Week 6 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em is here to highlight a few players at each position that we would like to sit or start (where possible).
This series will avoid the “obvious” answers. So, just because I don’t tell you to start the RB1 in the week doesn’t mean you should sit him. It means I just felt it was a no-brainer and didn’t need to be discussed. Also, take these suggestions into context with your lineup. When I say to sit a player, there are obviously going to be situations where you have no choice but to play them. Bye weeks and injuries can cause us to start players we are uncomfortable with. Examine your squad’s situation before blindly following this column.
Week 6 Quarterback Starts Of The Week:
Jordan Love, GB vs. CIN
The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has given up the 3rd most passing yards per game. That even includes players like Joe Flacco & Carson Wentz in the mix. The Bengals play Jordan Love, who is averaging 250 yards per game. His average will increase after the Packers light up the Bengals’ defense on their way to a massive victory.
Matthew Stafford, LAR @ BAL
The current leader in passing yards is Matthew Stafford, who has come out of the woodwork. He’s averaging over 300 yards per game and should have a similar performance against the Baltimore Ravens, who currently have the league’s worst defense. The Ravens have been absolutely destroyed lately, so the Stafford-Nacua connection is going to go nuclear.
Week 6 Quarterback Sits Of The Week:
Justin Fields, NYJ vs. DEN (London)
After being on the start list last week, Justin Fields is a sit this week. Last week, the Jets played the Cowboys, who give up the most points to opposing quarterbacks; now they play the Broncos, who give up the fourth fewest points. The Broncos are going to shut down the Jets’ offense, and I’m fading everyone, especially Justin Fields.
Tua Tagovailoa, MIA vs. LAC
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa might have had his best fantasy performance of the season, finishing as QB9 in week 5. That was against a Carolina defense that’s among the league’s worst. The Chargers are a significant step up, even if they’ve struggled the last two weeks. One thing that the Chargers will expose is the Dolphins’ offensive line. Tua has been hurried more than any other quarterback in the league and only has 2.3 seconds of pocket time on average. He’s rushing to get the ball out, and he’s going to become more inaccurate without Tyreek Hill. I’m not trusting Tua and this Dolphins offensive line against any defense that’s relevant to give Tua ample time to throw the ball.
Week 6 Running Backs Starts Of The Week
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WAS vs. CHI
The week we’ve finally been waiting for has come with the breakout of Jacory Croskey-Merritt. JCM exploded for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns on his way to a 25-point performance. It was his best game of the season as he led the team in carries. It’s not an overreaction that he can be trusted moving forward. JCM is in line to be a weekly start and has a great game lined up against the Bears’ defense. JCM is my favorite rookie back of the week.
Rico Dowdle, CAR vs. DAL
Rico Dowdle delivered the best running performance of the season, totaling 206 rushing yards and averaging 9 yards per carry against Miami. The Panthers should rest Chuba Hubbard and keep Dowdle as the starter against his former team. He may not hit 200 yards again, but he should reach at least 100 against the Cowboys, who give up the most yards per game to offenses.
Week 6 Running Back Sits Of The Week
Jaylen Warren & Kenneth Gainwell, PIT vs. CLE
Before the bye, Jaylen Warren was out injured, and Kenneth Gainwell excelled against the Vikings. Both backs are expected to play the Browns this weekend, making their roles unpredictable. With Cleveland allowing the third fewest points to opposing RBs, this backfield is a stay-away.
Chase Brown, CIN @ GB
Chase Brown averages under 10 fantasy points per game, hurt by a struggling Bengals offensive line. He’s had 10 tackles for a loss this year after 19 all of last year. Facing a top-5 Green Bay rush defense, Brown is a fade. If Joe Flacco starts, expect more passing as the Bengals will likely be trailing for most of the game, making Brown a sit for this week.5
Week 6 Wide Receiver Starts Of The Week
DeVonta Smith, PHI @ NYG
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles finally had their best game through the air all season, despite losing to the Denver Broncos. A key reason for that was DeVonta Smith, who led the team in receiving yards with 114. With Saquon Barkley limited, expect Hurts to torch the Giants’ defense. The Giants just let Spencer Rattler and Rashid Shaheed unleash for 100+ yards together. The Hurts-Smith combo is going to do so much more damage.
