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Unpacking the NFL Week 6: The Stats You Need Now

By Published On: October 14th, 2025

by Carly Manger

Published On: October 14th, 2025

I am back for another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump every Monday*, unpacking different players and situations around the league.

*Due to unforeseen circumstances, Week 6’s edition has come to you on Tuesday. But hey, at least now I can include both Monday Night Football games!

This article was inspired by JJ Zachariason‘s Monday Dumps, so shout out to him and make sure to check him out!

Week 6 is over, and wow, some of those games made my eyes bleed (I am looking at you, Jets/Broncos). If the NFL is going to make us wake up early for games, at least try to make them good…

But I digress. We had some insane performances and more than a few duds. Also, my request to turn off injuries has apparently been denied.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 6 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 6: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Bam Bam Cam

As a Giants fan, I couldn’t be happier that Cam Skattebo is part of our team. The man is a human wrecking ball with enough energy to power all of New York City. He torched the Eagles on Thursday Night Football on 19 carries for 98 yards and three TDs (!!). He also caught both of his targets for 12 yards. So far this season, 66.9% of Skattebo’s yards come after contact. He is currently tied for third (with Kenneth Walker) in forced missed tackles among running backs (20), behind only Ashton Jeanty and Jonathan Taylor.

For anyone worried about Tyrone Tracy returning from injury, this is Cam’s backfield. Tracy only had four carries and was extremely inefficient with them (1.5 yards per carry). The only other Giant cutting into Skattebo’s rush share is his partner in crime, Jaxson Dart, who had 13 rush attempts for 58 yards and a TD.

Skattebo never stops

[image or embed]

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM

Sad-Quan

The Philadelphia offense is a mess this year. Saquon Barkley is definitely feeling the effects of that as he has yet to break 100 yards rushing in a game this season. Over the past two weeks, he has seen a combined 18 rush attempts (six in Week 5 and 12 in Week 6). For context, he has never seen below double-digit rush attempts as an Eagle before this season. It is worth noting that Saquon was listed on the injury report last week with a knee issue. It is possible he got hurt in Week 5 and the injury lingered into Week 6. The Eagles have 10 days between games, so hopefully we see a bounce-back in Saquon’s production.

Go-dert

Say hello to your TE1 for Week 6. Dallas Goedert took over this week as the Eagles’ leading pass catcher. He saw a team- and season-high 33.3% target share. He has been over 30% once this season (Week 1). Goedert has scored 62.5% of the Eagles’ passing TDs this season.

In Week 6, he caught nine of his 11 targets for 110 yards and a TD. Goedert only had one game in 2024 with 100+ receiving yards. Until this Eagles offense figures out what it wants to do, he is a must-start every week.

Book Club

Despite averaging at 25.6% team target share this season, A.J. Brown has only had double-digit fantasy points in two of six weeks. Brown is currently on a 17-game pace for 127 targets, 71 receptions, 777 yards and three TDs. Gross. For context, that would rank him as the WR44 in 2024. Smack dab between Michael Pittman and Deebo Samuel with 131.2 Half-PPR points. That is a far cry from where you drafted him (around WR10).

Not The Ratio You Want

For anyone awake Sunday morning to watch the monstrosity that was the Jets/Broncos game, I am sorry. I wish I could have those hours back, too. If you were subjected to it, you probably already know that Justin Fields had the same number of completions as he took sacks (nine). You also probably already know that the Jets ended up with -10 net passing yards (oof). What you may not know is that Fields had an average of 3.95 seconds to throw on Sunday before being sacked. To put it in context, Caleb Williams has the longest average time to throw at 3.05 seconds for the season, with the median average at 2.65 seconds for the rest of the league.

Knee-Jerk Reaction

After putting up impressive numbers in Weeks 4 and 5, Mason Taylor was a total bust in Week 6. If you picked him up off of the waiver wire and started him, you were not happy. He caught his lone target for two total yards. Now, as you saw above, the Jets were atrocious, so it is not entirely his fault. He is still worth rostering, but proceed with caution. With the rest of the team, Garrett Wilson also suffered. Despite seeing a 47.1% team target share (insane), he ended up with a measly 2.8 Half-PPR points. It is worth noting that Wilson was dealing with a knee injury throughout the game.

Never Trust Sean Payton

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin had been ping-ponging each week in target share. Well, in proper Sean Payton form, the pattern continued. Sure, the disparity between the two wasn’t as extreme this week, but I chalk that up to the fact that neither one of them was the top target in this offense in Week 6. That spot belongs to Evan Engram with 20% of team targets.

The only other thing worth mentioning from this game (because, truly, we do not need to spend more time talking about it) is that eight different Broncos’ players had at least one carry. Barf. Moving on.

PPR-King

Every year, there is one. This season, Chris Olave has been deemed the PPR-scam artist. He is truly living up to his title. Despite having eight more targets than Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he has less than half of the receiving yards (696 to 342).

Olave is averaging a 29.5% team target share and has been above 31% the past two weeks (31.3% and 38.5%, respectively).

All Saints

Since Week 3, Juwan Johnson hasn’t seen above a 10.5% team target share. The biggest beneficiaries of his decreased production have been Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara, who have both seen their target shares increase over those weeks.

It is worth noting that Juwan Johnson has been battling an ankle injury, but I think that his decline is more tied to Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau returning from PUP (physically unable to perform).

Split Continues

The trend of Kendre Miller getting more involved in New Orleans continued in Week 6. His snap share actually decreased slightly from Week 5 (down to 37.3% from 41.9%), but he only saw two fewer carries than Kamara in Week 6 (10 vs. 8). Kamara has continued his role as the pass-catching back for the Saints, but in terms of the ground game, Miller is starting to become a staple.

Bouttee Rockin’ Everywhere

After a standout revenge game in Week 5, Stefon Diggs was a dud in Week 6. He caught all three of his targets for only 28 yards. Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas were the target hogs in this game. Both Boutte and Douglas saw season-high target shares (19.2% and 15.4%, respectively). No other Patriot saw a team target share above 11.5%.

Boutte is averaging a 68% route share on the season. He is worth adding in every format.

Waiting Game

The wait for the TreVeyon Henderson breakout continues. Henderson only played 29.3% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in Week 6, down from 48.2% in Week 5. Rhamondre Stevenson actually had his highest snap share percentage of the season in Week 6 at 70.7%. Stevenson led the backfield with 13 carries for 18 yards (1.4 yards per carry). Henderson was more efficient on the ground, nine carries for 27 yards (3.0 yards per carry). That said, neither was the team’s leading rusher; that honor belongs to Drake Maye, aka Lil’Tom Brady, who had nine carries for 28 yards. This is the second time this season Drake Maye has led his team in rushing (Week 3).

Reality Check

After an insanely hot start to his rookie career, Quinshon Judkins finally came back down to earth momentarily. The Steelers defense has allowed the 9th fewest total rushing yards this season (553). Judkins took his 12 carries for only 36 yards and failed to catch his lone target. Sure, this can largely be attributed to the Browns deciding to have Dillon Gabriel throw the ball 52 (!!) times, but Judkins was also inefficient with his touches.

That being said, Judkins is in a SMASH spot in Week 7 vs. the worst rush defense in the league, the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed 1,011 yards to running backs through six weeks.

Fannin’ The Flames

David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, and while he came back into the game, he was pretty uninvolved. Since Dillon Gabriel took over at QB, Njoku and Harold Fannin have almost identical stats.

  • Each has seen a 16.5% target share
  • Njoku has 95 receiving yards to Fannin’s 94 yards
  • Njoku is averaging 6.79 yards per target to Fannin’s 6.71 yards per target
  • They each have one TD

In that time, Njoku and Fannin have accounted for 20 receptions, 189 yards, and two touchdowns. In the same span, all of the Browns’ WRs combined have 16 receptions, 153 yards, and zero touchdowns.

