Week 6 Fantasy Football Projections Standouts: Woody Marks, Denzel Boston & More

It feels like the NFL offseason lasts forever, but the regular season just flies by. We’re already up to Week 6, meaning after this Monday, we’ll be officially one-third of the way through the season.

We’re in the heart of the schedule at the moment, which means that bye weeks are starting to heat up. We had two teams unavailable last week, and four teams will get the week off in Week 6 (Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, and Vikings). There have been some significant fantasy contributors on that squad, so we’re going to have to dig a little deeper to fill out our lineups this week.

That’s where some of the Fantasy Life tools come into play. We have our expert rankings, but we also do fantasy football projections for each player. It allows us to compare the two to identify a few players who could be overvalued or undervalued.

That’s the purpose of this piece each week. Let’s dive right in.

Fantasy Football Projections Standouts For Week 6

Kirk Cousins, QB, LV

Projection: 16.0
Rank: QB13

You like that?!? Cousins has been better than just about anyone expected for the Raiders this season. He looked pretty cooked during his two years in Atlanta, and he appeared to just be keeping the seat warm until the team handed the reins to Fernando Mendoza.

That said, Cousins could keep Mendoza on the pine for longer than expected. He currently ranks sixth among QBs in fantasy production, and he’s 10th among passers in Adjusted EPA per Play.

Now, Cousins draws one of the best possible matchups vs. the Bills. Buffalo combines an elite offense with one of the worst defenses in football, which has resulted in a lot of high-scoring affairs. Four of their first five outings have hit at least 55 total points, with a matchup vs. the Chargers the lone exception.

While Cousins probably won’t be a top-12 fantasy QB all season, you can definitely continue to ride him in this spot. The total for this matchup sits at 52.5 points, and there has been some sharp activity on the over. He checks in at QB15 in our consensus rankings, and he’s a smidge higher than that in our projections. He’s an excellent bye-week fill-in for Joe Burrow or Jared Goff, and he’s a viable streamer if your regular starter has a tough matchup.

Woody Marks, RB, HOU

Projection: 11.2
Rank: RB18

It’s a good time to be a backup running back. There are a number of starters who are out at the moment, which lands a handful of unexpected names in the top 25 at the position. Rhamondre Stevenson jumps up to RB10 in our projections with TreVeyon Henderson sidelined, while Braelon Allen (RB15) and Emanuel Wilson (RB16) remain viable starters.

Marks might see the biggest jump in value. He was the clear backup to Montgomery to start the year, but he saw a big spike in opportunities after Montgomery went down last week. Marks played on 84% of the team’s offensive snaps and handled 60% of the carries, with a 13% target share. All three figures were his best marks of the year.

His production came in a blowout win over the Titans, and this week’s matchup vs. the Jaguars will be significantly tougher. They’re first in the league in EPA per rush defensively, so Marks is far from a lock for a big fantasy day.

Still, volume is key at the running back position, and Marks should see plenty of touches. He’s a clear fantasy RB2 in our projections.

Denzel Boston, WR, CLE

Projection: 9.0
Rank: WR24

The Browns’ offense is not as big a dumpster fire as expected. They’re still not very good – they’re 27th in EPA per play – but before last week’s game vs. the Jets, they hit at least 21 points in three straight outings. Deshaun Watson has put together his best stretch in a Browns’ uniform, and while that’s a low bar to clear, it’s still an encouraging sign for the team’s pass-catchers.

Boston has been the team’s No. 1 option, and his role only figures to grow following the injury to KC Concepcion. He’s been targeted on 21% of his routes this season, and those looks have to go somewhere with him expected to miss time with a concussion.

Boston has already posted a 21% target share in back-to-back games, and he has 48% of the team’s air yards for the season. He also has 56% of the team’s end zone targets. It’s pretty good utilization overall, and if his target share creeps up a hair, he could be a strong fantasy option.

Boston moves into low-end WR2/high-end WR3 territory for his Week 6 matchup vs. the Ravens. Our projections have him at WR24, while our rankers have him at WR22. Matthew Freedman is even more bullish, moving him inside the top 20 at the position.

Colston Loveland, TE, CHI

Projection: 6.7
Rank: TE16

What in the world do you do with Loveland at this point? He was drafted all offseason as the No. 3 TE in fantasy, yet he’s been basically invisible through the first five weeks. He’s managed just 13 catches, 110 yards, and zero touchdowns, placing him at TE36 in 0.5-PPR scoring.

The good news for Loveland is that he should get his starting QB back this week. Caleb Williams is on track to suit up for the first time since Week 2, which should give the Bears’ offense a shot in the arm. In Williams’ lone full game this season, the team hung 59 points and more than 550 yards of total offense on the Panthers.

The bad news is that Williams’ return isn’t a magic fix-all for Loveland’s problems. That Week 1 performance where the Bears went crazy? Loveland had just two targets and zero catches in that contest. Things weren’t much better with Williams under center in Week 2: he managed three targets, one reception, and three yards.

Even with four teams on bye, Loveland is merely TE16 in our projections. Our rankers have him at TE13, and if you drafted him in the fourth or fifth round, you may have no choice but to stick with him. Still, it’s getting harder and harder to keep him in your lineups.