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Andy's fantasy football risers, breakouts, start 'em, sit 'em sleepers for Week 6 of 2025. Are these unexpected booms legit for Ryan Flournoy, Michael Carter, Kendrick Bourne, others?
Last week, fantasy football managers likely saw many unexpected players lead them to a victory. So are they legit? It is crucial to determine whether their fantasy performances were one-offs or the start of a breakout season.
In this weekly piece, we will look at five players who exceeded all expectations last week and could be viewed as potential breakout candidates entering Week 6.
Should fantasy managers add these players to the waiver wire and plug them into the starting lineups? Let's dive in!
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Kendrick Bourne (SF) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Ricky Pearsall (knee), Jauan Jennings (ankle), and George Kittle (hamstring) all sidelined in Week 5, Kendrick Bourne enjoyed a career game. During their thrilling victory over the Los Angeles Rams, Bourne led the way, catching 10 of his 11 targets for a hefty 142 yards. The team's No. 2 option, Demarcus Robinson, was relatively quiet, as he tallied only 39 yards.
On Wednesday, the team noted that Pearsall is not trending in the right direction for Week 6, which could leave Bourne in the lead role once again. While Jennings could return, Bourne was given ample targets from Mac Jones, and he should have remained quite involved in the offense. In a projected high-scoring game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (47.5 O/U point total), Bourne should be given enough targets to provide FLEX value.
Verdict:
While he will not be in must-start territory with Jennings' expected return, he is still a viable bye week replacement in 12+ team formats. However, if Jennings were to miss another game, Bourne would re-enter must-start territory for all league sizes.
Kyle Shanahan Praises Kendrick Bourne After Big Game https://t.co/50TSiYO1hB
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 6, 2025
Ryan Flournoy (DAL) @ Carolina Panthers
With CeeDee Lamb on the shelf with an ankle injury, managers expected Jalen Tolbert to be the primary beneficiary in the offense. However, in their victory over the Jets, in their second year without, Ryan Flournoy enjoyed a breakout performance. After catching only four passes through the first two games of the season, Flournoy would bring in six of his nine targets for 114 yards.
However, despite being preferred as the No. 2 option in the offense (behind George Pickens), Flournoy logged fewer snaps than Tolbert, which is not a positive sign. While Dak Prescott looked his way, his usage was not ideal for fantasy.
Verdict:
With Lamb trending towards missing another game. Flournoy carries risky FLEX upside in this contest. His target share was impressive in Week 5, but his limited route participation made him tough to trust in standard leagues, especially facing a Carolina secondary that has allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs this season.
Sam Darnold (SEA) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
After enjoying a career season in Minnesota last season, many did not expect Darnold to return to this level of production, joining a new club in Seattle. However, Danrold has looked rather competent in Seattle and is performing quietly as a low-end QB1.
In Week 5, Darnold enjoyed a strong showing, tossing four touchdowns and tallying 341 passing yards in their loss to the Buccaneers. Through Weeks 2 through 4, Darnold has averaged an impressive 23.2 PPR points per game. This weekend, he has another elite match against the Jaguars, who have allowed the fifth-most PPR points to opposing QBs.
Verdict:
Start Darnold with confidence in 12-team formats.
Michael Carter (ARI) @ Indianapolis Colts
With James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) both on the IR, Michael Carter was given the lead role in the backfield in Week 5. While there are some discussions that Emari Demercado or Bam Knight could see more opportunities, the Cardinals leaned on the UNC production in this contest. During their loss to the Titans, Carter was one of the few bright spots on offense as he took 18 carries for 51 yards and a score.
He also caught all five of his targets for an additional 22 yards.
Given his usage last week, managers should expect Carter to have 20+ touches once again this weekend. While he has a tough matchup on paper facing the Colts, who have allowed the sixth-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs this season, Carter carries low-end RB2 upside simply on his volume.
Verdict:
He is a strong plug-and-play option for those in shallow leagues.
Michael Carter In Line for Extended Stretch as Cardinals' RB1? https://t.co/cAG41rHNXE
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 7, 2025
AJ Barner (SEA) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The final player we will look at is AJ Barner. The second-year tight end is quietly enjoying a breakout season and has put himself on the radar of many fantasy managers. In Week 5, Barner put up the strongest showing yet, catching all seven of his targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns. After catching only one pass in Week 1, Barner has caught 13 of his 14 targets for 134 yards and four scores.
While his yardage total remains low, Barner is becoming a force at the goal line and is Darnold's go-to target.
Verdict:
With Kittle and Brock Bowers (knee) injured, and high-end options underperforming like T.J. Hockenson, Barner is a viable streaming option in Week 6, despite being relatively touchdown-dependent.
Read more player news and updates for Week 6
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 6 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kendrick Bourne, Sam Darnold, Michael Carter, Ryan Flournoy, AJ Barner. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 6. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kendrick Bourne, Sam Darnold, Michael Carter, Ryan Flournoy, AJ Barner. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 6 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kendrick Bourne, Sam Darnold, Michael Carter, Ryan Flournoy, AJ Barner. compared to others:
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