Is Week 6 of the fantasy football season the week where we remember that tight end scoring went back to “normal?” despite all the chaos of the first five weeks, Week 6 gave us Evan Engram, Sam LaPorta, Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, and Mark Andrews all in the top 10 of scoring at the position heading into Monday Night football. It was some welcome news after even more injuries devastated a number of top fantasy options.
This weekly piece will look at an interesting usage note for each team during every NFL week. If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 6 usage!
NFL Week 6 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
McBride Finally the Man
ATLANTA FALCONS
Tyler Allgeier Zombie Game
In a game where Bijan Robinson could and did smash, Tyler Allgeier also refused to die. He played a season-high 41% of snaps and rushed 18 times for 105 yards and a score.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Flowers’ Tale of Two Halves
In one of the strangest games you will ever see, Zay Flowers had nine targets, nine receptions, and 132 receiving yards at the half. He would finish with exactly those numbers as Lamar Jackson never went back to him while the Ravens tried to play keep away with the ball as they held onto their lead against the Commanders.
BUFFALO BILLS
Ray Davis Day
Ray Davis filled in for James Cook on Monday and rushed 20 times for 97 yards. It was his first NFL start. In his career, James Cook has reached those two numbers in a game exactly one time. Davis also caught three balls for 55 yards. How they deploy Cook and Davis together when the incumbent is healthy will be fascinating to watch.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Chuba Hubbard Bell Cow Game
In the game before the Panthers opened up Jonathan Brooks’ practice window, Chuba Hubbard got all the work and made his case for remaining the lead back. He played a season-high 82% of snaps and touched the ball 23 times for 103 yards.
CHICAGO BEARS
Kmet Separates From the Pack in London
Cole Kmet was second among ALL pass-catchers with a 6.5 separation score by NFL Next Gen Stats. That movement away from defenders allowed him to get five catches for 70 yards and a season-high two touchdowns.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Brown Takeover is Underway
Zack Moss was banged up throughout the week, so it was thought Chase Brown would get more work in Week 6. Boy, did he ever. His 62% of snaps were twice as many as his next-best game and he touched the ball 12 times for 64 yards and a touchdown.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pierre Strong Gets the Work
With Jerome Ford leaving very early in this game, it was Pierre Strong getting most of the work, playing 53% of the snaps and gaining 78 yards. Nick Chubb returning now makes this a very messy backfield for fantasy football.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Dowdle Disappears
In a game where the Cowboys desperately needed a spark, Rico Dowdle was literally sidelined for most of the game. He played just 28% of snaps, his lowest of the season. Ezekiel Elliott played 41%, his highest since Week 1. That means the answer to the question is, “Yes, you are better at calling plays than some NFL coaches out there.”
DENVER BRONCOS
Duck to Duck Connection
Bo Nix’s Oregon Ducks teammate Troy Franklin finally got some real playing time in Week 6, playing 65% of snaps. He had three touches for 36 yards and a score and it won’t be any surprise if this partnership continues to blossom.
DETROIT LIONS
David Montgomery Does a Lot With a Little
Somehow, David Montgomery entered Monday Night Football as the RB5 in fantasy football for Week 6 despite playing only 31% of the Lions’ snaps against the Cowboys (80 yards and two touchdowns). The Cowboys, man. They’ve got problems.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Romeo Returns
After a one-week conduct-related suspension, Romeo Doubs returned to play 74% of snaps, catching three balls including two that went for touchdowns.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Hutchinson and Metchie Split Time
With Nico Collins out, the snaps were split almost equally between Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchiee III for the third wide receiver slot. None of them did anything because Joe Mixon returned and ran all over the Patriots up in New England.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Three-Headed Wide Receiver Monster
With all of them healthy now, the Colts have a three-headed monster at receiver with Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. The real question will be how they fare with Anthony Richardson back in Week 7. Richardson is 35th among quarterbacks in true completion percentage this season.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
D’Ernest Johnson Out of Nowhere
When Travis Etienne was injured in the first quarter, it was D’Ernest Johnson getting the majority of the snaps instead of Tank Bigsby. Bigsby played more of the Dallas-Cowboys-Tony-Pollard role while Johnson played 56% of snaps and touched the ball eight times for 44 yards.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Kansas City Chiefs Did Not Play in Week 6
MOOD because we play football this week 😤 pic.twitter.com/CBfhR4JXXD
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 14, 2024
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Mattison Now the Man in the Backfield
