The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 6 (Fantasy Football)
Welcome to Week 6 of the Start/Sit series, where we’ll discuss your most commonly asked “Who should I start?” questions for the week.
The projections between any two players on your roster may appear similar, but this “simple” choice could be the difference between your team’s victory or defeat. Luckily, the Fantasy Footballers have created an amazing Start/Sit tool to easily compare any two (or more) players with insight from the Ballers themselves, and trust me — it’s a precious asset that will help you make these crucial lineup decisions that could ultimately lead you to your #FootClanTitle.
In this article, you’ll find your most popular Start/Sit questions of the week, along with the Ballers’ projections and my personal opinions on the matter. Please note that the Footballers’ rankings are constantly being updated as news breaks, so make sure you check out the tool for yourself to catch any last-second changes.
So, without further ado, let’s kick things off with the biggest Start/Sit questions for Week 6:
TE:
Logan Thomas (WAS) or Darren Waller (NYG)?
These two have more in common than you’d think. They’re both tricenarian, they both had two top-eight performances so far this season (mixed with a few duds), and they both received 11 whopping targets last week — which is the most either has seen since the pandemic.
However, that’s where the similarities end. Thomas will be gifted with a cookie-cutter matchup against the Falcons’ 31st-ranked defense against opposing TEs. At the same time, Waller must contend against a stingy third-ranked Bills defense that is still formidable despite losing key players like LB Matt Milano and DT DaQuan Jones. Not to mention, the Walrus might be without Daniel Jones (neck), and while backup QB Tyrod Taylor has proven capable at times, the team is such a dumpster fire that it might not even matter who’s at the helm, especially if Saquon Barkley isn’t there to take away coverage.
The @Commanders march down the field for a TD on the first drive of the half đ„#CHIvsWAS on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCeYJnyJmB pic.twitter.com/0J1rqwfQzc— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2023
Thomas is surprisingly the TE3 in green zone targets despite missing a game (tied with Mark Andrews and Donald Parham), while Waller has yet to even see one such target in five full games played. All signs point to a safe floor with TD upside for Thomas, making him the winner over Waller this week. He’s also Andy’s TE Start of the Week.
The Verdict
Logan Thomas
QB:
Trevor Lawrence (JAX) or Matthew Stafford (LAR)?
Trevor Lawrence has been a dud thus far, but we’re ready to get hurt again this week as he faces a vulnerable Colts defense that’s allowing an average of 19.3 fantasy points to opposing QBs. This includes a 9.8-point blunder by soon-to-be unemployed Ryan Tannehill. Raising his floor are the six rushing attempts and 26.4 rushing yards he’s averaging per game, making him the QB5 in rushing attempts.
Matthew Stafford is one of my favorite streaming options this week as he should feast against the shockingly adequate yet still mediocre Cardinals. He’s averaging a whopping 40.6 pass attempts and 290.2 passing yards per game, and this should trend upwards with Cooper Kupp fully warmed up and Puka Nacua continuing his breakout rookie campaign. He’s also Mike’s QB Start of the Week.
It’s close, and both guys should have top-10 finishes, but Lawrence’s legs make him the safer bet for me.
The Verdict
Trevor Lawrence
RB:
Jonathan Taylor (IND) or Zach Moss (IND)?
The battle of Indianapolis’ backfield shouldn’t be this difficult to decipher. But after Zach Moss’ career-best showcase last week with Jonathan Taylor active (195 yards from scrimmage plus two TDs), it’s hard to anoint Taylor with the crown just yet. Simply put, Moss has been outstanding. He’s currently the overall RB6 in total fantasy points, and he didn’t even play the first week!
But, c’mon, this is Jonathan freaking Taylor we’re talking about. He’s the captain here, and with a shiny new contract and another week to work out with his new coaching staff, his takeover should start as early as this Sunday, which is why he’s the winner for all three Ballers. Moss will certainly remain a thorn in his side until Taylor is fully acclimated, meaning there will likely be an annoyingly even split between the two, but make no mistake, this is Taylor’s backfield. It just might take some time until he’s ready to perform to the level we want, making both guys flex-worthy for the time being. Losing QB Anthony Richardson implies that the team will lean more heavily on the run game, so there’s room for both guys to eat…although the Jaguars’ underrated run defense could spoil the party.
