NFL start em sit em Week 6 picks for fantasy lineups
Key takeaways
- Week 6 brings the first four-team bye of the 2026 season, so the Bengals and Lions are out of action.
- USA TODAY lists Jordan Love as a start after two touchdown passes in each of his five starts.
- NBC Sports ranks the Chiefs defense first in Week 6 against a Chargers offense projected for just 17 points.
Fantasy football managers face tough calls in Week 6. Four teams rest this week. That means many stars score zero points. This guide explains the top starts and sits.
It draws on picks from USA TODAY, NBC Sports, and PFF.
Fantasy football is a game for fans. You pick real NFL players for your team. You score points from their real game stats.
A start means you put a player in your lineup. A sit means you leave that player on the bench.
Start em sit em guides help you choose. They rank players by matchup. A matchup is the team a player faces.
A good matchup can lift a backup player. A bad matchup can sink a star.
What happened
Week 6 brings the first four-team bye of the season. A bye is a week off with no game. The Bengals and Lions are out of action.
USA TODAY calls both teams fantasy friendly. Their stars score zero this week. Managers must find replacements.
USA TODAY published a list of 30 players. It names starts and sits at each spot. NBC Sports ranked team defenses for Week 6. PFF shared its own start and sit picks.
The three lists agree on several names.
Jordan Love tops the start list at quarterback. A quarterback throws the ball and leads the offense. USA TODAY lists Love as a start.
He threw two touchdown passes in each of five starts. A touchdown is the main way to score. He passed for 300-plus yards in three games.
He faces the Cowboys this week. The Cowboys defense ranks last in defensive EPA per play. EPA is a stat that rates how well each play works.
The stat comes from Next Gen Stats. Next Gen Stats is the NFL stats service. PFF also lists Love as a start.
Jameis Winston is another start at quarterback. He plays for the Giants. He faces the Saints this week.
He threw three touchdown passes in back-to-back games. The Saints are one of two teams giving up 30-plus points per game. That points to a strong day for Winston.
Kirk Cousins is a third start at quarterback. He plays for the Raiders. He faces the Bills this week.
He threw 12 touchdown passes in his first five games. USA TODAY calls him a good streaming option. A streaming option is a short-term pickup for one week.
MarShawn Lloyd is a start at running back. A running back runs with the ball. He scored two rushing touchdowns in Week 5. The Packers beat Chicago 31-7 in that game.
The Cowboys gave up the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. That makes Lloyd a strong play.
Rhamondre Stevenson is a start too. He plays for the Patriots. He faces the Jets this week.
He takes the featured role with TreVeyon Henderson out. Henderson has a high-ankle sprain. The Jets allowed the fifth-most rushing yards to running backs.
The total is 511 yards. PFF also lists Stevenson as a start.
At wide receiver, USA TODAY lists Carnell Tate as a start. A wide receiver catches passes down the field. Tate plays for the Titans.
He faces the Colts this week. USA TODAY sees big game potential in Tate.
At tight end, Pat Freiermuth is a start. A tight end blocks and catches passes. He plays for the Steelers.
He scored four touchdowns in five games. Tyler Higbee is also a start. He plays for the Rams.
He averaged 7.7 targets over his last three games. A target is a pass thrown his way. He caught at least five passes for 62 yards in each game.
Team defenses can score fantasy points too. A defense scores from sacks, turnovers, and low points allowed. A sack is a tackle of the quarterback behind the line.
A turnover is a lost ball that changes teams.
NBC Sports ranks the Chiefs defense first in Week 6. The Chiefs face the Chargers. The Chargers are projected for just 17 points. That is the lowest total of the week.
The Chargers allowed 10.2 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. That is the most in the NFL.
USA TODAY lists the Broncos defense as a start. The Broncos face the Seahawks on Thursday night. Sam Darnold logged seven turnover-worthy plays this season.
The number comes from PFF. A turnover-worthy play is a play that could have led to a lost ball. NBC Sports ranks the Seahawks defense second.
Seattle plays at Denver in the same game.
USA TODAY also lists the Colts defense as a start. The Colts face the Titans. The Titans average a league-low 11.6 points per game.
Cam Ward threw an interception in each of his last three games. An interception is a pass caught by the other team.
Why it matters
Bye weeks test every fantasy team. A star on bye scores zero points. You must replace him with a bench player.
A good pick can save your week. A bad pick can cost you a win.
The week opens with Seattle at Denver on Thursday night. Our Seahawks vs Broncos Thursday night preview sets out that game. Late finishes shaped Week 5 too.
Fans can read about the Ravens OT win and the Bills catch vs Rams.
The sit list matters as much as the start list. A sit is not a bad player. It is a player with a bad matchup this week.
Aaron Rodgers is a sit at quarterback. He plays for the Steelers. He faces the Buccaneers this week.
The Bucs blitz 41.3 percent of the time. A blitz is when extra players rush the quarterback. That rate ranks third-highest in the league.
Rodgers has a passer rating of just 78 against the blitz. The rating comes from PFF. A passer rating grades a quarterback.
Higher is better.
Jalen Hurts is a sit too. He plays for the Eagles. He faces the Panthers this week.
The Panthers allowed only five passing touchdowns this season. Dak Prescott is also a sit. He plays for the Cowboys.
He faces the Packers this week. The Packers allowed 181 passing yards per game. That is the fifth-fewest in the league.
At running back, Braelon Allen is a sit. He faces the Patriots. New England allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game.
The mark is 90.8 yards. Woody Marks is a sit too. He faces the Jaguars.
Jacksonville allows the fewest fantasy points to running backs. RJ Harvey is a sit as well. He got just three carries in Week 5. His target share fell from seven per game to one.
Omarion Hampton is a sit too. He shares carries in a three-way split. A split means three backs share the work.
At wide receiver, DK Metcalf is a sit. He topped 40 receiving yards in just one game. Jaylen Waddle is a sit too.
He topped 35 yards once in five games. Rome Odunze is a sit as well. He averaged 2.5 catches for 47.5 yards in two starts with Caleb Williams.
Jakobi Meyers is a sit too. He passed four targets in just one game.
At tight end, Mark Andrews is a sit. He dropped a touchdown chance last week. He also fumbled on his first catch.
Jake Ferguson is a sit too. He averaged 4.2 targets and 20.4 yards per game. PFF lists Kendrick Bourne as a sit.
A trade did not change his playing time.
On defense, the Saints are a sit. They forced just five turnovers in five games. They rank second-worst in points allowed.
The Bears defense is a sit too. The Bears face the Falcons this week.
What happens next
The week opens on Thursday night. Seattle plays at Denver. Check injury news before kickoff.
A late injury can change a start call. Lineups lock at game time. A lock means you cannot change that player.
Watch the waiver wire before Sunday. The waiver wire is the pool of free players. A streamer from the wire can fill a bye gap.
Check each matchup once more on Sunday morning. One late change can still help your team.
Sunday brings most of the Week 6 games. Monday night closes the week. After that, managers can check scores and plan for Week 7. The guides will reset with new picks.
The bye weeks will keep testing depth. Depth means the strength of your bench.
Week 6 rewards managers who plan ahead. Start the hot hands with soft matchups. Sit the stars with hard matchups.
Check news right up to kickoff. Then let the games decide.
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