Sit-and-start advice for fantasy football should always be relative and league-dependent. Many starts and sits are also obvious, so in this column we’ll focus instead on marginal options, the ones that really require some thought. Good luck with your week 6 lineups!
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Chicago Bears (London)
Start: TankBigsby
Bigsby ranks first in YPC and first in rush yards above expectations per attempt (by a mile). He gets 6.5 YPC after contact with an avoided tackle rate of 51%. Bigsby ranks 38th in rush attempts, but fifth in broken tackles. Travis Etienne Jr. remains the starter, but he will also likely be limited this week by a recurring shoulder injury, a play-by-play situation in which he will “continue to push forward.” The Bears are a run-funnel defense with the second-fewest fantasy points going to quarterbacks but the tenth-most going to running backs. Bigsby is a borderline top-20 RB in a favorable matchup.
Sit Christian Kirkwho faces a Chicago defense that gives up the third-fewest fantasy points at the slot, where he has run 80% of his routes this season.
Washington Commanders @ Baltimore Ravens
Start: Terry McLaurin
McLaurin ranks 12th in target share (27.3%) and first in air meter share (56.6%) for an offense that is off to a historic start in points per drive. The Ravens are by far the league’s top pass-funnel defense and have allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers (and the most passing yards). Meanwhile, Zay Flowers is a top-12 WR in this matchup.
Is Brian Robinson Jr.who is still dealing with a knee injury (he didn’t play any snaps in the second half last week) and is facing a Baltimore defense that is allowing an NFL-low 3.0 YPC and just 48.0 RB rushing yards per game.
Arizona Cardinals @ Green Bay Packers
Start: Dontayvion Wicks
Assuming Christian Watson sits out one more game (it turned out not to be an ankle sprain), Wicks would be worth starting despite last week’s disaster. He will once again play a big role in an offense that is expected to score the most points this week. Arizona is near the bottom of the league in terms of pressure levels, and Wicks is ranked high eighth in the target percentage (30.9%). But this depends on Watson being out.
Houston Texans @ New England Patriots
Start: Dalton Schultz
The Texans have one of the worst rushing offenses in the league and will be without Nico Collins. Tank Dell could be started if needed, with him expected to see more targets, but it’s unclear if he’s fully healthy at this point. Stefon Diggs will be largely shadowed by Christian Gonzalez, so Schultz should see more opportunities on Sunday.
Drake Maye is a sneaky start in the Superflex leagues as the Texans’ high usage of man coverage has allowed Houston to allow the fifth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
Start: Bucky Irving
Rachaad White was held out of practice Thursday, so Irving’s time to take over the Tampa Bay backfield could be Sunday. The Bucs turned to Irving after the rookie lost a fumble in overtime last week, and he has been one of the best runners in the league this season. The game script could be positive with Spencer Rattler making his first career start for a banged-up Saints team (Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Taysom Hill and the New Orleans offensive line are all dealing with injuries).
Mike Evans deserves a downgrade, as Marshon Lattimore has historically shut him down and the Saints have yielded just one touchdown pass this season.
Cleveland Browns @Philadelphia Eagles
Start: Eagles D/ST
Philadelphia’s defense got off to a slow start this season, but the Eagles are coming off a bye and in an excellent game. Deshaun Watson has the lowest YPA (4.8) through five games in NFL history. He has been sacked on an NFL-high 24.1% of his dropbacks against the blitz, compared to the league average of 9.5%. The Browns allow the second-highest pressures and allow just 3.8 yards per play – half a yard less than the next-worst team. The Eagles are near double-digit favorites with another healthy offense, so the game script could get ugly for Cleveland.
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Start: Tony Pollard
Pollard is the RB11 in expected fantasy points, and the Titans are home favorites coming into the bye. The Colts are dealing with multiple injuries on offense and have a run-funnel defense as opposing defensemen are averaging the second-most carries this season (28.2).
Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins are also both sneaky fantasy starts this week.
Sit Anthony Richardsonwho is likely to return from his hip injury on Sunday. Richardson is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per dropback this year despite a tough schedule, but he’s in an extremely tough spot. Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor are out, while Josh Downs missed practice on Thursday. Tennessee comes home from a bye giving up an NFL-low 5.7 YPA and by far the fewest passing yards per game (141.8). It’s also possible that Richardson’s hip prevents him from running as usual, posing a risk of aggravation.
Richardson still offers unparalleled fantasy potential long-term, but he’s a bench candidate off Sunday. He will also soon be a buy-low candidate.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Seat: Javonte Williams
Williams had his best fantasy game of the season last week, but that came against the Raiders, and he has yet to reach or score 80 rushing yards this year. The Broncos have a low implied team total (16.8 points) and face a Chargers run defense, allowing for the league’s lowest EPA/rush. Additionally, rookie Audric Estime was designated to return from IR and is expected to be activated for Sunday’s game, so Williams could lose some work.
Start with Ladd McConkeywho has emerged as LA’s clear-cut WR1, should avoid Patrick Surtain II from the slot and has thrived against man coverage (which Denver has used at the league’s second-highest rate).
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Las Vegas Raiders
Start: Najee Harris
Harris hasn’t run for more than 6 yards in the past two weeks, but he faces a heavy workload in a favorable matchup Sunday. The Raiders have yielded the second-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to running backs, and Aidan O’Connell is starting for them at quarterback. Jaylen Warren is questionable and Cordarrelle Patterson is out, so Harris will be busy. He’s on the verge of touchdown regression and has by far the most touches (94) without scoring this season, so start Harris this week.
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
Start: Diontae Johnson
Johnson leads the NFL in red zone and end zone targets. His quiet game last week came against a stingy Chicago pass defense and would have looked better if Andy Dalton hadn’t missed him for a potential touchdown of 50+ yards. Johnson is the WR6 in expected fantasy points this season, just ahead of Nico Collins. This matchup should be fast and feature a number of plays, with Carolina likely throwing from behind often. Keep Johnson in fantasy lineups.
Detroit Lions @Dallas Cowboys
Start: Jalen Tolbert
Tolbert has been a much better player this season, seeing just four fewer goals and scoring just 1.9 fewer (0.5 PPR) fantasy points than CeeDee Lamb since Week 1. Lions opponents have the third-highest success rate, and Detroit has had the highest graduation rate. the fourth most fantasy points to wide receivers. Brandin Cooks will face a pass-funnel defense in a matchup with the highest total this week (52.0 points). Dak Prescott has averaged an 8.0 YPA with 2+ TD passes at home during his career, so Tolbert is a sneaky start this week.
Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Giants
Start: Wan’Dale Robinson
Robinson quietly ranks third in targets this season, second in red zone targets and eighth in target share, with Malik Nabers sitting again on Sunday. Robinson is the WR17 in expected fantasy points, just ahead of CeeDee Lamb, Zay Flowers and Marvin Harrison Jr. Daniel Jones is playing well and Robinson is getting a boost in PPR competitions.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Sits: Josh Allen
Allen remains a borderline top-12 QB this week, but given his situation and matchup, alternatives can be explored. Buffalo’s offense could be limited with James Cook and Khalil Shakir missing practice Thursday, and the Jets have allowed just two touchdowns and the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. The Bills have a lower implied total than the Giants this week.
Allen may have his worst performance of all time, not having a single carry inside the five-yard line this season. He also comes in with an injured left hand, a sprained ankle and almost certainly a concussion.
Allen has been able to practice fully and will certainly bounce back when the schedule relaxes, but Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff look to be off to a better start this week.
