Week 6 of the NFL season has arrived! Injuries have already thrown a wrench into multiple receiving corps around the league, so it’s time to take a deep dive into the position.
Let’s break down my Week 6 start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football wide receiver picks.
Start ‘Em: Jalen Tolbert (Cowboys) vs. Lions
Jalen Tolbert likely wasn’t on the fantasy radar of more casual football fans heading into Sunday Night Football against the Steelers. A 21.7 PPR performance which included the game-winning touchdown almost certainly changed that.
However, that wasn’t the first time Tolbert has produced this season. The 25-year-old has now racked up at least 13.2 points in three of his last four games. Tolbert has established himself as the clear No. 2 WR in Dallas — which is indisputable with Brandin Cooks on IR — only seeing fewer targets than CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson.
This week, Tolbert draws a favorable matchup against the Lions, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. I expect him to keep the positive momentum rolling.
Sit ‘Em: Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts) at Titans
Anthony Richardson appears primed to return this week. Considering how Joe Flacco has played, I’m not sure that’s great news for the Colts. It’s objectively bad news for Michael Pittman.
Last Sunday against the Jaguars, Flacco completed 33 passes. Richardson has racked up 39 completions on the entire season. He’s thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. To be clear, I believe in the 22-year-old’s potential, which he flashed briefly last year, he just has absolutely no confidence throwing a football right now.
That doesn’t bode well for Pittman, who suffered from Richardson’s struggles through the first three weeks of the season, racking up a combined 19.8 PPR points. It also doesn’t help that he’s facing the Titans, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers this year. Sit Pittman until he and Richardson get back on the same page.
*If Flacco starts, Pittman is upgraded to a low-end WR2.*
Check out my full Week 6 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants) vs. Bengals
Robinson was a start for me last week due to his projected increased workload with Malik Nabers out. That said, I must admit I was intrigued to see what New York’s offense would look like without their top playmaker and starting running back.
The answer? Better than any of us could have expected.
Darius Slayton filled in for Nabers perfectly when it came to stretching the field against Seattle, allowing for Robinson to maintain his typical intermediate-range role. The shifty slot receiver racked up six receptions for 36 yards — the YPC numbers are always going to be ugly — and a touchdown, making it the third-straight week he’s recorded at least 13 PPR points.
The Bengals present a favorable matchup for Robinson, as they just allowed 345 passing yards to a run-first Ravens offense. Now sitting as WR18, Wan’Dale has entered must-start territory regardless of Nabers’ status.
Fantasy Advice Twitter Takeover
On Sunday from 11-1 ET, Jeff Pratt will be taking over the DraftKings Network X account to answer all of your start/sit questions. Don’t miss out!
Sit ‘Em: Jameson Williams (Lions) at Cowboys
Williams has racked up at least 14 PPR points in three of his four outings. He’s coming off a strong 80-yard performance against Seattle in which he scored. There’s just one problem…
His usage has dropped off a cliff since Week 2.
After amassing 20 targets over his first couple games, Jared Goff has only looked Williams’ way five times over Detroit’s last two matchups. One of them just happened to be a 70-yard score on a broken play. Don’t be deceived by the numbers, it will be impossible for Williams to maintain this production at his current target share. Leave the dynamic playmaker on your bench until he re-establishes his consistent role in the Lions’ offense.
Start ‘Em: Darnell Mooney (Falcons) at Panthers
It’s time to buy into the Mooney hype. After years of wondering if the guy was a good player who just consistently got overthrown by Justin Fields or an overrated vertical threat, we may have our answer just five games into his stint with Atlanta.
The 26-year-old has emerged as one of Kirk Cousins’ go-to-guys. After strong outings in Weeks 2 and 3, Mooney made a statement last Thursday, racking up nine catches on 16 (!!) targets for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
This week, he’ll take on a Panthers secondary that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. I expect Mooney to stay hot.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 6 fantasy football wide receiver picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
