There’s no shortage of matchups to avoid in Week 6: Raiders-Broncos, Seahawks-Steelers, Dolphins-Jaguars, Vikings-Panthers and even Packers-Bears are all slated to be low-scoring games and could be tough for some fantasy players.
Below are players at each position you should definitely start as well as others you should consider sitting based on matchups, injuries and trends.
Fantasy QBs to Start
Matthew Stafford, Rams at Giants
Stafford threw for 365 yards in Week 5, but just one touchdown and an interception. He's finished as a top 12 quarterback twice this year, which is a bit shocking considering his arsenal of weapons. He'll look to bounce back against the Giants' subpar pass defense that is allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.
Joe Burrow, Bengals at Lions
Burrow is the QB17 this year, but he is creeping back into the QB1 discussion. His connection with Ja'Marr Chase is electric, though turnovers have been a problem this season. This week, Burrow faces the Lions defense that's middle of the road (at best) against the pass, and should finish inside the top 12.
Taylor Heinicke, Washington vs. Chiefs
One word: Matchup. Heinicke disappointed in Week 5 with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He still rushed five times for 40 yards, which always gives him a nice floor. This is the perfect game for him to get back on track: The Football Team faces the Chiefs, who rank dead-last total points allowed and fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks per game.
You could certainly do worse than Heinicke as a bye-week fill-in.
Fantasy WRs to Start
Chase Claypool, Steelers vs. Seahawks
Claypool was borderline unplayable a few weeks ago amid Ben Roethlisberger's struggles. He was the WR38 in half PPR through three weeks, then missed Week 4. He came back with a vengeance in Week 5 against the Broncos and caught five of six targets for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Claypool should see more targets now that JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for the season and gets a favorable matchup this week vs. the Seahawks. Seattle's defense is allowing the third-most passing yards per game and sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, making Claypool a WR2 with upside.
Marquise Brown, Ravens vs. Chargers
Brown is having a phenomenal 2021 and is a must-start from now on with quarterback Lamar Jackson looking like his 2019 MVP self again.
Brown caught nine of 10 targets for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Week 5. He is tied for the second-most touchdowns this year (5), behind only Mike Williams, and should perform well in a game that is expected to be fairly high scoring. He is a WR2 with sky-high upside.
Kadarius Toney, Giants vs. Rams
Toney was one of the most popular waiver adds this week after a stellar performance in Week 5. He reeled in 10-of-13 targets for 189 yards and rushed once for seven yards, though his production was dependent on Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton missing the game and Kenny Golladay getting hurt during the game.
Toney's rostership jumped from 17% to 60% in Yahoo! leagues in light of the plentiful injuries to the Giants' receiving corps. If you added him, now would be the time to start him, though do keep an eye on the injury report as the rookie was banged up last week with an ankle injury.
The G-Men face the Rams, whose pass defense has been lackluster this year. Assuming Toney and Daniel Jones start, consider the Florida product a WR3.
Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Texans
Pittman had a strong Week 5 against the Ravens and caught six of seven targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. He has at least six catches in each of the last four games and has a healthy 25.3% target share.
Pittman should keep it rolling against the Texans, who are subpar in pretty much every category. Consider him a WR3/flex play with upside, and a borderline must-start every week.
Robert Woods, Rams at Giants
Woods is back in our good graces after posting by far his best game of the season. He caught 12-of-14 passes for 150 yards against the Seahawks and finished as WR12 for the week. It was the first time all year he saw more targets than Cooper Kupp, who was targeted 10 times. Kupp has an undeniable connection with Stafford and is an elite WR1 this week.
Consider Woods a high-end WR2 in a positive matchup in the Meadowlands.
Fantasy RBs to Start
Darrel Williams, Chiefs at Washington
Williams has 33 touches for 144 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns this year and has the opportunity to step up big time while Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on injured reserve. Williams should be the biggest beneficiary of Edwards-Helaire's absence, though I do expect to see some Jerick McKinnon sprinkled in, too.
Williams also benefits from being on the Chiefs' high-powered offense and having a defense that can't stop anything. Consider him a RB2 this week against a permeable Washington team.
Melvin Gordon, Broncos vs. Raiders
Gordon and Javonte Williams each saw exactly 11 touches in last week’s game, though it was the rookie who was able to do a bit more with the workload — Williams finished as RB32 in half PPR while Gordon finished as RB43. That said, Gordon has seen more snaps than Williams in all but one game in which the split was 49%/51%. Gordon saw a season-high 60% of the snaps to Williams’ 42% in Week 5.
I do believe both running backs are good starts this week and it may come down to who falls into the end zone. I like both as RB2s in a nice matchup against the Raiders, who are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Devontae Booker, Giants vs. Rams
Booker had a strong showing stepping in for an injured Saquon Barkley in Week 5 and recorded 16 rushes for 42 yards and a touchdown and caught three of four passes for 16 yards and a touchdown. Barkley is week-to-week and will likely be out for at least a couple of games.
