Week 6 of the NFL season has arrived! Thursday Night Football is always hit-or-miss from a fantasy perspective, you can either make or break your week in the first game of the slate.
Let’s highlight my start/sit fantasy football picks for Seahawks vs. 49ers on TNF.
TNF Must-Starts
- Jordan Mason
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Kenneth Walker III
- DK Metcalf
- George Kittle
Start ‘Em: Geno Smith
After ranking 16th last season in passing attempts per game with 33.3, Geno has turned into a gunslinger for the Seahawks. The veteran leads the league in that same category through five weeks, averaging a whopping 39.8 attempts per contest. He’s surpassed that total in three of his last four matchups and unsurprisingly leads the NFL in passing yards.
Maybe Shane Waldron was the problem.
Smith has racked up at least 23 fantasy points in back-to-back outings. While the passing yards have obviously been there, Geno has surprised as a rusher too, recording a combined 110 yards on the ground against the Lions and Giants. I expect the momentum to keep rolling against a 49ers defense that is nowhere near as formidable as its been in years past.
Sit ‘Em: Brock Purdy
It’s been a struggle for San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey.
While Purdy has actually thrown the fourth-most passing yards in the league up to this point, it hasn’t translated to consistent fantasy production. The 24-year-old has scored more than 16 fantasy points just once, and a lot of that can be chalked up to his lack of touchdowns. It’s worth noting that Purdy took a step in the right direction regarding his rapport with top receiver Brandon Aiyuk last Sunday, but coming off a short week it’s hard to trust the former Mr. Irrelevant.
The Seahawks only allow 183 passing yards per game and have limited opposing QBs from a fantasy perspective. I expect those trends to continue on Thursday.
Check out my full Week 6 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
DK Metcalf is a must-start, but I’m firing up Geno Smith’s No. 2 option with confidence as well.
Smith-Njigba actually leads the Seahawks in receptions, recording just three fewer targets than Metcalf over Seattle’s first five games. He made a statement in Week 2 against the Patriots, hauling in 12 balls for 117 yards. While JSN hasn’t been able to match that production again, he’s provided a comfortable fantasy floor as of late. The 22-year-old racked up 13.1 PPR points in back-to-back games, seeing 19 total targets over that span.
With San Francisco likely honing in on stopping DK through the air and Kenneth Walker III on the ground, Smith-Njigba could be primed for another significant workload.
Sit ‘Em: Jauan Jennings
After lighting the league on fire in Week 3 with a 46.5 PPR point performance, Jennings has failed to maintain a consistent role in the 49ers’ offense over their last two games, catching just four total passes.
Brandon Aiyuk re-established himself as the go-to guy for Brock Purdy against the Cardinals. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are — mostly — healthy. With those dynamic playmakers back at Purdy’s disposal, there’s just no room for Jennings to carve out a consistent target share.
There’s always the chance for a big play, and he’ll likely see the field for over half of San Francisco’s offensive plays, but the risk isn’t worth the unlikely reward with Jennings on Thursday.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football picks for Thursday Night Football! 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.