If Njoku misses time, Fannin is a must-add and must start.

Quality > Quantity

D.K. Metcalf leads all qualified* WR/TEs in yards after the catch (YAC) with 11.95 yards per reception (min. 10 receptions). Metcalf also leads all qualified* WRs in YAC over expected (YACOE) with 130 yards. He is currently averaging 18.7 yards per reception.

Through six weeks, Metcalf has 19 receptions and four TDs. That means he is scoring a TD on 21% of his catches.

In Week 6, he saw a team and season-high 30% target share. No other Steeler saw a team target share above 16.7%.

*Qualifed = min. 10 receptions

Back On Top

After Kenneth Gainwell‘s insane Week 4 performance, Jaylen Warren returned from the bye healthy and reclaimed his role as the lead rushing back for the Steelers. He out-carried Gainwell 11 to 6. However, Gainwell maintained his work in the receiving game, out-targeting Warren six to two.

Saved By The Bell

Sunday morning, Adam Schefter sent fantasy managers into a tailspin when he reported that Zonovan Knight, aka Bam Knight, would lead the backfield for the Cardinals. Lo and behold, Michael Carter played every snap of the first drive *cue panic.*

Luckily for Schefter, fantasy managers put their pitchforks down as Knight ended up playing more snaps than Carter, 37 to 32, had more rush attempts, 11 to nine, and scored a TD.

This backfield will likely continue as a two-headed monster moving forward, with Knight being the lead rusher and Carter being more involved in the passing game (2/4-30 in Week 6).

Making His Mark

Tyler Warren continues to prove himself week after week, not only as a rookie but as one of the best TEs in the league. He currently leads all TEs in receiving yards (370). Warren is currently on pace for 82 receptions, 1,048 yards, and 8.5 TDs (this includes both rushing and receiving TDs since he is used both ways). This finish would rank him as the TE3 in 2024, ahead of Trey McBride, and the WR14 in 2024, tied with Davante Adams (196.8 Half-PPR points).

A Man On A Mission

Rico Dowdle continues to run with violence (per his HC). In Week 6, he had a career high in carries (30), he set the Panthers record for most single-game scrimmage yards (239), and became the first player with 200+ yards from scrimmage in back-to-back games since Dalvin Cook in 2020.

Dowdle has more rushing yards in the last two weeks (389) than Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey and Chase Brown have individually on the season. He ranks 3rd in total rush yards this season (472) behind only Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams. 152 of those yards have come from rushes that go for 15+ yards.

First Time

In Week 6, rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan finally caught his first NFL TD (he actually caught two).

He is averaging a team-high 22.4% target share on the season.

New Home

In the three weeks CeeDee Lamb has been out with a high ankle sprain, George Pickens has averaged a 25.2% target share, caught 19 passes for 359 yards, and scored four TDs.

He has 43.9% of the team receiving yards in that span. He has already surpassed his career high in TDs in a season (five in 2023; he currently has six in six games). He has only been below 15 Half-PPR points twice this season. Pickens has truly found a new home in Dallas, and it appears they are using him to his fullest potential.

Garafolo Was Wrong

Just like the breaking news posted by Schefter on Sunday morning about the Arizona backfield, Mike Garafolo reported that Hassan Haskins would lead the Chargers backfield in Week 6. Unlike Schefter, he was incorrect. Kimani Vidal played 67.2% of snaps to Haskins’ 31.3%, Vidal had 18 carries to Haskins’ six, and Vidal out-targeted him four to one.

Vidal put up insane numbers on Sunday — 18 carries, 124 yards, three receptions, 14 yards and a TD. Granted, they played the Dolphins, who by far have the worst rushing defense. Regardless, Vidal was on the practice squad less than a week ago.

New Face In LA

In Week 6, Quentin Johnston was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Yes, this meant a bump for Ladd McConkey, who caught seven of his season-high nine targets for 100 yards and a TD. It also translated to a bump for TE Oronde Gadsden, who caught seven of his season-high eight targets for 68 yards. He ran a route on 69.2% of the team’s dropbacks, tied with Keenan Allen. Gadsden also saw a team-high 31.6% of the Chargers’ first-read targets.

Fast and Furious

Week 6 was De’Von Achane‘s first 100-yard rushing game of the season. He only had two in 2024, in Weeks 16 and 18. All three games featured at least a 49-yard run. Despite the Dolphins’ struggles, Achane has yet to have below 12.6 Half-PPR points this season.

Achane currently has more all-purpose yards this year than Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley.

The Wallrus And The Penguin

Since coming out of retirement, Darren Waller has caught 10 passes for 117 yards and four TDs. Over the past three weeks, his target share has gone from 16% to 13.9% to 9.1%, not the trend you want to see. However, over the same span, his route participation has increased from 37% to 65% to 75%. He is their red-zone guy and will continue to score TDs until a team stops him.

Since Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury, Jaylen Waddle has seen a 24.6% target share.

He Got His Swagger Back

FINALLY. Derrick Henry managers rejoice (kind of). It may not have been his best fantasy performance, but Henry still put up 122 yards on 24 carries in Week 6. The Ravens’ goal-line usage of Henry will continue to confuse me. I do not understand why you run the “tush push” twice with your TE when you have the King on your team. Alas, it is not for me to understand.

Expect a bump in production from Henry once Lamar Jackson returns (most likely after the Week 7 bye).

Black Hawk Down

In Week 6, the injury devil took our beloved Puka Nacua. Thankfully, it seems like a minor injury that may only keep him out a week. He did return to the game, but he only played six snaps after his injury.

With Puka hurt, Devante Adams saw a 34.6% team target share. That sounds great on paper, but he only converted that into four receptions for 39 yards (5.9 Half-PPR points).

FINALLY

It happened. It finally happened. Brian Thomas caught a TD. He would have had two, but his 55-yard TD got called back on an offside penalty committed by Travis Hunter. In Week 6, he saw a season-high 37% of the team’s first-read targets.

Split Continues

The two-headed backfield in Seattle continues week after week. On the season, Zach Charbonnet is averaging a 54.9% snap share, a 44.1% rush share, and 38.6% route participation. He has 60 carries for 156 yards and three TDs, and four catches for 30 yards.

The other half of this duo, Kenneth Walker, is averaging a 42.4% snap share, a 46.2% rush share, and 27.6% route participation. He has 78 carries for 364 yards and three TDs, and eight catches for 61 yards.

It is worth noting that Zach Charbonnet missed Week 3 with a foot injury, so Walker has played one more game.

Just So Nice

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has fully emerged this season. He is everything people hoped he would be and more since he was drafted back in 2023. He currently leads all receivers in yards (696). Puka Nacua is 2nd with 616 yards. After Nacua, who didn’t play the whole game in Week 6, George Pickens is in 3rd with 525 yards. That is a 171-yard gap between 1st and 3rd.

Over the past three weeks, JSN has an average separation score of 0.309. To put it in context, the next highest is Tetairoa McMillan in the same span, with an average separation score of 0.184.

An Absolute Mess

After watching the Jets/Broncos game earlier in the day, I didn’t think it could get worse. Technically, it didn’t since we got more points, but the Raiders/Titans game was a close second. Due to the mess this game was, everyone is being grouped together in this section.

Titans

The Titans fired their HC Brian Callahan after this game. Anything we have seen out of the Titans up until this point is subject to change. That being said, Van Jefferson was the target leader after Calvin Ridley injured his hamstring early in the game. Jefferson caught four of his six targets for 75 yards.