Calvin Ridley, TEN @ LV
It took 5 weeks, but the Tennessee Titans finally got their first win. In doing so, wide receiver Calvin Ridley also had his first 10-point performance of the season. He finished with 100+ yards on 5 receptions. With Cam Ward finally slinging the ball, he should follow up on that against the Raiders, who are giving up the 5th most points to opposing receivers. This game is going to be ugly, for all the wrong reasons, and Ridley goes back-to-back for 100+ yards.
Week 6 Wide Receiver Sits Of The Week
Jerry Jeudy, CLE @ PIT
It’s already been a bit of a disappointing year for sixth-year wideout Jerry Jeudy, who is only averaging 7 points per game. With a new quarterback in Dillion Gabriel getting the play calls, Jeudy saw his target share go down and the fewest targets on the season. This doesn’t feel great for someone already struggling. Until we get a larger sample size from Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders under center, I’m fading Jeudy.
Garrett Wilson, NYJ vs. DEN (London)
With quarterback Justin Fields being a sit, his #1 receiving option in Garrett Wilson, also needs to be benched. The Broncos give up the 2nd fewest points to receivers. The Broncos might have let DeVonta Smith put up 100+ yards last week, but he was the #2 option on the team behind A.J. Brown. With Garrett Wilson being the #1 option, he’s going to fall into the trap of Patrick Surtain II. Anyone who gets covered by him automatically takes a huge hit in fantasy.
Week 6 Tight End Starts Of The Week:
Jake Ferguson, DAL @ CAR
The TE1 on the season is who??? Jake Ferguson, you read that right. Not Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, or George Kittle. It’s Jake Ferguson time. As we know, he’s already been having a career year and is going to continue to put up numbers. He’s a must-start every week from here on out. But this weekend in particular, grab him in your DFS leagues too, or to be an anytime touchdown score. The Panthers’ defense is atrocious, and CeeDee Lamb is still injured. I’m expecting his touchdown streak to continue.
Hunter Henry, NE @ NO
It was a down week for the veteran tight end, Hunter Henry, against the Buffalo Bills, despite the Patriots winning. Last week, we had Henry on the sit list as the Bills give up some of the fewest points against opposing tight ends. This week, we have Henry as a start against a Saints defense that just let Giants tight end Theo Johnson score multiple touchdowns.
Week 6 Tight End Sits Of The Week
Mark Andrews, BAL vs. LAR
Without Lamar Jackson, the entire Baltimore Ravens offense is downgraded. The one in particular that needs to be faded until Lamar is back is Mark Andrews. He only had 3 targets last week with Cooper Rush starting. I understand the brand name he has, but he’s not the tight end he once was, and even more so, without Lamar.
Sam LaPorta, DET @ KC
It’s very tempting to play Sam LaPorta, especially after his 20+ point performance and with how high you likely drafted him. Unfortunately, LaPorta is very hit or miss and is not a reliable tight end from week to week. His floor is 5 points, which is still better than others, but his ceiling is capped with all the other talent in this Detroit offense. Quarterback Jared Goff tries to share the ball all around, and this week, it’s going to be the Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams show. LaPorta is not a top-5 tight end this week, but isn’t a bottom-tier, just average, and I’m fading him for a trendy streamer like Darren Waller instead.
For your final lineup decisions, check out the FSAN Rankings Page or check out our Sit & Start video.
Check out Scottie Pitrelli, Kyle Dozier, Brian Hartman, and Amber Phillips’s Week 6 Sit/Start live show on the FSAN YouTube Channel on this week’s Spilled Coffee.