Fantasy Football Week 6 Quarterback Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and More

I've been hyping up Matthew Stafford this week, as he takes on the Baltimore Ravens, a team decimated by injuries. The Ravens have given up 20 more points than any other team, and that includes the two who played their sixth game on Thursday night.

Fantasy owners are also taking note, as Stafford has been showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool. Generally a good-but-not-great fantasy player, Stafford has started the season red hot and forced his way into the weekly starter conversation, especially with a top-line matchup.

Let's look at Stafford and three quarterbacks who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool: Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Bo Nix. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams @ Baltimore Ravens

Stafford ranked as QB6 heading into the week, something made more impressive by the fact that he has negative rushing yards. The other nine quarterbacks among the top 10 had an average of over 140 yards on the ground, but Stafford is doing all his damage with his arm.

That's very impressive, but it also makes him more susceptible to falling back down because those running points are usually more consistent from week to week and keep a floor for those guys who run often. Stafford will have to continue playing like an MVP candidate to keep his lofty standing in fantasy land.

The matchup is just too good this week to expect him to fall back here. The Ravens are in the middle in yards per pass attempt allowed, but they have given up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Passers have averaged more than 270 yards and 2.5 touchdowns per game against Baltimore.

With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams on the outside, LA is likely to have a successful passing game most weeks. They have been rolling through 2025, and the great matchup here points toward more success.

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions

Mahomes generally isn't part of the group that runs the ball often. He has averaged just over 20 yards per game on the ground in his career, a decent number but one that fits more with a scrambler than a runner. That was his style, and it worked well.

Partly because of necessity, Mahomes has done way more with his legs early in the season. He has reached at least 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground in three of the five games. Mahomes combined for just seven rushing yards in the other two games, but Kansas City won both by multiple scores; Mahomes is using his legs when he has to.

With his receiving group getting healthy, that might become a less frequent occurrence. Mahomes reached 60 rushing yards exactly once in each of the past three seasons, so it's more likely that he finds less volume with his legs moving forward. His current iteration is his best fantasy self, as Mahomes is QB2 to this point.

The Lions are right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to quarterbacks. Their offense is usually humming, so teams have to throw to keep up, and they have found a little success at times. Detroit has been a little vulnerable to the run, giving up at least 30 QB rushing yards in three games but a combined three yards in the other two games.

Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Patrick Mahomes. The matchup is nicer for Stafford, and I don't trust Mahomes to keep up his rushing stats, something that drops his fantasy value.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers

We'll stay with the quarterbacks in high standing, as Mayfield is QB3 through five weeks. He is averaging 256.6 passing yards per game with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, and Mayfield chips in with his legs also, averaging nearly 30 yards per game on the ground.

Since joining Tampa Bay in 2023, Mayfield has finished as QB10 and QB4 in his full two seasons. It's not a surprise to again see him among the top 10. Injuries around him are causing the foundation to crumble, something that made me skeptical, but Mayfield keeps producing, even with backup receivers and offensive linemen.

The 49ers present a tough matchup, as they have given up the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They are another team that has dealt with plenty of injuries, and that includes superstar pass rusher Nick Bosa tearing an ACL in Week 3.

The two games without Bosa have been a mixed bag:

• Week 4 vs. Trevor Lawrence: 174 yards on 5.6 per attempt with one touchdown and no interceptions
• Week 5 @ Matthew Stafford: 389 yards on 8.3 per attempt with three touchdowns and no interceptions

It was more about the passer than the defense, as Lawrence struggled like he has a times this season, but Stafford excelled the way he has this season. That doesn't tell us a lot about the 49er defense without Bosa. Most likely, they will still be an above-average pass defense, but they might not have that top level without their star.

Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Baker Mayfield. The matchup is in Stafford's favor, though Mayfield keeps coming through against all odds, and his running makes a difference.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos @ New York Jets (in London)

Nix was slightly below average throwing the ball last season but made up for it with the way he ran the ball, making him at least an average real-life quarterback and putting him among the top 10 fantasy QBs.

His passing efficiency numbers are all a little worse this season, though his volume is keeping up. Nix's running is also down a little, as he's on pace to lose close to 100 yards from last year. That all has him at QB12, fewer than five points from the top 10. Nix still has been a decent fantasy player even as he has regressed a little from 2024.

The Jets have allowed the eighth-most yards per pass attempt and the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The most appealing thing about facing New York is that they have given up 11 passing touchdowns without an interception.

They have also been vulnerable against good running quarterbacks. Josh Allen had 56 yards on the ground, Mayfield had 44, and Dak Prescott had 28. The guys who almost never run, Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa, combined for just five yards against the Jets. Nix will likely be able to find room to move the ball with his legs.

Advice: This is a tough one because Nix can run and because he has a nicer matchup here, unlike Mayfield. Stafford has been on fire, though, and Nix isn't as great throwing the ball, so it evens their outlook. I'll say start Matthew Stafford over Bo Nix in Week 6.