Raiders

Geno Smith is the first QB to reach double-digit INTs on the season (10). It’s Week 6.

With Brock Bowers sidelined, Michael Mayer saw a team and season-high target share of 30.4%. He caught five of his seven targets for 50 yards and a TD.

Ashton Jeanty is still awesome and will continue to be as long as the Raiders allow him to keep his Michael Meyers stance. This may sound like a joke, but it’s not. In games without this stance, he averaged 16 carries, 48 yards and 0.3 TDs. With his signature stance, he is averaging 19 carries, 93 yards and 0.67 TDs.

It's no coincidence Ashton Jeanty returned to his <a rel=

Deja Vu

In Week 6, somehow, Kendrick Bourne managed nearly an identical output to his Week 5 numbers.

Week 5: 10 receptions, 142 yards

Week 6: 5 receptions, 142 yards

Injury Central

With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving sidelined, Cade Otton had his best game of the season. Emeka Egbuka also injured his hamstring midgame and did not return. Apparently, the injury bug has come for another red team, not just the 49ers.

I digress. In Week 6, Otton saw a team and season-high 26.1% target share and ran a route on 84% of the team’s dropbacks.

Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving have already (more or less) been ruled out for Week 7. Cade Otton is a must-start.

It is also worth noting that Kameron Johnson, who had not seen a single target this season before Week 6, caught all four of his targets for 64 yards and a TD.

Tez Johnson also had an insanely cool TD. Check it out:

Old Man And The AFC

Joe Flacco has now started for three of the four AFC North teams. In his first start as a Bengal, he completed 64% of his passes for 219 yards and two TDS.

Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown seem to be trending up with Flacco under center.

Romeo And The Golden Boy

In Week 6, both Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden saw season-high target shares.

Doubs had a 34.6% team target share. He caught five of his nine targets for 55 yards. Meh.

Golden had a 19.2% team target share. He caught three of his five targets for 86 yards.

As is tradition with the Packers, this can change on any given week.

There are only two players that you can trust weekly for the Packers: Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft.

Old Man Strength

When I think about Travis Kelce, my mind no longer goes to the explosive plays he used to make. Much to my surprise, he is currently tied for 2nd with Sam LaPorta in YAC among all qualified TEs with 181 yards.

In Week 6, he had a team and season-high target share of 23.3%.

All bets are off with Rashee Rice set to return from suspension in Week 7.

No Fun League

David Montgomery‘s passing stat line if the league were fun: two passes, two TDs. Unfortunately, his second pass/TD got called back after an unusually lengthy discussion and an illegal formation penalty.

That being said, he saw a season low of four carries in Week 6. I think this was very game-script-dependent, and thankfully, the Lions don’t have to play the Chiefs every week.

Bear Down

Early in last night’s Monday Night Football game, D.J. Moore looked like he was cooking. Unfortunately, he was injured mid-game and spent the night in a DC-area hospital for precautionary medical attention.

Due to Moore’s injury and Caleb Williams’ love for throwing the ball to Rome Odunze in double coverage, Luther Burden was the top WR for the Bears for the week. He caught all four of his targets for 51 yards.

Olamide Zaccheaus actually had the highest team target share on the week with 20.7%, but he only managed to haul in two of his six targets for 24 yards.

Swifty

Above, I said that Luther Burden was the top WR of the week for the Bears. However, D’Andre Swift was actually the top pass-catcher in terms of yards. He caught two of his three targets for 67 yards and a TD.

In Week 6, Swift had by far his best game of the season. He took his 14 carries for 108 yards. Before Week 6, he was averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Last night, he averaged 7.7 yards per carry.

Butterfinger Bill

Fan favorite Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, has finally taken over the backfield in Washington. However, with great power comes great responsibility. He is a rookie, so he may get more leniency than others, but he needs to work on his ball control. He has a fumble in each of his games as a starter.

That being said, he is still awesome. He is currently 3rd in rush yards over expected per attempt through six weeks (1.34), behind Bijan Robinson (1.57) and David Montgomery (1.98).

Rough Night

It was a rough outing for the Bills.

Their leading receiver was Josh Palmer with two catches for 60 yards. He didn’t play a snap after the third play of the second quarter.

We will check back in with the Bills after their bye.

London On Fire

Drake London had an INSANE first half last night.

Drake London’s best game of his career:

Week 18 of the 2024 season: 10-187-2

Tonight:

Week 6 of the 2025 season: 9-147-1*

*In the first half

— Carly Manger (@cincodemanger.bsky.social) October 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM

He saw a 46.9% team target share with no other Falcons’ WR/TE seeing above a 12.5% team target share.

The Falcons didn’t need to rely on his talents as much in the 2nd half, as he was only targeted four times, catching one for 11 yards.

Bijan!!!!

If Drake London’s stats weren’t exciting enough for you, allow me to present Bijan Robinson. He had 238 total yards on 25 touches and one TD.

Bijan is currently on pace for 282 carries, 1,646 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs, 82 receptions, 1,149 receiving yards, and three receiving TDs. Those are INSANE numbers.

There have only been three RBs in NFL history who have had both 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards: Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk, and Christian McCaffrey. If Bijan keeps this up, he will join elite company.

Fun fact: His 238 scrimmage yards are still 1 yard short of what Rico Dowdle did this week.

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

I am back for another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump every Monday*, unpacking different players and situations around the league.

*Due to unforeseen circumstances, Week 6’s edition has come to you on Tuesday. But hey, at least now I can include both Monday Night Football games!

This article was inspired by JJ Zachariason‘s Monday Dumps, so shout out to him and make sure to check him out!

Week 6 is over, and wow, some of those games made my eyes bleed (I am looking at you, Jets/Broncos). If the NFL is going to make us wake up early for games, at least try to make them good…

But I digress. We had some insane performances and more than a few duds. Also, my request to turn off injuries has apparently been denied.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 6 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 6: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Bam Bam Cam

As a Giants fan, I couldn’t be happier that Cam Skattebo is part of our team. The man is a human wrecking ball with enough energy to power all of New York City. He torched the Eagles on Thursday Night Football on 19 carries for 98 yards and three TDs (!!). He also caught both of his targets for 12 yards. So far this season, 66.9% of Skattebo’s yards come after contact. He is currently tied for third (with Kenneth Walker) in forced missed tackles among running backs (20), behind only Ashton Jeanty and Jonathan Taylor.

For anyone worried about Tyrone Tracy returning from injury, this is Cam’s backfield. Tracy only had four carries and was extremely inefficient with them (1.5 yards per carry). The only other Giant cutting into Skattebo’s rush share is his partner in crime, Jaxson Dart, who had 13 rush attempts for 58 yards and a TD.

Skattebo never stops

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— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM

Sad-Quan

The Philadelphia offense is a mess this year. Saquon Barkley is definitely feeling the effects of that as he has yet to break 100 yards rushing in a game this season. Over the past two weeks, he has seen a combined 18 rush attempts (six in Week 5 and 12 in Week 6). For context, he has never seen below double-digit rush attempts as an Eagle before this season. It is worth noting that Saquon was listed on the injury report last week with a knee issue. It is possible he got hurt in Week 5 and the injury lingered into Week 6. The Eagles have 10 days between games, so hopefully we see a bounce-back in Saquon’s production.

Go-dert

Say hello to your TE1 for Week 6. Dallas Goedert took over this week as the Eagles’ leading pass catcher. He saw a team- and season-high 33.3% target share. He has been over 30% once this season (Week 1). Goedert has scored 62.5% of the Eagles’ passing TDs this season.

In Week 6, he caught nine of his 11 targets for 110 yards and a TD. Goedert only had one game in 2024 with 100+ receiving yards. Until this Eagles offense figures out what it wants to do, he is a must-start every week.

