Boy o’ boy, it’s that time of week again. Mid-week, the player you claimed on the waiver is getting acclimated with your team, all that’s left is to tinker. But as any fantasy football coach knows, your team is only as good as your weakest link. So with that in mind let us try to find out who is your weakest link and how you can avoid the loss this week. Let’s get started with the Starts and Sits of Week 6.
Fantasy Football Start Em Sit Em Week 6
Quarterbacks
Start Em
Matt Ryan Vs. Tampa Bay
Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu: all of these players are high powered weapons against a soft Tampa Defense. Last week Tampa had a bye, but from the four games they have played the average score for their opponents is 34.75 points. Those are some high scoring games, minus week 2 when they held the Eagles from afloat. Ryan has found some chemistry with the new rookie wideout Calvin Ridley and throughout the past four weeks, they have hooked up for SIX touchdowns.
Sam Darnold Vs. Indianapolis Colts
Last week on Thursday Night Football, Tom Brady carved the Colts’ secondary. Now Darnold is no Tom Brady yet, but he and Robby Anderson showed that their chemistry is beginning to spark. Darnold already had the “shake” with Quincy Enunwa, now the “bake” is coming in for an optimal recipe. To add, the Colts Defense has been averaging 389.4 Passing Yards to all opposing QBs, so Darnold should be considered a startable player in your roster.
Sleeper Start
Josh Rosen Vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have been aired out over the past five weeks of football.
Week 1, 261 passing yards against.
281 Week 2.
196 Week 3, but that is not accounting Josh Allen ripping it up with his feet.
465 Week 4.
311 Week 5.
Progressively this team keeps giving it up through the air. Additionally, QBs don’t seem to be scared of the Vikings secondary and Xavier Rhodes anymore. In all, the Vikings are averaging 378.0 yards to the opposing QBs, making Rosen a considerable start.
Other Sleepers
Jameis Winston Vs. Atlanta Falcons
Sit Em
Dak Prescott Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
I know what you’re thinking, “But Thaddeus, the Jags got scored on so much and Patrick Mahomes threw for 313 yards.” I know, I know. But the Jags didn’t give up one score in the air to Mahomes, and that was on his home field. Kareem Hunt got all the attention on Sunday, minus one QB sneak from Mahomes. Prescott does not have such luxuries as Mahomes when it comes to weapons. Of course, there’s Ezekiel Elliott, but take him away and Prescott is left with a fairly scavenged field of play. Cole Beasley isn’t what they hoped for, along with Allen Hurns barely being fantasy relevant. Once Dallas finds their star Wide Receiver, then, and only then, will Prescott be playable.
Marcus Mariota Vs. Baltimore Ravens
In today’s day of a passing league, Marcus Mariota is soon being forgotten as the once dynamic player he used to be. With no running game being produced from either Derrick Henry or Dion Lewis, Mariota has had quite a weight on his shoulders to overcome. His once top tier Tight End Delanie Walker has been out since the season began, and number one wideout Corey Davis has only had one good game of connections. Mariota is a sit for the foreseeable future.
Other Sits
Deshaun Watson Vs. Buffalo Bills, Derek Carr Vs. Seattle Seahawks, C.J. Beathard Vs. Green Bay Packer
Running Backs
Start Em
Marshawn Lynch Vs. Seattle Seahawks
Doesn’t it sound like a dramatic soap opera, Beastmode returning to the one team who took him to the Super Bowl, but didn’t give him the ball? With all the nonsense aside, Lynch might be a stable play against his former team. On average, the Seahawks have been giving up 129 rushing yards to opposing Running Backs. This has all the tellings of a field day for Lynch, especially since Amari Cooper and Jared Cook have been somewhat hit or miss for their QB.
James White or Sony Michel Vs. Kansas City Chiefs
New England is beginning to exercise their Running Backs a little more this season. Whether it’s because of Tom Brady’s age or their explosive backfield, they have been patching together their machine of a team. The Colts were a witness to their fire power and with the Chiefs coming up, the defense could have a nightmare situation on their hands. All of the Patriots weapons are back to receive the ball but we all know Belicheck has no problem handing the ball off and doing a little ground and pound. Kansas City’s defense is giving up 118.8 rushing yards and 343.0 passing yards per week, so it should be stated that all New England players should get a start.
