We got some good news on the wide receiver front for Week 6, as Davante Adams (hamstring) practiced in full Wednesday and seems well on his way to returning to action. Chris Godwin (hamstring) also made his return to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, a good sign. We didn't get quite as good news on Julio Jones (hamstring), D.J. Chark (ankle) or Diontae Johnson (back), so there are still going to be some holes to fill at wide receiver in Week 6.
And that's without even accounting for the fact that Michael Thomas, Keenan Allen, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Mike Williams, Emmanuel Sanders, and Henry Ruggs are on bye. By my count, that's eight must-start WR and a few other WR3 types we'll be without this week, no small number. Wide receiver is deep, to be sure, but you're often choosing between boom-or-bust types or lower-upside options, so it's easy to get it wrong.
Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls are here to help you make the right decision. Here are his wide receiver picks for Week 6.
More Week 6 help: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | QB | RB | WR | Starts and sits, sleepers and busts | PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Biggest Questions | Waivers | Cut List | Trade Values | Winners and Losers | Believe It or Not
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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The lone bright spot for the Jets on offense this season has been Crowder, who has at least seven catches and 100 yards in all three games he's played. He also has two touchdowns, and he has scored at least 17 PPR points in each outing. Even though Joe Flacco will start again for the injured Sam Darnold (shoulder), you should still start Crowder with confidence in all leagues. Miami has allowed five receivers to score at least 12 PPR points in its past four games.
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There's a squeaky wheel game coming for Smith-Schuster this week after Ben Roethlisberger praised Smith-Schuster for cheering on Chase Claypool and his four touchdown performance in Week 5 against the Eagles. Smith-Schuster only has 10 targets in his past two games for eight catches, 71 yards and a touchdown, so he's due. He also has at least 16 PPR points in two of his past three games against the Browns when Roethlisberger is on the field. As for Claypool, consider him a high-end No. 3 receiver in all leagues, especially if Diontae Johnson (back) is out.
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Brown returned from his two-game absence with a knee injury against the Bills on Tuesday night and looked like the dominant receiver we expect him to be this season. He had seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he should stay hot this week against the Texans. In two games against Houston last year, Brown had 12 catches for 238 yards and two touchdowns on 21 targets for a combined 47 PPR points.
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Slayton showed up on the injury report Wednesday with a foot issue, which resulted in a limited practice session, but he's expected to be fine. And hopefully he'll stay hot this week against Washington. I expected him to play well against Dallas in Week 5, and he had eight catches for 129 yards on 11 targets. He's had at least seven targets in four of five games, and the past four receivers with at least seven targets against Washington have scored at least 11 PPR points.
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Parker scored 15 PPR points against the Jets at home last year, and he's scored at least 13 PPR points in three of his past four games. The Jets have already allowed six receivers to score at least 12 PPR points this season, including four in the past two games against Denver and Arizona. I also like Preston Williams as a sleeper this week, and he's worth starting as a high-end No. 3 receiver in all leagues.
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Sleepers
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With Sammy Watkins (hamstring) out, Hardman should see more playing time and targets opposite Tyreek Hill. Hardman has two games this season with at least four targets, and he has scored in both. Watkins has three games this season with at least seven targets.
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Shenault and Keelan Cole are both worth using as sleepers this week with D.J. Chark (ankle) banged up. Chark has scored at least 13 PPR points in consecutive games against Cincinnati and Houston, and he's reached that mark in three of five outings this year. And Cole has scored a touchdown in three of five games on the season.
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Kirk has 12 targets in his past two games, and he's averaging 11.0 PPR points over that span. He has a great matchup this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed the second-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers this year.
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Beasley should benefit if John Brown (knee) is out against the Chiefs after Brown couldn't play in Week 5 at Tennessee, and Beasley has now scored at least 11 PPR points in four games in a row. This game should be a high-scoring affair with Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, and Beasley should be used as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Patrick is worth using if Patriots standout cornerback Stephon Gilmore (illness) is out, and Patrick has played well coming into this game. In the past two games since Courtland Sutton (ACL) got hurt, Patrick has 10 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets. He should get Drew Lock (shoulder) back this week, which is a boost, and Patrick could be a quality No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues if Gilmore is out.
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Sit 'Em
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I thought Moore would play well in Week 5 at Atlanta, and he delivered with four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. But he only had five targets in the game and has combined for 15 targets in his past three outings. The touchdown was also his first of the season. Robby Anderson has emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the Panthers, and he's worth starting in all leagues. Moore should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver against the Bears, who have allowed just one touchdown to opposing receivers this year.
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Should you add Fulgham in all leagues after his performance in Week 5 at Pittsburgh when he had 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets? Absolutely, especially with Alshon Jeffery (foot/illness) and DeSean Jackson (hamstring) still banged up. But you don't have to start Fulgham in most Fantasy leagues this week against the Ravens. Baltimore has allowed just two touchdowns to opposing receivers this year, and both play for the Chiefs (Hill and Hardman). For now, just stash Fulgham on your bench.
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Hilton had his best game of the season in Week 5 at Cleveland with six catches for 69 yards on 10 targets. It was his first game with double digits in targets this year, and it would be great if that's a sign of things to come. But the concern for Hilton is that the Colts were chasing points against the Browns on the road, which is why his targets were up. It's doubtful they'll be chasing points this week at home against the Bengals. And in three previous games prior to Week 5 against Minnesota, the Jets and Chicago, Hilton combined for 18 PPR points on just 13 targets. He's still searching for his first touchdown, and that might be the only way he helps your Fantasy roster this week is if he scores.
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Gallup played well once Andy Dalton took over for the injured Dak Prescott (ankle) in Week 5 against the Giants, catching passes of 19 and 38 yards in the fourth quarter of a 37-34 comeback win. He finished the game with four catches for 73 yards on four targets, but I'm not expecting a big game for him this week against the Cardinals. Gallup has scored eight PPR points or less in three of five games, and Dalton still has Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz as weapons, as well as Ezekiel Elliott. I'm starting Cooper and Lamb in all leagues, but Gallup remains just a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
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Landry had his best game as a receiver in Week 5 against the Colts with four catches for 88 yards on nine targets, but he's still searching for his first receiving touchdown. And he's been held to fewer than 50 receiving yards in three of five games. He doesn't look right with his injured hip, and he's dealing with a rib injury after the Colts game. He's only worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in PPR.
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Bust Alert
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It seems like Cam Newton (illness) will return in Week 6 against the Broncos, which is a boost for Edelman. But I'm concerned about target volume for him in a game where the Patriots should be able to run the ball against the Broncos. In two home games where New England had the chance to lean on the ground game in Week 1 against Miami and Week 3 against Las Vegas, Edelman combined for seven catches for 80 yards on 13 targets. He also hasn't scored a touchdown yet this year. He should only be used as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in PPR at best.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 6 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