Book Club

Despite averaging at 25.6% team target share this season, A.J. Brown has only had double-digit fantasy points in two of six weeks. Brown is currently on a 17-game pace for 127 targets, 71 receptions, 777 yards and three TDs. Gross. For context, that would rank him as the WR44 in 2024. Smack dab between Michael Pittman and Deebo Samuel with 131.2 Half-PPR points. That is a far cry from where you drafted him (around WR10).

Not The Ratio You Want

For anyone awake Sunday morning to watch the monstrosity that was the Jets/Broncos game, I am sorry. I wish I could have those hours back, too. If you were subjected to it, you probably already know that Justin Fields had the same number of completions as he took sacks (nine). You also probably already know that the Jets ended up with -10 net passing yards (oof). What you may not know is that Fields had an average of 3.95 seconds to throw on Sunday before being sacked. To put it in context, Caleb Williams has the longest average time to throw at 3.05 seconds for the season, with the median average at 2.65 seconds for the rest of the league.

Knee-Jerk Reaction

After putting up impressive numbers in Weeks 4 and 5, Mason Taylor was a total bust in Week 6. If you picked him up off of the waiver wire and started him, you were not happy. He caught his lone target for two total yards. Now, as you saw above, the Jets were atrocious, so it is not entirely his fault. He is still worth rostering, but proceed with caution. With the rest of the team, Garrett Wilson also suffered. Despite seeing a 47.1% team target share (insane), he ended up with a measly 2.8 Half-PPR points. It is worth noting that Wilson was dealing with a knee injury throughout the game.

Never Trust Sean Payton

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin had been ping-ponging each week in target share. Well, in proper Sean Payton form, the pattern continued. Sure, the disparity between the two wasn’t as extreme this week, but I chalk that up to the fact that neither one of them was the top target in this offense in Week 6. That spot belongs to Evan Engram with 20% of team targets.

The only other thing worth mentioning from this game (because, truly, we do not need to spend more time talking about it) is that eight different Broncos’ players had at least one carry. Barf. Moving on.

PPR-King

Every year, there is one. This season, Chris Olave has been deemed the PPR-scam artist. He is truly living up to his title. Despite having eight more targets than Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he has less than half of the receiving yards (696 to 342).

Olave is averaging a 29.5% team target share and has been above 31% the past two weeks (31.3% and 38.5%, respectively).

All Saints

Since Week 3, Juwan Johnson hasn’t seen above a 10.5% team target share. The biggest beneficiaries of his decreased production have been Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara, who have both seen their target shares increase over those weeks.

It is worth noting that Juwan Johnson has been battling an ankle injury, but I think that his decline is more tied to Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau returning from PUP (physically unable to perform).

Split Continues

The trend of Kendre Miller getting more involved in New Orleans continued in Week 6. His snap share actually decreased slightly from Week 5 (down to 37.3% from 41.9%), but he only saw two fewer carries than Kamara in Week 6 (10 vs. 8). Kamara has continued his role as the pass-catching back for the Saints, but in terms of the ground game, Miller is starting to become a staple.

Bouttee Rockin’ Everywhere

After a standout revenge game in Week 5, Stefon Diggs was a dud in Week 6. He caught all three of his targets for only 28 yards. Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas were the target hogs in this game. Both Boutte and Douglas saw season-high target shares (19.2% and 15.4%, respectively). No other Patriot saw a team target share above 11.5%.

Boutte is averaging a 68% route share on the season. He is worth adding in every format.

Waiting Game

The wait for the TreVeyon Henderson breakout continues. Henderson only played 29.3% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in Week 6, down from 48.2% in Week 5. Rhamondre Stevenson actually had his highest snap share percentage of the season in Week 6 at 70.7%. Stevenson led the backfield with 13 carries for 18 yards (1.4 yards per carry). Henderson was more efficient on the ground, nine carries for 27 yards (3.0 yards per carry). That said, neither was the team’s leading rusher; that honor belongs to Drake Maye, aka Lil’Tom Brady, who had nine carries for 28 yards. This is the second time this season Drake Maye has led his team in rushing (Week 3).

Reality Check

After an insanely hot start to his rookie career, Quinshon Judkins finally came back down to earth momentarily. The Steelers defense has allowed the 9th fewest total rushing yards this season (553). Judkins took his 12 carries for only 36 yards and failed to catch his lone target. Sure, this can largely be attributed to the Browns deciding to have Dillon Gabriel throw the ball 52 (!!) times, but Judkins was also inefficient with his touches.

That being said, Judkins is in a SMASH spot in Week 7 vs. the worst rush defense in the league, the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed 1,011 yards to running backs through six weeks.

Fannin’ The Flames

David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, and while he came back into the game, he was pretty uninvolved. Since Dillon Gabriel took over at QB, Njoku and Harold Fannin have almost identical stats.

  • Each has seen a 16.5% target share
  • Njoku has 95 receiving yards to Fannin’s 94 yards
  • Njoku is averaging 6.79 yards per target to Fannin’s 6.71 yards per target
  • They each have one TD

In that time, Njoku and Fannin have accounted for 20 receptions, 189 yards, and two touchdowns. In the same span, all of the Browns’ WRs combined have 16 receptions, 153 yards, and zero touchdowns.

If Njoku misses time, Fannin is a must-add and must start.

Quality > Quantity

D.K. Metcalf leads all qualified* WR/TEs in yards after the catch (YAC) with 11.95 yards per reception (min. 10 receptions). Metcalf also leads all qualified* WRs in YAC over expected (YACOE) with 130 yards. He is currently averaging 18.7 yards per reception.

Through six weeks, Metcalf has 19 receptions and four TDs. That means he is scoring a TD on 21% of his catches.

In Week 6, he saw a team and season-high 30% target share. No other Steeler saw a team target share above 16.7%.

*Qualifed = min. 10 receptions

Back On Top

After Kenneth Gainwell‘s insane Week 4 performance, Jaylen Warren returned from the bye healthy and reclaimed his role as the lead rushing back for the Steelers. He out-carried Gainwell 11 to 6. However, Gainwell maintained his work in the receiving game, out-targeting Warren six to two.

Saved By The Bell

Sunday morning, Adam Schefter sent fantasy managers into a tailspin when he reported that Zonovan Knight, aka Bam Knight, would lead the backfield for the Cardinals. Lo and behold, Michael Carter played every snap of the first drive *cue panic.*

Luckily for Schefter, fantasy managers put their pitchforks down as Knight ended up playing more snaps than Carter, 37 to 32, had more rush attempts, 11 to nine, and scored a TD.

This backfield will likely continue as a two-headed monster moving forward, with Knight being the lead rusher and Carter being more involved in the passing game (2/4-30 in Week 6).

Making His Mark

Tyler Warren continues to prove himself week after week, not only as a rookie but as one of the best TEs in the league. He currently leads all TEs in receiving yards (370). Warren is currently on pace for 82 receptions, 1,048 yards, and 8.5 TDs (this includes both rushing and receiving TDs since he is used both ways). This finish would rank him as the TE3 in 2024, ahead of Trey McBride, and the WR14 in 2024, tied with Davante Adams (196.8 Half-PPR points).

A Man On A Mission

Rico Dowdle continues to run with violence (per his HC). In Week 6, he had a career high in carries (30), he set the Panthers record for most single-game scrimmage yards (239), and became the first player with 200+ yards from scrimmage in back-to-back games since Dalvin Cook in 2020.

Dowdle has more rushing yards in the last two weeks (389) than Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey and Chase Brown have individually on the season. He ranks 3rd in total rush yards this season (472) behind only Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams. 152 of those yards have come from rushes that go for 15+ yards.

