Fantasy Football Week 6: Top 5 quarterbacks to start

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 08: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Indianapolis Colts drops back to pass during the second quarter of a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Heading into Week 6 of fantasy football, the quarterback landscape remains distressed. Another week of byes and some injuries could leave you in search of a starting quarterback.

We’re getting into the part of the fantasy football season that gets particularly tough because you lose players to bye weeks. It doesn’t help when some top quarterbacks like Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota are still dealing with injuries.

Some players like Alex Smith have far exceeded our expectations whereas others like Matt Ryan have disappointed. You may have a good quarterback on your roster, but maybe you don’t love his matchup this week. All things considered, you may be unsure of who to start this week in fantasy.

Luckily for some fantasy football owners, some top quarterbacks have excellent matchups this week. Although, if you’re not so lucky to have a good quarterback to start this week, there are options available on waivers.

Your fantasy team may not have the same starting quarterback week in and week out, and that’s OK. At the end of the day, it comes down to finding the best matchups to ultimately strike fantasy gold. These five quarterbacks are sure to project your fantasy team to victory this week.

Next: 5. He's on waivers and facing a sloppy team

DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 1: Quarterback Trevor Siemian #13 of the Denver Broncos passes against the Oakland Raiders during a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 1, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

5. Trevor Siemian vs. Giants

Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian has fallen off a bit since his hot start. Through two weeks, Siemian was a top-5 fantasy quarterback, scoring 22 points in his first two games. Since then, Siemian has failed to produce these same numbers, posting 7.6 and 11.3 points in his next two outings. If your quarterback is out of action this weekend, Siemian could be a great pickup, as he’s available in 71 percent of ESPN leagues.

If there’s any week for Siemian to bounce back, it’s his Week 6 matchup coming off a bye. Siemian and the Broncos will play a home matchup against the winless New York Giants. While most of Giants’ struggles have come on the offensive side of the ball, a few factors pertaining to this matchup will play into the favor of Siemian.

First, the many mismatches found in the Giants offense against the Broncos defense will make it hard for Eli Manning to stay on the field, giving Siemian plenty of opportunities. The Broncos elite run defense will be an issue for a Giants team that can’t move the ball on the ground. Additionally, the showdown between Ereck Flowers and Von Miller will be giving Manning and Giants fans nightmares.

While the Giants are known for their strengths on defense, they’ve been far from perfect this year. They’ve allowed 18.2 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year, 10th most in the league. To make matters worse for the G-Men, their star corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is now being suspended and will likely miss this game. This all adds up to a formula for immense success for Siemian and the Broncos, making him a great start for Week 6.

Next: 4. Another quarterback you can find on waivers

4. Jacoby Brissett vs. Titans

Jacoby Brissett has had some quiet success this year putting up good numbers against some of the league’s poorer pass-defenses. Brissett has had great success in two out of his four starts, scoring 27.8 and 18 points against the Browns and 49ers. Although, he’s struggled a bit against better defenses, as the Cardinals and Seahawks both held him under 10 points.

Brissett will face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, who’ve allowed the third most points to opposing quarterbacks. They’ve given up an average of over 20 points per game. We saw how the Titans struggle against mobile quarterbacks in Week 4 against Houston.

For Brissett, he’s equipped with all of the tools needed to take down the Titans. T.Y. Hilton has shown us that he can be a dangerous receiver no matter who is throwing him the ball. Also, with the return of Marlon Mack, the Colts may have discovered a committee backfield between Mack and Frank Gore.

We can expect the Titans defense to continue to struggle in Week 6. The return of Mack and another week in this Colts offense will help the Colts stabilize their offense, benefitting Brissett. He’s available in 83 percent of ESPN leagues, so he’s a great pickup if you need a quarterback. Being as the Titans have struggled to defend the pass, Brissett will be a great start this week in fantasy.

Next: 3. Never doubt the GOAT...

TAMPA, FL – OCTOBER 5: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots warms up on the field before the start of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 5, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

3. Tom Brady vs. Jets

Through five weeks of football, we’ve come to realize that the New England Patriots aren’t everything we expected them to be. That being said, Tom Brady has had to excel in order to keep them in some games.

2. Matthew Stafford vs. Saints

So far this season, Matthew Stafford hasn’t been quite the gunslinger he was last year. Stafford came out hot in Week 1, scoring 27.1 points, although he’s failed to top 20 points again so far this year. We can expect Stafford to put an end to this trend on Sunday, as he’ll be facing a New Orleans Saints defense that struggles against the pass.

Last year, Stafford was a top-10 fantasy quarterback. His numbers from last year show us why the Lions gave him such a big contract. So far this year, many have been critical of Stafford, as many believe he’s yet to show us why he’s worthy of such a large contract.

Many of Stafford’s struggles are due to the fact that he’s faced some tough defenses. The Cardinals, Giants, Falcons, Vikings, and Panthers are five tough defensive opponents whom Stafford has faced so far this year. Week 6 will be the turning point for Stafford’s season, as their schedule eases up after their Week 7 bye.

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This matchup against the Saints defense should have Stafford owners licking their chops. Any quarterback facing the Saints screams “start me!” after they allowed over 30 points to opposing quarterbacks in the first two weeks. Stafford, who’s proven he’s capable of posting big numbers, will have a huge performance this weekend against a Saints defense that can’t defend the pass.

Next: 1. He could be this year's top fantasy QB

HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 08: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans throws a pass under pressure by Justin Houston #50 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter throws at NRG Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

1. Deshaun Watson vs. Browns

Deshaun Watson is coming off of two consecutive five-touchdown games and could make it three this weekend. If you were lucky enough to grab Watson from the waiver wire a few weeks back, you may have found yourself an every-week starter, as he’s already the second-highest scoring fantasy quarterback.

In four weeks as a starter, Watson’s worst performance came in his debut-win against the Bengals, where he scored 17.7 points. Watson’s playmaking ability with both his arm and his legs give him tremendous upside in terms of fantasy points. Additionally, his running ability raises his floor, as owners can expect him to score a few points each week with his legs.

If there’s any week to start Watson, its this week against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have allowed an average of 20 points per game to opposing quarterbacks, fourth-most in the league. Not only have the Browns struggled to defend quarterbacks, but they’ve especially struggled with mobile quarterbacks. We saw this in Week 3 when they allowed 27.8 points to Brissett.

Must Read: Fantasy Football Week 6: Top 5 sleepers to consider

Fans can expect to watch the “Deshaun Watson show” on Sunday, as he’ll run and pass all over this Browns defense. The Browns will be unable to find an answer for Watson and he’ll have another monster game, making him a great start in Week 6.