Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Decisions for Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Week 5 brought a flurry of NFL upsets and stunning finishes, beginning with a San Francisco 49ers overtime victory and ending with a Jacksonville Jaguars statement win.

Week 6, which will open with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants on Thursday night, will likely bring more of the same. It's also likely to bring a fair bit of uncertainty to a fantasy landscape that has plenty of question marks.

The ol' injury bug continues to be a problem, and the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings will both be on bye this week.

Managers know which stars to trust by the season. Here, you'll find start/sit recommendations for a few fringe starters in Week 6.

Start: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has been a hit-or-miss fantasy performer thus far in 2025—largely because offensive coordinator Chip Kelly underused him early in the season. The good news is that he's mostly hit over the past two weeks.

Jeanty had 155 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in Week 4. He wasn't as impressive in Week 5, but he tallied five receptions and 109 scrimmage yards.

Kelly should be willing to ride Jeanty this week as the Raiders look to sort through Geno Smith's interception issue. The Raiders are set to host the Tennessee Titans, who have had their fair share of issues against the run.

Tennessee just surrendered 168 rushing yards to an Arizona Cardinals team that was down its top two running backs. It has also surrendered the third-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season.

Sit: Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Nick Wass

It feels strange to suggest sitting Derrick Henry, given the consistency he's had as a fantasy producer over the years. However, he hasn't been particularly effective for the Baltimore Ravens since going off for 182 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in Week 1.

Henry hasn't surpassed 50 rushing yards or 60 scrimmage in any of his last four games. He did find the end zone in two of those contests, but with just six receptions on the season, his point-per-reception (PPR) floor is extremely limited.

The uncertain status of Lamar Jackson (hamstring) certainly doesn't help Henry's immediate outlook. As long as Jackson is sidelined or at less than 100 percent, teams will look to stop Baltimore's ground game first.

This week's opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, have excelled at doing exactly that. They've surrendered just two rushing touchdowns all season and have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs.

Start: Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Eric Thayer

The Los Angeles Chargers' receiver room has surprised quite a few fantasy managers in 2025. The unexpected emergence of Quentin Johnston and the return of Keenan Allen have left Ladd McConkey as more of a situational play.

Johnston leads the Chargers in receiving yards and touchdowns, while Allen leads in targets and receptions. McConkey is clearly the team's third option this season.

However, he's worth a start this week against the Miami Dolphins. Miami has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, though that's largely because its run defense stinks. The Dolphins rank 31st in yards per carry allowed but also rank 29th in net yards per pass attempt allowed.

With Najee Harris out for the year and Omarion Hampton (ankle) headed to injured reserve, Los Angeles is likely to employ a pass-first attack against the Dolphins this week.

Sit: Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

When the Dolphins lost Tyreek Hill for the season, many assumed that slot receiver Malik Washington would see an expanded workload. While he wasn't a top-tier waiver target in Week 5, he went from virtually un-rostered to being rostered in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues and 20 percent of ESPN leagues.

Washington appears unlikely to become a breakout fantasy star. He did have four catches in Week 5 but somehow turned them into zero yards. He didn't see a significant jump in snaps either, totaling 32 offensive snaps after averaging 31 snaps over the first month.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is well-suited to replace Hill on the perimeter, did see an increased role—even if he finished without a catch. After playing less than 50 percent of the offensive snaps through Week 4, he played 70.9 percent of them in Week 5. He's more likely to make a fantasy jump this season than Washington.

Now's not the week to bank on a Washington breakout anyway. The Chargers have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information from FantasyPros.