Start ‘EM Sit ‘EM Week 6
Let’s review how my Week 5 recommendations fared. We’ll start with the misses. Running backs were the worst position, as Khalil Herbert and James Robinson wound up finishing RB72 and RB50 respectively. The return of David Montgomery removed the high floor and any ceiling Herbert possessed, as Montgomery found the end zone on limited rushing production but also caught all four targets for 62 receiving yards. Robinson was much more concerning, as Travis Etienne split carries but averaged 7.2 YPC, compared to a meager 2.7 YPC for Robinson. Tyler Conklin was the other bad miss in the starts, as the Jets’ tight end saw one target and finished with a goose egg.
Dameon Pierce was the only impressive running back start recommendation, as he scored Houston’s only touchdown and rattled off several impressive runs to lead the Texans to their first win of the season. This was good enough for an RB11 finish in PPR formats. Wide receivers and the quarterback were also quality recommendations in Week 5. Marquise Brown and DK Metcalf had productive outings, each scoring a touchdown and drawing high volume to finish WR10 and WR13 in PPR. Curtis Samuel was the worst wideout recommendation, but he still finished WR30 with six receptions for 62 yards. Tom Brady completed 35 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown, which was good enough to wind up as QB7.
If you tailed my sits, you’re likely very happy about it. Ezekiel Elliot rattled off 78 rushing yards but nothing else, falling to the RB39. Diontae Johnson caught five of 13 targets for 60 yards to manage a WR36 finish, while Dalton Schultz and Matthew Stafford had horrendous showings in a low-scoring defensive grind.
Bye Weeks are in play, limiting premium players and forcing fantasy managers to pivot to less savory options. It’s stressful and the available players may not look good on paper. That’s where I come in. Without further ado, here are my fantasy football starts and sits heading into the Week 6 NFL slate.
START
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB) New England Patriots
New England may be down its starting quarterback but the steady presence of second-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield will keep the Patriots competitive. Stevenson took advantage of Damien Harris’ injury in the best matchup for fantasy running backs in Week 5, ultimately handling 25 carries for 161 rushing yards. He also caught both of his targets for an additional 14 yards, earning 19.5 PPR points without scoring a touchdown. Stevenson has received glowing praise from head coach Bill Belichick in regards to him becoming a three-down back. Factor in a plus matchup against Cleveland’s run defense in Week 6, which is surrendering 29.12 PPR points to running backs, and Stevenson becomes a smash start once again.
Devin Singletary (RB) Buffalo Bills
Devin Singletary busted in Week 5 but it was primarily due to the game script. Buffalo was active through the air early against Pittsburgh, making Singletary’s expected usage dip in favor of Gabe Davis’ monstrous outing. Don’t let the dud performance sway you. It was a 38-3 rout at home, which saw backup rookie running back James Cook score a rushing touchdown in garbage time. The targets dried up for Singletary but against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, he holds quite a bit of value. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense is capable of scoring points at will, which means the Bills will also stay busy on offense. Singletary scrounged up 26 rushing yards and a touchdown against Kansas City in the playoff game last season while catching four of five targets for an additional 25 receiving yards. Treat Singletary as an RB2 based on the game script and a top-three fantasy matchup against the Chiefs’ porous run defense.
Breece Hall (RB) New York Jets
The Breece Hall breakout arrived in Week 5. The rookie running back finished as the overall RB4 in PPR, scoring a rushing touchdown and collecting 197 total scrimmage yards. Hall averaged 5.4 YPC against Miami’s defense and ripped off a massive reception that fell just short of the goal line. Two goal line touches went to Michael Carter, which easily could’ve gone to Hall to elevate him to the overall fantasy RB1. Green Bay looks like a tough matchup until looking at its run defense. The Packers have allowed 22.44 PPR points to opposing fantasy running backs, which ranks 18th. Not the best matchup, but certainly not the worst. Hall out-snapped Carter by 25 percent, handled 54.6 percent of the rushing share, and also made the most of his targets. The talented rookie running back deserves to be in fantasy lineups until further notice.
Courtland Sutton (WR) Denver Broncos
There aren’t many bright spots in Denver right now but wideout Courtland Sutton is the exception. The fifth-year wide receiver has battled through a rash of injuries and sub-par quarterback play throughout his career, so Wilson’s early struggles aren’t worth obsessing over when it comes to Sutton. He has double-digit targets in three of his last four games and has at least four receptions and over 50 yards in every outing this season. Sutton has only scored one touchdown, but this is not an electrifying offense yet. Value Sutton as a solid WR2 based on his steady double-digit PPR production, especially against the Los Angeles Chargers pass defense ranking as the ninth-best fantasy wide receiver matchup.
Chris Godwin (WR) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay appears to be back on offense. Getting Chris Godwin back on the field has been a significant help for Tom Brady. The sixth-year wideout dealt with a leg injury this offseason and aggravated it after Week 1, so the Buccaneers have been easing him back into the starting rotation. Despite the slight restraints, Godwin has been solid, finishing with at least six receptions for 59 yards in each of his recent performances against Kansas City and Atlanta. Godwin gets the best matchup for fantasy wide receivers in Week 6, traveling to face the struggling Pittsburgh pass defense. The Steelers got destroyed by Gabe Davis last weekend and it’s been a recurring theme in nearly every single one of their matchups this season. Godwin is a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside in Week 6. He has a high probability of finding the end zone for his first touchdown of the 2022 season.
