5 weeks of the NFL season have already passed, and it’s time to start making lineup decisions for Week 6 of fantasy football. With a handful of teams on bye, starting running backs including Kyren Williams, Kareem Hunt, De’von Achane, and Aaron Jones are all inactive this week. Let’s take a look at Week 6 running-back rankings and analysis.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1 – Stud RB1s
1. Derrick Henry
2. Saquon Barkley
3. Jahmyr Gibbs
4. Jordan Mason
5. Alvin Kamara
6. Bijan Robinson
Derrick Henry once again sits atop the running-back rankings after rushing for 95 yards and another touchdown in Week 5 against the Bengals. The King has been truly unstoppable this year in the Ravens high-powered offense and now faces a mediocre Commanders defense in Week 6. Both Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs return from their byes this week and are smash starts. Both players have looked electric so far this season and should continue to outperform their weekly projections. Expect potential bounce-back performances from Jordan Mason and Alvin Kamara after they both put up single-digit fantasy points in Week 5. Finally, despite underwhelming so far this season, Bijan Robinson is set up for success against the Panthers this week. The Panthers run defense is ranked second last and they are allowing 27 points per game to fantasy football running-backs this season.
Tier 2 – RB1s with Upside
7. Josh Jacobs
8. James Connor
9. Breece Hall
10. James Cook
11. David Montgomery
12. Joe Mixon*
Josh Jacobs could arguably be placed in Tier 1 due to his matchup against the Cardinals this week, who allow 123 rushing yards per game. Jacobs is a much better running-back when Jordan Love is under center and should have a productive week. After massively disappointing fantasy managers over the past 2 weeks, Breece Hall could finally right the ship against the Bills on MNF. The Bills defense is dead last against the running-back position through 5 weeks, and Hall could see some new offensive plays schemed up after head coach Robert Saleh’s dismissal. Joe Mixon is locked in as a top-12 running back if he is healthy, particularly with an advantageous matchup against the Patriots in Week 6.
Tier 3 – Solid RB2s
13. Kenneth Walker III
14. Tony Pollard
15. Chuba Hubbard
16. D’Andre Swift
17. Chase Brown
18. Najee Harris
Fresh off the bye, Tony Pollard could run riot against a struggling Colts defense in Week 6. Chuba Hubbard has exceeded all expectations so far this season and currently ranks as the RB8 in half-PPR. While the Falcons are a tough test, Hubbard averaged 7.46 yards per carry in Week 6 and should see enough volume to make him an RB2 this week. Meanwhile, Chase Brown may see the opportunity to be the lead rusher for the Bengals due to Zack Moss’ ankle injury. Brown has been rising up the rankings in recent weeks and is seeing more opportunities as a change-of-pace back.
Tier 4 – RB3s or FLEX value
19. Brian Robinson Jr.
20. Rhamondre Stevenson
21. Travis Etienne Jr.
22. Tank Bigsby
23. Rico Dowdle
24. Bucky Irving
It will be very interesting to see how the Jacksonville Jaguars backfield plays out this week after supposed backup Tank Bigsby ran for 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 5. While Etienne is still considered the lead RB, Bigsby has earned more carries and both players can be viewed as no more than RB3/flex options this week. After a breakout performance in Week 5, Rico Dowdle enters the top-24 rankings but now faces a difficult Detroit Lions run defense. The Lions have only allowed an average of 58 rushing yards per game to running backs this year, so fantasy managers should temper expectations for Dowdle this week.
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