FANTASY PLAYS: Players to start and sit for NFL Week 6

Week 6 of fantasy football play is highlighted by an all-in game (Texans–Chiefs) and a Falcons-Cardinals game that could see a combined 100 pass attempts from Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray.

The week will also be defined by whether a pair of elite receivers can rebound following poor performances in Week 5.

START: Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens: After tossing a combined five interceptions the past two games, Jackson not only gets a rebound against the Bengals’ secondary, he also faces a Cincy defense that allows the second-highest rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. Don’t be shocked if Jackson breaks off his first 100-yard game on the ground in 2019.

SIT: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles: Only the Colts’ Jacoby Brissett has a lower yards per attempt (6.4) among qualified passers than the 6.6 Wentz is putting up. Wentz is completing just 60.3 percent of his passes, a mark that is second-lowest in the league, with only Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (55.9 percent) keeping him from rock bottom.

START: Duke Johnson, RB, Texans: In what is expected to be a high-scoring matchup, Johnson will be a dream start in PPR formats. The Chiefs give up 176.2 yards from scrimmage to opposing running backs, and Johnson will have ample shots to exploit a KC defense whose main focus will be on WRs DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller.

SIT: Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles: Jordan Howard has erased any notions of a timeshare in Philly, leaving Sanders as mostly an option on passing downs. Sanders has yet to score on 54 rushing attempts and will struggle against a Vikings defense ranked fourth in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to opposing running backs.

START: Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys: He returned from injured reserve with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Packers. Gallup ranks among the league leaders with five receptions of better than 20 yards despite missing two games and should feast on a Jets defense that is 21st in fantasy points allowed per game to opposing receivers.

SIT: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers: With a golden chance to step up in the absence of Davante Adams, MVS had just one catch for 18 yards and was targeted only four times against the Cowboys. Even if Adams misses Monday night’s game, shy away from Valdes-Scantling as he faces a Lions secondary that allows only a 51.8 percent completion rate to opposing wideouts.

START: Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons: The Cardinals allow an average of 1.2 touchdowns per game to opposing tight ends, far and away the worst rate in the league. Hooper comes into Sunday having caught 21 of his 26 targets (80.7 percent) for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the past two weeks.

SIT: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings: At this point, it’s safe to drop Rudolph, who has been targeted only eight times this season. The disappearance of Rudolph is jarring when one considers he was targeted a combined 295 times the previous three seasons.

START: Terry McLaurin, WR, Redskins: Quickly becoming the featured receiver in Washington’s offense, McLaurin averages 7.7 targets per game. After scoring in each of his first three games, McLaurin stands a good chance to return to the end zone against a Dolphins defense allowing 1.8 TDs per game to opposing wide receivers.

SIT: Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals: Although the Ravens allow 290.8 passing yards per game, they are still 10th-best in fantasy against opposing QBs. Dalton is averaging 285.6 yards per game, but is also on pace to be sacked 64 times this season. The number could increase, especially if the Bengals’ running game continues to struggle.

START: Damien Williams, RB, Chiefs: Opposing teams have targeted their running backs against the Texans 9.8 times per game, with the backs catching 9.0 of the attempts. Only the Bengals allow more receiving yards per game to opposing backs, making Williams a solid PPR play who could put up huge receiving numbers if the game flow is fast paced.

SIT: Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: Mixon is averaging 3.94 yards each time he touches the ball this season. He has yet to record a run of longer than 18 yards, and 33 of his 68 receiving yards came on one reception. The Ravens are giving up just 80.2 yards per game to opposing running backs, a total that only makes the thought of starting Mixon less appealing.

START: Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: A strong rebound play after he was held without a reception for the first time in his career, Evans did have four receptions for 61 yards in Week 2 against the Panthers. Carolina CB James Bradbury will make Evans’ trip overseas a challenge, but look for Jameis Winston to target him at least 8 to 10 times.

SIT: Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers: The prospect of rookie Devlin Hodges starting at quarterback puts a dent into the Pittsburgh passing game, with Johnson the mostly likely to suffer. Johnson will be hard-pressed to make big plays against a Chargers defense that is 10th overall in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to opposing receivers.

START: Gardner Minshew II, QB, Jaguars: Quietly, Minshew has produced a 9-1 TD:INT margin and has thrown two touchdowns in each of his past three games. Not only is he coming off the first 300-yard game of his career, Minshew also is the league’s most efficient passer in the red zone with a rating of 127.8. The Saints are 28th in fantasy points allowed per game to opposing quarterbacks and similar production is possible if too much focus is placed on stopping Jags RB Leonard Fournette.

SIT: Kenyan Drake, RB, Dolphins: Drake may start the game against the Redskins, but it’s not a given he will have the most touches in the Miami backfield. A ground game averaging 3 yards per carry could be shaken up as both Drake and Kalen Ballage could concede carries to Mark Walton.