Sleeper Starts
Peyton Barber Vs. Atlanta Falcons
Who is the starting Running Back for the Tampa Bay Bucs? Peyton Barber, that’s who. What is interesting about his matchup this weekend is the fact that it is against a fairly squishy Falcons Defense. Running Backs walk away averaging 121.4 yards from their game against Atlanta and this is where he may be of fancy to you. Tampa is also giving the start to Winston so it would not surprise me if his check downs might be a little quicker and easier to dump off to his starting Running Back.
Other Sleeper Starts
Tarik Cohen Vs. Miami Dolphins, Mike Davis Vs. Oakland Raiders
Sit Em
Kenyan Drake Vs. Chicago Bears
We all know who just blew into the Windy City, Khalil Mack, and already he is making waves. The Bears defense went from good to great when his cleat fell onto the field, and there has been no turning back. The Dolphins hot start this year has been surely cooled after giving up a 17-0 lead going into halftime last week. Clearly, some holes are beginning to be seen for the Miami Dolphins so their running backs are going to be a “hard pass” this week.
Saquon Barkley Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Admittedly this is a tough pill to swallow. Behind the Chicago Bears for the best rushing defense, is the Philadelphia Eagles. They are giving up only 66.4 rushing yards a game and that is only 2.4 worse than Khalil Mack and his bear cubs. Barkley is a number one draft pick and as a number one pick, we all know you don’t bench him. I do want to establish that if you have other viable options on your team, you might want to lean toward them. But if you built around Barkley, it is understandable why you wouldn’t want to put him on the bench.
Other Sit Ems
Joe Mixon Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Derrick Henry/Dion Lewis Vs. Baltimore Ravens, Alex Collins Vs. Tennessee Titans
Wide Receivers
Start Em
Devin Funchess Vs. Washington Redskins
With Christian McCaffrey getting all the attention in the backfield, Funchess should be a good start against a worn out Redskins D. Drew Brees recorded his record braking achievement on them, and Cam Newton should do the same. The Redskins have been allowing 240.0 yards to opposing quarterbacks so Cam should be spreading the love Funchess’s way. Not only that, the Redskins have been having some on the field trouble with star corner back Josh Norman. Give Funchess the green light to have a solid start.
Demaryius Thomas / Emmanuel Sanders Vs. Los Angeles Rams
Is it odd that one of the more dynamic defenses of the season has been dropping the ball? Of course, with all the money LA has put into their defense we would hope that they would be a little more sturdy then they have been in previous weeks. Not only that, the Rams have had 17 breakout opposing receivers go for the long ball on 20+ yard plays downfield, along with eight opposing receiving touchdowns. That’s about a TD and a half a game to the receivers lining up against them.
Sleeper Starts
Tyler Lockett Vs. Oakland Raiders
With Doug Baldwin’s return, fantasy owners thought it was the end for our boy Tyler Lockett. This is undoubtedly not the case. Baldwin had barely a reception against the Rams and Lockett still looked to be the star. Russell Wilson has began converting his attention toward Lockett as his break out man in the offense when the running game isn’t working. Leaving Doug Baldwin in the dust. The Raiders offer up an average of 286 yards through the air, so be on the lookout for Lockett’s consistent performance.
Other Sleeper Starts
Mohamed Sanu Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DeSean Jackson Vs. Atlanta Falcons
Sit Em
DeAndre Hopkins Vs. Buffalo Bills
The Houston Texans offense is primarily riding on Watson’s shoulders and without any running game help, Hopkins is sure to suffer. Lamar Miller is battling an injury, Alfred Blue might emerge as a patch-work back and Will Fuller on the other side of the field, make Hopkins an uneasy play this week. The biggest concern is newly found star corner Tre’Davious White. He has been dealing with a bum ankle but if he is a go, then he will certainly have to ability to shut down Hopkins. Buffalo is averaging less than 250 yards to QBs through the air, along with just 1.6 TDs, so this weekend might pan out as a long one for Hopkins.