Zamir White was out in this game, which means Alexander Mattison had his chance to officially take over the running back room and he might have done it against the Steelers. Mattison played 64% of snaps and amassed 65 yards and a touchdown.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Kimani Vidal Arrives and Scores
With Gus Edwards on IR for at least four games, it was time for the Chargers to unveil rookie Kimani Vidal, and he did not disappoint. On 24% of snaps, he touched the ball six times for 51 yards and a smooth receiving touchdown on a wheel route.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
The Los Angeles Rams Did Not Play in Week 6
Missing Rams football this Sunday… See you soon back at the #RamsHouse! 🙌
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 13, 2024
MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Miami Dolphins Did Not Play in Week 6
Some bye week entertainment
Enjoy sounds of the season, pt. 1 🔊 pic.twitter.com/z4MNC97WTm
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 13, 2024
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The Minnesota Vikings Did Not Play in Week 6
WE GOT SOME DAWGS
📺: https://t.co/UjM8wHtZxY pic.twitter.com/9L3uZN8MDz
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 10, 2024
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Demario and Drake BFFs
In his first NFL start, rookie Drake Maye zeroed in on Demario Douglas and the two made quite a quick connection. Douglas caught six balls for 92 yards and a score. Douglas provided a short and intermediate safety net for Maye all day and this duo should be fun to watch moving forward.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Rattler Could Have Had Stronger Bite
Another rookie got his first start when Spener Rattle filled in for Derek Carr in New Orleans. Despite an up-and-down performance, Rattler did end up with 243 yards, one touchdown, and 27 rushing yards. According to Next Gen Stats, it could have been a lot better. Rattler completed 55% of his passes but his completion rate under expectation was -13%. That was the highest mark for any quarterback in Week 6.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Tyrone Tracy Takes Off
No Devin Singletary, no problem once again for rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. Tracy played 84% of the snaps and had 23 touches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Devin Singletary might want to start practicing his clipboard-holding skills for next week.
NEW YORK JETS
Breece Hall Managers Can Rejoice
The new coaching regime for the Jets understands the task ahead of them. Get your best players the ball as much as possible. To that end, Breece Hall out-snapped Braelon Allen 55 to 12 and Hall had 23 opportunities to just five for Allen. According to PFF, this was the first time Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall both went over 100 yards in a game together.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Grant Calcaterra Fills In
With Dallas Goedert leaving early with injury, backup tight end Grant Calcaterra filled in admirably, playing on 93% of snaps and catching all four of his targets thrown his way.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Naje Harris Blows Expectations Up
Among all running backs in Week 6, Najee Harris tied for first with 64 rushing yards over expectation. If you saw his game, he was constantly breaking tackles and juking defenders as he ran by them. It was a display of elusiveness rarely seen by the plodding Harris.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Isaac Guerendo Makes His Case
With Jordan Mason leaving early, Isaac Guerendo, the third-string back, rushed 10 times for 99 yards on Thursday night. With McCaffrey still weeks away, and no definitive news on Mason, Guerendo might get one week to have the whole backfield to himself.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Fant Starting to Reach Potential
Noah Fant got more involved than in other games, seeing six targets, and catching all of them for 63 yards. He led all receivers in Week 6 in yards over expectation and he could continue to have big fantasy days for a Seattle team that throws 68% of the time.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The Buck and Tuck Show
Despite Baker Mayfield continuing to put up massive passing games, it was young running backs Sean Tucker and Bucky Irving who stole the show in place of an injured Rachaad White. The two backs somehow combined for 297 yards and three touchdowns between them. White is another running back who is seriously close to losing his starting job.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The Calvin Ridley Doughnut
The Will Levis experience is encapsulated in one stat. Calvin Ridley had eight targets and no receptions on Sunday as he continues to be one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks we have ever seen. In terms of EPA per dropback, Levis is one of the five worst since the year 2000.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
McNichols McMissing
Despite playing more snaps than the previous week (22 to 15), Jeremy McNichols completely disappeared in an important game for the Commanders even with Brian Robinson Jr. out. After scoring three touchdowns in the last two weeks, McNichols touched the ball just twice for nine yards.
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite