As bye weeks are here, fantasy football managers are now tasked with even more difficult decisions when it comes to starts and sits in their lineups.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
You also can check out our start and sit bench list for Week 6.
Here is a look at some of the tough start and sit decisions in fantasy football for Week 6:
Sit: TE Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
Schultz is a tough play this week even if managers may have to rely on him between bye weeks and injuries. Coming off of an injury of his own, Schultz may be healthy, but he draws a tough matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are allowing the third-fewest PPR points per game (6.8) to tight ends over the last three weeks. On top of that, Schultz hasn’t posted higher than a 13% target share in a game since Week 1. Pivoting away until Dak Prescott officially comes back seems to be the move.
Start: TE Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
It hasn’t been the season we expected for Knox, but he seems to be over the foot and hamstring injuries that kept him out of the Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, he returns for a likely high-scoring matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are allowing the 12th-most PPR points per game (12.7) to the position this season. Though his season has been quiet compared to expectation, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Knox found the end zone in this game.
Sit: WR Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Wilson exploded for a WR6 finish in Week 2, but he’s been disastrous for fantasy since. Outside of that game, Wilson has yet to finish better than WR43 on a week. The rookie should certainly still be rostered, but the Green Bay Packers are allowing the 11th-fewest PPR points per game (30.6) to wide receivers, and Wilson hasn’t hit a 21% target share since Week 3. This really goes for all Jets wide receivers, but Wilson in particular should be left on the bench this week.
Start: WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
We were a little bamboozled by the Jets wide receivers in Week 5 despite the juicy matchup against the Miami Dolphins, who are bleeding fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Now, Thielen gets a crack at a secondary that has allowed the 11th-most PPR points per game (37.3), the 10th-most receiving yards (852), and 14.7 yards per reception to wide receivers this season. Thielen has at least a 22% target share in two of his last three games and has seen two red-zone targets in three of his last four.
Sit: WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
There’s a chance Allen makes his return to the field in Week 6 for the first time since the opening game of the season. But managers may find it difficult to trust. Allen suffered a setback two weeks ago and now draws the Monday night game. The final injury report hasn’t been released yet (that comes Saturday), and Allen is likely to be questionable if he’s not ruled out. Playing that waiting game for Monday night is risky. Allen could be active but on a pitch count. He could wind up reinjuring the hamstring. He could wind up being inactive altogether. On top of that, the Denver Broncos have been stout against wide receivers, allowing the second-fewest PPR points per game (26.7) this season. For what would likely be WR2 production as a ceiling this week, it’s best to pivot away from Allen until he plays a full game.
Start: WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
In that same game, we’re going to roll with Jeudy. The concerns surrounding the Broncos offense and its fantasy assets are real. They’ve been well under expectation, but Jeudy has a chance to blow up in prime time. Even with Russell Wilson playing through a lat injury that required a procedure, Jeudy has posted a 21% target share in each of his last two games. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers have allowed the fourth-most PPR points per game (40.3) over the last three weeks. He’s a high-end WR3/flex play with plenty of upside if this game turns into a shootout.
Sit: RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
We told managers to sit Harris during the Week 5 game, and we’re going right back to it. As much fun as Harris is as a player and personality, he should be avoided in fantasy lineups this week. He’s been wildly inefficient, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on the ground while scoring just one rushing touchdown this season. The worst part, though, is his lack of receiving work. Harris has just one game with a target share north of 10% this season. Compare that to last season when he saw worse than a 10% target share just six times. Against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense allowing the third-fewest PPR points per game (17.2) and just two rushing touchdowns this season, Harris should be on the bench.
Start: RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals
For those managers who snagged Benjamin off of waivers this week, congratulations! You have a likely RB2 playing in your flex spot. Benjamin finds himself in a prime role in Week 6 with both James Conner and Darrel Williams ruled out due to injuries. The Seahawks have been pretty generous to running backs, allowing the sixth-most PPR points per game (29.2) to the position this season and in the last three weeks (30.7).
Sit: RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
In Week 5, we finally saw some of those explosive plays that were all over Etienne’s college tape. The second-year back took 48% of the team’s running back rushes and 11% of the targets for 114 total yards on 13 touches. However, this game coming up against the Indianapolis Colts likely favors a game script for James Robinson, and they’ve been pretty stout against the run. The Colts are allowing 3.3 yards per carry to running backs and have allowed just three rushing touchdowns to the position. Etienne isn’t necessarily a terrible play, but his upside is limited because he’s unlikely to find the end zone.
Start: RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
The season-ending injury to Rashaad Penny gives the Seahawks a chance to really use the running back they spent a second-round pick on during the 2022 NFL draft. Walker flashed some of that upside with a 69-yard touchdown run in Week 5, and now he gets a juicy matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. As the likely workhorse back, Walker faces a Cardinals defense that has allowed five total touchdowns, and 4.4 yards per carry to the position thus far. Walker is likely to see the bulk of the work in what could be a high-scoring game, giving him high-RB2 upside if he finds the end zone.
Sit: QB Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Most managers probably aren’t starting Wilson, but those hoping he can be a streamer this week should look the other way. While Wilson has finished as QB10 and QB17 in the last two weeks, respectively, he has relied less on consistency and more on big plays. That’s all fine and good against bad defenses. But the Green Bay Packers are far from that. They are currently allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game (15.2) to the position and haven’t allowed a QB1 finish since Week 1.
Start: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy GQ gets the call this week as our top streamer against a struggling Atlanta Falcons defense in Week 6. They’ve allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game (22.7) to quarterbacks and four QB1 finishes this season. Garoppolo has a plethora of weapons with which to work, and the Falcons rank dead last in pressure rate (12.7%), according to Pro Football Reference. We should expect a high-end QB2 as his floor this week.
