Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 6: Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and More
It's been a wild 2022 NFL season thus far, filled with surprising outcomes and unpredictability. The Philadelphia Eagles stand as the league's only undefeated team, while no team is winless after five weeks.
The uncertainty has extended into fantasy football too, where even some of the biggest stars have struggled at times. The fantasy landscape will grow even murkier in Week 6, as managers get their first taste of bye weeks.
The Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans will be out of action this week.
Playing the matchups will be extremely important this week, and we're here to help with that. Below you find a look at each key position and a quality start, sit and potential sleeper for each. All choices are based on points-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Quarterback
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Start 'Em: Kirk Cousins at Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins isn't exactly Mr. Consistency, but when he's not playing in prime time, he can be a serviceable fantasy starter.
Against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, the 34-year-old threw for 296 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also logged a rushing touchdown.
Cousins does have quality skill players such as Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook and Irv Smith Jr. at his disposal.
This week, he will also benefit from an enticing matchup against the Miami Dolphins, which has not fared well against the pass this season, ranking 31st in yards per attempt allowed (as of Monday night) and notching just one interception for the season.
Managers should expect a mostly clean game from Cousins, who is one of the better streaming options for Week 6.
Sit 'Em: Marcus Mariota vs. San Francisco 49ers
We don't have any truly elite quarterbacks on bye this week, but managers streaming Jared Goff or Derek Carr might be eying Marcus Mariota.
While the Atlanta Falcons signal-caller hasn't produced prolific passing numbers, he does provide some scrambling ability.
On Sunday, the 28-year-old threw for 147 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 61 yards.
This is not the week to toss Mariota into the starting lineup, though. The San Francisco 49ers defense is a force against both the run and the pass. The 49ers rank second in yards per pass attempt allowed and first in yards per rush allowed.
Expect Mariota to struggle to get anything going with his arm or legs in Week 6.
Sleeper: Carson Wentz at Chicago Bears
The Washington Commanders have put the ball in Carson Wentz's hands a lot this season. While the results haven't always been great, his passing workload provides a relatively safe fantasy floor.
The 29-year-old has thrown a whopping 210 passes in just five weeks. This past week, he threw for 359 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Against a Chicago defense that has allowed 6.5 yards per pass attempt, that workload could lead to big numbers.
If you are in need of a streamer or bye-week fill-in, consider Wentz. He's rostered in only 46 percent of Yahoo leagues and 48 percent of ESPN leagues.
Running Back
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Start 'Em: Melvin Gordon III at Los Angeles Chargers
The Denver Broncos are still searching for answers on offense, and quarterback Russell Wilson isn't at 100 percent.
"Sources say Wilson has been dealing with a strained latissimus dorsi—an injury more commonly seen in baseball players, and one that is not usually treated with an injection," Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media wrote.
Expect Denver to lean heavily on the ground game against the Los Angeles Chargers. With Javonte Williams (ACL) on injured reserve, that should mean a large dose of Melvin Gordon III.
The 29-year-old logged 103 scrimmage yards and three receptions in Week 5. The Chargers have allowed an average of 5.8 yards per carry this season, making this a must-start situation for Gordon managers.
Sit 'Em: Najee Harris vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris looked to be a perennial Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2021. He topped 1,600 scrimmage yards, scored 10 touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl.
However, the 24-year-old was more of a grinder than a breakaway threat (3.9 yards per carry in 2021), and grinding hasn't worked this season. He has topped 50 scrimmage yards only twice this season and is still searching for his first 100-yard game.
It's not likely to come this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Bucs haven't clamped down on opposing ground games (4.4 yards per carry allowed), they've been decent and have surrendered only three rushing touchdowns and 83 points on the season.
Harris should be viewed as a low-end flex option at best in Week 6.
Sleeper: Mike Boone at Los Angeles Chargers
While Williams' injury left Denver without its top back, it didn't change its plan of utilizing a two-pronged backfield. Instead of sharing the load with Williams, Gordon now shares the load with Mike Boone.
The 27-year-old tallied 38 rushing yards, three receptions and 47 receiving yards in last Thursday's win over the Indianapolis Colts. With Wilson struggling, he should see even more opportunities against a Chargers run defense that is, frankly, one of the worst in the NFL.
