Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and More
Beyond the regular NFL stars, the 2024 fantasy football season has been an interesting one, with hidden gems and breakout names proving to be more valuable than ever to managers seeking weekly wins and league bragging rights.
Week 6 will be no different, with favorable matchups for young players on the brink of stardom and mounting frustration for a veteran already there.
Who are the three players to keep an eye on this week and why?
Find out with this preview.
Start: Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Is Tank Bigsby overtaking Travis Etienne as the featured back in the Jacksonville Jaguars offense? It sure looked that way in Week 5.
The second-year player out of Auburn carried 13 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns against Indianapolis in the Jaguars' first win of the season. He added one reception for 28 yards.
Bigsby was the No. 1 running back in both standard and points-per-reception leagues.
Etienne remains a valuable member of the Jags' offense as a pass-catcher, but Bigsby has developed into the team's best runner and should be a buy for fantasy managers, regardless of their running back situation.
The 23-year-old figures to be heavily featured in the Jacksonville game plan against a Chicago Bears defense that is ranked 23rd against the run and giving up 24.06 points to opposing backs. He's available in 77 percent of Yahoo and 90 percent of ESPN leagues, making him easy to pick up.
Do it now or regret missing your chance as he develops into a potential fantasy stud by season's end for a team that needs all of the help it can get to remain competitive in a league that has more than once appeared to have passed it by.
Sit: Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
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Amari Cooper is still a top-tier wide receiver in the NFL. A lack of consistency from the quarterback position in Cleveland has adversely affected his fantasy value.
The veteran wideout has not seen more than seven catches through the first five weeks of the season or 86 yards. He has two touchdowns, both against the New York Giants and that game was the only one this season in which he has finished in the top 10 at his position.
Otherwise, he has finished 40th or worse in standard and PPR leagues.
Philadelphia is the fourth-worst defense against wide receivers in the league, yielding 44.03 points to the position per game and seven receiving touchdowns.
They have been underwhelming, to say the least, but until Cooper can build some kind of chemistry with Deshaun Watson that sees him catch 50 percent or more of his passes for just the second time this season, it's difficult to suggest starting him.
Sit him this week but monitor his play. If he performs well against Philadelphia, consider starting him against Cincinnati and Baltimore, both of which are among the worst against receivers in the league.
Start: Darnell Mooney, WR, Atlanta Falcons
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Against Tampa Bay in Week 5, Darnell Mooney announced to the world that he is a breakout star in fantasy, catching nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
It was his best performance thus far in 2024, but hardly the only reason to consider starting him.
The former Bear has scored double-digit points in PPR leagues in three of five weeks and averaged 15 points per game.
In Week 6, he sees a Carolina Panthers team that has allowed eight receiving touchdowns and gives up 35.52 points per game to opposing wideouts.
With Drake London likely to see intensified coverage following his monster 12-catch, 154-yard game against the Bucs, Mooney will have more opportunities to shine.
Grab him off the waiver wire now (he's available in 52 and 31 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, respectively) and reap the rewards.
Especially with the Panthers matchup this week and a rematch against the same Tampa Bay squad he broke out against in three weeks.
All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise noted.
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