Week 6 Fantasy Football Sneaky Starts & Sleepers

Oct 08, 2025

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

All but the luckiest fantasy owners at some point need to find the proverbial diamond in the rough—a waiver wire or bench player capable of putting up some points in a pinch. This weekly feature is dedicated to that part of fantasy football. It's not pretty, but it's part of the game.

As of Week 4, we are now using 2025 data for our Hot Spots reports and aFPA rankings. It will continue to update as the season progresses, and we’ll start using a rolling 10-week window in Week 12. Remember, the higher the number, the better the matchup.

Last week, we did enjoy several productive Sneaky Starts, including Justin Fields (QB7), Jared Goff (QB11), Matthew Stafford (QB8), David Montgomery (RB9), Quinshon Judkins (RB18), Rachaad White (RB7), J.K. Dobbins (RB14), Michael Carter (RB11), Rico Dowdle (RB1!), Jaylen Waddle (WR4), Stefon Diggs (WR5), Kendrick Bourne (WR9), Dalton Kincaid (TE8), Darren Waller (TE5), Jake Tonges (TE9), and I even mentioned AJ Barner (TE1) as an option for managers desperate at tight end.

Let’s see who’s popping this week.

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott (@ CAR, 13), Jordan Love (vs. CIN 29), Drake Maye (@ NO, 24), Caleb Williams (@ WAS, 27), Daniel Jones (vs. ARI, 18), and Bo Nix (@ NYJ, 23) are all low-end QB1 types this week.

Matthew Stafford, Rams (@ BAL, 31)

Matthew Stafford is sitting as the fantasy QB6 through five weeks—well ahead of his ADP, which was discounted due to his summer back concerns. He’s coming off a vintage performance, throwing for 389/3 while showing his trademark poise (and happy feet) in the pocket. The matchup sets up well against a banged-up Ravens defense that has allowed 244/4 to C.J. Stroud and 270/4 to Patrick Mahomes in back-to-back weeks. Stafford is a strong QB1 streamer with top-10 upside in Week 6.

Mac Jones, 49ers (@ TB, 25)

If Brock Purdy remains sidelined with a turf toe injury, Mac Jones should get another start despite battling a knee issue. He’s been productive when called upon, posting 342/2 in Week 5, 284/1 in Week 3, and 279/3 in Week 2. The matchup looks promising—Tampa Bay has given up an average of 235 yards and 2.0 touchdowns per game to opposing quarterbacks, including 341/4 from Sam Darnold last week. In Kyle Shanahan’s QB-friendly system, Jones profiles as a solid streaming option in Week 6.

Sam Darnold, Seahawks (@ JAX, 22)

Sam Darnold is quietly on a roll, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns last week and posting at least 15.8 fantasy points in four straight games. The matchup offers both upside and risk—Jacksonville has allowed 260 passing yards, 1.6 touchdowns, and 27 rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, but the defense has also been opportunistic, averaging 2.0 interceptions per game. Darnold’s recent consistency and willingness to push the ball downfield keep him firmly in the streaming conversation for Week 6, though there’s a bit of volatility baked in.