There's a solid floor here and plenty of upside. If you're looking for a bye-week replacement for Derrick Henry or Josh Jacobs, Boone should be available too. He's rostered in 36 percent of Yahoo leagues and 27 percent of ESPN leagues.
Wide Receiver
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Start 'Em: Mike Evans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may finally be starting to show his age (45) a bit, but he's still capable of carving up a bad defense—and that's exactly what the Steelers have this season.
Pittsburgh has surrendered 128 points, more than 2,000 scrimmage yards and an average of 7.1 yards per pass attempt in 2022.
Mike Evans is one of Brady's top targets, and he's maintained a high floor when on the field. His worst outing of the season was a three-catch, 61-yard performance in Week 2. He's had at least four receptions and 71 yards in every other contest and has three receiving touchdowns on the season.
Expect the Texas A&M product to have another big day in Pittsburgh this week.
Sit 'Em: Michael Thomas vs. Cincinnati Bengals
New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas has missed the last two games with a toe injury, so managers should already be monitoring his status for Week 6.
Even if the 29-year-old can go, though, managers would be wise to consider other options at receiver this week.
The Saints will be hosting a very good Cincinnati Bengals defense, one that ranks in the top 10 in points allowed and has surrendered only four receiving touchdowns.
Heading into Monday night, Cincinnati had allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
New Orleans may also be without quarterback Jameis Winston (back, ankle) for a third consecutive week. That would mean another game with Andy Dalton under center.
While Thomas had a solid floor in his first three games of the season (at least 5 receptions per game, 3 TDs), there's just too much working against him in this matchup to justify a start.
Sleeper: Alec Pierce vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
We finally saw Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce emerge last Thursday against the Broncos. Quarterback Matt Ryan found him eight times on nine targets for 81 yards. This marked the rookie's second straight game with at least 80 yards.
Now that the 22-year-old has the trust of his quarterback, expect him to continue being a heavily-targeted option.
Pierce's upside may be limited against a good Jacksonville Jaguars defense, but the PPR floor is high enough to make him a viable flex option. Now is the perfect time to see if he is available on the waiver wire—and he should be.
The Cincinnati product is rostered in only eight percent of Yahoo leagues and nine percent of ESPN leagues.
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Tight End
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Start 'Em: Zach Ertz at Seattle Seahawks
Tight end Zach Ertz has been a huge piece of the Arizona Cardinals' passing attack this season—unsurprising since DeAndre Hopkins has been out on PED suspension.
Ertz has a tremendous PPR floor, having caught at least six passes in each of his last four games. This past week, he caught six for 48.
The 31-year-old also happens to have a great matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Heading into Monday night, they have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.
In what could be a shootout against a surprisingly potent Geno Smith-led offense, managers should expect Ertz to shine.
Sit 'Em: Kyle Pitts vs. San Francisco 49ers
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, on the other hand, hasn't been as heavily utilized this season.
A 1,000-yard receiver as a rookie in 2021, the 22-year-old has had only one standout game this season. Against the Seahawks in Week 3, he caught five passes for 87 yards.
In every other 2022 game, Pitts has caught two or fewer balls for 25 or fewer yards.
Injury is also a concern here, as the Florida product missed Week 5 with a hamstring injury—though head coach Arthur Smith said the injury isn't expected to keep him out "long-term," according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein.
Healthy or not, Pitts faces a stingy 49ers defense, and managers should start planning for alternatives now.
Sleeper: Taysom Hill vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Taysom Hill's usage with the Saints has been uneven this season, and the Bengals defense does present a problem.
However, the 32-year-old came up big in Sunday's win over Seattle, finishing with 112 rushing yards and a 22-yard touchdown pass.
It's perhaps worth noting that Hill has caught only one pass on the season.
We'd expect to see New Orleans dig into its back of tricks against the AFC champions, which should mean plenty of opportunities for the BYU product. There's a good chance he can be had on the wire, too.
Hill is rostered in only 29 percent of Yahoo leagues and 11 percent of ESPN leagues.
*Fantasy roster and scoring information via FantasyPros.
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