First Time

In Week 6, rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan finally caught his first NFL TD (he actually caught two).

He is averaging a team-high 22.4% target share on the season.

New Home

In the three weeks CeeDee Lamb has been out with a high ankle sprain, George Pickens has averaged a 25.2% target share, caught 19 passes for 359 yards, and scored four TDs.

He has 43.9% of the team receiving yards in that span. He has already surpassed his career high in TDs in a season (five in 2023; he currently has six in six games). He has only been below 15 Half-PPR points twice this season. Pickens has truly found a new home in Dallas, and it appears they are using him to his fullest potential.

Garafolo Was Wrong

Just like the breaking news posted by Schefter on Sunday morning about the Arizona backfield, Mike Garafolo reported that Hassan Haskins would lead the Chargers backfield in Week 6. Unlike Schefter, he was incorrect. Kimani Vidal played 67.2% of snaps to Haskins’ 31.3%, Vidal had 18 carries to Haskins’ six, and Vidal out-targeted him four to one.

Vidal put up insane numbers on Sunday — 18 carries, 124 yards, three receptions, 14 yards and a TD. Granted, they played the Dolphins, who by far have the worst rushing defense. Regardless, Vidal was on the practice squad less than a week ago.

New Face In LA

In Week 6, Quentin Johnston was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Yes, this meant a bump for Ladd McConkey, who caught seven of his season-high nine targets for 100 yards and a TD. It also translated to a bump for TE Oronde Gadsden, who caught seven of his season-high eight targets for 68 yards. He ran a route on 69.2% of the team’s dropbacks, tied with Keenan Allen. Gadsden also saw a team-high 31.6% of the Chargers’ first-read targets.

Fast and Furious

Week 6 was De’Von Achane‘s first 100-yard rushing game of the season. He only had two in 2024, in Weeks 16 and 18. All three games featured at least a 49-yard run. Despite the Dolphins’ struggles, Achane has yet to have below 12.6 Half-PPR points this season.

Achane currently has more all-purpose yards this year than Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley.

The Wallrus And The Penguin

Since coming out of retirement, Darren Waller has caught 10 passes for 117 yards and four TDs. Over the past three weeks, his target share has gone from 16% to 13.9% to 9.1%, not the trend you want to see. However, over the same span, his route participation has increased from 37% to 65% to 75%. He is their red-zone guy and will continue to score TDs until a team stops him.

Since Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury, Jaylen Waddle has seen a 24.6% target share.

He Got His Swagger Back

FINALLY. Derrick Henry managers rejoice (kind of). It may not have been his best fantasy performance, but Henry still put up 122 yards on 24 carries in Week 6. The Ravens’ goal-line usage of Henry will continue to confuse me. I do not understand why you run the “tush push” twice with your TE when you have the King on your team. Alas, it is not for me to understand.

Expect a bump in production from Henry once Lamar Jackson returns (most likely after the Week 7 bye).

Black Hawk Down

In Week 6, the injury devil took our beloved Puka Nacua. Thankfully, it seems like a minor injury that may only keep him out a week. He did return to the game, but he only played six snaps after his injury.

With Puka hurt, Devante Adams saw a 34.6% team target share. That sounds great on paper, but he only converted that into four receptions for 39 yards (5.9 Half-PPR points).

FINALLY

It happened. It finally happened. Brian Thomas caught a TD. He would have had two, but his 55-yard TD got called back on an offside penalty committed by Travis Hunter. In Week 6, he saw a season-high 37% of the team’s first-read targets.

Split Continues

The two-headed backfield in Seattle continues week after week. On the season, Zach Charbonnet is averaging a 54.9% snap share, a 44.1% rush share, and 38.6% route participation. He has 60 carries for 156 yards and three TDs, and four catches for 30 yards.

The other half of this duo, Kenneth Walker, is averaging a 42.4% snap share, a 46.2% rush share, and 27.6% route participation. He has 78 carries for 364 yards and three TDs, and eight catches for 61 yards.

It is worth noting that Zach Charbonnet missed Week 3 with a foot injury, so Walker has played one more game.

Just So Nice

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has fully emerged this season. He is everything people hoped he would be and more since he was drafted back in 2023. He currently leads all receivers in yards (696). Puka Nacua is 2nd with 616 yards. After Nacua, who didn’t play the whole game in Week 6, George Pickens is in 3rd with 525 yards. That is a 171-yard gap between 1st and 3rd.

Over the past three weeks, JSN has an average separation score of 0.309. To put it in context, the next highest is Tetairoa McMillan in the same span, with an average separation score of 0.184.

An Absolute Mess

After watching the Jets/Broncos game earlier in the day, I didn’t think it could get worse. Technically, it didn’t since we got more points, but the Raiders/Titans game was a close second. Due to the mess this game was, everyone is being grouped together in this section.

Titans

The Titans fired their HC Brian Callahan after this game. Anything we have seen out of the Titans up until this point is subject to change. That being said, Van Jefferson was the target leader after Calvin Ridley injured his hamstring early in the game. Jefferson caught four of his six targets for 75 yards.

Raiders

Geno Smith is the first QB to reach double-digit INTs on the season (10). It’s Week 6.

With Brock Bowers sidelined, Michael Mayer saw a team and season-high target share of 30.4%. He caught five of his seven targets for 50 yards and a TD.

Ashton Jeanty is still awesome and will continue to be as long as the Raiders allow him to keep his Michael Meyers stance. This may sound like a joke, but it’s not. In games without this stance, he averaged 16 carries, 48 yards and 0.3 TDs. With his signature stance, he is averaging 19 carries, 93 yards and 0.67 TDs.

It's no coincidence Ashton Jeanty returned to his <a rel=

Deja Vu

In Week 6, somehow, Kendrick Bourne managed nearly an identical output to his Week 5 numbers.

Week 5: 10 receptions, 142 yards

Week 6: 5 receptions, 142 yards

Injury Central

With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving sidelined, Cade Otton had his best game of the season. Emeka Egbuka also injured his hamstring midgame and did not return. Apparently, the injury bug has come for another red team, not just the 49ers.

I digress. In Week 6, Otton saw a team and season-high 26.1% target share and ran a route on 84% of the team’s dropbacks.

Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving have already (more or less) been ruled out for Week 7. Cade Otton is a must-start.

It is also worth noting that Kameron Johnson, who had not seen a single target this season before Week 6, caught all four of his targets for 64 yards and a TD.

Tez Johnson also had an insanely cool TD. Check it out:

Old Man And The AFC

Joe Flacco has now started for three of the four AFC North teams. In his first start as a Bengal, he completed 64% of his passes for 219 yards and two TDS.

Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown seem to be trending up with Flacco under center.

Romeo And The Golden Boy

In Week 6, both Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden saw season-high target shares.

Doubs had a 34.6% team target share. He caught five of his nine targets for 55 yards. Meh.

Golden had a 19.2% team target share. He caught three of his five targets for 86 yards.

As is tradition with the Packers, this can change on any given week.

There are only two players that you can trust weekly for the Packers: Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft.

Old Man Strength

When I think about Travis Kelce, my mind no longer goes to the explosive plays he used to make. Much to my surprise, he is currently tied for 2nd with Sam LaPorta in YAC among all qualified TEs with 181 yards.

In Week 6, he had a team and season-high target share of 23.3%.

All bets are off with Rashee Rice set to return from suspension in Week 7.

No Fun League

David Montgomery‘s passing stat line if the league were fun: two passes, two TDs. Unfortunately, his second pass/TD got called back after an unusually lengthy discussion and an illegal formation penalty.

That being said, he saw a season low of four carries in Week 6. I think this was very game-script-dependent, and thankfully, the Lions don’t have to play the Chiefs every week.