Booker should immediately vault into flex consideration based on workload alone, and considering you probably overspent to get him (as did I), now would be the time to start him.
Damien Williams, Bears vs. Packers
It was a bit concerning that Williams saw fewer attempts than Khalil Herbert, suggesting he may not take over David Montgomery's role as the bell cow in this offense. Williams saw 16 rushes for 64 yards and a touchdown and caught two of three targets for 20 yards, finishing as RB20 for the week in half PPR. Herbert's involvement lowers — but does not efface Williams' value for fantasy.
I still consider Williams a RB2 this week in a good divisional matchup against the Packers.
Darrell Henderson Jr., Rams at Giants
Henderson saw a significant workload in Week 5 with 17 attempts for 82 yards and and a touchdown, catching a pass for 17 yards. He's finished as a solid RB2 in every game he has played this year (missed Week 3) and gets a favorable matchup against the Giants this week, as New York is allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game.
Consider Henderson a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside.
Fantasy TEs to Start
Dawson Knox, Bills at Titans
I am once again asking you to start Dawson Knox.
He's a locked-in must start for the rest of the year in this high-scoring Bills offense. He also performed well under trying and wet circumstances last week and caught three of four passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. He has finished as a top 12 tight end in each of the last four games and should be considered a mid-range TE1 moving forward.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins at Jaguars
Gesicki struggled in what should have been a cakewalk matchup against the Buccaneers last week and caught four of seven targets for 43 yards. To his credit, Jaylen Waddle did next to nothing, too, as Jacoby Brissett leaned heavily on Myles Gaskin.
I would still classify Gesicki as a TE1 going into a nice matchup against the Jaguars, who have given up the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends and the eighth-most passing yards.
Fantasy Defenses to Start
Cowboys Defense at Patriots
The Cowboys have allowed a healthy amount of points and yards per game, but have still finished top 12 every week this year and are the D/ST4 currently. They've finished top five in each of the last three weeks due in large part to a high volume of turnovers and sacks.
The Cowboys are a top unit again this week against Mac Jones and the Patriots, who have averaged just 19.2 points per game this year.
Dolphins Defense vs. Jacksonville (in London)
The Dolphins are coming off an abysmal -2 point performance in Week 5 in Tampa Bay. They allowed 45 points to Tom Brady's Buccaneers and finished as DST31. Luckily, the dolphins get a matchup on the complete opposite end of the spectrum against the Jaguars this week in London. Jacksonville has scored the fifth-fewest points per game and has allowed the second-most points per game for opposing D/STs.
Fantasy QBs To Sit
Ryan Tannehill, Titans vs. Bills
Tannehill finished as the QB8 through 16 weeks in 2020, but you wouldn't know it based on his performance in 2021. He is currently the QB20 and failed to capitalize on a juicy matchup against the Jaguars last week. He's finished as a QB1 just once this entire season and faces off against Buffalo this week; the Bills have allowed the second-fewest passing yards all year and the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
It certainly doesn't help that the Titans' offensive line ranks dead-last in sacks allowed per game right now. He is a stay away this week in one-quarterback leagues.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings at Panthers
Cousins wasn't able to take advantage of his soft Week 5 matchup, either. He completed 25-of-34 attempts for 275 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Lions and hasn't thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 3.
Cousins was a serviceable streamer at one point, but I wouldn't touch him this week on the road in Carolina, as the Panthers are allowing the fewest passing yards this season. In fact, you can probably toss Cousins back on the waiver wire for the time being — the Vikings have a Week 7 bye.
Baker Mayfield, Browns vs. Cardinals
Mayfield might be a tempting start coming off his best game of the year. He completed 23-of-32 attempts for 305 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions as well as rushed twice for eight yards. I think it's unlikely the Browns find themselves in 89-point shootouts again this year, especially against the Cardinals, who have given up the ninth fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Fantasy WRs to Sit
Jakobi Meyers, Patriots vs. Cowboys
Did you know Meyers has 1,390 career receiving yards, but has yet to find the end zone once? It's a crazy streak that could continue for a while with the conservative football Mac Jones is playing.
Meyers is seeing a decent number of targets that just hasn't resulted in significant fantasy production. He is a low-end WR3 with low upside this week.
Allen Robinson II, Bears vs. Packers
When Justin Fields was drafted by the Bears, I immediately thought that we would finally see Robinson's true potential. That hasn't exactly happened yet, and Robinson is WR63 averaging just 36.2 receiving yards per game. He has seen two fewer targets than Year 2 receiver Darnell Mooney and simply isn't getting separation.
I'm on the verge of hate-dropping Robinson because of how disappointing this season has been thus far, though I think he's a hold for now. You cannot trust him until we see monumental improvement from Fields and this offense as a whole.
