Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 6

October 14, 2026

Andrew Ball's fantasy football risers, fallers, sleepers, and busts heading into Week 6 of the 2026 season. He identifies players with rising and falling fantasy values.

Welcome back to the Week 6 edition of my 2026 fantasy football risers and fallers series.

From the last-second field goal in London to the debacle near D.C., it was a wild week of NFL finishes. Forgettable performances came with those memorable moments.

The players in this weekly article aren't necessarily the week's best and worst performers. Instead, we'll talk about what Week 5 means for the rest of the season.

Week 6 Fantasy Football Risers

Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Riser. Faller. Faller. Riser.

Bucky Irving’s 2026 season is already a roller coaster. He won’t face the porous Dallas defense every week, but his utilization could point to a plateau.

For the first time since 2024, Irving got a touch inside the 5-yard line. Two, in fact! The third-year back scored on a five-yard swing pass in the second quarter, and found paydirt on a one-yard plunge in the third.

He was clearly Tampa Bay’s best weapon on Thursday, despite the coaches publicly stating their intent to get Sean Tucker and Kenny Gainwell more involved. Tucker, for what it’s worth, also got a goal-line touch, which led to an unfavorable result.

As admirably as Jalon Daniels filled in, Baker Mayfield’s return to the lineup will benefit Irving in the receiving game. The quarterback could be back sooner rather than later.

Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans

I generally try to avoid players whose increased stock is caused by an injury in front of them, but Woody Marks was already eating into David Montgomery’s (groin) usage.

Unsurprisingly, this was Marks’ highest carry and target share this season. It was also the first time all season that a Texans running back has topped 80 total yards.

Houston has been searching for any semblance of a running game. If Marks strings together a couple of just average games to give the offense a second dimension, he may become the new 1A. It will, however, be an extremely tough test against the league-best Jaguars run defense in London. Marks may not be a fantasy starter in Week 6, but he needs to be universally rostered.

Germie Bernard, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Building trust in a relationship takes time. Germie Bernard has now earned Aaron Rodgers' trust.

The veteran quarterback is reportedly very impressed with the second-round rookie. The playing time and target share are beginning to follow suit.

Aaron Rodgers showing off the elusiveness

@INDvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/bUqpkTsr6H

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and Roman Wilson (finger) will be sidelined for the next few weeks. Ben Skowronek (calf) also left Sunday’s game. Bernard subsequently ran a route on 91% of Pittsburgh’s pass plays, tied with DK Metcalf for the team lead. He led the team in targets (10) and was heavily involved even before Wilson’s departure.

The Steelers dial up a pass on nearly 65% of their plays. That’s the third-highest mark in the league. This could just be the beginning of a rookie breakout.

Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday's box score doesn't do Bhayshul Tuten justice. Actually, efficiency-wise, it was one of his worst to date. But the utilization gets two thumbs up.

Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. were in a 50/40 timeshare in Week 1. The latter's snap share has decreased nearly every week, bottoming out at 12.5% on Sunday. Tuten's has increased nearly every game, topping out at 68.1%. He dominated touches: 24 (a career high) to Rodriguez's three.

Ultimately, we care about the final stat line. He's actually been remarkably consistent in that department: 66, 65, 73, 73, and 72 rushing yards with two receptions in all but one game. He had two touchdowns called back in Week 4, which would have brought his season total to four. He didn't get the "traditional" goal-line carry against the Eagles, but did have a jet sweep at the 1-yard line.

The coaching staff is seeing what we're seeing: a running back with a blend of speed and power. He's averaging two yards after contact per attempt and had 78 of them against the Eagles.

Other Fantasy Football Risers

• Drake Maye, QB, Patriots
• Ollie Gordon II, RB, Dolphins
• Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants
• Mike Evans, WR, 49ers

Week 6 Fantasy Football Fallers

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

It’s time to have a candid conversation about Chase Brown.

The rushing output has been abysmal. The matchup with the Dolphins was supposed to be the get-right game after totaling 10 yards on nine carries against Jacksonville. Instead, he didn’t break off any long runs, averaged three yards per attempt, and fumbled.

Fumble! Another fumble!

Dolphins wind up with it 🐬

@CINvsMIA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/fuaNA8Z5oJ

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Samaje Perine got some unusual early down work when Brown faltered. After the fumble, Perine saw 10 opportunities to Brown’s eight. The final carry total? 14 to 13 in Perine’s favor. Brown logged a season-low 42% of the rush attempts.

There are two positive spins: Brown ran more routes than Perine (the artist formerly known as the third-down back) and remains heavily involved in the aerial attack. His 11 catches completely salvaged Week 4. Three for 21 on Sunday isn’t anything special, but it’s solid if it's in tandem with a respectable run game.

Brown was also labeled a major bust at this point last season. It’s nowhere near the same situation, as Joe Burrow was inactive for those games in 2025. But maybe, just maybe, starting slow is Brown’s M.O.

Rostering a running back attached to a top-10 offense is always a smart strategy. So we’re not on DEFCON 1 yet. More like a 3.

RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos

From diversifying the target portfolio to gameday roles for third-down backs and fullbacks to Bo Nix’s regression, the Sean Payton offense is becoming impossible to trust. I can argue that zero Broncos are lineup locks for the immediate future, including Jaylen Waddle.

RJ Harvey’s Sunday usage was peculiar, to say the least. Fresh off a 10-catch Week 4, Harvey failed to secure his single target. As a runner, he gained seven yards on just three attempts.

The “running” part of his position title isn’t his strong suit. Right now, it’s not J.K. Dobbins’, either. Statistically, Harvey is the more efficient runner of the pair. But it was Dobbins who saw a 62% rush share, and he once again averaged fewer than four yards per attempt.

This is proof that Harvey isn’t gaining ground on the depth chart. He’s entirely game-script-dependent.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Instead of a roller coaster, Jeremiyah Love’s rookie season resembles those tower thrill rides. We went from the highest of highs straight back down to the floor.

In the two contests following Love’s “takeover” Week 3, the third overall pick in the NFL Draft has split touches and snaps with Tyler Allgeier. Against the Lions, the box score doesn’t really tell the story. Allgeier only recorded five touches to Love’s 12, but the snaps were only marginally in the rookie’s favor. More importantly, Love isn’t playing on third downs and has two targets in the last two games.

Love actually lost fantasy points in the second half, taking his three carries for negative six yards. His last attempt was just before the 14-minute mark of the final frame. The blowout likely contributed, but the broadcast also reported another ankle tweak.

Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots

Wow! The Patriots scored 45 points, and Drake Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns. Romeo Doubs must've had a great game! Right? Right...? (Insert Anakin meme here).

Here are the Patriots who out-targeted Doubs on Sunday: DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, Eli Raridon, and Hunter Henry. Kyle Williams and Rhamondre Stevenson equaled Doubs' three targets.

The free-agent acquisition is now seventh in targets per route run and sixth in yards per route run on his team. His one catch for 16 yards came on a 94.7% route participation rate.

He's not talented enough to operate as a WR1, and the contract is looking more suspect by the game. Now, A.J. Brown (ankle) is nearing a return to lead the wide receiver room.

Other Fantasy Football Fallers

• Jaylen Waddle, WR, Broncos
• Tyler Shough, QB, Saints
• Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
• Colston Loveland, TE, Bears

More Fantasy Football Analysis