Bear Down

Early in last night’s Monday Night Football game, D.J. Moore looked like he was cooking. Unfortunately, he was injured mid-game and spent the night in a DC-area hospital for precautionary medical attention.

Due to Moore’s injury and Caleb Williams’ love for throwing the ball to Rome Odunze in double coverage, Luther Burden was the top WR for the Bears for the week. He caught all four of his targets for 51 yards.

Olamide Zaccheaus actually had the highest team target share on the week with 20.7%, but he only managed to haul in two of his six targets for 24 yards.

Swifty

Above, I said that Luther Burden was the top WR of the week for the Bears. However, D’Andre Swift was actually the top pass-catcher in terms of yards. He caught two of his three targets for 67 yards and a TD.

In Week 6, Swift had by far his best game of the season. He took his 14 carries for 108 yards. Before Week 6, he was averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Last night, he averaged 7.7 yards per carry.

Butterfinger Bill

Fan favorite Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, has finally taken over the backfield in Washington. However, with great power comes great responsibility. He is a rookie, so he may get more leniency than others, but he needs to work on his ball control. He has a fumble in each of his games as a starter.

That being said, he is still awesome. He is currently 3rd in rush yards over expected per attempt through six weeks (1.34), behind Bijan Robinson (1.57) and David Montgomery (1.98).

Rough Night

It was a rough outing for the Bills.

Their leading receiver was Josh Palmer with two catches for 60 yards. He didn’t play a snap after the third play of the second quarter.

We will check back in with the Bills after their bye.

London On Fire

Drake London had an INSANE first half last night.

Drake London’s best game of his career:

Week 18 of the 2024 season: 10-187-2

Tonight:

Week 6 of the 2025 season: 9-147-1*

*In the first half

— Carly Manger (@cincodemanger.bsky.social) October 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM

He saw a 46.9% team target share with no other Falcons’ WR/TE seeing above a 12.5% team target share.

The Falcons didn’t need to rely on his talents as much in the 2nd half, as he was only targeted four times, catching one for 11 yards.

Bijan!!!!

If Drake London’s stats weren’t exciting enough for you, allow me to present Bijan Robinson. He had 238 total yards on 25 touches and one TD.

Bijan is currently on pace for 282 carries, 1,646 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs, 82 receptions, 1,149 receiving yards, and three receiving TDs. Those are INSANE numbers.

There have only been three RBs in NFL history who have had both 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards: Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk, and Christian McCaffrey. If Bijan keeps this up, he will join elite company.

Fun fact: His 238 scrimmage yards are still 1 yard short of what Rico Dowdle did this week.

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

I am back for another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump every Monday*, unpacking different players and situations around the league.

*Due to unforeseen circumstances, Week 6’s edition has come to you on Tuesday. But hey, at least now I can include both Monday Night Football games!

This article was inspired by JJ Zachariason‘s Monday Dumps, so shout out to him and make sure to check him out!

Week 6 is over, and wow, some of those games made my eyes bleed (I am looking at you, Jets/Broncos). If the NFL is going to make us wake up early for games, at least try to make them good…

But I digress. We had some insane performances and more than a few duds. Also, my request to turn off injuries has apparently been denied.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 6 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 6: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Bam Bam Cam

As a Giants fan, I couldn’t be happier that Cam Skattebo is part of our team. The man is a human wrecking ball with enough energy to power all of New York City. He torched the Eagles on Thursday Night Football on 19 carries for 98 yards and three TDs (!!). He also caught both of his targets for 12 yards. So far this season, 66.9% of Skattebo’s yards come after contact. He is currently tied for third (with Kenneth Walker) in forced missed tackles among running backs (20), behind only Ashton Jeanty and Jonathan Taylor.

For anyone worried about Tyrone Tracy returning from injury, this is Cam’s backfield. Tracy only had four carries and was extremely inefficient with them (1.5 yards per carry). The only other Giant cutting into Skattebo’s rush share is his partner in crime, Jaxson Dart, who had 13 rush attempts for 58 yards and a TD.

Skattebo never stops

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— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM

Sad-Quan

The Philadelphia offense is a mess this year. Saquon Barkley is definitely feeling the effects of that as he has yet to break 100 yards rushing in a game this season. Over the past two weeks, he has seen a combined 18 rush attempts (six in Week 5 and 12 in Week 6). For context, he has never seen below double-digit rush attempts as an Eagle before this season. It is worth noting that Saquon was listed on the injury report last week with a knee issue. It is possible he got hurt in Week 5 and the injury lingered into Week 6. The Eagles have 10 days between games, so hopefully we see a bounce-back in Saquon’s production.

Go-dert

Say hello to your TE1 for Week 6. Dallas Goedert took over this week as the Eagles’ leading pass catcher. He saw a team- and season-high 33.3% target share. He has been over 30% once this season (Week 1). Goedert has scored 62.5% of the Eagles’ passing TDs this season.

In Week 6, he caught nine of his 11 targets for 110 yards and a TD. Goedert only had one game in 2024 with 100+ receiving yards. Until this Eagles offense figures out what it wants to do, he is a must-start every week.

Book Club

Despite averaging at 25.6% team target share this season, A.J. Brown has only had double-digit fantasy points in two of six weeks. Brown is currently on a 17-game pace for 127 targets, 71 receptions, 777 yards and three TDs. Gross. For context, that would rank him as the WR44 in 2024. Smack dab between Michael Pittman and Deebo Samuel with 131.2 Half-PPR points. That is a far cry from where you drafted him (around WR10).

Not The Ratio You Want

For anyone awake Sunday morning to watch the monstrosity that was the Jets/Broncos game, I am sorry. I wish I could have those hours back, too. If you were subjected to it, you probably already know that Justin Fields had the same number of completions as he took sacks (nine). You also probably already know that the Jets ended up with -10 net passing yards (oof). What you may not know is that Fields had an average of 3.95 seconds to throw on Sunday before being sacked. To put it in context, Caleb Williams has the longest average time to throw at 3.05 seconds for the season, with the median average at 2.65 seconds for the rest of the league.

Knee-Jerk Reaction

After putting up impressive numbers in Weeks 4 and 5, Mason Taylor was a total bust in Week 6. If you picked him up off of the waiver wire and started him, you were not happy. He caught his lone target for two total yards. Now, as you saw above, the Jets were atrocious, so it is not entirely his fault. He is still worth rostering, but proceed with caution. With the rest of the team, Garrett Wilson also suffered. Despite seeing a 47.1% team target share (insane), he ended up with a measly 2.8 Half-PPR points. It is worth noting that Wilson was dealing with a knee injury throughout the game.

Never Trust Sean Payton

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin had been ping-ponging each week in target share. Well, in proper Sean Payton form, the pattern continued. Sure, the disparity between the two wasn’t as extreme this week, but I chalk that up to the fact that neither one of them was the top target in this offense in Week 6. That spot belongs to Evan Engram with 20% of team targets.

The only other thing worth mentioning from this game (because, truly, we do not need to spend more time talking about it) is that eight different Broncos’ players had at least one carry. Barf. Moving on.

PPR-King

Every year, there is one. This season, Chris Olave has been deemed the PPR-scam artist. He is truly living up to his title. Despite having eight more targets than Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he has less than half of the receiving yards (696 to 342).

Olave is averaging a 29.5% team target share and has been above 31% the past two weeks (31.3% and 38.5%, respectively).

All Saints

Since Week 3, Juwan Johnson hasn’t seen above a 10.5% team target share. The biggest beneficiaries of his decreased production have been Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara, who have both seen their target shares increase over those weeks.

It is worth noting that Juwan Johnson has been battling an ankle injury, but I think that his decline is more tied to Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau returning from PUP (physically unable to perform).