Odell Beckham Jr., Browns vs. Cardinals
Beckham looked semi-decent in Week 3 — his first game of the year — as he was peppered with nine targets. His targets have dropped precipitously over the past two weeks and he caught two of three for 20 yards last week for a grand total of three fantasy points in half PPR.
The Browns continue to lean heavily on the run and have tallied an NFL-high 187.6 rushing yards per game. Beckham is borderline droppable at this point and definitely not a trustworthy starter this week versus the Cardinals.
Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars vs. Dolphins
Watching the Jaguars' offense in Week 4 after D.J. Chark went down, I was positive last week would finally be the Laviska Shenault breakout game. Turns out, it was a breakout game for the tight ends, Dan Arnold and Jacob Hollister. Jones caught just one of six targets for 25 yards while guys like Jamal Agnew saw six catches for 41 yards.
There are few viable fantasy options on this team not named James Robinson.
Tyler Boyd, Bengals at Lions
Boyd performed well in Weeks 2-4 due in large part to the absence of Tee Higgins. Boyd followed up his monster Week 4 eruption for nine catches and 118 yards with a disappointing four catches for 24 yards in Week 5 when Higgins returned.
It appears Boyd has ceded his role as the No. 2 back to Higgins, making Boyd a much less attractive start. Even in a positive matchup against the Lions, he is a risky WR3.
Fantasy RBs to Sit
Damien Harris, Patriots vs. Cowboys
Harris has been somewhat disappointing this season. He saw the lion's share of the work in Week 5 and tallied 14 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown. He also fumbled for the second game in a row, which is an anathema to head coach Bill Belichick.
Harris has zero involvement in the passing game and is banged up with a rib/chest injury, meaning he may not even play this game. Even if he goes, he is a risky RB2 with low upside this week.
Latavius Murray, Ravens vs. Chargers
I thought Murray was on track to take over as the team's RB1 when Ty'Son Williams was a healthy scratch in Week 4. He saw 18 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in that game and six carries for 17 yards plus two catches for 13 yards last week when Williams was activated. This has all the makings of a messy backfield of which I want no part.
He is a RB3 this week against the Chargers.
Devin Singletary, Bills at Titans
Singletary's work has dwindled, inversely correlated to Zack Moss' performance. Singletary saw a season-low six carries last week for 25 yards and caught one pass for -2 yards, finishing as RB57 in half PPR. It's a tempting matchup against the Titans, who have given a lot of points. But with Moss asserting his dominance as the RB1 in this offense, Singletary is an easy sit for me from now on.
Jamaal Williams, Lions vs. Bengals
To the dismay of D'Andre Swift managers, Williams saw significant involvement in the passing game in Week 1 and finished as RB4 in half PPR that week. It has tapered off significantly since, receiving seven targets over the last four weeks combined. He is splitting carries with Swift, but this isn't a good matchup against the Bengals, whose defense ranks seventh-best this year, per PFF.
Consider Williams a low-end RB3 this week.
Fantasy TEs to Sit
Jonnu Smith, Patriots vs. Cowboys
Smith is currently the TE24 in half PPR through five weeks and has posted one good game all season, which came in Week 4 against the Buccaneers. He caught three of five passes for 14 yards and a touchdown, but followed that up with two catches on two targets for 27 yards against Houston's unimpressive pass defense.
Meanwhile, Hunter Henry has produced much more, scoring in each of the last two games and is TE9 on the season. This offense is low-volume to start with, and with the competition from Henry, Smith deserves to be on your bench or back on waivers.
Robert Tonyan, Packers at Bears
If you're still starting Tonyan at this point, I'm going to assume you haven't checked your lineups in a hot minute. After a huge, 11-touchdown season in 2020 in which he finished as TE3 in half PPR, he's been largely unimpressive all year. He has yet to record more than three catches and has scored once.
He isn't seeing anything near the volume needed to be a viable TE1 for fantasy and is a no-brainer sit against the Bears, who have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
David Njoku, Browns vs. Cardinals
Njoku had a monster Week 5 showing and caught all seven targets for 149 yards and a touchdown. It was his best game this year, which likely piqued the interest of managers on the waiver wire this week. I would temper expectations, however, with both Harrison Bryant and Austin Hooper — who is out-snapping Njoku — still on the roster. Njoku is a TE2 with some upside this week.
Fantasy Defenses to Sit
Patriots Defense vs. Cowboys
New England has a high rostership in Yahoo! leagues, presumably based on name and legacy. So far this year, the Patriots have finished inside the top 12 once, though are somehow D/ST8. They could be usable in the right matchup, which won't be against the Cowboys, who are averaging 439.6 offensive yards and 34 points per game and rank second in both categories.
Bears Defense vs. Packers
The Bears' defense has posted three top-six finishes over five weeks against the Bengals, Lions and Raiders. I anticipate the Bears will have a much tougher time this week against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who are averaging nearly 30 points per game excluding their embarrassing Week 1 showing.
