“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.”
-Helen Keller
Now that draft season is over and we’re into the regular season, it’s time for weekly bold predictions.
The point here is that if you follow the consensus, you’re probably going to have a good team. But in order to go from good to great, you have to take some chances. You have to do your homework and figure out where you can zig when the rest of your league (or at least your opponent this week) zags. In short, you need to know how and when to be bold.
We asked our analysts to provide a bold prediction for Week 6. Their answers and justifications are below.
Check out all of our Week 6 fantasy football content 
Week 6 Bold Predictions
Rhamondre Stevenson finishes Week 6 as the fantasy RB1 overall
His Week 5 usage without Damien Harris: 25 carries for 161 yards, 90% snap share, 64% route participation and 100% of RB touches in 2nd half. The Browns have allowed the third-most fantasy points to RBs this season and own the second-worst in run defense EPA. The Patriots have gone super run-heavy over the last two weeks with backup QBs: a 60% run rate on early downs for the third-best rush EPA. So even though teams know the run game is coming, they still can’t stop it. And they won’t with Stevenson in a full bell-cow role.
– Andrew Erickson
Marcus Mariota will be benched for Desmond Ridder this week against the 49ers
Two weeks in a row, Marcus Mariota has failed to reach 150 passing yards. He also failed to put any points on the board for the Falcons in the first three quarters of Sunday’s contest. The Steelers made their move to the future two weeks ago, and the Falcons have very little to lose by giving Desmond Ridder a look to see if he can start to diversify this one limited offense. Are the 49ers the ideal first chance for Ridder? No. But the Steelers showed resolve by letting Kenny Pickett learn on the job in Buffalo last week, and the Falcons should follow suit.
– Joe Pisapia
If James Conner is out, Eno Benjamin is a top five RB
Benjamin looks like the lead back in a smash matchup this week. When Benjamin has gotten opportunities, he’s produced. He’s 10th in yards created per touch, 13th in juke rate, 21st in breakaway run rate, and 16th in yards per route run. Seattle is 16th in rush success rate, 32nd in rushing yards per game, and 18th in explosive run rate. They have been even worse against receiving backs ranking 26th in DVOA, allowing the third-most receiving yards and sixth-highest yards per reception. Week 6. The matchup we all thought we’d clamor for. Chef Geno vs. Sous-chef Eno.
– Derek Brown
Joe Burrow will throw for 300+ yards and four touchdowns against the Saints in New Orleans
The last time Joe Burrow played in the Superdome was on Jan. 13, 2020, when he lit up Clemson for 463 passing yards and five TD passes in the National Championship Game. (He also ran for 58 yards and a touchdown.) This weekend, Burrow returns to New Orleans to face a Saints defense that just gave up 268 passing yards and three TD passes to Geno Smith and the Seahawks. Smith averaged 10.7 yards per pass attempt in that game and posted a passer rating of 139.7. Clearly, all is not right with the Saints’ pass defense. Expect Burrow to feast this week even if he doesn’t have the services of WR Tee Higgins, who’s questionable with an ankle injury.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Tom Brady throws for 400 yards and four touchdowns
With the return of WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and LT Donovan Smith in Week 4, Brady has been on fire over his past two games with 736 yards and four touchdowns to zero interceptions on 74-of-104 passing. And now he faces the Steelers, who are No. 5 in most fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks (22.1 per game) and might be without Nos. 1-2 CBs Cameron Sutton (hamstring) and Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) and SS Terrell Edmunds (concussion), all of whom missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. I think this game will be a massive get-right spot for the entire Buccaneers offense, starting with Brady.
– Matthew Freedman
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