Split Continues

The trend of Kendre Miller getting more involved in New Orleans continued in Week 6. His snap share actually decreased slightly from Week 5 (down to 37.3% from 41.9%), but he only saw two fewer carries than Kamara in Week 6 (10 vs. 8). Kamara has continued his role as the pass-catching back for the Saints, but in terms of the ground game, Miller is starting to become a staple.

Bouttee Rockin’ Everywhere

After a standout revenge game in Week 5, Stefon Diggs was a dud in Week 6. He caught all three of his targets for only 28 yards. Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas were the target hogs in this game. Both Boutte and Douglas saw season-high target shares (19.2% and 15.4%, respectively). No other Patriot saw a team target share above 11.5%.

Boutte is averaging a 68% route share on the season. He is worth adding in every format.

Waiting Game

The wait for the TreVeyon Henderson breakout continues. Henderson only played 29.3% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in Week 6, down from 48.2% in Week 5. Rhamondre Stevenson actually had his highest snap share percentage of the season in Week 6 at 70.7%. Stevenson led the backfield with 13 carries for 18 yards (1.4 yards per carry). Henderson was more efficient on the ground, nine carries for 27 yards (3.0 yards per carry). That said, neither was the team’s leading rusher; that honor belongs to Drake Maye, aka Lil’Tom Brady, who had nine carries for 28 yards. This is the second time this season Drake Maye has led his team in rushing (Week 3).

Reality Check

After an insanely hot start to his rookie career, Quinshon Judkins finally came back down to earth momentarily. The Steelers defense has allowed the 9th fewest total rushing yards this season (553). Judkins took his 12 carries for only 36 yards and failed to catch his lone target. Sure, this can largely be attributed to the Browns deciding to have Dillon Gabriel throw the ball 52 (!!) times, but Judkins was also inefficient with his touches.

That being said, Judkins is in a SMASH spot in Week 7 vs. the worst rush defense in the league, the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed 1,011 yards to running backs through six weeks.

Fannin’ The Flames

David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, and while he came back into the game, he was pretty uninvolved. Since Dillon Gabriel took over at QB, Njoku and Harold Fannin have almost identical stats.

  • Each has seen a 16.5% target share
  • Njoku has 95 receiving yards to Fannin’s 94 yards
  • Njoku is averaging 6.79 yards per target to Fannin’s 6.71 yards per target
  • They each have one TD

In that time, Njoku and Fannin have accounted for 20 receptions, 189 yards, and two touchdowns. In the same span, all of the Browns’ WRs combined have 16 receptions, 153 yards, and zero touchdowns.

If Njoku misses time, Fannin is a must-add and must start.

Quality > Quantity

D.K. Metcalf leads all qualified* WR/TEs in yards after the catch (YAC) with 11.95 yards per reception (min. 10 receptions). Metcalf also leads all qualified* WRs in YAC over expected (YACOE) with 130 yards. He is currently averaging 18.7 yards per reception.

Through six weeks, Metcalf has 19 receptions and four TDs. That means he is scoring a TD on 21% of his catches.

In Week 6, he saw a team and season-high 30% target share. No other Steeler saw a team target share above 16.7%.

*Qualifed = min. 10 receptions

Back On Top

After Kenneth Gainwell‘s insane Week 4 performance, Jaylen Warren returned from the bye healthy and reclaimed his role as the lead rushing back for the Steelers. He out-carried Gainwell 11 to 6. However, Gainwell maintained his work in the receiving game, out-targeting Warren six to two.

Saved By The Bell

Sunday morning, Adam Schefter sent fantasy managers into a tailspin when he reported that Zonovan Knight, aka Bam Knight, would lead the backfield for the Cardinals. Lo and behold, Michael Carter played every snap of the first drive *cue panic.*

Luckily for Schefter, fantasy managers put their pitchforks down as Knight ended up playing more snaps than Carter, 37 to 32, had more rush attempts, 11 to nine, and scored a TD.

This backfield will likely continue as a two-headed monster moving forward, with Knight being the lead rusher and Carter being more involved in the passing game (2/4-30 in Week 6).

Making His Mark

Tyler Warren continues to prove himself week after week, not only as a rookie but as one of the best TEs in the league. He currently leads all TEs in receiving yards (370). Warren is currently on pace for 82 receptions, 1,048 yards, and 8.5 TDs (this includes both rushing and receiving TDs since he is used both ways). This finish would rank him as the TE3 in 2024, ahead of Trey McBride, and the WR14 in 2024, tied with Davante Adams (196.8 Half-PPR points).

A Man On A Mission

Rico Dowdle continues to run with violence (per his HC). In Week 6, he had a career high in carries (30), he set the Panthers record for most single-game scrimmage yards (239), and became the first player with 200+ yards from scrimmage in back-to-back games since Dalvin Cook in 2020.

Dowdle has more rushing yards in the last two weeks (389) than Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey and Chase Brown have individually on the season. He ranks 3rd in total rush yards this season (472) behind only Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams. 152 of those yards have come from rushes that go for 15+ yards.

First Time

In Week 6, rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan finally caught his first NFL TD (he actually caught two).

He is averaging a team-high 22.4% target share on the season.

New Home

In the three weeks CeeDee Lamb has been out with a high ankle sprain, George Pickens has averaged a 25.2% target share, caught 19 passes for 359 yards, and scored four TDs.

He has 43.9% of the team receiving yards in that span. He has already surpassed his career high in TDs in a season (five in 2023; he currently has six in six games). He has only been below 15 Half-PPR points twice this season. Pickens has truly found a new home in Dallas, and it appears they are using him to his fullest potential.

Garafolo Was Wrong

Just like the breaking news posted by Schefter on Sunday morning about the Arizona backfield, Mike Garafolo reported that Hassan Haskins would lead the Chargers backfield in Week 6. Unlike Schefter, he was incorrect. Kimani Vidal played 67.2% of snaps to Haskins’ 31.3%, Vidal had 18 carries to Haskins’ six, and Vidal out-targeted him four to one.

Vidal put up insane numbers on Sunday — 18 carries, 124 yards, three receptions, 14 yards and a TD. Granted, they played the Dolphins, who by far have the worst rushing defense. Regardless, Vidal was on the practice squad less than a week ago.

New Face In LA

In Week 6, Quentin Johnston was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Yes, this meant a bump for Ladd McConkey, who caught seven of his season-high nine targets for 100 yards and a TD. It also translated to a bump for TE Oronde Gadsden, who caught seven of his season-high eight targets for 68 yards. He ran a route on 69.2% of the team’s dropbacks, tied with Keenan Allen. Gadsden also saw a team-high 31.6% of the Chargers’ first-read targets.

Fast and Furious

Week 6 was De’Von Achane‘s first 100-yard rushing game of the season. He only had two in 2024, in Weeks 16 and 18. All three games featured at least a 49-yard run. Despite the Dolphins’ struggles, Achane has yet to have below 12.6 Half-PPR points this season.

Achane currently has more all-purpose yards this year than Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley.

The Wallrus And The Penguin

Since coming out of retirement, Darren Waller has caught 10 passes for 117 yards and four TDs. Over the past three weeks, his target share has gone from 16% to 13.9% to 9.1%, not the trend you want to see. However, over the same span, his route participation has increased from 37% to 65% to 75%. He is their red-zone guy and will continue to score TDs until a team stops him.

Since Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury, Jaylen Waddle has seen a 24.6% target share.

He Got His Swagger Back

FINALLY. Derrick Henry managers rejoice (kind of). It may not have been his best fantasy performance, but Henry still put up 122 yards on 24 carries in Week 6. The Ravens’ goal-line usage of Henry will continue to confuse me. I do not understand why you run the “tush push” twice with your TE when you have the King on your team. Alas, it is not for me to understand.

