Our Week 6 fantasy football start and sit recommendations are now live with a whole lot to look at after the first five weeks of the NFL season.
Last week saw us recommend you to sit both Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy in their primetime Sunday Night Football matchup. At least, we hit .500 with those recommendations.
Heading into Week 6, things are a bit more complicated with several games being heavily matched. That’s where we come into play in providing fantasy football start and sit analysis for Week 6 of the NFL season.
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Week 6 Fantasy football start and sit: Quarterbacks
Start
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Despite averaging north of 290 passing yards on the season, Stafford has made just enough mistakes (five interceptions in as many games) to make him a mere mid-tier QB2 option in 12-team leagues. As for DFS contests, he’s been an inconsistent play.
We’re not expecting this Week 6 against an Arizona Cardinals defense that has yielded the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on the season. With Cooper Kupp (8 receptions, 118 yards) having returned last week and rookie Puka Nacua (46 receptions, 572 yards this season) at his disposal, Stafford should eat.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
All Fields has done over the past two games is compile north of 800 total yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. He put up a brilliant performance against the Washington Commanders last week and is now the third-best fantasy football quarterback heading into Week 6.
Fields also has a darn sweet matchup Sunday against a Minnesota Vikings defense that has yielded nine passing touchdowns against one interception in five games. This unit ranks in the bottom eight of the league in stopping fantasy quarterbacks. The math is not hard here.
Sit
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Let’s try this one again. We did recommend to bench Purdy in our fantasy football start and sit last week. After all, he was taking on a stingy Cowboys defense. Purdy went on to throw four touchdowns compared to zero interceptions in a brilliant all-around performance.
With 11 total touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season, Purdy looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Just don’t expect similar numbers on the road against a Browns defense that’s yielded all of 594 passing yards with three touchdowns through the air in four games this season. San Francisco will likely come out on top, but it’s going to be a lower-scoring affair.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargres
Speaking of the Cowboys, we’re expecting a rebound performance on the road this coming Monday night. At the very least, on the defensive side of the ball. This unit is too good to be manhandled for a second consecutive game. Prior to last week, the ‘Boys had given up just two touchdowns compared to seven interceptions.
Micah Parsons and Co. will come to play in front of what should be a home crowd in Southern California on Monday Night Football. With the Chargers also returning Austin Ekeler from injury, we’re expecting them to be relying a bit more on the run game. Expect a down week from Herbert.
Week 6 Fantasy football start and sit: Running backs
Start
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has scored a touchdown in each of the past three games, tallying 300 total yards and three touchdowns during that span. It has the second-year back as the 12th-best fantasy running back heading into Thursday night’s game against the lowly Denver Broncos.
Denver is going to represent a fantasy dream for opposing running backs moving forward on the season. Breece Hall gained 177 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown, against the Broncos last week. All said, running backs have gained nearly 1,100 total yards and 12 touchdowns against the Broncos’ defense in five games this season. That’s hilariously lad.
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
It’s a crying shame that De’Von Achane is set to miss multiple weeks with a knee injury after the rookie put up an historic start to his career. But the fantasy football world moves forward. That’s where this veteran comes into play. Mostert actually ranks as the third-best fantasy back in the NFL, primarily due to the league-leading eight touchdowns that he has scored. The speedster is also averaging an absurd 6.1 yards per touch.
Mostert will be helped in Week 6 by the fact that he’s taking on a Panthers defense which has given up nine touchdowns and the second-most fantasy points to running backs. He’s going to eat big time with a much larger touch share now that Achane is sidelined.
Sit
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Some might be inclined to pick up Taylor as he prepares for his second game back from injury. Perhaps, his sea lags are under him after the 2021 rushing champion put up 18 yards on six attempts in his season debut last week. We’re not buying it. Zack Moss continues to dominate the touch share, as he should (517 total yards in four games this season).
Meanwhile, Indy is set to take on a Jaguars defense that has held running backs to an average of 3.7 yards per rush and the fourth-fewest fantasy points on the season. Taylor just is not a good play in Week 6.
Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
This second-year back started the season out strong, going for 265 total yards and three touchdowns over the first three games. Since then, he’s tallied a mere 55 yards on 20 attempts over the past two games. Robinson seems to be trending downwards.
It likely won’t be easy against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. They’ve yielded the sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs on the season. That includes zero touchdowns. Don’t look for a big performance from Robinson in Week 6.
Week 6 Fantasy football start and sit: Wide receivers
Start
D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
At this point, Moore is a no-brainer in standard fantasy leagues and DFS contests against. He’s going up against a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed 90-of-116 targets to be completed to wide receivers on the season. That’s a 78% completion rate.
For his part, Moore has started to make sweet music with the aforementioned Justin Fields over the past two weeks (16 receptions, 361 yards, 4 TD). We’d even go as far to recommend that you stream Fields and Moore in DFS contests this week.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb can’t be happy after catching just four passes for 49 yards last week against San Francisco. In fact, he’s tallied a mere 138 yards over the past three games after putting up 143 back in Week 2 against the New York Jets.
The Los Angeles Chargers might just act as tonic for Lamb on Monday Night Football. Coming off their bye, the Chargers have given up the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers on the season. Players at this position are also averaging nearly 16 yards per catch against Los Angeles. Look for Lamb to break out big time in Week 6.
Sit
Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson remains questionable to go against a league-best San Francisco 49ers defense on Sunday. If he’s not able to go, veteran journeyman P.J. Walker will get the start. Either way, Cooper is in no way a reliable fantasy option against San Francisco in Week 6.
The 49ers’ defense is yielding an average of 6.7 yards per target to wide receivers through five games. Opposing quarterbacks have thrown five touchdowns against eight interceptions against the 49ers this season. You can do the math from there.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Continuing by looking at the 49ers-Browns game, we’re not exactly high on many San Francisco offensive players given the Browns’ dominance on defense this season. Receivers have hauled in a mere 28-of-63 targets against this unit through four games. It is also yielding the fewest fantasy points per game to the wide receiver position.
As for Samuel, he continues to be a dynamic offensive weapon for the 49ers. It just hasn’t been terribly consistent. The former All-Pro caught zero passes two weeks ago against Arizona and tallied three receptions Sunday versus the Cowboys. Brandon Aiyuk has taken over as WR1 in San Francisco. That will, too, impact Samuel come Sunday.
Week 6 Fantasy football start and sit: Tight ends
Start
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We continue to like Otton as a play despite the second-year player having caught just 12 passes for 89 yards in four games. Tampa Bay had an entire week to prepare for the Detroit Lions. Don’t think that it is lost on them that Detroit has struggled big time covering tight ends this season (37-of-49 receiving). Tight end is a crap shoot in fantasy football. It’s all about matchups. And Otton has a good one here.
Sit
Darren Waller, New York Giants
Regardless of who is under center Sunday night for the Giants, Waller is not going to be a fantasy-relevant option against Buffalo. The Bills have given up 19 catches to tight ends on the season without a touchdown.