Welcome to the fantasy football Week 6 running back rankings hub!

Derrick Henry retains the No. 1 overall spot despite the expected return of Christian McCaffrey (hamstring). Antonio Gibson is a mid-to-high RB1 against the Chiefs’ appallingly bad defensive-front. Khalil Herbert stormed onto the scene last week and is a near must-start vs. Green Bay’s soft front-seven. Saquon Barkley’s replacement Devontae Booker should run free against the Rams’ passing-oriented defense.

Below you will find my top-60 running backs for Week 6. These rankings are geared toward .5PPR scoring formats for Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season but should aid those who play in both non-PPR and full-point PPR formats. I’ve also included my top RB streaming option this week and DFS play of the week (cost via FanDuel).

Check back throughout the week to see how expectations have changed as news continues to roll in, enhancing our prognostication abilities. Feel free to hit me up on twitter @Ginger__Nic for any fantasy related advice.

Stream of the Week: J.D. McKissic vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City’s defense is abominable, top to bottom, and stalwart defensive lineman Chris Jones is battling a wrist injury that was bad enough to keep him inactive last week. Their 1,482 passing yards allowed and 705 rushing yards allowed are both 4th-most in the NFL. It’s therefore no surprise that both their pass defense and run defense NEFF ratings rank 31st and 30th respectively this season.

The Chiefs are also uniquely bad at stopping running backs featured in the passing game. While their 23.9 .5PPR PPG allowed to the position is just the 10th worst in the NFL, their 54 RB receiving yards allowed per game is a top-5-worst mark. KC also can’t even boast a “bend but don’t break” identity as their 163 points allowed are the most in the league by a margin of 8.

Fortunately for McKissic, he gets to operate both as a rusher and as a featured receiver in Washington’s feisty offensive attack. He’s a locked-in RB3 as Week 6’s Stream of the Week.

DFS Play of the Week: Melvin Gordon ($6,000) vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The fantasy football world understandably continues to fawn over the splashy plays that Denver’s rookie back, Javonte Williams, is making on a routine basis. However, they’re also continuing to overlook his consistent rookie mistakes. Williams lost a fumble in the 4th-quarter of Week 3 and suffered a delay of game penalty in Week 5, after spiking the ball in the end zone in celebration. He’s talented, no doubt, but a defensive-minded head coach like Vic Fangio is always going to love a trusty veteran like Gordon who does what’s asked of him and does so proficiently.

Gordon still maintains a slight edge in the Yards per Attempt department (4.7 to 4.6) and his edge over the rookie in the receiving game is even greater. Gordon so far has 10 receptions for 96 yards (9.6 Y/R) vs. Williams’ 11 receptions for 75 yards (6.8 Y/R). Denver plays host to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6 and it’s entirely possible they steamroll a Silver and Black squad that’s in the middle of intense upheaval. The Raiders’ defensive-front ranks currently 27th in NEFF run defense rating with a shamefully low score of 41.3%. It’s a situation that Fangio will want to take advantage of.

Week 6 Running Back Rankings