One of the hardest parts of deciding who to start in fantasy football is navigating the weekly injury reports. Several big-name players like Justin Jefferson and James Conner landed on the injured reserve in the past week, opening the door for their backups to potentially carry some fantasy football relevance. Can you trust guys like Emari Demercado and K.J. Osborn in your lineups, or are you better off pivoting to somebody else?
As per usual, we’ll begin this article with a disclaimer: start your studs. If you have Christian McCaffrey on your roster, you should be playing him no matter what. This article is strictly for flex-caliber players and matchup-specific starters.
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Week 6 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Quarterbacks
Start: Justin Fields
After an abysmal start to the season, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is starting to find his groove. Over the past two weeks, the former first-round pick has put up consecutive top-three finishes, recording eight touchdowns and just two interceptions while accumulating a combined 699 yards through the air and on the ground. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not he can keep this up for an entire season, but he should be able to do it for at least one more week. Fields and the Bears face off against a Minnesota Vikings team that simply cannot get out of their own way. The quarterback should find plenty of success in this one and is oa smart start in fantasy football.
Sit: Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy enters Week 6 as the QB7 overall, but he didn’t get there with volume. Instead, the run-heavy San Francisco 49ers rely on Mr. Irrelevant to be efficient with his limited passes. That will work most weeks, but he might run into some trouble against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland’s defense easily has the best pass defense in football, allowing -0.307 EPA/dropback. For comparison’s sake, the Ravens are second with a -0.174 EPA/dropback. Purdy is not going to be as efficient as usual, so you’re better off leaving him on the bench in Week 6.
Running Backs
Start: Roschon Johnson (Or D’Onta Foreman)
Khalil Herbert is out for a while with a high ankle sprain, which means that Roschon Johnson (or D’Onta Foreman) will have plenty of opportunities in this backfield. As mentioned earlier, the Vikings defense is terrible, and running alongside Justin Fields can make any running back more efficient. If he’s healthy, Roschon Johnson is an easy start in fantasy football. However, he might not be healthy. The rookie running back suffered a concussion on Thursday Night Football and, as of this posting, has yet to pass concussion protocol. The 10-day gap between games should be enough for him to see the field in Week 6, but if he’s not ready to go, then D’Onta Foreman should be able to handle starting duties.
Sit: Miles Sanders
It’s hard to think of a more disappointing free agent signing than Miles Sanders. Signed for top dollar on the running back market, the former Philadelphia Eagle has been a massive disappointment in the Carolina Panthers offense. After starting the season in the 60% snap range, Sanders’ usage has dropped down into the 40% range in each of the past two games. The Panthers are starting to figure out that he’s not worth starting in real-life football, so he’s definitely not a start in fantasy football.
Start: Emari Demercado
James Conner suffered a knee injury during Week 5’s battle against the Cincinnati Bengals and landed on the injured reserve. With the veteran sidelined, all signs point towards Emari Demarcado taking over as Arizona’s starting running back. The undrafted free agent had complete control of the backfield in Conner’s absence, finishing the night with 10 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. The only other player to receive a carry was wide receiver Rondale Moore, and he’s obviously not a threat to steal the starting job. At the end of the day, volume is king in fantasy football, and this type of workload means that Demercado is a safe start in your flex spot.
First NFL TD for Emari Demercado
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Sit: Jahmyr Gibbs
Sometimes, draft capital isn’t everything. The Detroit Lions literally jumped for joy when they selected Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft, but apparently, that joy doesn’t translate to the field. Gibbs missed Week 5 with a hamstring injury, but he should be good to go in Week 6. However, that won’t really matter for fantasy football, as David Montgomery has a stronghold on the starting job. One of the best skills any fantasy football manager can have is realizing when they’re wrong. Jahmyr Gibbs will eventually get a chance to prove his worth, but it won’t come in Week 6.
Bonus Start: Austin Ekeler
In normal situations, Austin Ekeler wouldn’t even qualify for the fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em. However, thanks to the Jonathan Taylor madness from last week, there is a chance that somebody reading this is worried about starting their superstar running back in his first game back from injury. If this applies to you – don’t overthink this. At his best, Austin Ekeler is one of the most dangerous weapons in fantasy football. The Los Angeles Chargers are fighting for the AFC West title and face a strong Dallas Cowboys team, so the Chargers are going to use Ekeler as much as physically possible.
Bonus Sit: Zack Moss
Just like with Ekeler, Moss is only on this list in case somebody is overreacting to one week. Yes, Zack Moss outplayed Jonathan Taylor by a wide margin in Week 5. No, that is not going to happen again. Moss did a phenomenal job filling in for the former First-Team All-Pro, but he’s about to go back to the bench. At the end of the day, Taylor is a better talent, and you don’t give up $42 million to a running back if you’re not going to play him.
Wide Receivers
Start: Josh Downs
Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Josh Downs has quietly put together a strong rookie campaign. The North Carolina product has recorded five or more targets in four of his five games, and we’re starting to see the results. Downs recorded 97 yards last week, and he could be in for an even bigger performance with Gardner Minshew making the start. Minshew is not as talented as Anthony Richardson, but he is a more accurate passer, and his lack of mobility is probably a net positive for Downs.
Sit: Rashee Rice
Much like Josh Downs, Rashee Rice is starting to get some volume in the Kansas City Chiefs passing attack. The second-round pick has recorded five or more targets in four games, but the results simply aren’t there yet, as he only has one game with more than 40 receiving yards. Until we actually see results, he’s far too risky to start in fantasy football.
Start: Zay Flowers
In what’s becoming something of an annual trend, the Baltimore Ravens are in wide receiver purgatory. However, unlike in years past, this time they do have one reliable option. Rookie Zay Flowers is making a name for himself and proved that he can be a reliable start even when the rest of the offense is struggling. Last week, Baltimore only scored 10 points but he still found a way to haul in five receptions for 73 yards on 11 targets against a strong Pittsburgh Steelers defense. He should only improve with time, making him an easy start in fantasy football.
Sit: K.J. Osborn
K.J. Osborn is taking over for Justin Jefferson in the same way that Zach Wilson is taking over for Aaron Rodgers. That might be too harsh of a comparison, but the underlying point remains: Justin Jefferson is not an elite fantasy football start because he’s the Vikings top receiver, it’s because he’s an insanely talented player. We all know that targets are earned, so playing time alone isn’t enough to justify starting Osborn- he needs to prove he can handle this expanded role. Chances are, he’ll be nothing more than a low-ceiling flex, and you can probably find a better option on the waiver wire.
Tight Ends
Start: Logan Thomas
Logan Thomas is retroactively making everyone who backed him in 2021 look like a genius. The former quarterback is currently the TE9 on the season, but he is on the rise. Last week against the Chicago Bears, Thomas finished with nine receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. In Week 6, he faces another easy matchup against an Atlanta Falcons team that simply cannot guard tight ends. He should see plenty of targets, meaning that he has a good shot at another top-10 finish.
Sit: Hunter Henry
Through the first two weeks of the season, Hunter Henry was basically the only reliable part of the New England Patriots offense. However, since then, the wheels have completely fallen off the wagon, and the Patriots might not score a touchdown for the rest of the season. Mac Jones is a mess, the offensive line is the worst in the league, and there isn’t a single player of the roster capable of consistently beating man coverage. Henry is a fine player, but nobody on the Patriots is worth a start in fantasy football.
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