Rico Dowdle, Quinshon Judkins Among Biggest Week 6 Fantasy Football MVPs and Busts
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Week 6 of the NFL season is in the books, and that means fantasy football managers everywhere are either setting their sights on winning a championship or already hoping the season ends.
But beyond the box scores and waiver wire moves, it’s always fun to take a step back and highlight the most memorable moments from the week. Each week, I hand out fantasy football superlatives to the players who stood out for one reason or another.
Think of it like high school yearbook superlatives, but highlighting the good and the bad. It’s a lighthearted way to celebrate the chaos, surprises and breakout performances that make fantasy football fun.
Week 6 had no shortage of storylines. So before we move on to Week 7, let’s hand out some well-earned recognition to the players who defined the second week of the fantasy football season.
MVP of the Week - Rico Dowdle
If I were giving out an award for talking the most yet backing it up, Dowdle would win two categories. The Panthers' running back told his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, to “buckle up” ahead of the two teams’ showdown on Sunday. The Cowboys and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus clearly didn’t listen. Dowdle posted 230+ scrimmage yards in back-to-back contests, as he recorded 183 rushing yards and 56 receiving yards and a touchdown to help the Panthers defeat the Cowboys, 30-27. The former Cowboy led all fantasy football scorers heading into Monday night with 33.9 PPR points. Dowdle took over as a starter last week due to Chubba Hubbard being sidelined with a calf injury. He’s taken over the backfield and should continue being a league winner, even when Hubbard returns.
Rico Sharod Dowdle pic.twitter.com/pQFBQGf6iv
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 12, 2025
Waiver Wire Wonder of the Week - Kimani Vidal
Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton landed on IR with an ankle injury last week. This sparked a debate amongst the fantasy football community regarding which handcuff was in line to capitalize. The consensus sided with Hassan Haskins, who played under head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. However, it was Vidal who solidified himself as a viable fantasy asset. He out-touched Haskins 21-7 while rushing for 124 yards and adding 14 receiving yards on three receptions. His performance made him RB7 (22.8 fantasy points) on the week heading into Monday night. Vidal is currently owned in 27% of ESPN leagues, and his roster rate will soar ahead of Week 7.
Big brain thinking for Kimani Vidal managers 🧠 pic.twitter.com/2AzneIiexM
— ESPN Fantasy Sports (@ESPNFantasy) October 12, 2025
Bust of the Week - Quinshon Judkins
Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson were close rivals for this award, but both had low expectations going against a stout Broncos defense this week. On the other hand, Judkins looked primed for one of his biggest performances yet against a weak Steelers run defense. However, the rookie rushed 12 times for 36 yards (3.0 YPC). He scored just 3.6 fantasy points, which was his worst fantasy performance of the season. Judkins also wasn’t a factor in the pass game, as he didn’t catch his only target. Judkins is still the RB1 in the Browns’ backfield, but the state of the team’s offense with a rookie quarterback provides some concern, with teams selling out to stop the run.
12 carries for 36 yards for Quinshon Judkins today
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) October 12, 2025
with Dillon Gabriel seeing 56 dropbacks
Free Him Award - TreVeyon Henderson
Even in a week following Antonio Gibson's tearing of his ACL, Henderson didn’t see much of an uptick in usage vs. the Saints. Instead, Rhamondre Stevenson paced the Patriots’ backfield with 13 carries. Stevenson gained just 18 yards, averaging 1.4 yards per carry. Henderson earned nine carries and gained 27 yards. The Saints have one of the most exploitable rushing defenses in the NFL. This week would’ve been an excellent opportunity for Henderson to break out, but the Patriots' coaching staff continues to utilize him in a limited role.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1.3 yard per carry was the third worst of any game a player had 10+ carries this season
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 13, 2025
Meanwhile, TreVeyon Henderson has the fewest yards of any RB with 40+ carries this season pic.twitter.com/bk5Tj9DQ83
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.