Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season is right around the corner. After a COVID-filled past two weeks, this one appears to be going off without a hitch *knocks on wood*. Bye weeks are officially up and running, which means that fantasy football owners are once again looking to their benches for the best wide receiver start/sit options. Chase Claypool should be a solid start on the heels of his breakout game, while Travis Fulgham needs another week to prove his worth.
Running Back Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Chase Claypool, Travis Fulgham Highlight Fantasy Football Week 6 Wide Receiver Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Start: Chase Claypool
Needless to say, Chase Claypool will not be scoring four touchdowns in Week 6. That type of success is just too improbable to bank on in a given week, but he should still have a decent role in this offense. Diontae Johnson suffered a back injury midway through Week 5, opening the doors for Claypool’s big day.
Right now, nobody knows if Johnson will suit up in Week 6. If he doesn’t, Claypool should see the same role and have another strong afternoon. However, even if Johnson returns, Claypool has probably done enough to earn snaps over James Washington. One way or another, the rookie will see the field and should see a healthy amount of targets.
Sit: Travis Fulgham
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Travis Fulgham came out of nowhere to have a great game in Week 5. During his breakout performance, the former sixth-round pick recorded 10 receptions for 152 yards and one touchdown. This was obviously a fantastic performance, but he’ll have a hard time repeating it.
For one, Fulgham has to go up against a fantastic Baltimore Ravens secondary in Week 6. While Fulgham found success against Pittsburgh, the odds of him doing it again are rather slim. Additionally, he only has one good week of football in his career, so this performance could easily be an outlier. When factoring in the possible return of Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, you’re probably better off looking somewhere else in Week 6.
Start: Jamison Crowder
The New York Jets have exactly one good thing going for them, and that is slot receiver Jamison Crowder. The second-year Jet is the bright spot in an otherwise atrocious offense and somehow finds himself as the WR2 on a per-game basis (PPR formats). What’s truly astonishing about this is that his success appears to be completely sustainable, to a certain extent.
By my Opportunity Index, Crowder is currently the WR3 in terms of expected fantasy points. While I certainly don’t expect him to finish there, the fact remains that he sees an absurd amount of targets, air yards, and red zone looks. He proved he can succeed with Joe Flacco, as he recorded eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown last week. As crazy as it sounds, Crowder is a locked-and-loaded start until Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims return to the lineup.
Sit: Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy should be getting his quarterback in Week 6, but that isn’t enough to make his a viable start. Drew Lock probably won’t be 100% against the Patriots, and he’ll definitely have some rust in his first game back. The second-year pro didn’t do anything special when on the field, so Jeudy will be facing an uphill battle for fantasy relevance. Throw in an unfavorable matchup against Stephon Gilmore and the New England Patriots, and you’re probably better off leaving him on your bench.
Start: Darius Slayton (If Healthy)
Monitor the injury report on this one. Slayton suffered a foot injury in Week 5 and is officially questionable for Week 6. Right now, it appears as though he’ll play. However, if his status changes as we get closer to kickoff, then you’ll need to find somebody else to start.
The New York Giants don’t have much going for them, offensively. However, Darius Slayton is proving capable of fantasy relevance in this anemic offense. Last week, Slayton recorded eight receptions for 129 yards on 11 targets, and that wasn’t a one-week fluke. He’s played in at least 85% of the snaps of every single game and is averaging eight targets per game with a high ADOT. With a favorable Washington matchup on the schedule, Slayton should have a strong week.
Sit: Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks has the talent to make me look like a fool for this one. Last week, the Houston Texans wide receiver went off to the tune of eight receptions, 161 yards, and one touchdown on 12 targets. However, his range of outcomes is just too wide to trust him in your lineup. Cooks has played in all five games this year, and has been an outright liability in three of them. Last week he was fantastic, and he put up a solid performance when Will Fuller got hurt in Week 2. Cooks should definitely be rostered, but he’ll need to show some more consistency before earning a starting spot.
Start: Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman is the only wide receiver handcuff in fantasy football. When on the field, Hardman is one of the most explosive and deadly threats in the league. He earns big plays at a higher rate than just about anyone and is a must-start if given a large enough snap percentage. The problem for him, of course, has been earning the snaps, as Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Demarcus Robinson are ahead of him on the depth chart.
However, Hardman’s snap share should be pretty high in Week 6. Watkins suffered an injury and will be sidelined for the next couple of weeks. This opens the door for Hardman to play 60% of the snaps and come away with two or three big plays. He’s certainly not a volume play, but he doesn’t need to be.
Sit: Michael Gallup
The Dallas Cowboys have a ton of offensive weapons, and Michael Gallup was the odd-man-out in the passing game. Through the first five weeks of the season, Gallup recorded just 17 receptions for 348 yards and one touchdown, far less than most expected from the third-year pro. With Dak Prescott sidelined and Andy Dalton starting, the Cowboys will probably turn to a run-heavy approach to protect their veteran quarterback. Gallup’s target share probably won’t change, but the overall passing volume and scoring opportunities will go down, and that’s a terrible combination for fantasy.
Running Back Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
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