Gabe Davis (WR) Buffalo Bills
The disappointment was everywhere for fantasy managers rostering Gabe Davis. That was until his breakout against Pittsburgh in Week 5, hauling in two downfield throws from Josh Allen, including a 98-yard touchdown to set the tone early. The 6-2, 210-pound wideout is now in his third year in the league and is no longer dealing with the ankle injury that was pervasive in the first few weeks of the season. Davis is capable of high-pointing the football, bodying defenders, and is attached to the MVP betting favorite. Need more encouragement? Davis will travel to Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, where he recorded four touchdowns during the electrifying AFC Divisional game in January. Kansas City’s pass defense is the seventh-best matchup in the league for fantasy wide receivers this season, so Davis is a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Zach Ertz (TE) Arizona Cardinals
Speaking of plus-matchups, Arizona will hit the road against a struggling Seattle defense in Week 6. Tight end Zach Ertz has been consistently involved all season, collecting double-digit targets in three of his previous four games with Kyler Murray. Ertz has recorded six receptions for at least 45 yards in three consecutive games and gets the best matchup for fantasy tight ends. Kyle Pitts even had a nice outing against the Seahawks, who also allowed T.J. Hockenson to record a historic performance in Week 4. It’s the final week without DeAndre Hopkins for the Cardinals, so make sure to plug Ertz into fantasy lineups as a top-five option at the position in an NFC West matchup that could yield tons of fantasy points.
Kirk Cousins (QB) Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota nearly squandered its lead over Chicago in Week 5 but Kirk Cousins was the highlight of the matchup. He started with close to 20 consecutive completions, finishing 32-of-41 for 296 yards and a touchdown. Miami is one of the best matchups for opposing quarterbacks in fantasy football. The Dolphins are reeling with sub-par quarterback play due to Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, which has left the defense in a tough spot. Miami is the second-best matchup for fantasy quarterbacks and while Cousins doesn’t provide the rushing upside other quarterbacks possess, he gets passing volume and is extremely accurate. It also helps to have Justin Jefferson, who has run circles around opposing secondaries in the last few weeks. Cousins is the QB12 on the season, including a couple of dud performances, so in a plus-matchup, he’s a great quarterback that should yield 15 to 20 fantasy points in Week 6.
SIT
James Robinson (RB) Jacksonville Jaguars
I talked about James Robinson’s disappointing outing in Week 5 during the introduction but let me reiterate. Travis Etienne is quickly ascending into the RB1 role in the Jaguars’ backfield. His target share was tripled by Etienne in a low-scoring divisional game in Week 5, while Robinson also saw 13 percent fewer snaps on the field. The rushing share was identical at 10 carries a piece, but Robinson generated 2.7 YPC versus Etienne’s 7.2 YPC. The Jaguars are looking more like the team we thought they were before a couple of impressive wins, meaning the game script could favor Etienne more and more. Keep Robinson on the bench against the Indianapolis Colts defense in Week 6.
Drake London (WR) Atlanta Falcons
Drake London has been a great draft pick thus far for Atlanta through five games, but he’s attached to Marcus Mariota. Even worse, in Week 6, the San Francisco 49ers defense will be challenging a Falcons offense lacking Cordarrelle Patterson and possibly Kyle Pitts. This was the logic used to start London against Tampa Bay in Week 5, but it resulted in four receptions for 35 yards on seven targets. Until rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder gets under center as QB1 in this offense, London is a fringe WR3, especially against the 49ers’ defense that ranks as the ninth-toughest matchup for fantasy wide receivers this season.
Tyler Conklin (TE) New York Jets
It was an ugly outing against the Miami Dolphins for Tyler Conklin in Week 5. This was the fear upon Zach Wilson’s return under center. Back-up quarterback Joe Flacco favored Conklin heavily, but with Wilson back in the lineup, the wideouts and running backs are becoming much more utilized. Conklin had a donut in lineups with only one target. I made the mistake of recommending Conklin based on his previous three receptions and 52 yards against Pittsburgh during Wilson’s first game back in Week 4. It’s clear that the Breece Hall takeover, combined with a talented wide receiving corps, is where the Jets’ offense will gravitate towards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 6.
Russell Wilson (QB) Denver Broncos
Whether it’s a lack of continuity, bad coaching, or overrated personnel, Russell Wilson has become unplayable in fantasy football. The former Super Bowl champion has only produced one game with two passing touchdowns, where he added a third rushing touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. Denver’s defense is its strength, keeping opponents to low scores, and placing less of an emphasis on the offense to generate points on every drive. Until we see Wilson assimilate more into Nathaniel Hackett’s offense, which is now without Javonte Williams, Wilson is a must-sit candidate on fantasy benches.
