Starts and Sits: Week 6

By Bob Miller and Joe Goodwin

Bob Miller and Joe Goodwin are here to give you their starts and sits for Week 6. Bob handles the AFC games, and Goody takes care of the NFC. Good luck this weekend!

Check this article throughout the weekend as we are updating it constantly with the latest injury news. Look for the "UPDATE"

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants (1:00pm)

Start: Lamar Jackson, JK Dobbins, Devin Duvernay, Mark Andrews, Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton
Sit: Rashod Bateman (injury), Marcus Johnson, David Stills, Richie James, Daniel Bellinger

Without Rashod Bateman, Lamar Jackson hasn’t posted elite QB fantasy numbers over the last 2 weeks, but expect that to change this Sunday. Even though the Giants have an above average pass defense, they play man coverage. I expect Lamar to have a good day rushing the ball, which raises his floor substantially. You’re not sitting him anyways. I see JK Dobbins finding the end zone in this one as well. Saquon Barkley may not put up elite numbers either, however his amount of touches alone make him a must-start. Darius Slayton and Devin Duvernay are sneaky little plays this week if you need help at WR.

UPDATE: Rashod Bateman (foot) has been ruled OUT for this game.

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons (1:00pm)

Start: Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Drake London
Sit: Brandon Aiyuk, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Allgeier, Kyle Pitts

The 49ers offense is starting to get itself back to normal with Jimmy G back at the helm. He is still spreading the ball around, but Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are the top targets. Jeff Wilson is making it hard for all the Elijah Mitchell owners to feel good when he returns. Wilson has shown flashes that will make it hard to ignore. Which, if you read this article weekly, I told you to start him last week! The Falcons offense is inconsistent. There are just no “splash” plays. And, I’m sorry to the Kyle Pitts owners, this is not the week Pitts shows why he was a first round dynasty pick. The 49ers are extremely tough against opposing tight ends. I can see Drake London grabbing a fade route in the corner of the end zone to make his start viable.

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns (1:00pm)

Start: Rhamondre Stevenson, Jakobi Meyers, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Amari Cooper, David Njoku
Sit: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Damien Harris, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Jacoby Brissett, Donovan Peoples-Jones

Not a lot to see here.. You’re starting your studs. Rhamondre Stevenson looks like he may take over this backfield full time, while Nick Chubb is playing his best football yet. I recommended you starting Jakobi Meyers last week, and he put up 24 fantasy points by posting a 7-111-1 receiving line on 8 targets. I recommend starting him again this week as well. I don’t trust any other New England pass catcher in this game. Amari Cooper and David Njoku should be okay in this one, but their ceilings are limited. It’s hard to bench them anyways. If you’re desperate, Donovan Peoples-Jones could get you around 7-9 PPR points.

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers (1:00pm)

Start: Breece Hall, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb
Sit: Zach Wilson, Michael Carter, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, Romeo Dobbs, Robert Tonyan, Christian Watson

As of now, I am sitting on the passing game for the Jets. I just haven’t seen enough from Zach Wilson to warrant any love for the receivers. However, Breece Hall has turned into a stud. He is an automatic start until further notice; which pushes down Michael Carter’s usage. Aaron Jones has grabbed the lead back role away from, what many thought would be, a split with AJ Dillon. Randall Cobb has turned into the reliable target Aaron Rodgers needs. And Lazard is the talented one who is getting back to 100%. Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and AJ Dillon are the odd men out, but don’t be surprised if they break a big play or too. This offense has potential, it just hasn’t shown it consistently yet.

UPDATE: Christian Watson (hamstring) has been ruled OUT for this game.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (1:00pm)

Start: Travis Etienne, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pttman Jr, Alec Pierce
Sit: Trevor Lawrence, James Robinson, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Evan Engram, Matt Ryan, Mo Alie-Cox

Unfortunately there’s not many players I like in this one. One of the more intriguing players in this game is Travis Etienne. The takeover looks like it’s in full effect. He has now out-snapped James Robinson in back-to-back games. Etienne is a strong flex play with RB2 potential. Robinson's slide continues as his snap share has dropped from 61.8% to 43.1% over the last four games. He's finished outside the top 48 running backs (RB58, RB50) in back-to-back weeks. Alec Pierce is a player on the rise. Last week his route run rate climbed to 75% as he drew a 21.9% target share. He's surpassed 80 receiving yards in consecutive games. Michael Pittman has had 2 consecutive “bad games” due to Matt Ryan’s struggles, but he should bounce back in this one and put up WR2/Flex numbers. Jonathan Taylor returned to practice on Thursday after missing last week’s game. He looks on track to play Sunday. You’re starting him and hoping for the best.

UPDATE: Zay Jones and Marvin Jones are both questionable for this game.

Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins (1:00pm)

Start: Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, KJ Osborn, Irv Smith Jr., Skylar Thompson, Raheem Mostert, Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle
Sit: Teddy Bridgewater, Mike Gesicki

I’m starting most of the major players in this one with the exception of Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Gesicki. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, even if Bridgewater is cleared, he will be the backup. This makes Skylar Thompson an interesting play. I see him as a QB2 against the soft Minnesota secondary. In fact, both secondaries in this game are suspect. Kirk Cousins is a top 10 QB this week making all of his major pass catchers a solid start.

Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints (1:00pm)

Start: Joe Burrow, JaMarr Chase, Hayden Hurst, Michael Thomas
Sit: Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, Chris Olave (injury)

I would love to be all in on Joe Mixon this week, but I just can’t. His offensive line is doing nothing to help open holes for him. Instead, JaMarr Chase and Hayden Hurst will continue to be Joe Burrow’s favorite options and will have solid starts. Alvin Kamara may finally look like himself again, but this Bengals defense has been stingy against running backs. I would look for better options than Kamara if you can. Michael Thomas may be the only receiver for the Saints worth targets and should be started in all formats.

UPDATE: Michael Thomas (toe) has been ruled OUT for this game. Tee Higgins (ankle) is a true game-time decision.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00pm)

Start: Tom Brady, Leonard Fournette, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth
Sit: Rachaad White, Julio Jones, Scotty Miller, Cameron Brate, Kenny Pickett, Chase Claypool

I recommend starting all the big hitters here with the exception of Kenny Pickett and Chase Claypool. Antoine Winfield has been tough in slot coverage (59.1% catch rate, 72.9 passer rating) making Claypool a sit for me. The Buccaneers are elite pass-defenders. Their solid secondary and strong pass-rush makes Pickett a sit as well. Pittsburgh should be playing from behind all game making Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth nice PPR plays.

UPDATE: Julio Jones (knee) is doubtful for this game. Pat Freiermuth (concussion) has been ruled OUT for this game.

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams (4:05pm)

Start: Christian McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, Matt Stafford
Sit: PJ Walker/Carolina QB, DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Cam Akers, Allen Robinson

At this point, Cooper Kupp is automatic. His target share is monstrous and should be automatic. I also see Tyler Higbee continuing his “second fiddle” position to Kupp until this offense can figure out how to use Allen Robinson. I see Christian McCaffery getting a healthy workload to showcase he is back to full strength for possible trade partners. This passing game is nothing worth starting.

UPDATE: Cam Akers (personal) will not play in this game. Cooper Kupp is questionable.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (4:05pm)

Start: Kyler Murray, Hollywood Brown, Zach Ertz, Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker
Sit: James Connor/Eno Benjamin, Greg Dortch, Will Dissly

I know historically DK Metcalf has not played well against the Cardinals, but this feels like the week he breaks out and has a solid WR2 week. I also hope you held on to that Kenneth Walker stock, because this is the week he takes off. I sorta get a feeling that Walker’s and Nick Chubb’s starts will closely resemble each other. I love the passing game for the Cardinals. I anticipate a shootout in this one with Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz being the primary beneficiaries. To be clear, I see Hollywood feasting this week. And I am not clear on who will run the ball this week or how much for the Cardinals. For those reasons, I’m passing on them for better options.

UPDATE: James Connor and Darrell Williams have been ruled OUT for this game.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (4:25pm)

Start: Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Travis Kelce
Sit: Zach Moss, Isaiah McKenzie, Khalil Shakir, Dawson Knox, Jerick McKinnon, Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster

This is going to be a fun one to watch. I’m starting most players in this one, however I’m staying away from JuJu and Mecole Hardman in this one. They just don’t get enough volume for me. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the WR getting the looks from Patrick Mahomes. Last week MVS had 15.00 fantasy points catching six passes for 90 yards. Isaiah McKenzie will be splitting time with Khalil Shakir, so I’m leaving both of them alone. Jerick McKinnon is on the sit list, but can be used if you are in a pinch.

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (8:20pm)

Start: CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Jalen Hurts
Sit: Dalton Shultz, Ezekiel Elliot, Miles Sanders

Defense, Defense, Defense…yada, yada, yada. I know this Dallas defense has been pretty good this year. However, this Eagles offense can beat you in a variety of ways. I love Jalen Hurts and his legs this week. And his trio of receivers will be solid starts. CeeDee Lamb will be ok because he will get volume. My sleeper pick is Tony Pollard. He has shown he can break any play wide open. I foresee him getting one or two of those plays against the Eagles. Again, I see the Eagles spreading the runs around and don’t see a major share of touches for Sanders.

Monday Night Football (10/17/22)

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (8:15pm)

Start: Melvin Gordon, Jerry Jeudy, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett
Sit: Russell Wilson, Cortland Sutton, KJ Hamler, Albert Okwuegbunam, Eric Saubert, Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer

There have been quite a few fantasy disappointments this season, and no bigger QB disappointment than Russell Wilson. He’s managed multiple passing touchdowns only once so far this season. The plus side is that the Chargers pass defense has not been very good early on, making Wilson a QB2 with top 12 upside this week. If you have better options at QB, use them instead. Keenan Allen has been frustrating this season, and this week is no different. As of now (1pm on 10/14) he is still listed as “day-to-day”. It’s been this way for almost two weeks, and he has still yet to play. Unless a report comes out that he is playing, you can’t afford to play him this week, with the game being Monday night. If you choose to take the risk, go grab Joshua Palmer to sub just in case.