Do you ever think it’s funny that we say “start/sit” in fantasy football, when in reality all football players, even starters, sit at some point during the game? Like the quarterback routinely sits after a drive to watch film on the little tablet, and bench players who never see the field will often be standing the entire game, never once “sitting.” Also, in fantasy, all the players we consider in start/sit usually “start” in real life. Food for thought. Good food? Not really. But objectively food.
Four teams are on bye in Week 6, and several important players (most of them on the Philadelphia Eagles) are injured and will need replacing in your lineup. That leaves our poor blurbs saddled with more responsibility than ever: your lineup is probably messed up this week, and you might have spots (plural) to fill with dubious decisions. Hopefully I can help below.
First, a quick intro gimmick for this week: do you think about what times your players play when making start/sit decisions? I personally don’t, but there’s always the enticing risky flex play you could fire up on Thursday Night Football — I distinctly remember starting the New England Patriots version of Ezekiel Elliott on TNF one week and he got 37 PPR points; it was lit. Having players in prime time, Sunday or Monday Night Football, can be fun, but it can also be annoying when you have to stare at your guy not getting any targets with no other games to distract you. If I could choose, I’d probably rather have my whole squad in the afternoon on Sunday with maybe two players in primetime, but that’s personal preference since I’m an NFL RedZone sicko.
Now: on with the blurbs for Week 6!
Start: TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Putting my money where my mouth is on this one and recommending a player I myself am starting since I have Sam LaPorta on bye. Strange has been money in the Jaguars offense the last two weeks, catching seven of eight targets in each of their last two contests and is probably due for a touchdown at some point — he got tackled at the one-yard line twice last week.
The game is in London, and I profusely apologize if you wake up from your blissful Saturday night slumber only to discover Brenton Strange doesn’t even have a target at halftime, but take solace in knowing I am also experiencing that. I’m definitely worried target volume could flip in this offense with objectively talented Brian Thomas Jr. getting nothing and objectively playing-all-the-time Jakobi Meyers also not doing much … but based on what we’ve seen, Strange is essentially the number two behind Parker Washington. That plays.
Sit: RB Dameon Pierce, Philadelphia Eagles
Every fiber of your being is going to want to start Dameon Pierce. The little projection number is going to tell you to, some guy on social media is going to tell you to, every pregame show you watch on TV is going to tell you to. Logically, I understand why: in fantasy, we chase volume, and Pierce is staring at unchecked volume on a team that is just simply out of healthy players and starting a backup quarterback they probably do not trust. I am going to tell you not to start Pierce and give you the spiel here, once and only one:
Pierce was a major training camp riser his rookie season. He looked great for the first half of 2022 but tailed off hard afterward. In his second full season, he averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry and has been a backup/journeyman type since. In 11 carries after Will Shipley left last week, he gained only 14 yards. Pierce was not the backup nor even the third string RB on this team. He was the fourth-stringer on the practice squad and is only starting because the team doesn’t have any other options. He should only start for you if you’re also in that situation.
Start: QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
I have seldom been so in on a quarterback start, even less so one as dicey as Jordan Love, who’s really only played 1.5 good games this season and now I’m just ready to roll like it’s Jordan Love Day and I’m the Queen of the Parade?
Yep, because the Packers are playing the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and the Dallas Cowboys defense is lately sitting somewhere between bad and unprofessional. It’s rare that I am so visually disturbed by the performance of a defense that I will blindly start anyone and everyone facing them, but that’s how jarring the Cowboys have been this year. Upgrade Love and all his pass catchers; Matthew Golden, for sure Christian Watson, even Tucker Kraft. Go nuts.
Start: WR Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s always a risk that Bernard doesn’t see enough targets to pan out, but he’s definitely running enough routes so long as Michael Pittman Jr. remains on IR. He looks like he has real juice out there and will continue to build chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Definitely a deeper-league or a flex consideration, but with Roman Wilson out too? I think Bernard is a sneaky play.
Sit: WRs Demario Douglas and Kyle Williams, New England Patriots
Judging by their waiver add numbers, not many people fell for the hook of Pop Douglas and Kyle Williams taking the top of a shoddy Las Vegas Raiders defense, but in case you were considering biting … don’t! Neither of these two plays enough to chase cheap touchdowns, and if you’re looking at Patriots pass catchers, I would stop at Romeo Doubs and Hunter Henry.
I endorsed Efton Chism III in my waiver wire column, but certainly only play him if you’re in … like, a 16-team league or are making a Patriots theme team or something. There is also a non-zero chance A.J. Brown returns Sunday, in which case I’d steer clear of all Patriots pass-catchers until we get some data on who’s actually going to play.
Start: RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
I’ve basically been out on Tony Pollard since like 2023, but did you know that this man has now rushed for 1000 yards each of the last four seasons? He hasn’t been anything to write home about in 2026 on a truly horrific Titans team, but he’s just a mortal lock for 14+ carries every game. It’s not going to be pretty, and I’d advise against watching a single snap of Tony Pollard football, but it’s hard to project him for any less than double-digit points, especially when Tyjae Spears looks likely to miss Sunday’s game.
Sit: RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
Woooooooah dude tha—well, maybe you didn’t freak out quite so much. Skattebo has seen fine volume this season and is facing a Saints team that has been objectively terrible versus running backs this season. But that doesn’t tell the whole story: Skattebo only had nine carries and two catches in regulation, and wasn’t effective whatsoever. He had another catch and four productive carries in overtime in a rainy contest that should have seen the Giants run the ball much more than they did, but they refused to do so with Skattebo.
His fumble nearly lost his team the game, and while I realize Skattebo is a competitor who always wants to stay on the field, but the reality of the offense with Jameis Winston has hurt his value massively: Winston basically never checks down to his running backs and is averaging nearly 10 air yards per attempt. The Giants, meanwhile, have just let him sling it, and their defense gets them in negative game scripts that haven’t allowed for a run-heavy approach. I’m just uninterested in Skattebo any longer as a startable running back. Sue me.
Speed round
Start: RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
I probably don’t have to sit here and remind you to start a guy averaging 19.8 points per game, but in case I do … uh, please do that.
Sit: RB: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Arguments can be made that Hampton is now the third-string running back on his own team, playing the third-most snaps out of himself, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal. He turned 14 carries into only 33 yards in Week 5, and the “you should drop Hampton” take is coming. It is.
Start: WR Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers
You may have forgotten about Coker since he was injured and then they were on bye, but he’s back, and you can start him for sure against the Eagles.
Sit: Every Chicago Bears pass catcher
I am officially at the point with the Bears where I need to see it for two weeks in a row before I start anyone not named D’Andre Swift. I especially will need to see how it looks with Caleb Williams… eventually.
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