Week 5 is the worst collection of bold predictions from our Fantrax writers this season. Accountability is important because it will only make us work harder. After a good chunk of success in the first four weeks, we came back down to Earth. I have to give a shout out to Reese Jones, though! His bold prediction, that Buffalo Bills wide receiver, Khalil Shakir, would catch six balls for 75 yards and a score was nearly dead-on. Shakir did log 75 yards exactly and find the end zone…but needed just three catches to do so. Good call, Reese!
While we put in the work and research to make quality bold predictions, sometimes the way things go are simply unpredictable! A good example of this is Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce’s, stat line from Monday night: Seven receptions for 25 yards and FOUR touchdowns. While the four touchdowns is a pleasant surprise, predicting Kelce to have just 25 receiving yards, with how often he scored, goes right in line with the unpredictability I’m speaking to. Sometimes it’s a good thing, other times it can ruin your week. Either way, we move forward!
You’re going to start your studs of course week in and week out. It’s undeniable, though, that you will run into a few lineup decisions that could make or break your week this season. Our team at Fantrax is here to help. These weekly bold predictions are meant to tip the scale in favor of the players below. We believe they have a chance to help win you the week and put up big numbers. The bold predictions won’t always have a 100% success rate but do provide a well-educated guess for the ceiling each player can achieve each week.
Be sure to follow all of these bold predictions and more @Fantrax on Twitter and @fantraxsports on Instagram!
2022 NFL Week 6 Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football
Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos
Bold Prediction: 18 rushes, 100 yards, 1 touchdown; 3 receptions, 25 yards
21.5 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Colin McTamany, @Colin_McT on Twitter
Colin’s Breakdown: In the first game after Javonte Williams’ season-ending ACL injury, Melvin Gordon’s 65% of running back carries and 62% of all running back opportunities (carries + targets) leads the way out of the backfield. I fully expect Gordon to see the bulk of the backfield workload moving forward. Though the team did add Latavius Murray, he’s nearly 33-years old and should act as depth more than anything. Mike Boone will continue to rotate in, but less frequently than Gordon did with a healthy Javonte Williams.
For Week 6 specifically, the Broncos are heading to Los Angeles for an AFC West battle with the Chargers on Monday Night Football. Over the last three weeks, the Chargers defense has allowed an opposing running back to rush for at least 100 yards and at least one touchdown in every game. Most recently, in Week 5, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 28 carries, 181 yards, and three touchdowns. It goes without saying the Chargers are allowing the most fantasy points to running backs. Their run defense continues to be a problem as it has been for years.
With Russell Wilson pushing through a shoulder/back injury, it would be rise to lean on the run in Week 6. Melvin Gordon is more than capable of carrying the load. It’s also a prime time matchup against the team that drafted him. My bold prediction is that Gordon closes out Week 6 with over 20.0 fantasy points for the first time this season.
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Bold Prediction: 247 passing yards, 1 touchdown; 9 rushes, 63 yards, 1 touchdown
26.18+ fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Lauren Auerbach, @lkauerbach on Twitter
Lauren’s Breakdown: I’m rolling with Daniel Jones for this week’s bold prediction. He’s helped lead the Giants to a surprising 4-1 start, and his rushing upside makes him a sneaky-good option under center. Jones gets a favorable matchup this week against Baltimore, whose defense is ranked 29th against quarterbacks. I expect Jones to take advantage and have a big week.
Jones has rushed for at least 65 yards in two of the last three weeks, and his 230 rushing yards on the season are third-most behind Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. While the Ravens have been exploitable through the air, they’ve surrendered the most passing yards to quarterbacks this season. They’ve also allowed rushing touchdowns to Mac Jones, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow in each of the last three weeks. Jones already has a couple of rushing touchdowns this season, and he should be able to add to that total this weekend. I like his odds to score through the air and on the ground, making Jones a top-12 quarterback for me this week.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Bold Prediction: 20 touches, 150 total yards, 1 touchdown
21.0+ fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Bradlee Kilgore, @SirBradleeK on Twitter
Bradlee’s Breakdown: At the end of the day, fantasy football (and football in general) is all about matchups. This week, the struggling Rams take on an ever more struggling Carolina squad. Carolina has fired their coach this week, their best player, Christian McCaffrey’s, name is swirling in trade rumors, and both their starting and backup quarterbacks are injured.
The Rams have been bad, but even Vegas has made them double digit favorites in Week 6. The game script will lean heavily on the run in the second half of the game, and that’s where Akers comes in. He’s the RB1 on this squad, and while he hasn’t produced, this is the game where he should breakout and create an opportunity for you to sell him.
Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
Bold Prediction: 17 rushes, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
16.9 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Michael Quintero, @WeekendMike on Twitter
Michael’s Breakdown: As long as he stays healthy, Raheem Mostert is the lead back for the Miami Dolphins. In his last two games, he had 15 carries for 69 yards and 18 for 113 yards and a touchdown. Chase Edmonds is fading with just one carry last week and five carries the week before.
Mostert has been more efficient in the red zone and has more rushing attempts than Edmonds. However, Edmonds has two red zone rushing touchdowns to Mostert’s one. My bold prediction is that changes this week with Mostert taking that role from Edmonds, too.
The Dolphins host the Minnesota Vikings who are giving up the ninth-most fantasy points per game (19.3) to running backs this season. Expect Mostert’s red zone carries to increase as he role continues to. If Tua Tagovailoa is out for another week, expect the run game to carry the team.
Allen Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Bold Prediction: 7 receptions, 75 yards, 1 touchdown
20.5 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Kai Haskins, @HaiKaskins on Twitter
Kai’s Breakdown: Both Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee are banged up as the Rams approach a Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers. The two of them combined own 60% 0f Los Angeles’ targets over the last two weeks. Neither of them have seen less than 10 in that time. Cooper Kupp admits a foot issue has him limited in practice while Higbee manages an ankle injury.
Luckily the Rams have a Week 7 bye to heal up. In Week 6, though, it would be a good time for Matthew Stafford to get the ball to someone else, like my bold prediction player, Allen Robinson. He’s played on 92.7% of the team snaps this season. However, he has just one game with more than 4.3 fantasy points.
Given Robinson’s time spent on the field, the injuries, however minor, to other pass catchers, and a choice matchup against the Panthers, I am making the bold prediction that Robinson has his best game of the season. Especially with four teams on bye, Robinson is worth considering as a replacement wide receiver in your starting lineup.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
Bold Prediction: 6 receptions, 101 yards, 1 touchdown
22.1 fantasy points
Fantrax Writer: Reese Jones, @PotPharma on Twitter
Reese’s Breakdown: Darius Slayton enters Week 6 after his best game in a long while. On just 54% of the snaps in London against the Packers, Slayton’s 26.9% target share is a team-high. His seven targets also account for 50% of wide receiver targets from Week 5.
Look for that to continue in Week 6. While Wan’Dale Robinson is set to return, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney remain out. That should provide yet another opportunity for Slayton to thrive. He will face a Baltimore Ravens defense allowing the most receptions and second-most targets to wide receivers.
The Giants are 5.5-point underdogs at home. That should lend to a pass-heavy approach with the expectation of playing from behind. Slayton’s return to the Giants’ lineup provides a trustworthy, familiar target for Daniel Jones. He should, yet again, see a ton of targets making him a more trustworthy fantasy option moving forward.
Also make sure to check out our Week 6 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings