Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Early Fantasy Lineup Advice for Matchups of Week 6

Bye weeks are back in the NFL, which means that several top fantasy options aren't going to be available. With the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers off in Week 6, managers won't be able to count on the likes of Kyle Pitts, Alvin Kamara and Deebo Samuel.

This is going to lead to players coming off the bench and to managers playing guys who have less-than-ideal matchups.

Here, we'll try to help navigate Week 6 by digging into some of the toughest matchups or situations and determining which players are worth starting and which should sit. We'll be looking specifically at players rostered in at least 50 percent of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues, according to FantasyPros.

These picks are based on factors like projected role, past production and matchup. All picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.  

Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

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Start 'Em

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots

Jared Cook, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

Sit 'Em

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots

Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

A.J. Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers

Start 'Em: Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott faces a fairly daunting matchup in Week 6. The New England Patriots rank fifth in total defense and fifth in scoring defense. New England has also allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Against ageless fantasy phenom Tom Brady in Week 4, New England allowed 269 passing yards but no touchdowns.

Still, Prescott is all the way back from his 2020 ankle injury, and he has too many weapons at his disposal to consider a sit here. With CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott and Dalton Schultz at his disposal, Prescott is going to find open targets.

Prescott's ability to pick up additional yards on the ground shouldn't be overlooked, either. He hasn't regularly been a scrambler this season, but he did rush for 35 yards in Week 4. Managers are going to take a few bonus points if they can get them.

Don't expect Prescott to have one of his best games of the year against New England, but there's no reason to pull him out of the starting lineup.

Sit 'Em: Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots

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Patriots running back Damien Harris suffered chest and rib injuries during Week 5 but should be available for Week 6.

"He's going to be fine," fellow back Rhamondre Stevenson said, per Zack Cox of NESN.

Still, this is not a good week to lean on Harris, who has become a touchdown-dependent flex option at best. Harris is stuck in a committee backfield and hasn't totaled 100 scrimmage yards since a Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Harris also doesn't provide much PPR upside, as he's never been targeted more than twice in a game since Week 1. New England is likely to test Dallas' 31st-ranked passing defense—even though the presence of interception machine Trevon Diggs makes that a risky proposition. However, Harris isn't likely to be a big piece of the passing puzzle.

Against a Dallas defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, Harris should see a spot on the fantasy bench.

Start 'Em: DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

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DK Metcalf managers have to be concerned about the Seattle Seahawks' loss of quarterback Russell Wilson. The former iron-man quarterback is out indefinitely following finger surgery. In a best-case scenario, Wilson may be back in a month.

"That's now the hope and, depending on some other factors, that's possible," one source said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

While the move to Geno Smith at quarterback is going to impact the offense, Smith showed on Thursday night that he knows to trust Metcalf in critical situations. Metcalf caught five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in that game. Of that, 54 yards and a touchdown came after Smith took over.

Expect Metcalf to be Smith's go-to target against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that is aggressive but has struggled to cover opposing receivers. Only the Tennessee Titans have allowed more fantasy points to the position in 2021.

Look for Seattle to scheme up some easy completions involving Metcalf and for him to see frequent targets throughout the game.

Sit 'Em: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

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There are multiple reasons to look away from Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in Week 6. The first is that quarterback Baker Mayfield may well do the same.

Beckham made his 2021 debut in Week 3. He saw 16 targets in his first two games, then only three targets during a shootout with the Los Angeles Chargers. Even in a potential shootout with the Arizona Cardinals, Mayfield may not look to Beckham early or often.

Then, there's an Arizona defense that can get after the quarterback. While Arizona has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers, it has also logged 12 sacks and allowed the sixth-fewest net yards per pass attempt. Cleveland is much more likely to test a run defense that has allowed the second-most yards per attempt than take a pass-heavy approach.

On top of everything, there's a chance that Mayfield's favorite target, wideout Jarvis Landry, will be back from his knee injury. Landry has missed the required three games on injured reserve, and he called himself "day-to-day," according to Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal.

At this point, even a less-than-100-percent Landry would be a safer play than Beckham.

*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference. Fantasy roster info and points against via FantasyPros.