The NFL season is back for another round of action, and fantasy football managers are ready for a full slate of action to flood their TVs this weekend. As not all matchups or roles are equal, we’re breaking down our top fantasy football start/sit Week 6 plays.
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6 | Quarterbacks
Start: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks vs. ARI
Fair warning, you’ll likely see this game mentioned a few times, but for a good reason. For one, we have injuries that have thrust players into larger roles. Two, this is the second-highest game total of the weekend, thanks to two teams with offenses that can score and defenses that, well, need some improvement.
Geno Smith is playing the best ball of his career and likely since his days at West Virginia. Outside of a bad Week 2 game against the 49ers, Smith has been great, scoring 18+ PPG in his last three games, including over 24 fantasy points in his last two.
His game vs. SF was the only time he has fallen below 17 points, and he now takes on a Cardinals defense that has allowed 19.5 PPG to opposing QBs. Fire Smith up as a low-end QB1 in Week 6.
Start: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings at MIA
Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get with Kirk Cousins. In three of his five games, Cousins has 18+ points but has been held to under 13 in the other two. In fairness to Cousins, those came in difficult matchups against the Eagles and Saints.
MORE: RB Injury Report Week 6
Miami does not fall into that same category, especially when they’ll be relying on rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson at QB, which likely means the ball will be in Minnesota’s hands for the majority of the game. The Dolphins have allowed 22.5 fantasy PPG to QBs, the second-most in the NFL and the fifth-most passing yards per game. Cousins is a locked-in starting QB option in Week 6 as bye weeks begin to thin the options.
Sit: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos at LAC
Who would have guessed Seattle would have a better passing attack after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncs? I sure didn’t.
Between the shoulder, miscues, and the fact he has more than 19 points in just one game and scored just 11.6 points last week has me saying, “Let’s sit” rather than “Let’s Ride.” The Chargers have allowed just two QBs to surpass 17.5 points through five weeks. I’m not betting on Wilson being the third.
Sit: Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons vs. SF
When bye weeks strike, sometimes you have to look in the not-so-obvious places, and guys like Marcus Mariota become potential streaming options. Sure, in some weeks, that works, but this is not one of those, as he faces a daunting defense in the 49ers who have limited opposing QBs to a league-low 8.9 PPG.
While he was a top-10 QB last week and is getting Kyle Pitts back, this isn’t the time to get too cute. Sit Mariota in Week 6 and look for other fantasy options with a higher floor.
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6 | Running Backs
Start: Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks vs. ARI
Kenneth Walker III is the truth. Taking over after the season-ending injury to Rashaad Penny, Walker had his “welcome to the NFL” moment, rushing eight times for 88 yards, including a 69-yard TD that showcased his breakaway ability.
It’s all he did in college too, recording 48 runs of 10 yards or more in his final year at Michigan State. He was No. 1 in the NCAA in yards after contact (1,169) and broken tackles (89) in 2021.
He would have been 19th in the nation in rushing on his after-contact yardage alone. He is a 100% must-start RB2. Also, start Eno Benjamin as well. I told you we’d talk about this game quite a bit.
Start: Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots at CLE
With Damien Harris leaving early due to a hamstring injury, Rhamondre Stevenson went ballistic last week, carrying the ball 25 times for 161 yards, adding in two catches on two targets for 14 yards. He had already seen his reps increasing and now has the upside of a top-six RB for Week 6.
For as good as they are running the ball, Cleveland gives out fantasy points to RBs as if it was Halloween candy. The Browns have allowed the fourth-most fantasy PPG to RBs (28.7) and have the second-worst run defense EPA.
New England seems to be playing mind games by having both Mac Jones and Harris making the trip to Cleveland, so keep an eye on the gameday inactives, as Harris playing would decrease Stevenson’s ceiling.
Start: Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams vs. CAR
No one has any idea what is going on with Cam Akers. All coach Sean McVay said is Akers is “working through some things.” Hopefully, it is nothing serious, but if anything, this gives massive clarity to the RB position and makes Darrell Henderson a locked-in starter until something changes.
The Rams have struggled to run the ball, sitting 27th in EPA, 21st in success rate, and 29th in adjusted line yards. But this might be the boost they desperately need. Henderson just has more burst right now, and Carolina has struggled defensively.
