It took five weeks of this season for Chase Claypool to be what we were hoping to would be. Michael Pittman's A-Game clicked in a bit sooner. Regardless, both second-year receivers look like great options for Week 6 lineups.
Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls are here to help make your lineup decisions easier. And once you're done here, check out Jamey's running back and quarterback picks, and don't miss Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview for Week 6 with key matchup notes, projections, and more.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
Projections powered by
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There should be some big games ahead for Claypool with JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) out for the season, and we've already seen a glimpse of that this year. Smith-Schuster hurt his ribs in Week 3 against Cincinnati, and Claypool went off for nine catches for 96 yards on 15 targets, although Diontae Johnson was also out for that game with a knee injury. Then last week against Denver when Smith-Schuster hurt his shoulder, Claypool had five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Seattle has already allowed seven receivers to score at least 16 PPR points this year, and Claypool and Johnson should do well this week.
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T.Y. Hilton (neck) might return this week, but Pittman should continue to remain the go-to receiver for Carson Wentz for the time being -- and maybe all year. He's taken off in the past four games with at least seven targets and six catches in every game over that span, and he just scored his first touchdown in Week 5 at Baltimore. The Texans have only allowed two touchdowns to receivers all year, but six guys have scored at least 12 PPR points. I can see that being the floor for Pittman, with the chance for another standout outing if Wentz continues to lean on him as expected.
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Smith has done a nice job in the past two games against Kansas City and Carolina with at least eight targets and seven catches in each outing. He's scored at least 14 PPR points in both of those games, and he should have the chance for another quality performance this week. The Buccaneers lead the NFL in receptions allowed to receivers with 91, and they are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to receivers. Smith has three games this year with at least eight targets, and he's scored at least 14 PPR points in all three. That trend should continue Thursday night.
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I expected Cooks to struggle in Week 5 against the Patriots, and he did with three catches for 23 yards on five targets. He's now been at nine PPR points or less in each of his past two games against Buffalo and New England, but the secondary for Indianapolis will be much easier to expose. The Colts are tied with Washington for most touchdowns allowed to opposing receivers with 10, and six receivers have scored at least 15 PPR points against Indianapolis this year. Cooks, who had at least 18 PPR points in each of his first three games, will get back on track in this matchup.
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Last week, the Patriots trailed the Texans 15-9 at halftime and 22-15 after three quarters, and if you told me that prior to the game I would have thought Meyers had a big outing with New England chasing points. Instead, he finished with just four catches for 56 yards on five targets. He should rebound this week against the Cowboys with the Patriots likely trailing again. Prior to Week 5, Meyers had consecutive games with at least 12 targets, eight catches and 16 PPR points. I expect him to return to that range again this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed six receivers to score at least 14 PPR points this year.
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Sleepers
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Higgins was a letdown in Week 5 against Green Bay with just 10 PPR points, but I'm hopeful that was him just shaking the rust off from a two-game absence from a shoulder injury. He still had seven targets from Joe Burrow, and hopefully Higgins gets that kind of volume again. Going back to last year, that's now nine times Burrow has targeted Higgins at least seven times in a game, and it's only the second time over that span that he's failed to score at least 12 PPR points. Ja'Marr Chase remains the go-to receiver for Burrow, but Higgins should also be considered a borderline starter in all leagues.
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Waddle disappointed last week at Tampa Bay with only two catches for 31 yards on six targets, and he's combined for just 11 PPR points in the past two games against the Colts and Buccaneers. But I'll give him one more shot as a No. 3 PPR receiver this week with Tua Tagovailoa (ribs) potentially back, as well as DeVante Parker (shoulder) still hurt. The Jaguars have allowed eight receivers to score at least 12 PPR points this year.
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Patrick's time as a top-two receiver for the Broncos could be running out with Jerry Jeudy (ankle) close to a return, but he should continue to have a prominent role this week against the Raiders. Patrick has scored at least 12 PPR points in every game Teddy Bridgewater has completed, and Patrick just had season highs in targets (nine) and receptions (seven) in Week 5 at Pittsburgh. He also added 89 receiving yards, and he should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in all leagues. Courtland Sutton is a borderline starter in all formats, but Patrick should also play well against the Raiders at home.
