a touchdown during the Bills exciting win over the Chiefs. This outstanding performance has pushed the Bills alpha WR ahead of Cooper Kupp for the top spot on the 2022 scoring list, and he now leads the NFL with six receiving touchdowns. The emergence of Gabe Davis in recent weeks should only help Diggs, as the Bills offense has become even more dangerous and there are still plenty of targets for Allen to send towards his most reliable option.

No. 6: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars, 24.90

Lawrence took an awkward path towards his productive fantasy line, passing for just 165 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Colts. But on a positive note, he competed all but two of his 22 pass attempts and showed some rushing prowess by piling up 23 yards and two scores on the ground. Lawrence has been a fringe QB1 this season, as is evidenced by his 65 percent roster rate. He now returns home for three straight contests (Giants, Broncos, Raiders) and can be used as a bye week replacement.

No. 7: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers, 24.30

Aiyuk turned a season-high 11 targets into eight catches, 83 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Falcons. The 24-year-old was already rostered in 81 percent of Yahoo leagues, but he may not be someone who warrants a lineup spot in most leagues. The 49ers fell behind early in this game, which caused them to abandon their beloved running game and allow Jimmy Garoppolo to throw 41 passes. I suspect that we won’t see that volume on many more occasions, which will relegate Aiyuk to being a flex option at best.

No. 8: Marcus Mariota, QB, Atlanta Falcons, 24.16

Like Lawrence, Mariota used his rushing skills to earn a spot on this list. The Falcons signal-caller attempted just 14 passes, which led to only 129 yards. But two of those passes found targets in the end zone, and Mariota also rushed for 50 yards and a score. Through six weeks, Mariota has yet to have a 230-yard passing game but has used his fleet feet to rank among the top-12 fantasy QBs. Still, I see Mariota, who is rostered in just 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, as more of a bye-week replacement than a long-term option.

No. 9: Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins, 23.70

Who needs their starting quarterback?! Hill worked with a combination of third-stringer Skylar Thompson and backup Teddy Bridgewater to burn the Vikings for 177 yards on 12 catches. This outstanding effort marks the third time this season that the speedster has tallied at least 160 yards, and his 701 receiving yards lead all players. Hill has found the end zone just twice, but he could score more often with Tua Tagovailoa expected to return next week from a concussion.

No. 10: Deon Jackson, RB, Indianapolis Colts, 23.10 (Tied with Rhamondre Stevenson)

Jackson thrived when pressed into duty because of injuries to Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines, tallying a touchdown among his 42 rushing yards and catching all 10 targets for 79 yards. Taylor will soon return from his ankle injury, and his presence will push Jackson to waivers in shallow leagues. But Jackson may have done enough in Week 6 to compete with Hines for future passing down work. Those in the 57 percent of Yahoo leagues where Jackson remains available can consider adding him while we wait for confirmation on Taylor’s status for Week 7.

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