Fantasy Football Start Sit Week 6: Will The Lions Roar?

This is where good fantasy managers separate from lucky ones. The right lineup decisions, powered by Draft Sharks rankings, can make all the difference in Week 6.

Week 6 byes: 

• Houston Texans
• Minnesota Vikings

Your Draft Sharks Team Intel page will help you set your ideal lineup, applying our award-winning weekly projections to your custom scoring.

Quarterbacks

Start

A former Lion is set to keep piling up points

Matthew Stafford, Rams

Stafford is quietly having a monster season. He ranks second in the league with 11 TD passes, including 3 TDs in back-to-back games and multiple scores in four straight weeks.

After throwing for 764 yards in his last two outings, Stafford now leads all QBs with 1,503 passing yards. That production has the Rams boasting two WRs -- Puka Nacua and Davante Adams -- among the top 15 PPR scorers for the season.

Expect Stafford’s hot streak to continue in Week 6. The Rams travel to Baltimore to face an injury-depleted Ravens defense allowing the second-most adjusted fantasy points to QBs. Baltimore has surrendered four TD passes in back-to-back games and a league-high 13 this season.

Los Angeles is a 7.5-point favorite with a projected total of 26 points, seventh-highest this week. It’s a prime setup for Stafford to stay hot and post another top-10 fantasy finish.

Sit

Justin Fields, Jets

Fields has delivered three top-10 weekly finishes in four games despite missing Week 3. But the stats are misleading.

The Jets rank 27th in passing offense at 175 yards per game, and much of Fields’ production has come in garbage time. Three of his four TD passes, and 39% of his fantasy points, have come in the final 8 minutes of losses.

This week, the Jets face Denver as 7-point underdogs. That’s a tough draw against a defense allowing the third-fewest adjusted fantasy points to QBs.

Opponents haven’t scored a TD in Denver this season, and the Broncos have held QBs to just 15 rushing yards total. Fields is a risky start in a brutal spot.

Running Backs

How will David Montgomery follow last week's big game?

Start

Rachaad White, Buccaneers

White replaced Bucky Irving as Tampa’s starter last week, playing 81% of the snaps, handling 18 touches, and scoring twice.

Irving is out again, setting up White for another heavy workload versus the 49ers. San Francisco’s defensive front has been decimated by injuries, and opponents are taking advantage. Travis Etienne ran for 124 yards in Week 4, and Kyren Williams scored twice against them last week.

Tampa Bay sits tied for the eighth-highest implied total this week. Expect White to see 15+ touches again and deliver top-10 fantasy value.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders

Croskey-Merritt earned his first start in Week 5 and made it count. He played 50% of Washington’s snaps, led the backfield with 14 carries, and turned those into 111 yards and 2 TDs.

He also paced the backfield in receptions (2) and receiving yards (39). Meanwhile, Chris Rodriguez managed only 7 yards on five carries, and Jeremy McNichols received only 1 carry. 

Croskey-Merritt now faces Chicago, which has allowed the fourth-most adjusted PPR points to RBs. He’s an ascending player with another chance to shine in Week 6.

Sit

Chase Brown, Bengals

Brown ranks second among RBs with a 76% share of team carries but sits 34th in rushing yards. He’s been hurt by both Joe Burrow’s injury and a struggling O-line that PFF grades as the worst run-blocking unit in the league.

Among 43 RBs with 30+ carries, Brown ranks 41st in rushing yards over expected per attempt (-1.07). He’s been inefficient all season.

That won’t change against Green Bay. The Packers allow the second-fewest rushing yards per game (77.5) and the fourth-fewest total yards overall. Brown and the Bengals remain a fade in Week 6.

David Montgomery, Lions

The Lions have averaged  40.3 points during their four-game win streak, but this week’s matchup is different. They face a Chiefs defense allowing just 21.4 points per game.

Detroit’s offense should still move the ball, but the projected 52.5 total points suggest a potentially pass-heavy game. That benefits Jahmyr Gibbs more than Montgomery, who ranks sixth on the team with a 5% target share.

