Fantasy Start 'Ems, Sit 'Ems Week 6: Start Tom Brady, sit Justin Herbert, and more advice at every p

July 2024 · 8 minute read
2022-10-16T09:00:00Z

START: Tom Brady, QB

Tom Brady calls out his protection ahead of a play against the Kansas City Chiefs. AP Photo/Alex Menendez

Week 6 opponent: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,300 / FanDuel — $7,500

Why you should start him: The Buccaneers offense has come to life a bit in the past two weeks. Visiting the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers, who are starting rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett against one of the best defenses in the NFL, Brady and company could benefit from a few turnovers and short fields heading into the red zone.

SIT: Justin Herbert, QB

Justin Herbert looks to throw against the Jacksonville Jaguars. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Week 6 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $7,000 / FanDuel — $8,200

Why you should sit him: Justin Herbert looks like he's back in solid health, but the Broncos defense is a tough matchup, and with Keenan Allen's status for Monday night's game still up in the air, it might be best to sit Herbert for now so you aren't scrambling for points during the final game of the week. 

START: Leonard Fournette, RB

Leonard Fournette take a hand-off from Tom Brady. AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Week 6 opponent: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $7,400 / FanDuel — $8,500

Why you should start him: Leonard Fournette has had an up-and-down season, but he's found the end zone three times in the past two weeks, and should be able to get there again this Sunday against the Steelers.

START: Melvin Gordon, RB

Melvin Gordon makes a run against the Las Vegas Raiders. AP Photo/David Becker

Week 6 opponent: at Los Angeles Chargers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,400 / FanDuel — $6,800

Why you should start him: With Javonte Williams going down with a season-ending injury, this game should be Melvin Gordon's chance to prove that he deserves to hold on to the top spot in the Broncos backfield. Gordon has struggled with fumbles early in the year, and with Denver bringing in reinforcements at running back, Gordon will need a big game to keep his spot atop the depth chart. Against a Chargers defense that has gotten roasted by opposing rushers to start the year, he has a great opportunity to do it.

SIT: Najee Harris, RB

Najee Harris makes a run against the Buffalo Bills. AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Week 6 opponent: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,000 / FanDuel — $6,200

Why you should sit him: It's difficult to believe that the Steelers offense will find much success against the Buccaneers this week. Tampa Bay already has one of the better run defenses in the league, and will be able to commit even more resources than usual to stopping Harris assuming they don't fear getting beat over the top by Kenny Pickett.

START: Kenneth Walker III, RB

Kenneth Walker III runs for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. AP Photo/Derick Hingle

Week 6 opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,400 / FanDuel — $6,500

Why you should start him: Pete Carroll loves to run the ball, and with Rashaad Penny now out for the year, Kenneth Walker III is the lead back in Seattle. Walker might not be priced this cheaply for much longer, so daily fantasy players should take advantage of the value while they can.

SIT: Kareem Hunt, RB

Kareem Hunt makes a run against the Los Angeles Chargers. AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Week 6 opponent: vs. New England Patriots

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,700 / FanDuel — $6,000

Why you should sit him: The Browns might have the best rushing attack in football, but Bill Belichick excels at stopping one-dimensional teams. Look for the Patriots to do everything they can to hold up Cleveland on the ground and dare Jacoby Brissett to beat them in other ways.

START: Allen Lazard, WR

Allen Lazard celebrates a touchdown against the New York Giants. AP Photo/Kin Cheung

Week 6 opponent: vs. New York Jets

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,000 / FanDuel — $6,200

Why you should start him: The Packers are in need of a big win to wash the taste of last week's loss to the Giants out of their mouths. It's a good get-right game for Green Bay, and Allen Lazard is very clearly Aaron Rodgers' top target downfield.