Expect a bump in production from Henry once Lamar Jackson returns (most likely after the Week 7 bye).

Black Hawk Down

In Week 6, the injury devil took our beloved Puka Nacua. Thankfully, it seems like a minor injury that may only keep him out a week. He did return to the game, but he only played six snaps after his injury.

With Puka hurt, Devante Adams saw a 34.6% team target share. That sounds great on paper, but he only converted that into four receptions for 39 yards (5.9 Half-PPR points).

FINALLY

It happened. It finally happened. Brian Thomas caught a TD. He would have had two, but his 55-yard TD got called back on an offside penalty committed by Travis Hunter. In Week 6, he saw a season-high 37% of the team’s first-read targets.

Split Continues

The two-headed backfield in Seattle continues week after week. On the season, Zach Charbonnet is averaging a 54.9% snap share, a 44.1% rush share, and 38.6% route participation. He has 60 carries for 156 yards and three TDs, and four catches for 30 yards.

The other half of this duo, Kenneth Walker, is averaging a 42.4% snap share, a 46.2% rush share, and 27.6% route participation. He has 78 carries for 364 yards and three TDs, and eight catches for 61 yards.

It is worth noting that Zach Charbonnet missed Week 3 with a foot injury, so Walker has played one more game.

Just So Nice

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has fully emerged this season. He is everything people hoped he would be and more since he was drafted back in 2023. He currently leads all receivers in yards (696). Puka Nacua is 2nd with 616 yards. After Nacua, who didn’t play the whole game in Week 6, George Pickens is in 3rd with 525 yards. That is a 171-yard gap between 1st and 3rd.

Over the past three weeks, JSN has an average separation score of 0.309. To put it in context, the next highest is Tetairoa McMillan in the same span, with an average separation score of 0.184.

An Absolute Mess

After watching the Jets/Broncos game earlier in the day, I didn’t think it could get worse. Technically, it didn’t since we got more points, but the Raiders/Titans game was a close second. Due to the mess this game was, everyone is being grouped together in this section.

Titans

The Titans fired their HC Brian Callahan after this game. Anything we have seen out of the Titans up until this point is subject to change. That being said, Van Jefferson was the target leader after Calvin Ridley injured his hamstring early in the game. Jefferson caught four of his six targets for 75 yards.

Raiders

Geno Smith is the first QB to reach double-digit INTs on the season (10). It’s Week 6.

With Brock Bowers sidelined, Michael Mayer saw a team and season-high target share of 30.4%. He caught five of his seven targets for 50 yards and a TD.

Ashton Jeanty is still awesome and will continue to be as long as the Raiders allow him to keep his Michael Meyers stance. This may sound like a joke, but it’s not. In games without this stance, he averaged 16 carries, 48 yards and 0.3 TDs. With his signature stance, he is averaging 19 carries, 93 yards and 0.67 TDs.

It's no coincidence Ashton Jeanty returned to his <a rel=

Deja Vu

In Week 6, somehow, Kendrick Bourne managed nearly an identical output to his Week 5 numbers.

Week 5: 10 receptions, 142 yards

Week 6: 5 receptions, 142 yards

Injury Central

With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving sidelined, Cade Otton had his best game of the season. Emeka Egbuka also injured his hamstring midgame and did not return. Apparently, the injury bug has come for another red team, not just the 49ers.

I digress. In Week 6, Otton saw a team and season-high 26.1% target share and ran a route on 84% of the team’s dropbacks.

Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving have already (more or less) been ruled out for Week 7. Cade Otton is a must-start.

It is also worth noting that Kameron Johnson, who had not seen a single target this season before Week 6, caught all four of his targets for 64 yards and a TD.

Tez Johnson also had an insanely cool TD. Check it out:

Old Man And The AFC

Joe Flacco has now started for three of the four AFC North teams. In his first start as a Bengal, he completed 64% of his passes for 219 yards and two TDS.

Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown seem to be trending up with Flacco under center.

Romeo And The Golden Boy

In Week 6, both Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden saw season-high target shares.

Doubs had a 34.6% team target share. He caught five of his nine targets for 55 yards. Meh.

Golden had a 19.2% team target share. He caught three of his five targets for 86 yards.

As is tradition with the Packers, this can change on any given week.

There are only two players that you can trust weekly for the Packers: Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft.

Old Man Strength

When I think about Travis Kelce, my mind no longer goes to the explosive plays he used to make. Much to my surprise, he is currently tied for 2nd with Sam LaPorta in YAC among all qualified TEs with 181 yards.

In Week 6, he had a team and season-high target share of 23.3%.

All bets are off with Rashee Rice set to return from suspension in Week 7.

No Fun League

David Montgomery‘s passing stat line if the league were fun: two passes, two TDs. Unfortunately, his second pass/TD got called back after an unusually lengthy discussion and an illegal formation penalty.

That being said, he saw a season low of four carries in Week 6. I think this was very game-script-dependent, and thankfully, the Lions don’t have to play the Chiefs every week.

Bear Down

Early in last night’s Monday Night Football game, D.J. Moore looked like he was cooking. Unfortunately, he was injured mid-game and spent the night in a DC-area hospital for precautionary medical attention.

Due to Moore’s injury and Caleb Williams’ love for throwing the ball to Rome Odunze in double coverage, Luther Burden was the top WR for the Bears for the week. He caught all four of his targets for 51 yards.

Olamide Zaccheaus actually had the highest team target share on the week with 20.7%, but he only managed to haul in two of his six targets for 24 yards.

Swifty

Above, I said that Luther Burden was the top WR of the week for the Bears. However, D’Andre Swift was actually the top pass-catcher in terms of yards. He caught two of his three targets for 67 yards and a TD.

In Week 6, Swift had by far his best game of the season. He took his 14 carries for 108 yards. Before Week 6, he was averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Last night, he averaged 7.7 yards per carry.

Butterfinger Bill

Fan favorite Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, has finally taken over the backfield in Washington. However, with great power comes great responsibility. He is a rookie, so he may get more leniency than others, but he needs to work on his ball control. He has a fumble in each of his games as a starter.

That being said, he is still awesome. He is currently 3rd in rush yards over expected per attempt through six weeks (1.34), behind Bijan Robinson (1.57) and David Montgomery (1.98).

Rough Night

It was a rough outing for the Bills.

Their leading receiver was Josh Palmer with two catches for 60 yards. He didn’t play a snap after the third play of the second quarter.

We will check back in with the Bills after their bye.

London On Fire

Drake London had an INSANE first half last night.

Drake London’s best game of his career:

Week 18 of the 2024 season: 10-187-2

Tonight:

Week 6 of the 2025 season: 9-147-1*

*In the first half

— Carly Manger (@cincodemanger.bsky.social) October 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM

He saw a 46.9% team target share with no other Falcons’ WR/TE seeing above a 12.5% team target share.

The Falcons didn’t need to rely on his talents as much in the 2nd half, as he was only targeted four times, catching one for 11 yards.

Bijan!!!!

If Drake London’s stats weren’t exciting enough for you, allow me to present Bijan Robinson. He had 238 total yards on 25 touches and one TD.

Bijan is currently on pace for 282 carries, 1,646 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs, 82 receptions, 1,149 receiving yards, and three receiving TDs. Those are INSANE numbers.

There have only been three RBs in NFL history who have had both 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards: Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk, and Christian McCaffrey. If Bijan keeps this up, he will join elite company.

Fun fact: His 238 scrimmage yards are still 1 yard short of what Rico Dowdle did this week.

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

By Published On: October 14th, 2025

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