Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 6: Debating Difficult Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions

Many weeks, fantasy football managers are faced with one or two key decisions that can greatly impact the results of their matchup. It can be hard to decide between two strong players, or perhaps a group of potential fill-in options, while constructing a lineup.

And at this point in the year, it may be crucial to get a win. Unless your fantasy team has gotten off to a dominant start, you may be in the midst of a tight battle for positioning in your league's standings.

With the majority of Week 6 matchups on the horizon, here's some start/sit advice to help with some of the tough decisions you may be facing.

Start 'Em: Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

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Through his first five NFL games, Javonte Williams has shown flashes of the potential that made him one of the top rookie running backs to watch in 2021. However, he's scored only one touchdown and has yet to amass more than 64 rushing yards in a game.

But Williams is earning a bigger role on Denver's offense, especially after he recorded 86 total yards (61 rushing and 25 receiving) in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. This week, Melvin Gordon III is questionable with a hip injury for the Broncos' game against the Las Vegas Raiders, so Williams may get even more touches.

Las Vegas is allowing 134.4 rushing yards per game (eighth-most in the NFL), making Williams a smart flex play this week. It could be time for him to break out with a huge showing, so he might be worthy of starting consideration moving forward.

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

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Over the past three weeks, Damien Harris has had only 24 rushing attempts. That came after he had 39 carries between the Patriots' first two games. And he hasn't been much of a factor in the passing game, recording only seven total catches this year.

Although Harris scored a touchdown last week against the Houston Texans, he had only 14 carries for 58 yards. Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson had 11 carries and was on the field more, while Brandon Bolden continues to be the primary receiving back.

As Harris deals with a rib injury and has a smaller workload, it's best to leave him on the bench in fantasy. That's especially the case against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has outperformed expectations and ranks fifth in the NFL in run defense (79.4 rushing yards allowed per game).

Start 'Em: Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

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JuJu Smith-Schuster is going to miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury. Because of that, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need other wide receivers to step up if they're going to get their offense going. And it may be time for Chase Claypool to do just that.

Claypool got off to a slow start in his second NFL season, but he's picked things up in recent weeks. Last Sunday, he had his best showing yet, recording five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos.

Now, Claypool should follow that up with another strong performance as Pittsburgh hosts the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night. Seattle is allowing 43.24 fantasy points per game to wide receivers (per NFL.com), so make sure Claypool is in your fantasy lineup.

Sit 'Em: Robby Anderson, WR, Carolina Panthers

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After Robby Anderson came to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2020 season, he quickly became an integral part of their offense. But that hasn't continued in 2021, as he has yet to develop a connection with Sam Darnold, the team's new quarterback.

In Week 1, Anderson had 57 yards and a touchdown. But he hasn't had that many yards since then, and he also hasn't gotten into the end zone in any of the past four games. Over the past two weeks, he's been targeted 18 times, yet he's had only seven receptions for 76 yards during that span.

Carolina could put up some decent offense against the Minnesota Vikings, but expect other playmakers to provide much of the production. Until Anderson can prove that he's a reliable fantasy option again, it's best to leave him on your bench moving forward.