Carolina is 16th in rushing success rate, 27th in rushing yards per game, 22nd in DVOA, and has surrounded the 14th-most receiving yards and 9th-most yards per reception. With Carolina in the midst of a coaching change and running out PJ Walker at QB, Henderson and the Rams should have a get-right game in Week 6.
Sit: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. TB
I was down on Najee Harris coming into the year, but even I wasn’t down on him enough, as this year has been brutal, to say the least. Last week, it hit rock bottom, as Harris, the RB36 in per-game scoring (10.3), rushed 11 times for 20 yards and added three receptions for 16 yards. But when he’s on a bad offense with a poor offensive line and has seen just 15 targets, it’s no wonder Harris has flopped.
Don’t expect things to get any better in Week 6 for Harris as the Steelers take on the Buccaneers, who are allowing the fewest fantasy PPG to the position at just 14.46. Sit him in Week 6 if at all possible.
Sit: Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons vs. SF
I love rookies as much as the next guy, but this is not the week to start Tyler Allgeier. Last week, the former BYU star rushed 13 times for 45 yards, and, while he didn’t have any targets, had a surprisingly high 65% route participation.
But the 49ers are not a matchup to test. They’ve yet to allow an RB to rush for more than 58 yards on the ground. Sure, they’ve allowed 28 receptions (8th most), but Allgeier has just two receptions on two targets. When deciding your starts and sits for Week 6, leave Allgeier on your bench.
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6 | Wide Receivers
Start: Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at PIT
Minkah Fitzpatrick. Out. T.J. Watt. Injured reserve. DeMarvin Leal. Injured reserve. Cameron Sutton, Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon. Out, out, out. That’s two defensive ends and four defensive backs who will miss Week 6. At this point, the Steelers will sign someone eating at Primanti Bros. to play DB.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are going to erupt. While it might not be the 31 points Buffalo scored in the first half, it might not be too far off. Godwin has topped 12 PPR points in back-to-back weeks and gets a decimated Steelers defense that, when they were healthy, allowed the most fantasy PPG to receivers this season (48.8).
Start: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. ARI
I promise this is the last time I’ll mention this game even though you should also start Zach Ertz and Marquise Brown, but let’s just focus on Tyler Lockett, who was one of my top three Dogs of the Day for Underdog Pick’ems.
MORE: Week 6 WR Fantasy Football Rankings
Lockett has topped 90 yards in three of his last four games, sits as the WR8 in PPR scoring, and has scored 13 or more every week since Week 1 with three over 16 points. He’s also gone off against the Cardinals in the past.
Last year, he had over 200 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona, and he has six touchdowns in his last four games against the team. Although Lockett’s boom-or-bust nature has made him a problematic start-sit decision, in Week 6, start him with confidence.
Start: Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts vs. JAX
After a slow start, that’s now three weeks in a row where Alex Pierce has impressed. With 81 receiving yards in Week 5, Pierce has 80-yards or more in back-to-back weeks and was the lone bright spot in an otherwise awful game against Denver.
With Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines ruled out, we should bump up Pierce’s volume in a must-win game for the Colts. I’d start him as a WR3 in Week 6.
Start: Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots at CIN
Is anyone more underrated in both the NFL and fantasy football than Jakobi Meyers? After being listed as questionable during the week, Meyers was busy from the jump. He hauled in seven of eight targets for 111 yards and one touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 5.
Meyers missed the last two games due to a knee injury but returned to surpass the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. He’s now scored 10.2, 18.5, and 24.1 PPR points in his three games and led the Patriots in snaps, routes run, and targets last week. The WR29 of last season, start Meyers as a top-30 WR for fantasy in Week 6.
Sit: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs vs. BUF
Brought in to be the No. 1 receiver for Patrick Mahomes, JuJu Smith-Schuster has disappointed. He’s seen eight targets in four games this year but has been held to single digits three times and has yet to record 14 or more PPR points.
This is a game we dream about from an NFL fan standpoint, but Buffalo has been brutal to opposing offenses, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy PPG to receivers (29.1).