Kenny Stills / Devante Parker Vs. Chicago Bears
Like Drake, Stills and Parker should be expected to have a lackluster time against the Bears. There is no way Ryan Tannehill will have time to give Stills his long ball or do enough three-step-drops to give a quick slant to Parker. Mack’s entity on the field is one that empowers the players around him and if these teams go with the ground and pound as history suggests, this might be a nightmare matchup for any Miami player.
Other Sits
John Brown Vs. Tennessee Titans, ANY DALLAS RECEIVER Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Corey Davis Vs. Baltimore Ravens
Tight Ends
Start Em
Eric Ebron Vs. New York Jets
Oh Eric Ebron, he finally found a home where a Quarterback appreciates his talents. That or Andrew Luck was forced to give him the ball because his back up receivers weren’t doing anything. Ebron displayed his athletics for us on Thursday Night Football, when he tore through the Patriots secondary and got two big TDs for the Colts. Admittedly one of these was a garbage time score but the fact that Luck still only wants to give him the ball in garbage time speaks enough for itself. Ebron should be a start this week since T.Y. Hilton could be doubtful and nobody else on the Colts offense wants to step it up.
Sleeper Start
Charles Clay Vs. Houston Texans
Charles Clay has been virtually nonexistent in the Buffalo offense. With no rushing game, there will be no passing game. So with the lack of success of the Buffalo running backs, we can see that no receiver or tight end can be as much of a flavorful start. This could change when it comes to the Houston defense; on average they have given up 269.2 yards a game with a grand total of 12 TDs through the air. This could be a weak spot that the Bills should attack, making Clay a sleeper start if your other fantasy options are uneasy.
Other Sleeper Starts
Eric Tomlinson Vs. Indianapolis Colts, Austin Hooper Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, C.J. Uzomah Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sit Em
Trey Burton Vs. Miami Dolphins
Trey BooBoo has not been what the preseason led him to be. Along with that, last week when Mitch Trubisky had his franchise record day, Burton was only targeted a handful of times and scored on a broken pass play. This is his common production count, low targets for maybe 40+ yards. If Burton is the only tight end on your team, I would understand playing him since the depth at tight end in fantasy football is so shallow. But it should be noted that Trey BooBoo has some caution signs on him, and they shouldn’t be ignored.
Rhett Ellison Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Thursday should turn out to be a rough day for Eli Manning. He is going against the second-best defense in the league and to top that, his favorite tight end, Evan Engram, is still out. Unfortunately, Ellison has not produced nearly the same attention that Engram had so it is fair to say that the attention that was on Engram, is now dispersed to the receivers. Since Engram’s injury, Sterling Sharpe has emerged has the second best target and there has been no turning back.
Other Sits
Any Jag Tight End Vs. Dallas Cowboys, Jonnu Smith Vs. Baltimore Ravens
Defense / Special Teams
Start Em
Atlanta Falcons Defense Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With no more Ryan Fitzpatrick Magic, the air has gone from the sails of Tampa Bay and flown over to the other Florida teams. Jameis Winston will be starting for the first time this year, so it could end with some incidental interceptions and fumbles. Matt Ryan and the boys have been doing a good job scoring points, minus last week of course, but it would be fair to say that if the points begin racking up against the Bucs, Winston’s errors may begin to take place.
Sleeper Starts
Dallas Cowboys Defense Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
This one might be a tough pill to swallow but hear me out. Blake Bortles threw for his four TDs because his team was getting scored on consistently. Therefore taking him out of his usual run first and second, then pass on third. His routine should go back to its usual state with the high powered offense gone and that is where Dallas comes into play. Expect this game to be a defensive slugfest and Dallas should force some turnovers.
Other Starts
Green Bay Packers Defense Vs. Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants Defense Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sit Em
New England Patriots Defense Vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Patriots have been allowing 252.0 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks along with 11 TDs through the air. This might become a shock to everyone that likes football, but Patrick Mahomes is coming to town and the kid has an eye to spread the ball. With this high powered offense headed to Gillette Stadium, the Patriots Defense might be a tough play.
Kansas City Chiefs Defense Vs. New England Patriots
Everything about the Chiefs, switch it over to Tom Brady and his arsenal of an offense.
Other Sits
Washington Redskins Defense Vs. Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders Defense Vs. Seattle Seahawks