Before last week’s blowout, Montgomery averaged 10.7 carries and 1.5 targets per game. In this high-scoring matchup, he’s a TD-dependent flex with a low floor.

Wide Receivers

One Lions' pass-catcher will continue to struggle

Start

Stefon Diggs, Patriots

The Patriots eased Diggs back in early. Over his first three games, he ran routes on 62% of snaps and owned a 15% target share, good for just 37 yards per game.

Then the switch flipped. In Week 4, Diggs posted 6 catches for 101 yards, followed by 10 for 146 last week. He now ranks third in yards per route run (2.94) and looks fully recovered from last season’s injury.

New England travels to New Orleans, where opposing WR1s have thrived. Marvin Harrison Jr., Jauan Jennings, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba each topped 18 PPR points against this defense. Diggs is back in must-start territory.

Matthew Golden, Packers

Before Green Bay’s Week 5 bye, Golden was asserting himself in the Packers’ passing attack, leading the receiving corps in yards in Week 3 (52 yards) and Week 4 (58). 

Golden still trails behind Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in snaps, but he's closing the gap. Golden has out-snapped Wicks in two of Green Bay’s last three games and holds a 110-40 edge in receiving yards in the Packers’ past two.

Golden also ranks second on the team in red-zone targets (3), giving him scoring upside in a favorable matchup. The Bengals have allowed three WRs to top 18 PPR points in their last two games.

Golden hasn’t yet produced a game to enter ‘must-start’ territory, but he looks like an attractive WR3/flex option. His role is growing, and his breakout could come in Week 6. 

Sit

Jameson Williams, Lions

Detroit rolled to 365 yards and 37 points last week, but Williams managed just 1 catch for 9 yards. He has now been held under 7 PPR points in three straight games despite high-level playing time.

Williams ranks third on the team in target share (15%) but has fallen short of 45 yards in four of five games. Kansas City allows the seventh-fewest adjusted fantasy points to WRs and has yielded only one touchdown to wideouts since Week 2.

Even in a high-total game, Williams makes for a risky flex option.

Tee Higgins, Bengals

Higgins is playing nearly every snap but isn’t producing. His 27 targets rank 45th among WRs, and he hasn’t caught more than three passes in any game.

Higgins is averaging just 30 yards per game, and the numbers are trending down. His targets-per-route run rate has also fallen off precipitously: 

• 2020  - 21% 
• 2021 - 23%
• 2022 - 21%
• 2023 - 19%
• 2024 - 26%
• 2025 - 15%

The Packers have held opposing WRs to the second-fewest fantasy points and grade out as one of the best coverage units in football.

We’ll see whether Joe Flacco can improve on Jake Browning’s play, but Higgins remains a fade for Week 6.

Tight Ends

From rapping to the red zone, Waller excels 

Start

Darren Waller, Dolphins

After missing Miami’s first three games, Waller has delivered TE4 and TE6 finishes in his two starts. He has already scored three red-zone touchdowns and leads all qualifying TEs in yards per route run (2.84).

Waller ran 27 routes last week -- fourth on the team -- and owns a 16% target share. His usage and role make him a top-12 play against the Chargers, even in a tougher matchup.

Sit

Juwan Johnson, Saints

Johnson’s usage continues to slide. After playing 99% of snaps in Week 1, he’s down to 85% while Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill carve out roles. His route rate has also declined, falling from 96% in the opener to 81% in Week 5. 

Johnson is also losing volume. He saw 28 targets through three weeks but only seven in the past two. His fantasy production has dropped from 14.2 to 4.8 points per game.

Even with a good matchup against New England, his shrinking role and the added target competition make him a risky start.

Next Up

TD Regression Watch: McCaffrey, Jacobs, And Mahomes About to Pop

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Jody Smith, Analyst

Jody Smith has been playing fantasy football for over 30 years, the last 15 as an analyst, writer, and editor. Jody's rankings have been among the most consistent, placing him inside the top-10 in multi-year accuracy.