Travis Kelce is the only person Mahomes looks for in the end zone, which limits Smith-Schuster’s ceiling and floor. I wouldn’t sit him for just anyone, but it’s hard to start him in Week 6 with any confidence for fantasy.
Sit: DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers at LAR
DJ Moore is coming off his best game of the season. With that said, he had 59 yards, has yet to score over 13.5 PPR points, and sits as the WR54 in PPG at 9.3 PPR.
Carolina fired its head coach, is starting P.J. Walker, and is apparently willing to trade Christian McCaffrey. This is just one big ol’ bowl of honey bunches of nope for me. I’m the biggest DJM stan you’ll find, but Carolina is wasting him. At least he is getting paid for it, so I can’t be too upset for him. I’m just sad for all of us who drafted him as a WR1/2.
Sit: Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos at LAC
With Wilson and the Broncos struggling, it’s no surprise that Jerry Jeudy has as well. I was Team Courtland Sutton, but even I thought Jeudy would have made a more significant impact after the loss of Tim Patrick but clearly not.
Since Week 1, Jeudy has just one game of eight points or more and matches up against Bryce Callahan who has been targeted on just 13% of his routes covered and leads the Chargers’ CBs in fantasy points allowed, catch rate, and yards allowed per snap.
Sit: Garrett Wilson, New York Jets at GB
Can we get Joe Flacco back? Is that too much to ask? Because Zach Wilson is killing Garrett Wilson’s upside after what looked like the start of a massive breakout. Since Wilson’s return, Garrett has ten targets, five receptions, 68 yards, and no touchdowns. That’s a 5.7 PPR per game average.
It’s not all Wilson. They’ve had success rushing and haven’t felt the need to throw 50+ times a game. When they have thrown, Wilson has a 19% target share but sits fourth in air yards at 13%. That’s not going to cut it against a Packers defense that has allowed 29.8 PPR per game (11th). When it comes to WR start-sit decisions in Week 6, err on the side of caution and sit Wilson for fantasy football.
Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6 | Tight Ends
Start: David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs. NE
Over the last three weeks, David Njoku leads all tight ends with 250 yards. He’s seen at least six targets, five receptions, and 73 yards in each of the last three games and has double-digit fantasy points in two of them. It should be a clean sweep, but a fumble kept that from happening.
Without a No. 2 on this offense, Jacoby Brissett focuses on Njoku any time he can’t get a clear look at Amari Cooper. Njoku was one of my breakouts this year, and he is paying off massively. The TE8 on the season, Njoku sits third in YPRR, fourth in red zone targets, and first in target/route run rate.
While Njoku only has one score this year, New England, who sits 21st in per-game scoring, has allowed the most TDs to the position (5). Njoku is a weekly starter that shouldn’t come out of your lineup.
Start: Evan Engram, Indianapolis Colts
How many of you expected that in the same week, you’d see both Njoku and Evan Engram recommended in start/sit articles? What a wild time to be alive, but it is true, as Engram is getting into his groove. Engram is even coming off his best game of the season, catching six of his ten targets for 69 yards.
MORE: Wharton’s Start’em Sit ’em
Marvin Jones Jr. has already been ruled out, and Zay Jones is also questionable. Engram has two games this year with over eight targets; one came last week, and the other was against the Indianapolis Colts, who also have allowed the fifth-most points to the position (16.2 PPR). Start Engram in Week 6 as a low-end TE1.
Sit: Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys at PHI
I was all in on Dalton Schultz this year as my TE4 coming into drafts. Yet, between Dak Prescott’s injury and a knee injury for himself, Schultz has been nowhere close to those expectations.
He saw nine targets in Week 1 with Dak but has just eight combined in the other three games. He has 18 yards total in those three games and was catch-less in the last two. Until Prescott returns and Schultz is fully healthy, I can’t recommend starting him for fantasy.
Sit: Tyler Conklin, New York Jets at GB
Tyler Conklin was a savior to many rosters for those who were streaming the position, but with Zach Wilson under center, he’s been held to single digits in both games.
Furthermore, C.J. Uzomah’s increased usage led to Conklin watching his route participation fall from 79% to just 29%. Green Bay has allowed the sixth-fewest points to the position at 7.2 PPR. You have to sit Conklin in Week 6.