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

While it would be easy to have a fantasy football lineup you can keep intact every week, it never works out that way. Instead, you have to look for matchups to get the best team possible.

With top players like Drew Brees, Jamaal Charles and Jimmy Graham on bye this week, fantasy owners are left scrambling for players to fill those spots. Things are even worse for those dealing with injuries to key players.

The good news is that there are a few middling players capable of big performances in Week 6 thanks to favorable matchups. On the other hand, there are some stars you might want to avoid if you really want to get the most out of your lineup.

Here is a look at the players to start and sit for Week 6 of fantasy football.

Start 'Em

Player	Pos.	Team	Opp.
Eli Manning	QB	New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles
Branden Oliver	RB	San Diego Chargers	Oakland Raiders
Chris Ivory	RB	New York Jets	Denver Broncos
Percy Harvin	WR	Seattle Seahawks	Dallas Cowboys
Michael Floyd	WR	Arizona Cardinals	Washington Redskins

Eli Manning might be a difficult player to trust in fantasy football after plenty of inconsistency over his career, but he has now topped 15 fantasy points in four games in a row. It might be time to put your faith back in the New York Giants quarterback.

He is also facing the Philadelphia Eagles secondary, which just allowed 375 passing yards and three touchdowns to Austin Davis. This could be a chance for another big game for the two-time Super Bowl winner.

Branden Oliver was one of the top waiver adds in fantasy leagues after his 182-yard performance in Week 5, but the question is whether he will be able to replicate this production. While it will be hard to top, the good news is he should be one of the better running backs in the league again this week, with a full workload against a mediocre defense in the Oakland Raiders.

At the very least, he is gaining fans along the way. According to Ricky Henne of Chargers.com, teammate Eric Weddle said:

"

He was a little pinball out there. We knew he had something in him from the minute he got here in the way he was running the ball.  He’s one of the greatest kids you’ll ever meet.  And when you meet a guy like that, you have nothing but love and respect for him and you have no other choice but to root for him.  It was a great coming out party for him and to make plays like that in the timing of the game where he made them was huge.

"

He is in great position for more success, and if you were able to pick him up, you should start him right away.

Another person who should be in lineups is Chris Ivory, despite coming off a game where he had a season-low nine carries. The fact remains he is still the top option on the entire New York Jets offense, and he faces a defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.

While the Jets are likely to be behind often against the Denver Broncos, the team really does not have too many other choices to move the ball.

This brings us to Percy Harvin, who has struggled to produce big numbers this season. The good news is he was close to having a huge day if not for a few penalties, as ESPN's Adam Schefter notes:

Although this does not help fantasy owners who started him last week, it is a good sign that the Seattle Seahawks are finding ways to use the talented receiver. With some more opportunities, he should be able to get into the end zone and make it count.

Michael Floyd could also be ready for a breakout performance after totaling just one catch for seven yards last week. The big problem with him recently has been inconsistent quarterback play, but it seems like starter Carson Palmer could be in line for a return in Week 6, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.

If Palmer is able to play, Floyd becomes a no-brainer start against a Washington Redskins secondary that tends to lose deep threats down the field. 

Sit 'Em

Player	Pos.	Team	Opp.
Cam Newton	QB	Carolina Panthers	Cincinnati Bengals
Stevan Ridley	RB	New England Patriots	Buffalo Bills
Zac Stacy	RB	St. Louis Rams	San Francisco 49ers
Michael Crabtree	WR	San Francisco 49ers	St. Louis Rams
Zach Ertz	TE	Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants

Cam Newton has played well for the Carolina Panthers, but he has not helped out fantasy owners too much, with zero games of more than 20 fantasy points. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports noticed the problem in Week 4:

This is where most of his fantasy production came from early in his career, and it has limited his value.

Year	Home	Away
2013	9.75	15.5
2014	8.5	17.5

To make matters worse, the Cincinnati Bengals will make things difficult for the quarterback in Week 6. While Tom Brady just showed that the squad can be beaten through the air, this is a much different team at home compared to on the road since the start of 2013, as you can see in the table.

It would be even more one-sided if not for a 32-point performance by Andrew Luck last season. As a result, fantasy owners should look for better options this week.

The same goes for Stevan Ridley, who has actually shown some bright spots this year. Unfortunately, he has become one of the more frustrating fantasy players in the NFL this year, topping 100 rushing yards and a touchdown in two games while combining for just 103 yards and zero scores in the other three.

While people are left guessing which will be the good games, all signs point to a bad effort against the Buffalo Bills. The defense ranks second in the NFL with just three yards allowed per carry while also being one of two teams to not allow a rushing touchdown this season (Kansas City Chiefs).

Considering you cannot trust Bill Belichick anyway, this might be a good week to keep him out of your lineup.

Zac Stacy is another running back you might want to avoid in Week 6, especially considering he is dealing with an injury to his calf. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides the latest:

Even if he plays, he will likely be limited while facing a San Francisco 49ers defense that has allowed the third-fewest points to opposing running backs this season.

On the other side of the ball in the Monday night game will be Michael Crabtree, who is coming off one of the worst outings of his career, with just one catch for 16 yards.

While he is dealing with a foot injury, the bigger problem is that he is losing targets to Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson, Brandon Lloyd and, when healthy, Vernon Davis. Crabtree might be the No. 1 option, but he does not get the majority of targets anymore.

This does not make him a good fantasy play on a run-first offense.

Finally, Zach Ertz seemed like he was set to be a sleeper this season, with a few solid games early on. Unfortunately, he has not been utilized too much recently. Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer broke down the snap count in Week 5:

Not only is Brent Celek getting more playing time, but third-string tight end James Casey is not too far behind. Until this changes, Ertz should remain on your bench.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.