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Fantasy football outlooks for Marshawn Lloyd, Pat Freiermuth, Samaje Perine, Malik Willis, DeMario Douglas, and Jameson Williams in Week 6. Potential waiver wire risers and top performers.
After a week of research on the projected top studs in fantasy football, a wide receiver or even a tight end buried on the depth chart might lead the team in receiving. It's the frustrating reality of what we do here.
Now, the question in all formats -- redraft, dynasty, guillotine, and more — is whether that output is legitimate. Does the underlying usage support it? Was it more of a fluke? Will it return to normal when another player is back from injury?
Here are six unexpected fantasy breakouts from Week 5 in the NFL. Let's play fact or fiction with these surprising names on the weekly leaderboard.
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Malik Willis, QB, Miami Dolphins
Well, the Dolphins fell to 0-5, but fantasy managers finally got what they were hoping for from Malik Willis in Week 5.
Don't get me wrong. Willis still completed just 55.6% of his throws for 5.1 yards per attempt (YPA). He was dreadful as a passer — and the reason Miami wasn't competitive for the win.
But Willis finally got going as a rusher, taking eight carries for a season-high 74 yards and sneaking in a late, totally meaningless touchdown. That was good enough to rank as the QB11 with 20.9 fantasy points during an explosive week.
That was what made the dual threat an interesting proposition late in redraft formats or as a QB2 in superflex leagues. I think it was forgotten through three brutal defensive matchups, including the Chiefs at home and road contests with the Vikings and 49ers.
Depending on the weather when the Dolphins take on the Jets in Week 7 after a Week 6 bye, Willis' schedule stays lighter, with New York, New England, Detroit, and Indianapolis ahead.
Really, he should continue to provide a modest floor with rushing upside, and the threat of getting benched on a completely rebuilding squad probably isn't high. If his struggles continue, the Dolphins will just set their sights on a loaded 2027 quarterback class.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
In the week after those who drafted MarShawn Lloyd dropped him, he finally had a fantasy-relevant game. It always seems to happen that way, no?
Chris Brooks' injured reserve stint shook up this backfield, but I'm not sure anyone expected it to make last week's leading rusher for Green Bay, Kaleb Johnson, a total non-factor. He played just nine snaps.
Lloyd led the backfield with 26 snaps to Pierre Strong Jr.'s 24. He handled 10 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns — the first of which was capped with lowering the "boom."
Marshawn Lloyd trucks a guy on his way to the end zone 😤
@CHIvsGB on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/NNcSwQfTOU— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
The Packers won 31-7, so it's pretty disappointing usage for a team that still had just 70 rushing yards. The offense primarily moved via a scorching 11.9 YPA from Jordan Love.
If you still have Lloyd on your roster, it's nice to see him have the goal-line role after this shakeup. But I'm not starting him with confidence or spending significant FAAB when you can't bank on the touchdowns that made him RB10 this week.
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
One man's boom is another man's bust. That's extremely true for the Cincinnati Bengals' backfield.
Chase Brown was a second-round pick in most leagues, but his job is in a little bit of jeopardy. Brown's snap rate plummeted to 60% in Week 5. He handled just 13 carries and four targets while running 19 routes.
That just wasn't significantly more than Samaje Perine, who — as part of his 52% of snaps — toted the ball a team-high 14 times. He also ran 10 routes, drew two targets, and played on nine of the 12 third-down snaps, which has been his role all season.
Normally, this can just be variance from the flow of the game, but Perine was better at 4.9 yards per carry (YPC) to Brown's 3.0.
This is a reemergence of last year's early-season split. Brown was limited to below 65% of snaps in five of the Bengals' eight games before Perine was hurt in Week 8. Then, Brown maintained a dominant snap share through the injury and upon his return.
Of the names on this list, I think Perine's big day is the most notable in fantasy circles. It shakes confidence in Brown each week, and Perine is fantasy-relevant in deep leagues and/or desperate situations while serving as an elite handcuff.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
It's safe to say Jameson Williams' slow start is over.
The wide receiver recorded three straight games under nine PPR fantasy points to begin his season, but after a 16.2-point outing in Carolina without a touchdown, the always-impending "Jamo" big game took place in Glendale.
Williams caught two of four passes for 42 receiving yards and two touchdowns, finishing as the WR13 entering Monday Night Football.
I debated not including Jamo as an "unexpected boom" because you probably started him in this game. He's logged at least 82% of the snaps in all four games this year.
Sunday's big game only solidified that he is a definite "mouth to feed," limiting Amon-Ra St. Brown to under 16 PPR fantasy points in each of the last three weeks.
Detroit's poor defense will profile most of its games as shootouts, and that'll be the case again in Week 7 against Green Bay. But Williams' 15.4% target share still isn't good or desirable, and it's risky to trust him with that target share.
I still see Williams as the exact same guy. You can flex him when alternatives are in tough matchups or battling injuries — but do so with extreme caution.
DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots
As long as your name wasn't Romeo Doubs, you had yourself a day as a Patriots receiver.
None of them had the day that DeMario Douglas did, though. Douglas caught a pair of touchdowns, catching four for 65 yards through the air. He totaled 22.5 PPR fantasy points, and his five targets tied Eli Raridon for one off the team lead (Efton Chism III).
Make that 2️⃣ receiving TDs for DeMario Douglas!
@LVvsNE on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/gHRSeEifXF— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
Unfortunately, for anything other than best ball formats, this one looks like a blip on the radar. It was actually a "stock down" day for the entire Pats receiving corps, as no receiver played more than 50% of the snaps. Kyle Williams also caught a long touchdown in his limited snap share (19%).
In addition to boosted tight end usage, they used a sixth offensive lineman, Caleb Lomu, on 21% of plays.
New England is "hopeful" that A.J. Brown will return for Week 6, and his return could mark an adjustment in offensive philosophy. That would still bump Douglas to — at best — an inconsistent third option behind Brown and Doubs, whose contract is keeping him on the field running cardio.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Somehow and some way, the Steelers are 13th in team passing yards through Sunday Night Football. They've found a way to be relevant, and Pat Freiermuth appears to be a substantial part of that.
Tight ends are notorious for "caught a pair of touchdowns" booms, but Freiermuth's 21.5 PPR fantasy points, which rank as the TE4 through this time frame, have some sort of staying power.
His overall target share of 14.9% this year is second on the team. As you might recall, Michael Pittman Jr. was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury earlier this week, and Roman Wilson left Sunday's game with a finger injury and is "expected to miss a few weeks."
Pittsburgh's upcoming schedule is loaded with teams that are top-15 clubs in PPR fantasy points allowed to tight ends thus far, including the Browns, Buccaneers, Saints, and Bengals over the next four weeks.
Especially in tight-end-premium leagues, Freiermuth is looking like a steal and has a top-10 trajectory as long as Aaron Rodgers stays healthy.
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