SIT: Amari Cooper, WR

Amari Cooper misses a catch against the Atlanta Falcons. AP Photo/John Amis

Week 6 opponent: vs. New England Patriots

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,900 / FanDuel — $7,100

Why you should sit him: It's been a boom or bust season for Amari Cooper from a fantasy perspective, and there's reason to believe that this Sunday against New England could be a bust. The Patriots defense just shut down the hottest offense in the NFL with a shutout of the Lions last weekend, and held their No. 1 receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to just four receptions for 18 yards.

START: Brandon Aiyuk, WR

Brandon Aiyuk escapes a tackle against the Carolina Panthers. AP Photo/Rusty Jones

Week 6 opponent: at Atlanta Falcons

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,400 / FanDuel — $5,800

Why you should start him: Brandon Aiyuk has had steady, but not stunning production to start the year. While he's found the end zone just once so far this season, he looks poised for a breakout game against a Falcons defense that is giving up more passing yards per game than all but three teams in the NFL.

SIT: Diontae Johnson, WR

Diontae Johnson runs after a catch against the Buffalo Bills. AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Week 6 opponent: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,700 / FanDuel — $6,300

Why you should sit him: Again, it's tough to imagine the Steelers moving the ball well against the Buccaneers. Johnson has plenty of talent as an outside threat, but Kenny Pickett needs to prove that they can connect on big plays before Johnson's fantasy value rises back to its preseason levels.

START: Isaiah McKenzie, WR

Isaiah McKenzie waits to receive a kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Week 6 opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,000 / FanDuel — $6,000

Why you should start him: It might be a bit of a risky play taking Isaiah McKenzie this week, as it's his first game back from injury, but it feels like in this spot the risk should be worth the reward. Last year in the playoffs, the Chiefs commitment to stopping Stefon Diggs resulted in four touchdowns for No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis. Given that Kansas City won't want to get roasted by Davis again, McKenzie could be in for a huge day.

SIT: Mike Williams, WR

Mike Williams runs with the ball against the Cleveland Browns. AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Week 6 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $7,400 / FanDuel — $7,900

Why you should sit him: Mike Williams missed practice on Wednesday due to illness, and is likely to be keyed by the Broncos defense should Keenan Allen remain unable to play. It's tough to bench a player like Williams if you have him on your roster, but at the very least, be cautious of how much you expect out of him this weekend.

START: Evan Engram, TE

Evan Engram is tackled by the Houston Texans defense. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Week 6 opponent: at Indianapolis Colts

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $3,500 / FanDuel — $5,200

Why you should start him: Evan Engram had a whopping 10 targets last week against the Texans, and the Colts have been a pretty friendly defense for fantasy tight ends to start the year. When these teams met in Week 3, Engram had seven receptions on eight targets, but failed to find the end zone. If he scores this week, he'll be a solid play.

SIT: Kyle Pitts, TE

Kyle Pitts is brought down by the Los Angeles Rams. AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Week 6 opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $4,200 / FanDuel — $5,500

Why you should sit him: Kyle Pitts has likely been the most disappointing player in fantasy this year. While Pitts says he expects to play against the 49ers on Sunday, it's tough to trust that he will be all that productive given how much of a no-show he's been so far this season. Until he comes back with a big game, he's not the man you want starting at tight end.

START: Green Bay Packers defense

Daniel Jones is sacked by the Green Bay Packers defense. AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Week 6 opponent: vs. New York Jets

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $4,000 / FanDuel — $4,600

Why you should start them: The Packers are due for a strong rebound after their loss to the Giants in London last weekend. While the Jets have shown signs of life in recent weeks, including putting up 40 points on the Dolphins last week, that type of offensive performance feels far more like the exception than the rule. 

SIT: Los Angeles Chargers defense

Khalil Mack brings down Davis Mills for a sack. AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

Week 6 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos

Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $3,100 / FanDuel — $4,000

Why you should sit them: The Browns were able to run all over the Chargers last week, and it feels like the Broncos might be able to do it again this week in primetime. Proceed with caution.

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