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In Week 6 the Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams, and Vikings are all on bye. The timing couldn't have been better for De'Von Achane and Aaron Jones, who both left their Week 5 games with injuries. But Kareem Hunt may feel differently, he was just heating up. 

Hunt carried the ball 27 times for 102 yards on Monday night against the Saints and scored 18.7 PPR Fantasy points. While he was on the waiver in most leagues just two weeks ago, he now looks like a must-start running back who must be held through his bye week. There's a good chance we get a full month of Hunt as a starting running back in Fantasy before Isiah Pacheco returns.

With my first place teams this is the time of the year I like to go shopping on the bad teams for bye week or injured running backs that I can afford to stash until later in the year. Hunt doesn't exactly fit that profile because he has competition on the way and we don't expect him to be a starter in the Fantasy playoffs. But Achane, Jones, and Kyren Williams certainly fit the bill. Offer seventy-five cents on the dollar, help a struggling team win this week, and turn a profit when those backs return. Other backs I would be targeting with this strategy are Jonathan Brooks, Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey, and Jonathan Taylor. It might not hurt to kick the tires on Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson, just make sure you're buying low.

You'll find my projections for every running back on the slate over on Sportsline. 

Now, let's get to the rest of the Week 6 RB Preview:

Week 5 RB Preview
RB Preview
Who's Out

The following players are not being projected to play Week 6 at this time. Here's what it means:

NE New England • #38
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Antonio Gibson will be a top-12 back if Stevenson is out.
CIN Cincinnati • #31
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.
Chase Brown is a must-start back without Moss. If Moss plays, we'd still rather start Brown.
RB Preview
Numbers to know
  • 40%-- Tank Bigsby played a season-high 40% of the offensive snaps in Week 5 but Doug Pederson said Travis Etienne's shouldwee had a lot to do with that. 
  • 4.54 -- Antonio Gibson is averaging 4.54 yards after contact per rush. That ranks second behind Tank Bigsby.
  • 5.6 -- Chase Brown has averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Teammate Zack Moss is averaging 3.7 for the season.
  • 9 -- Kyren Williams and Derrick Henry both have nine rush attempts inside the five-yard line. Brian Robinson is the only other back with more than six.
  • 21.5% -- Alvin Kamara has a 21.5% target share, no other back is above 16%.
  • .05 -- Breece Hall is averaging less than a tenth of a yard before contact per rush. Only Tony Pollard has a lower mark.
RB Preview
Matchups that matter
Matchups that Matter
Projections powered by Sportsline
NYG N.Y. Giants • #29
Age: 24 • Experience: Rookie
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs CIN CIN -3.5 O/U 48.5
OPP VS RB
24th
PROJ PTS
14.1
RB RNK
21st
YTD Stats
RUYDS
158
REC
5
REYDS
42
TD
0
FPTS/G
5
JAC Jacksonville • #4
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ CHI CHI -2.5 O/U 44.5
OPP VS RB
24th
PROJ PTS
10.3
RB RNK
27th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
273
REC
1
REYDS
28
TD
2
FPTS/G
8.6
TEN Tennessee • #20
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs IND IND -1 O/U 43.5
OPP VS RB
25th
PROJ PTS
13.3
RB RNK
9th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
246
REC
13
REYDS
87
TD
2
FPTS/G
14.6
PIT Pittsburgh • #22
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ LV PIT -3 O/U 36.5
OPP VS RB
13th
PROJ PTS
11.8
RB RNK
19th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
270
REC
12
REYDS
119
TD
0
FPTS/G
10.2
ATL Atlanta • #7
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ CAR ATL -6 O/U 47.5
OPP VS RB
24th
PROJ PTS
16.8
RB RNK
6th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
285
REC
18
REYDS
151
TD
1
FPTS/G
13.5
NYJ N.Y. Jets • #20
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs BUF BUF -2.5 O/U 41
OPP VS RB
1st
PROJ PTS
15.7
RB RNK
10th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
197
REC
21
REYDS
148
TD
3
FPTS/G
14.3
RB Preview
Waiver Wire Targets
Week 6 Adds (RB Preview)
NYG N.Y. Giants • #29
Age: 24 • Experience: Rookie
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs CIN CIN -3.5 O/U 48.5
OPP VS RB
20th
RB RNK
21st
ROSTERED
43%
YTD Stats
RUYDS
158
REC
5
REYDS
42
TD
0
FPTS/G
5
We don't know for sure if Devin Singletary will be back in Week 6, but I'm not sure it should matter. Tracy was electric in Week 5 against Seattle, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. If Singletary is out, we'll view Tracy as a good number two running back in a great matchup against the Bengals. If Singletary returns we'll view both backs as flexes with the expectation that Tracy's role is larger than it was before Singletary's injury.
JAC Jacksonville • #4
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ CHI CHI -2.5 O/U 44.5
OPP VS RB
14th
RB RNK
27th
ROSTERED
45%
YTD Stats
RUYDS
273
REC
1
REYDS
28
TD
2
FPTS/G
8.6
There should be no doubt that Bigsby is a must-add running back, but I was more excited about before I heard Doug Pederson talk. Travis Etienne is still very much the starter in Jacksonville and Bigsby is going to have to earn his touches on a weekly basis. I also don't believe there's much Bigsby can do to earn the work in the passing game, which is going to limit his upside in full PPR. He's a flex unless Etienne misses time.
TEN Tennessee • #2
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs IND IND -1 O/U 43.5
OPP VS RB
13th
RB RNK
33rd
ROSTERED
59%
YTD Stats
RUYDS
87
REC
12
REYDS
76
TD
1
FPTS/G
8.6
Spears scored double-digit PPR Fantasy points in each of his last two games before the Titans Week 5 bye. In Week 6 they face a Colts defense that has surrendered the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing running backs. View Spears like Bigsby, as a weekly flex with contingent upside if Tony Pollard misses time.
Stashes (RB Preview)
PIT Pittsburgh • #30
Age: 26 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ LV PIT -3 O/U 36.5
OPP VS RB
12th
RB RNK
NR
ROSTERED
53%
YTD Stats
RUYDS
54
REC
5
REYDS
28
TD
0
FPTS/G
4.5
We don't know when Jaylen Warren is coming back, but Najee Harris is not getting it done as a rusher and there's a chance Warren gets a chance at more touches when he's 100%. There's also a chance Russell Wilson takes over at quarterback by then which creates more running back targets.
RB Preview
DFS Plays
Top DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
CIN Cincinnati • #30
Age: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ NYG CIN -3.5 O/U 48.5
OPP VS RB
29th
PROJ PTS
12.7
RB RNK
12th
YTD Stats
RUYDS
230
REC
10
REYDS
39
TD
3
FPTS/G
11.4
Brown has the third-highest explosive run rate in the NFL at 17.1% and 47.4% of his rushes have gone for at least five yards. He should probably be the lead back even if Moss is recovered from his ankle injury. Brown will be more of a contrarian play if Moss plays, and the chalk if Moss is out. I want him in my lineup either way.
Contrarian DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
NE New England • #4
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs HOU HOU -7 O/U 37.5
OPP VS RB
15th
PROJ PTS
8.6
RB RNK
23rd
YTD Stats
RUYDS
207
REC
8
REYDS
86
TD
0
FPTS/G
7.5
Gibson is a great contrarian play if Rhamondre Stevenson is able to play in Week 6. If now, Gibson and Brown form a superb tandem as a cheap backfield that you can stack star wide receivers around. The Texans have a good defense, but they have given up a touchdown to a back in four of five games this season.
RB Preview
Heath's Projections

My full set of Week 6 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You'll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 6. Projected stats for all starting running backs are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.