Shifting Rosters
Every week of the NFL season, fantasy gamers juggle players to insert into lineups at each position. Are you questioning which players face easy matchups and which players face tougher paths to production? You are in the right place! For Week 6, the Packers and Steelers are on bye. You won’t be able to use Aaron Jones, Jordan Love, Christian Watson, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Kenny Pickett or George Pickens this week. Throw in the injured Anthony Richardson, Justin Jefferson, James Conner, and De’Von Achane, and rosters are shifting fast. For seasonal leagues, DFS, and more, this week’s must start and sit picks can give you some guidance on setting your lineups. Good luck!
Quarterback
Start: Kirk Cousins
The Vikings are potent with fantasy production from the team’s passing offense. Kirk Cousins is currently averaging 20.8 (No. 6) Fantasy Points Per Game, attempting 204 (No. 1) passes. Losing Justin Jefferson hurts, but if you’re thinking of benching a quarterback with the most pass attempts in the league, think again. Cousins still has Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, who combined for 11 receptions and a touchdown last week. Minnesota would rather use them than run the ball with Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers.
Cousins gets an excellent matchup in the Bears defense this week. The Bears have allowed big fantasy outings to nearly every QB they have faced. Baker Mayfield had the lowest output in Week 2, but he still passed for over 300 yards against Chicago. Do not remove Cousins from lineups because Jefferson is gone. Start him up in a soft matchup this week.
Sit: Deshaun Watson
As of this writing, Browns QB Deshaun Watson has not been ruled out of playing in Week 6. He missed Week 4 with a shoulder injury, getting a bye in Week 5. His return from injury would come against the vaunted 49ers defense. San Francisco is allowing one passing touchdown per game while grabbing 1.6 interceptions per game. Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs is the only quarterback with over 16 fantasy points against the 49ers.
Watson is averaging 6.7 (No. 24) Yards Per Attempt, inflated by an 8.8 Yards Per Attempt game against the Titans. He has had his share of struggles and a game against one of the best defenses in the NFL coming off a shoulder injury is not the ideal spot to start him.
Running Back
Start: Kyren Williams
Officially taking over as the Rams’ bellcow, Kyren Williams has seen an 85.7-percent (No. 1) Snap Share with 24.4 (No. 4) Expected Fantasy Points Per Game. Williams has finished as an RB1 three times this season, getting at least 12 touches in every game.
With his high-volume workload, Williams now faces the Cardinals in Week 6. The Cardinals are allowing an average of 100 rushing yards per game on just under 25 attempts per game. They are also allowing just under six receptions per game to opposing RBs. Williams is the Rams’ primary rusher and receiver out of the backfield. Expect high volume once again and fire up Williams this week.
Sit: Breece Hall
Entering Week 6, Breece Hall is riding high after a 22-carry, 177-yard game against the Broncos. However, his prior production does not compare with that Week 5 output. He has one other game scoring double-digit fantasy points this season – back in Week 1. Hall’s journey back from an ACL tear has been slow, and while last week’s explosion gives fantasy managers reasons for faith, his Week 6 matchup against the Eagles is tough.
The Eagles have allowed just under 50 rushing yards per game to opposing RBs. They also allow just over five receptions per game to RBs, but that number is inflated by a 13-reception game from Patriots RBs in Week 1. Hall is nearly back to being a weekly fantasy starter, but he is a sit in a tough matchup in Week 6.
Wide Receiver
Start: Puka Nacua
This is a PSA to keep playing Puka Nacua alongside Cooper Kupp. The second Rams player on the must start list this week, Nacua has similar vibes to Kyren Williams. A player that is outproducing his draft capital with high volume. Last week, Nacua earned 11 targets while Kupp got 12. Matthew Stafford likes to funnel passes to his favorite receivers and Nacua is a nice complement akin to Robert Woods a couple seasons ago. His 23.1 (No. 4) Fantasy Points Per Game have earned him a starting fantasy spot until the volume shows signs of change.
Dismissing what Puka Nacua has done is the exact same path that led people to owning zero Amon-Ra St. Brown.
— Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) October 2, 2023
The Cardinals defense has looked solid outside of a big Ja’Marr Chase day last week. The Rams are No. 1 in pass plays per game, indicating high volume again against a so-so defense that’s benefitted from a low proportion of targets going to WRs. Stafford will target Kupp and Nacua as his top two receivers with plenty of pie to go around for both. Keep trusting Nacua.
Sit: Jahan Dotson
Despite a top-half of the NFL pass volume from the Commanders, Jahan Dotson‘s production has not met pre-season expectations. His Average Target Distance has dropped from 13.5 (No. 14) yards in 2022 to 7.6 (No. 80) yards in 2023. His Target Share is at 16.8-percent (No. 72), not enough to support consistent WR3 numbers. The 23-year-old is still one of the Commanders’ top weapons, but Sam Howell has not utilized him for chunk yardage or red zone opportunities (all four red zone targets were in Week 4).
The Commanders play the Falcons in Week 6. Atlanta has held opponents to under 20 WR targets each game this season. With how much Sam Howell has spread the ball around, it’s hard to put definitive trust in a Commanders pass-catcher. While the team’s WR1 Terry McLaurin may be able to salvage a solid fantasy day, WR2 Dotson is less likely to do so.
Tight End
Start: Dallas Goedert
Dallas Goedert finally broke out for the season in Week 5 against the Rams. He finished with eight receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. It was his third game of the season with at least seven targets and five receptions. A touchdown puts the high-volume low-yardage output over the edge most weeks for Goedert.
Dallas Goedert = Squeaky Wheel pic.twitter.com/yrXIxTOWCL
— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) October 8, 2023
The Jets have allowed one touchdown per game to tight ends this season. They have also allowed at least five receptions to tight ends in three out of five games. Facing the Jets in Week 6, Goedert gets a combination of good volume and high touchdown opportunity. He is a top-three option in the Eagles’ offense that is just warming up. Fire up Goedert this week.
Sit: Chig Okonkwo
Ryan Tannehill has thrown 25 or fewer pass attempts in three out of five games this season. Out of this small pie, Chig Okonkwo has a 15.6-percent (No. 17) Target Share. The Titans have the reputation of being a run-first team, especially with Derrick Henry at RB. Outside of DeAndre Hopkins, no Titan has earned a large role, including Okonkwo. For Week 6, Okonkwo will see the Ravens, who have not allowed a touchdown to a tight end yet this season. They have allowed more than three TE receptions just once. Last week was Okonkwo’s first time over four targets and he has yet to score double-digit fantasy points. Leave Okonkwo on benches this week.
Stay Vigilant
The season continues with bye weeks and injuries continuously shifting fantasy teams. Players like De’Von Achane and Justin Jefferson are hitting injured reserve, so man the waivers vigilantly. You never know when you may come across a valuable backup to an injured starter (i.e. Puka Nacua).