The Verdict
Jonathan Taylor
Emari Demercado (ARI) or D’Onta Foreman (CHI)?
This decision is entirely conditional on their RB rooms. If Keaontay Ingram (neck) is out, then Emari Demercado is the pick. If Roschon Johnson (concussion) is out (as well as Travis Homer, I guess), then D’Onta Foreman is the play. If both of their “lead” RB mates are active, then Demercado is the winner as he looked impressive with the ball while that has never been the case for Ingram. If both of their “lead” RBs are inactive, then I’d actually prefer Foreman as he’s flashed in the past, and his divisional match against the Vikings should be closer, inferring that he’s more likely to enjoy a better game script. Either way, they both have unfavorable matchups, so you’re basically praying for a lucky TD.
The Verdict
D’Onta Foreman
WR:
Zay Flowers (BAL) or Jordan Addison (MIN)?
The projections are dead even and these two rookies are both worthy of starting in your lineups this week. Both have great matchups and should lead their respective teams in target share. Zay Flowers appears to be channeling his inner 2022 Diontae Johnson or 2019-2021 Jakobi Meyers, acting as a short-yardage target hog who is incapable of scoring. But, he was this close to scoring last week, and he’s certainly due for one.
Jordan Addison gets his opportunity to step up with Justin Jefferson on IR, and the hope is that he’ll see a major uptick in targets in Jefferson’s stead. He’s averaging only 5.8 targets per game, which is much less than Flowers (eight). However, the quality of his targets is vastly superior, having a 14.8 aDOT compared to Flowers’ 9.7 aDOT.
If Addison gets the increased workload we’re hoping for — and if he can handle facing top coverage — then he’s the clear winner in my opinion. The crew agrees by just a hair. The safe move is to probably wait a week to see exactly how the workload is divvied and whether Addison can thrive without Jefferson, but champions aren’t made by playing it safe. You already bought the ticket, so take the ride (no pun intended).
The Verdict
Jordan Addison
Nico Collins (HOU) or Garrett Wilson (NYJ)?
Do you go with the elite wideout with an amazing matchup, but…Zach Wilson? Or a top albeit inconsistent receiver with a tough matchup and an impressive rookie QB who is willing to spread the load? Even the Ballers are split, with Andy and Mike slightly favoring Nico Collins while Jason prefers Garrett Wilson.
It helps Collins’ case that he’ll likely see more work with Tank Dell unlikely to suit up (concussion). However, he’ll be under tremendous pressure from Saints’ CB Marshon Lattimore. Meanwhile, the Eagles are a pass-funnel defense, so Wilson should see heavy usage as the Jets are heavy underdogs…although that’s been the case for most of the season, and yet the results have been depressing, to say the least.
Regardless of the matchup, it’s hard to place your trust in Zach Wilson, though I have unreasonable faith that Garrett will be able to produce a decent stat line. On the other hand, C.J. Stroud should lean heavily on Collins as their run game will continue to prove inefficient, thanks to the team’s lackluster O-line and their opponent’s menacing defensive front. If Dell is indeed ruled out, then Collins edges out the win.
The Verdict
Nico Collins
Good luck Footclan! If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter. And donât forget to tune in to the Sunday Live broadcast where Mike will answer your last-second Start/Sit questions!
Comments
@Peter first off, awesome name *high five*. Second, Iâd go with Flowers. Higgins should play but I have ptsd from his phantom games last year, so Iâd prefer the âsecurityâ of Flowersâ target share and great matchup lifting his floor.
My WR position I have Hill and Thielen as my starters and Flowers at my flex position. I do have Tee Higgins as well. Do I start Flowers or Higgins at my flex position? Thanks