Week 6 Start'em/Sit'em

Wednesday, Oct 13, 2021 at 8:46 pm ET

This is the Fantasy Nerd's look at the best and worst matchups for Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season. Analysis is aggregated from multiple sources including FN. Rankings are based upon PPR (point per reception) scoring. Given the known conditions, these matchups are the ones to watch and/or avoid.

Please Note: This list does not generally include the elite players that you are going to start regardless of matchup. You don't need us to tell you to start Alvin Kamara, Travis Kelce, or Davante Adams. Instead, we take a look at other players on your team that we believe either have great matchups or should be avoided for multiple reasons. Factors like opposing defense, performance trending, and peer comparisons may influence our decisions.

Start 'em Carson Wentz (IND, QB)
Carson Wentz's bad ankles didn't prevent him from having his best fantasy day on Monday night (402 yards, 2 touchdowns). If you lost your QB last week during the Week 5 Injury Armageddon or your QB is on the first NFL bye week, Wentz should fill in nicely against a a Houston defense that allowed Sam Darnold to put up 25 points just two weeks ago. Wentz is ranked 14th this week putting just outside the QB1 bubble.

14th Most Pts to QB

Start 'em Taylor Heinicke (WAS, QB)
If you're in need of a QB this week, Taylor Heinicke could fill in nicely based upon his matchup. The Washington Football Team will most certainly be playing from behind when they take on the Chiefs which is great from a fantasy perspective as Kansas City is giving up the second most fantasy points and the third most passing yards.

2nd Most Pts to QB

Start 'em Matthew Stafford (LAR, QB)
Is it too early to start the MVP chant? Stafford is currently the 8th-highest scoring fantasy QB and our 8th-ranked QB for Week 6. He'll face a Giants defense that prior to last week against Dak Prescott hasn't seen a QB of his caliber. With a plethora of weapons at his disposal, Stafford should flirt with 300 yards passing again and find the endzone at least twice.

9th Most Pts to QB

Start 'em Myles Gaskin (MIA, RB)
Ranked 18th this week is Myles Gaskin fresh off a 2-score performance against the Bucs last week. He'll have a great matchup early Sunday morning in London against the Jaguars who are giving up the 7th-most fantasy points to running backs on the season.

7th Most Pts to RB

Start 'em James Robinson (JAC, RB)
Playing opposite Gaskin on Sunday morning will be James Robinson who comes into Week 6 ranked just inside our Top 10. He racked up 149 yards and a score last week and should be a solid contributor for your team this week. Miami gave up back-to-back 17 fantasy point days to both Leonard Fournette and Jonathan Taylor the past two weeks.

2nd Most Pts to RB

Start 'em Damien Williams (CHI, RB)
With David Montgomery sidelined, Damien Williams stepped up for the Bears. Although he split the workload with Khalil Herbert, Williams is the back to own here. The Packers have been average against the run allowing both Joe Mixon and Najee Harris to find the endzone the last two weeks. Williams should be a strong RB2 in this NFC North battle.
UPDATE: Since publication, Damien Williams has been placed on the Covid list and is not expected to play. Khalil Herbert should be a low-end RB2 in his absence.

16th Fewest Pts to RB

Start 'em Kadarius Toney (NYG, WR)
Kadarius Toney is the winner in the war of attrition. After posting an average of just 1.8 points through his first three games this year, he has posted double-digit production in the previous two including an eye-popping 29 points against the Cowboys. The spread on his projections this week is all over the board, but he may have solidified a role on this team even as injured players start returning. Look for Toney to be a low-end WR3/Flex with significant upside.

11th Most Pts to WR

Start 'em Chase Claypool (PIT, WR)
When JuJu Smith-Schuster went out of the game last week, Chase Claypool lit it up. Both he and Diontae Johnson remain solid options with JuJu now out for the season. He'll face a Seattle secondary that has given up the fifth most fantasy points and has routinely surrendered double-digit production to receivers each week.

5th Most Pts to WR

Start 'em Emmanuel Sanders (BUF, WR)
Nobody is giving up more fantasy points to receivers this year than the Titans. He's been a solid contributor playing opposite Stefon Diggs. Sanders has found the endzone four times over his last three games. Is it really such a stretch to think he'll find it again on Monday night? Sanders is a solid WR3/Flex play for Week 6.

Most pts to WR

Start 'em Mike Gesicki (MIA, TE)
Ranked 6th on Fantasy Nerds this week is Mike Gesicki who will be traveling overseas to face a Jacksonville team that ranks in the top half of most points allowed. He has been the safety blanket for Jacoby Brissett. Tua Tagovailoa came off IR and returned to practice this week, so we'll need to keep an eye on the QB situation, but Gesicki's matchup is a solid one. Remember that huge 21 point day from Bengals' TE C.J. Uzomah? That was against Jacksonville.

10th Most Pts to TE

Start 'em Zach Ertz (PHI, TE)
In the game of target share, it has been Zach Ertz who has been targeted more than teammate Dallas Goedert as of late. His targets could increase with Goedert on the COVID list and currently doubtful to play. The Bucs give up the fifth most fantasy points to tight ends making Ertz a low-end TE1 for Week 6.