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Moore is going to have inconsistent performances because the Cardinals have a crowded receiving corps, but you have to hope Arizona continues to find ways to get him the ball. That happened in Week 5 against San Francisco when he had five catches for 59 yards on six targets, along with three carries for 38 yards, and he played a season-high 48 percent of the snaps. Moore has two games this season with at least six targets, and he's scored at least 13 PPR points in both outings. Let's get him at least six targets against the Browns this week.
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St. Brown was my favorite Lions receiver coming into the season, and he's finally starting to show why with his performance the past two weeks. He's scored 13 PPR points in each game against the Bears and Vikings, and he has eight targets in each outing. The Lions just lost Quintez Cephus (collarbone) for an extended period of time, and teams are trying to take away T.J. Hockenson. St. Brown should continue to get targets from Jared Goff, and he should be considered a No. 3 PPR receiver this week against the Bengals.
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Sit 'Em
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This could be the week Robinson breaks out with the Packers secondary down Jaire Alexander (shoulder) and potentially Kevin King (shoulder), and I'm hopeful that's what happens. You can make a case for Darnell Mooney as a sleeper this week as well. But so far we've seen Robinson struggle with Justin Fields under center, and he's been at six targets or less in four games in a row, with 10 PPR points or less in each outing. Until his volume goes up and there's evidence he's on the same page with Fields, it's hard to justify starting Robinson in most leagues, even with a good matchup at home.
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I'm only going to use Lockett as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week because I'm nervous about his connection with Geno Smith since Russell Wilson (finger) is out. We're also in the midst of another slump for Lockett, which he's prone to, and he's scored 10 PPR points or less in three games in a row. And even though the matchup with the Steelers seems favorable since Pittsburgh is No. 3 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, I expect this defense to make things tough on Smith, which in turn could be bad for Lockett. DK Metcalf is also downgraded this week, but he's still a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Beckham looked like he was going to be a useful Fantasy receiver when he scored 13 PPR points in Week 3 against Chicago in his 2021 debut. Since then, in two games, he's combined for just eight PPR points with four catches, 47 yards and no touchdowns on 10 targets. Jarvis Landry (knee) has an outside chance to return this week, which would further hinder Beckham's potential of getting the targets he needs from Baker Mayfield. I would only use Beckham as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in deeper leagues.
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Brown is a tremendous buy-low candidate right now because better days are ahead, but it's been a rough start for him this season. He's battled knee and hamstring injuries since training camp and has just one game with more than seven PPR points on the year, which was Week 1. This week should be another rough outing for him against the Bills, who allow the fewest Fantasy points to opposing receivers. So far this season only Diontae Johnson in Week 1 and Byron Pringle last year have scored against Buffalo, including matchups with Terry McLaurin, Brandin Cooks and Tyreek Hill. Brown is a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best this week, but make offers for him now because he'll be a must-start option in all leagues once again as the season goes on.
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Shenault had a great catch-and-run in Week 3 against Tennessee for 58 yards, but that was his lone reception on just three targets. It was a huge letdown after Shenault had six catches for 99 yards on seven targets in Week 4 at Cincinnati, along with D.J. Chark (ankle) out. Dan Arnold was more involved for Trevor Lawrence with eight targets, and Marvin Jones also had five targets. We'll see if Lawrence goes back to Shenault this week against the Dolphins, but I would only use him as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most formats, with his value slightly higher in PPR.
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Bust Alert
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It's hard to bench Toney in most leagues after he just had 10 catches for 189 yards on 13 targets in Week 5 at Dallas, but I'm skeptical of him having another big outing against the Rams. You have Mike Glennon likely starting for Daniel Jones (concussion), and while Glennon helped Toney get most of his stats against the Cowboys, the Rams will be prepared to slow him down. You also have Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Darius Slayton (hamstring) expected to return this week, so targets could be an issue. Toney should still be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, with his value higher in PPR, but don't be surprised if there's serious regression after his breakout game against Dallas.
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