Fantasy football takeaways from Week 6: A harsh reality for Rico Dowdle owners

In Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, Fields went just 3-of-11 for 27 yards (3.98 points) before suffering a concussion in the third quarter. In Week 6 against the Denver Broncos, he went 9-of-17 for 45 yards (4.9 points) in a dismal passing performance. 

Fields should be on your bench when he faces a strong defense, but that's not the case in Week 7. Next up is the Carolina Panthers defense, which has given up 22.34 points to Dak Prescott, 22.74 to Tua Tagovailoa and 23.22 to Drake Maye in its last three games.

Cade Otton is about to explode

With wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka all injured, the fantasy football community is buzzing about which backup wideout will take over as Baker Mayfield's No. 1 option. The answer, however, might be none of them. 

After Egbuka left Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring injury, Otton led the team with six targets and five catches. We've already seen that the talented tight end can pace Tampa Bay's passing game. 

When the Bucs were dealing with similar WR injuries last season, Otton recorded 31 targets, 25 catches, 258 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a three-game stretch. He averaged 22.9 PPR points during that span. If Otton is still a free agent in your league, do everything you can to pick him up. 

The Rico Dowdle honeymoon phase is about to end

If you picked up Dowdle in Week 5, you're feeling invincible right now. The Panthers running back has put up a ridiculous 473 total yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks, giving him 32.4 and 33.9 PPR points in those games. Dowdle feels like a league-winner through two starts, but these good times probably won't last. 

For one, Chuba Hubbard will likely return from his calf injury in Week 7. The Panthers gave Hubbard a four-year, $33.2 million extension last year, so they have no plans to make him Dowdle's backup for the rest of the season. As good as Dowdle has looked as the featured back, he'll have to split time with Hubbard when both are healthy. 

Dowdle's big games also came against the Dolphins, who rank 31st in the NFL in defensive rush EPA per play (0.049), and the Cowboys, who rank 32nd in defensive rush success rate (49.7 percent). He won't see a better matchup for the rest of the season.