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Liz Loza
Sometimes waiting for someone to show up or for a situation to develop becomes a waste of time, rather than an exercise in diligence. It’s such a fine line to walk. Knowing when to cut bait and when to hang on. What if the promise materializes the moment after you’ve walked away? Conversely, what if you’re left checking your watch and tapping your foot only to realize there’s suddenly egg on your face?
The timing of these decisions is completely individual and can be made only on a case-by-case basis. We do have tendencies, though. For example, I know that I’m stubbornly loyal. To a fault, or so my friends and family would argue. Whether it’s a byproduct of not wanting to be proven wrong or of remaining eternally hopeful — or both? — I’m not sure. I just know that one time I spent 70 minutes at an Olive Garden expecting a guy named “Ben” to show up, and it wasn’t until the waiter looked at me with pity and said, “I don’t think anyone is coming” that the switch in me flipped and I made a beeline for the door (leaving a 40% tip, of course).
That sucked. It was wildly embarrassing. But it was also a valuable experience. Because I realized that thumb-twiddling was not a hobby I was interested in maintaining, regardless of the potential outcome.
Oddly, I was reminded of this during last week’s recording of the “Facts vs Feelings” podcast. Jayme Eisenberg joined the show and when asked what advice he would give managers who were massaging 1-3 or 0-4 records, he answered simply, “shake things up.” The rationale being that whatever was happening wasn’t working. Full stop. That should be enough.
Admittedly, a trade or a benching wouldn’t guarantee victory, but it would alter the experience. This is supposed to be fun, after all.
Making a pivot or shifting the energy provides a reset. It makes room for something new. Perhaps a set of circumstances we hadn’t yet considered. Disruption refreshes our focus, renews our sense of possibility, and affords us revamped opportunities. It breathes life back into our toil, making it feel less like work and more like an adventure.
There is a chance that stubborn coaching keeps TreVeyon Henderson in Rhamondre Stevenson‘s shadow for the rest of the season. Trade for him anyway. Because the upside could be season-altering. Similarly, Christian McCaffrey could be on his way to the RB1 season we projected a year ago. But if the rest of your team is sinking, then consider cashing in that value with the aim of lifting other under-producing players on your squad.
Get out of your head and move the pieces around. Not just for the thrill of victory, but also for the thrill of the game.
Facts and Feelings for players in Week 6 and beyond
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams: QB streaming is alive and well in 2025 and Stafford has risen to the occasion. The 37-year-old has cleared 375 passing yards and 25 fantasy points in back-to-back contests. That’s quite a feat given that he managed just a single game of 25 or more fantasy points from 2022 to 2024 (41 games) and recorded zero efforts of 375 or more passing yards from 2021 through 2024.
Changes to both sides of the ball have boosted Stafford’s passing attempts and efficiency, lifting his overall stock. Having two star wide receivers who complement each other brilliantly certainly helps. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are combining for a target share of 60% (50% in the red zone and 67% in the end zone), gifting the veteran quarterback a top-six-ranked supporting cast efficiency rating.
A matchup at Baltimore only figures to keep Stafford on the QB1 radar. The Ravens have allowed the second-most fantasy points to signal-callers. In fact, three QBs have registered 27 or more fantasy points when facing Charm City’s finest (Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and C.J. Stroud). Baltimore’s defense has additionally given up 13 passing scores over five games. With the Ravens still banged up and the Rams coming off a biting loss, Stafford is likely to keep the ball in the air, throwing his way to a top-eight positional fantasy finish.
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens’ defense may be a boon to opposing passers, but its ineffectiveness has contributed to the capsizing of its own offense. Since his monster effort in Week 1, Henry has averaged 7.5 fantasy points over his past four outings.
Not surprisingly, when Baltimore is up (as it has been for a large part of Henry’s tenure as a Raven), the veteran RB tends to post juicy stats. The opposite is true when the team is trailing. Specifically, the 31-year-old has averaged 20.9 FPPG, 20 rushes per game and 122 rushing yards per game in wins and 13.7 FPPG, 14 rushes per game and 72 rushing yards per game in losses. It’s no surprise, then, that Henry has managed fewer than 11 fantasy points in four straight games (three of them losses). Per ESPN BET, the Ravens are currently 7.5-point underdogs to the Rams, which doesn’t bode well for the King’s chances of a bounce-back in Week 6.
Further working against Henry this week is the Rams’ formidable run defense. Los Angeles has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to backs. Moreover, L.A. has yet to give up a single rushing score to the position. While that poses a sizable obstacle in Week 6, chances of a rebound after the team’s Week 7 bye certainly exist. Assuming Lamar Jackson returns and the squad heals up by Week 8, the Ravens’ entire operation should lift over the back half of 2025. With gettable matchups against the Bears, Dolphins, Jets and Bengals, Henry presents an opportunity to shake up your roster.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans: Pollard may be boring, but he has proved to be a decent return on investment. Currently fantasy’s RB25 overall (he was the 23rd back selected in most drafts), the Titans’ RB1 has registered double-digit fantasy points in three consecutive efforts. Recording 17 or more touches in every game, the 28-year-old ranks fifth at the position in carries (16.4 per game). Interestingly, Pollard maintained that 17-touch threshold even after Tyjae Spears returned in Week 5.
