Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football Stars to Play and Bench

After five weeks of the NFL season, it's beginning to get a bit easier to tell which players are reliable fantasy performers and who shouldn't be trusted. But that isn't the case for everybody in the league.

There are still some players firmly on the start/sit fence each week. And that's why it can be tricky to know who to put in your lineup and who to leave on the bench in a given week, even at this stage of the season.

Fantasy managers may have some even more difficult decisions to make in Week 6, considering four teams will have a bye. The Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans will be off, taking some top players out of the fantasy equation.

With all that in mind, here's some start/sit advice heading into the Week 6 action.

Start 'Em: Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Arizona Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Eno Benjamin scored his first touchdown of the season (and the second of his NFL career) in the Cardinals' Week 5 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He had eight carries for 25 yards and three catches for 28 yards in the defeat.

In Week 6, Benjamin may get even more touches. That's because running backs James Conner (ribs) and Darrel Williams (knee) are both dealing with injuries, which could leave Benjamin as Arizona's starting RB against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

If that's the case, Benjamin should fare well. The Seahawks are allowing an NFL-high 170.2 rushing yards per game, so the Cardinals may want to keep the ball on the ground. Benjamin likely won't have any trouble racking up yards against a defense struggling to stop the run.

It will be important to monitor the injury report this week. But even if Conner is active, Benjamin could still be in flex consideration. If Conner is out, Benjamin is a must-start RB because of this favorable matchup and his expected workload.

Sit 'Em: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) attempts to run the ball as Los Angeles Rams' Bobby Wagner (45) and Connor McGovern (66) look on in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

In Week 5, Ezekiel Elliott set a new season high for carries, as the Cowboys gave him 22 rushing attempts in their victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Yet that didn't lead to increased production for Elliott, who turned those opportunities into only 78 yards.

That may have been a season high for Elliott, but it wasn't a strong showing, considering he averaged 3.55 yards per attempt. He also continues to be a non-factor in Dallas' passing game, as he wasn't even targeted once in Los Angeles.

Elliott has only one touchdown and isn't running the ball well, plus fellow running back Tony Pollard continues to be a factor in the Cowboys' offense. So it's probably best to keep Elliott on the bench in fantasy for Week 6 when Dallas is on the road for a Sunday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The undefeated Eagles are giving up only 294.4 total yards per game, the fourth fewest in the NFL this season, so it's not a great matchup for the Cowboys. That's another reason why Elliott is unlikely to have a breakthrough performance this week.

Start 'Em: Isaiah McKenzie, WR, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Buffalo Bills' Isaiah McKenzie waits to receive a kickoff in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

After missing Buffalo's Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a concussion, Isaiah McKenzie will likely be back in Week 6. The wide receiver was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, so he should be ready to go for Sunday's game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

There's going to be a ton of offense in that Bills-Chiefs contest. So many playmakers taking part in the game are worthy of fantasy consideration, and that includes McKenzie.

Before getting injured, McKenzie had scored a touchdown in three of Buffalo's first four games. And although he wasn't getting a ton of catches, he was making the most of the opportunities he got.

It wouldn't be surprising to see McKenzie get back into the end zone in his return, as the Bills will likely be passing quite a bit to keep pace with the Chiefs. So consider McKenzie a strong flex option for Week 6.

Sit 'Em: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) lines up during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 23-20. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

Drake London's rookie season got off to an impressive start, as he had two touchdowns through three weeks and was putting up solid receiving totals. However, the Falcons WR has been less of a factor in the team's last two games.

Although London has been targeted 14 times over the last two weeks, he has only six catches for 52 yards and has been held out of the end zone. Now, Atlanta has a difficult matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, who are allowing an NFL-low 249.2 total yards per game.

The Falcons don't have a ton of weapons in their receiving corps, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the 49ers focus on trying to shut down London on Sunday. And as he's still gaining NFL experience, it may be a bit before he learns to still excel in such situations.

So, for now, it may be best to find better fantasy options than London at wide receiver. Put him on the bench for Week 6 and replace him with somebody who has a better matchup.