Last week’s bold predictions were brutal. I went 0-3, running my season tally to 5-10 (.333). Ultimately, my season-long hit rate is appropriate for the nature of the topic, but I’ll attempt to rebound with the picks this week after posting a bagel last week.

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Fantasy Football Week 6 Bold Predictions

Bucky Irving is a Top-15 Running Back in All Scoring Formats in Week 6

This week, it might be the Bucky Irving show in Tampa Bay’s backfield. Rachaad White popped up as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice as a limited participant with a foot injury before downgrading to a non-participant on Thursday.

Irving has already pushed himself into a timeshare in the backfield, sporting snap shares of 42% and 43% in Week 4 and Week 5, respectively. His playing time should substantially surge if White’s foot keeps him out this week. Yet, Irving could also see an uptick in playing time if White’s foot hinders his performance, even if he can gut it out.

Irving has excelled as a runner in his rookie campaign. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 59 running backs with at least 25 rush attempts this year, Irving is seventh in yards per carry (5.61), seventh in explosive run percentage (9.1%), tied for sixth in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.25), 10th in yards before contact per attempt (2.66) and 13th in yards after contact per attempt (2.95). He’s averaged 49.4 rushing yards per game with one rushing touchdown, 1.6 receptions per game and 9.2 receiving yards per game.

Irving’s matchup is nicer than meets the eye. The Saints have a pass-funnel defense. Per RotoViz’s pace app, New Orleans is tied for the second-lowest situation-neutral rush rate (36%) against them. However, per Pro Football Reference, the Saints have coughed up 89.8 rushing yards per game at 4.7 yards per carry to running backs this season. They’ve also permitted them three rushing touchdowns, 4.2 receptions per game, 35.4 receiving yards per game and 8.4 yards per reception.

Rookie Spencer Rattler is making his first NFL start. He was a fifth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and if defensive whiz Todd Bowles can fluster him, Irving and Tampa Bay’s offense should be in a positive game script. Irving is ranked as the RB23 in standard leagues, the RB24 in half-point per reception (half PPR) and the RB24 in PPR. I’m more bullish and bold in calling him a top-15 running back in all formats this week.

Zach Ertz is a Top-10 Tight End in At Least Half PPR and PPR Formats in Week 6

The tight end landscape stinks this year, so this might not seem like a bold prediction at a glance. However, this week, Zach Ertz is ranked as just the TE16 in half PPR and PPR formats. Thus, a top-10 finish would make him a starter in 10-team leagues instead of a middle-tier TE2.

The 51.5-point total for the Commanders at Ravens is the second-highest this week, which is always a viable starting point for using a tight end. If Ertz finds paydirt, he’ll likely be a top-10 tight end, even if it’s his only reception.

However, he could also be busy soaking up receptions as a safety valve. Ertz is a mainstay on the field, which is half the battle for a tight end having fantasy relevance. He’s second on the Commanders in route participation (71.1%), air yard share (20.7%), target share (17.9%), first-read percentage (17.3%) and third with two end zone targets. Ertz isn’t a dynamic playmaker, but his role is good enough to make him a viable starter with top-10 potential in a possible shootout.

Rashod Bateman is a Top-36 Wide Receiver in All Scoring Formats in Week 6

Rashod Bateman is another non-superstar piece of the possible shootout between the Ravens and Commanders. Derrick Henry should have his way against Washington’s leaky run defense, but Bateman also has a plus matchup.

The Commanders have coughed up the fifth-most half-PPR points per game (33.8) to wideouts this year. According to Fantasy Points, Washington has faced the seventh-highest target percentage (44.1%) to players aligned wide, and Bateman’s 92.4% alignment wide this year is the highest mark for the Ravens.

For the Ravens, Bateman is second in route participation (75.4%), second in air yard share (27.2%), second in target share (14.6%), second in receiving yards per game (40.4), tied for second in end zone targets (two) and third in first read-percentage (14.6%).

Bateman’s 14.0-yard average depth of target is the deepest for the Ravens. He’s a field-stretching weapon and can benefit if Washington sells out to stop King Henry. As a result, Bateman can make the most of only a few targets and should outperform his WR53 ranking in standard and WR54 ranking in half PPR and PPR formats in Week 6. In fact, my bold top-36 call would make him a low-end WR3 in 12-team leagues.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.