6th Most Pts to TE

Start 'em Indianapolis Colts (IND, DEF)
It's the Colts' turn to beat up on the Texans. Houston has surrendered the fifth most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season. After a tough loss against the Ravens, look for Indy's defense to redeem themselves in this matchup.

5th Most Pts to DEF

Start 'em Chris Boswell (PIT, K)
Chris Boswell has only missed one kick this season. That's great momentum heading into a showdown with the Seahawks. Seattle ranks in the Top Ten for most points allowed to kickers including double-digit days for Greg Joseph and Randy Bullock.

9th Most Pts to K

Sit 'em Jared Goff (DET, QB)
Ranked 22nd this week on Fantasy Nerds is Jared Goff who has not benefited from the move to Detroit. He topped 217 yards just once and has multi-no-touchdown games. Combine the fact that no QB has scored more than 22 points against the Bengals this year, and Goff belongs on your bench.

8th Fewest Pts to QB

Sit 'em Ryan Tannehill (TEN, QB)
The one-two-combo of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones combined with the legit rushing threat posed by Derrick Henry should have made Tannehill a Top 10 fantasy QB, yet here we are after five weeks and Tannehill is the 21st-best fantasy QB. Things are not likely to turn around this week against a Buffalo defense that kept superstar Patrick Mahomes to less than 19 points last week.

Feweset Pts to QB

Sit 'em Derek Carr (LV, QB)
Derek Carr was off to a monster start this season, but his numbers have regressed and become more pedestrian. Dealing with a neck issue, he'll face a Broncos secondary that is giving up the second fewest fantasy points on the season.

2nd Fewest Pts to QB

Sit 'em Devontae Booker (NYG, RB)
One of the top waiver wire options this week has been Devontae Booker filling in for Saquon Barkley. The offensive line for the Giants is still one of the worst in the NFL and Booker doesn't have the explosiveness of Barkley. While the Rams can be scored on, they also kept Jonathan Taylor and Leonard Fournette to an average of just 4 fantasy points.

13th Fewest Pts to RB

Sit 'em Mark Ingram (HOU, RB)
Whether you have Mark Ingram or David Johnson, neither is a good start. Though Ingram is getting the workload, he hasn't been able to make it count (16 carries for just 41 yards last week). Things are going to be more difficult against the Colts who are giving up the sixth-fewest fantasy points on the season.

6th Fewest Pts to RB

Sit 'em Damien Harris (NE, RB)
If there's one thing every Patriots RB knows, it's not to fumble. Damien Harris fumbled near the goal line last week before leaving the game with a rib injury - neither of which are good signs. Dallas has been stingy to opposing running backs surrendering the 8th-fewest fantasy points to them.

7th Fewest Pts to RB

Sit 'em Julio Jones (TEN, WR)
After missing the last two weeks, Julio Jones returned to Titans practice this week and has a chance at suiting up. Unfortunately, he's likely out of even flex consideration this week against an extremely tough Buffalo secondary. Nobody gives up fewer points to receivers than the Bills. Nobody has managed to score more than nine fantasy points against them including Tyreek Hill, Terry McLaurin, and Diontae Johnson.

Feweset Pts to WR

Sit 'em Robby Anderson (CAR, WR)
Ranked 46th this week on Fantasy Nerds is a guy who has failed to put up more than nine points since Week 1 and has hauled in just 7 of his 18 targets over the past two games. Robby Anderson used to be an automatic flex start, but his lack of production and a tough matchup with the Vikings leaves us no option but to bench him.

16th Fewest Pts to WR

Sit 'em Allen Robinson (CHI, WR)
What the Bears lack is a legitimate passing game, and that is seriously impacting Allen Robinson who hasn't seen more than six targets since the QB change in Chicago. Robinson was once considered a must-start, but with rookie Justin Fields struggling under center, Robinson is barely a WR3/flex play.

11th Fewest Pts to WR

Sit 'em Robert Tonyan (GB, TE)
Robert Tonyan has become a touchdown-dependent option in fantasy. He's scored just once this season (Week 2) and hasn't managed to produce more than 2.8 fantasy points in any other game. The Bears give up the 6th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, so the odds on Baby Kittle reaching the endzone in this one are not good.

6th Fewest Pts to TE

Sit 'em Gerald Everett (SEA, TE)
The 2021 version of Gerald Everett has been a shell of his former self. He's been able to post two double-digit days this season with Russell Wilson under center, but now he'll be activated with Geno Smith. Perhaps Smith will lean on him, but without some sort of reasonable expectation to see that happen, Everett is too risky to put anywhere but the bench.

7th Fewest Pts to TE

Sit 'em Arizona Cardinals (ARI, DEF)
The Cardinals did a great job last week rattling rookie QB Trey Lance and an ever-revolving San Francisco backfield, but this week they'll face Baker Mayfield and the unstoppable rushing attack duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Cleveland allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing DSTs.

5th Fewest Pts to DEF

Sit 'em Cairo Santos (CHI, K)
Once a solid fantasy kicker, Cairo Santos has quietly dropped his name for streaming consideration. He's the 22nd-ranked kicker after five weeks and the 24th-ranked kicker on FN this week. He'll face a Packers defense that's surrendering the sixth-fewest fantasy points on the season.

6th Fewest Pts to K