Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6: Who to Start and Sit This Week

Fantasy football managers are dealing with the first especially challenging bye week of the season, with the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings all off in Week 6. That removes several regular starters from the player pool and puts even more importance on making the right calls with the players who remain available.

Matchups shouldn't be the only factor behind a start/sit decision, but they can help separate similarly ranked options. Recent usage, offensive role, injuries, and scoring environment all matter, too.

With that in mind, let's go through some players to start and some players to consider sitting in fantasy football for NFL Week 6.

Injury information may change after this article is published. You can stay up to date with this week’s injury news via our NFL player news page.

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Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice for This Week

Fantasy Football Starts for Week 6

Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love draws one of the more appealing quarterback spots of Week 6 when the Green Bay Packers host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Dallas' defense creates plenty of potential for this Green Bay passing attack. There should also be enough offensive firepower on the Cowboys’ side to keep Green Bay’s O aggressive throughout the night.

Rather than needing Love to generate all of his fantasy value through efficiency, the matchup offers him a realistic path to strong passing volume and multiple touchdowns.

Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers

Matthew Golden has developed into a reliable fantasy option and gets an enticing matchup with Dallas in Week 6.

Golden has topped 15 fantasy points in three of his first five games and is averaging 15.7 fantasy points per contest. Dallas has already allowed four receivers to score at least 15 fantasy points this season, giving Golden another favorable setup.

The projected scoring environment is another plus. Green Bay and Dallas possess enough offensive talent to turn Sunday night's matchup into one of the week's higher-scoring games.

Golden's production has reached the point where fantasy managers should view him as a strong WR2/flex play in Week 6.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert is worth firing up against the Carolina Panthers.

Goedert has scored 33.5 PPR points across his first two full games this season, and he received nine targets in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ most recent outing. The Eagles have also been navigating injuries to Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, which could continue to funnel opportunities toward Goedert.

Carolina has been vulnerable to the TE position, allowing three tight ends to reach at least 11 fantasy points, including two who exceeded 22.

Considering how difficult it can be to find dependable tight end production, Goedert's recent involvement and favorable matchup make him a quality Week 6 starter.

Fantasy Football Sits for Week 6

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix has struggled to turn his opportunities into useful fantasy production, and Thursday's matchup with the Seattle Seahawks isn't an ideal spot for a turnaround.

Nix has failed to exceed 13.6 fantasy points in four of his first five games. He's completing just 60% of his passes with a 54.9% on-target rate and is averaging only 13.0 fantasy points per game.

Seattle visits Denver on Thursday night, and the Seahawks represent another difficult assignment for an offense that has yet to consistently generate explosive passing plays.

With some better streaming options available in Week 6, Nix is someone I'd rather leave on the bench in one-QB formats.

Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Omarion Hampton's talent remains intriguing, but his current role is becoming difficult to trust.

Over the past two games, the Los Angeles Chargers have utilized a three-back rotation featuring Hampton, Kimani Vidal, and Keaton Mitchell. During that stretch, Hampton has averaged only 9.1 fantasy points per game, with Vidal actually producing a higher average.

That's a major concern for fantasy. Even a reasonable matchup can't fully offset a player losing valuable snaps and touches to two teammates.

The Chargers travel to the Kansas City Chiefs this week, and unless Hampton's role unexpectedly expands, he's a shaky flex option who can be benched if you have a comparable alternative.

DK Metcalf, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

D.K. Metcalf carries plenty of name recognition, but his early-season production hasn't matched it.

Metcalf scored only 5.3 fantasy points last week and has now finished with a single-digit fantasy total in three of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ first five games.

He has a tough draw this week at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay's overall pass defense hasn't been dominant, but the Buccaneers have done a good job containing prominent wide receivers. They've held Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and Christian Watson below eight fantasy points in their respective matchups.

Metcalf still owns enough touchdown upside to make sitting him uncomfortable, especially during a four-team bye week. But based on his recent output, he's more of a volatile flex than an automatic fantasy starter.

Check our our favorite buy low running backs for fantasy football.

Fantasy Football Start/Sit FAQ

Who should I start in fantasy football this week?

The best starts are typically players with strong recent usage, favorable matchups and a reliable path to touches or targets. Matchup-specific factors and changes in workload should also be considered before setting your lineup.

Who should I sit in fantasy football this week?

Players can be worth sitting when they face difficult matchups, have seen their role decrease or carry significant risk due to injuries or inconsistent usage. Even proven players can be matchup-based sits in a given week.

How do you decide who to start or sit in fantasy football?

Start/sit decisions should account for a player's expected volume, recent production, matchup, offensive role and game environment. Comparing those factors against your other lineup options can help determine which player offers the best combination of floor and upside.

Should I start a player with a difficult matchup?

It depends. A difficult matchup can lower a player's expected production, but high-volume players can still deliver strong fantasy performances regardless of the matchup. The player's role and expected opportunity should usually carry more weight than matchup alone. Another huge factor is whether or not you have quality alternatives on your roster.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.