Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. Here are some of my picks for Week 6 in the latest edition of Studs, Duds & Sleepers.
STUDS
QB: Trevor Lawrence (JCK at IND): Lawrence’s best game of the season came in Week 1 in Indy and he’s put up over 23 points per game vs. his divisional foes over his last four meetings with them.
RB: Raheem Mostert (MIA vs. CAR): He’s a top five play at RB this week vs. Carolina with Devon Achane sidelined and Jeff Wilson just starting to get healthy. Only the Broncos have allowed more fantasy points per game to the position than the Panthers (28.5 ppg / 0.5 PPR).
WR: D.J. Moore (CHI at MIN): There’s no way Moore does better than last week’s effort, but facing a Vikings’ secondary that has allowed seven double-digit days to fantasy wideouts in five weeks including 20 or more fantasy points three times suggests another big day is ahead for Moore.
TE: Logan Thomas (WAS at ATL): Not only is Thomas coming off a huge Week 5 effort (9/77/1), but now he gets to face off vs. a Falcons’ D that has allowed four tight ends in five weeks to break double-digits in PPR points.
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DUDS
QB: Jared Goff (DET at TB): Goff has only finished as a top 12 fantasy quarterback one time since the start of the 2022 season on the road. This week he faces a Tampa Bay defense that has only ceded 239.8 passing yards per game and just four passing touchdowns all season.
RB: Dameon Pierce (HOU vs. NO): The Texans have been better than expected, yet Pierce has failed to live up to my expectations. He has just one score all year and has scored 9.2 PPR points or less in three of his five outings. Don’t expect much vs. the Saints’ top 5 rushing defense.
WR: Terry McLauin (WAS at ATL): The Falcons have been stingy all year vs. opposing No. 1 wideouts and McLaurin just isn’t getting the volume to offset tough matchups. He’s been six times or less in all but one game this year and in those contests he failed to reach 55 yards in any of them. Add to the fact he has just one TD through five games and the case only gets stronger to sit him here.
TE: Tyler Higbee (LAR vs. ARI): Arizona has yet to allow a tight end to score all year and just one player at the position has eclipsed 50 yards receiving vs. them this year. It doesn’t help that Cooper Kupp is now back in the mix either. Last week in his return Higbee saw just three targets and had a season-low two catches.
SLEEPERS
QB: Gardner Minshew (IND at JCK): Minshew gets his revenge match as heads back to Jacksonville where he first debuted in the NFL. The Jaguars’ secondary has been shredded by opposing signal callers all year with four of five passes to break 22 fantasy points vs. them on the season.
RB: D’Onta Foreman (CHI vs. MIN): As the last man standing in the Bears’ backfield Foreman is certain to be in the flex conversation on most fantasy teams he is on.
WR: K.J. Osborn (MIN at CHI): Osborn also benefits from injury as he is lined up to see a steep increase in targets with Justin Jefferson now IR.
TE: Dawson Knox (BUF vs. NYG): With rookie Dalton Kincaid banged up and struggling, Knox could be worth a dart throw vs. a Giants’ D giving up six catch days to the position in two of their last three contests.
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