Coming off a season-high 14.8 fantasy points and hauling in three grabs in back-to-back contests, Pollard remains startable at Vegas in Week 6. The Raiders have allowed seven rushing scores over their past three games. Be warned, however, that Tennessee’s schedule stiffens soon thereafter. With matchups against the Colts, Chargers, Texans, Jags, Browns, 49ers and Chiefs (all in the next 10 games) and understanding that Spears’ snap share is likely to increase, Pollard could emerge as a trade-high target after this Sunday’s tilt.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Flacco may not be Joe Burrow, but he is an upgrade on Jake Browning. While Flacco rarely pushed the ball downfield in Kevin Stefanski’s Cleveland offense (5.1 YPA), the former Blue Hen can still let it rip. He did, after all, register 15 completions of 20 or more yards over six games in 2024. That signals a potential turnaround for Higgins’ fantasy stock.
The change could not come any sooner for the wideout’s virtual investors. Higgins has logged a measly 158 receiving yards (34 per game, WR58) in 2025. For reference, Ja’Marr Chase logged 165 receiving yards in a single effort back in Week 2. Given the generosity displayed by the Bengals’ defense, Flacco figures to keep the ball in the air, regularly targeting the corps’ top two pass catchers. Still, patience remains key in Week 6. The Packers’ pass rush has masked an exploitable secondary, but the Bengals’ adjustment to a “new normal” might take a minute. As such, consider Higgins a high-upside flex heading into Sunday’s action.
Isaiah Bond, WR, Cleveland Browns: Dillon Gabriel‘s promotion in tandem with Cedric Tillman‘s absence appears to have elevated Bond’s offensive presence. The rookie speedster drew a head-turning seven looks (two more than Jerry Jeudy) in the Browns’ first game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Gabriel favored his tight ends, as David Njoku (who led the team in targets with nine) and Harold Fannin Jr. accounted for 14 of the QB’s 33 pass attempts. When examining the data, however, Bond seems to have nabbed the team’s WR2 spot.
The only other WR targeted, in addition to Bond and Jeudy, was Jamari Thrash. Bond recorded a snap share of 57%, whereas Thrash (who was looked to just once) was on the field for 40% of the team’s snaps. Additionally, Bond ran 29 routes on 35 dropbacks, second only to Jeudy’s 34 routes (and well above Thrash’s 12). With Tillman on IR until at least Week 10, Bond has a chance to make an eventual impact.
Notably, Pittsburgh has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wideouts (with over 175 yards per game allowed to the position). While the Browns’ tight ends figure to hold the bulk of Gabriel’s attention in Week 6 and beyond, Bond could develop into a sneaky stash for virtual squads looking to build depth. If Tillman can’t return in time, Bond could also prove to be a solid stream with matchups at the Jets and versus Baltimore in Weeks 10 and 11. Bond is currently available in more than 95% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
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Is Darren Waller a good fantasy play in Week 6?
Liz Loza breaks down her fantasy outlook for Darren Waller in Week 6 after a nice game vs. the Panthers.
Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins: Waller’s post-retirement comeback campaign roared on in Week 5. The converted wide receiver continued to lift a middling Dolphins offense, securing his third spike in two outings. Waller’s five catches ranked third on the team behind Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane, who collected six balls apiece. Additionally, the 33-year-old’s 78 receiving yards trailed only Waddle’s 110 receiving yards (and were, in fact, ahead of Waddle’s total until the final five minutes of the contest).
While it’s a bit concerning that all 18.8 of Waller’s fantasy points (TE6) came in the first 20 minutes of the game, he does appear to have emerged as Tua Tagovailoa‘s No. 3 option with Tyreek Hill out of the lineup. Malik Washington drew five looks but hauled in just four balls for zero yards. Given Washington’s role as a short-yardage receiver (which didn’t change in Week 5), Waller offers potential investors decidedly more upside.
The matchup figures to stiffen versus the Chargers in Week 6. Los Angeles has allowed only four receiving scores in 2025. It is worth noting, though, that two of those four TDs have gone to the TE position (Travis Kelce in Week 1 and Theo Johnson in Week 4). Still, Miami’s defense should keep Tua throwing, and with his team a 3.5-point underdog, Waller projects to finish inside the top 10 fantasy scorers at his position. Given his injury history and the state of the tight end landscape, however, he might be a decent trade-away candidate for managers comfortable streaming the position.
AJ Barner, TE, Seattle Seahawks: Speaking of streams, your girl has been on a tear the past two weeks (Mason Taylor and Theo Johnson). Buzz around Barner has been building, especially as he has managed double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back efforts (12.2 in Week 4 and 24.3 in Week 5). The 23-year-old’s four receiving scores tie him with Dallas Goedert for the most at the position and are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL (behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, George Pickens, Rome Odunze and Emeka Egbuka).
ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, who was reporting from Lumen Field, joined “Fantasy Football Now” headed into the Week 5 games and shared that the Seahawks planned to get the receiving options behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba more involved. That proved to be entirely accurate, as Barner recorded his highest target total of 2025, drawing seven looks (behind just JSN and Cooper Kupp, who both logged nine). Interestingly, Barner has been a regular offensive participant, managing a snap share of 79% and clearing a snap share of 82% in every game save the 44-13 blowout versus New Orleans. In addition to dominating as an in-line blocker, the former Wolverine ranks third on the team in routes run (ahead of No. 3 WR Tory Horton).
At first glance, the matchup at Jacksonville doesn’t appear overly enticing. However, the Jaguars have been susceptible when facing the position, giving up scores to TEs in back-to-back weeks (Jake Tonges in Week 4 and Travis Kelce in Week 5). In what’s expected to be a close game with a spread of 1.5 points, Barner figures to be involved. He’s currently available in 95% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
