[2025] Week 6 Start or Sit: Fantasy Football Lineup Advice

Don't lose your matchup to a tough decision! Get the essential 2025 fantasy football Week 6 start 'em, sit 'em advice for Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends to set your most dominant lineup.

You’re in the most crucial weekly decision in fantasy football: deciding on your starting lineup.

Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season is here, bringing a fresh slate of perplexing matchups, injury replacements, and bye-week woes. Navigating your lineup with confidence means moving beyond the obvious stars and identifying players with both high ceilings and terrifying floors.

This week, diving deep into the data, matchups, and latest news, here’s a guide to start ’em or sit ’em advice for each key position. Stop second-guessing and let’s set a winning lineup!

Start ‘em

Quarterbacks

Drake Maye (New England Patriots): Maye faces a New Orleans Saints defense that has been vulnerable to opposing quarterbacks, ranking near the bottom in passing touchdowns allowed this season.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): Stafford has a favorable matchup against a Baltimore Ravens defense that is currently ranked as the second-worst in the league for passing yards allowed per game.

Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks): Darnold benefits from facing a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that ranks as one of the worst in the NFL against the pass, allowing 250.4 passing yards per game.

Bo Nix (Denver Broncos): Nix is playing against a struggling New York Jets defense that ranks 31st in the league in points allowed, giving him a high floor in this London game.

Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers): Love gets a great matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose defense is one of the worst against the pass, allowing 259 passing yards and an average of 2.4 passing touchdowns per game.

Running Backs

Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams): Williams is a strong start against the Baltimore Ravens, who possess a porous run defense ranked 29th in the league and allowing 146.4 rushing yards per game.

Javonte Williams (Dallas Cowboys): Williams has high upside coming off a season-best performance and faces a Carolina Panthers team that is middle-of-the-road against the run and has allowed five rushing touchdowns this season.

Rico Dowdle (Carolina Panthers): Dowdle is highly motivated and coming off a massive 206-yard performance, positioning him to dominate touches against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Quinshon Judkins (Cleveland Browns): Judkins has maintained a solid workload (averaging 20 carries over his last three games) and is a key part of the Browns’ offense, especially near the goal line.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Washington Commanders): Croskey-Merritt has emerged as the lead back in Washington after a 111-yard, two-touchdown performance and faces the Chicago Bears who are an easier opponent.

Wide Receivers

George Pickens (Dallas Cowboys): Pickens is on a great touchdown pace with five scores in five games and faces a Carolina Panthers defense that may struggle to contain the Cowboys’ offense.

Drake London (Atlanta Falcons): Despite a tough matchup on paper against Buffalo, London commands a large target share in the Falcons’ offense, which is crucial for his fantasy floor.

Tetairoa McMillan (Carolina Panthers): McMillan is establishing himself as a primary target for the Panthers, showing consistent production with 24 catches and 351 yards through five games.

Jakobi Meyers (Las Vegas Raiders): Meyers is a solid play against the Tennessee Titans’ 21st-ranked pass defense and leads his team with 25 receptions and 290 yards.

Stefon Diggs (New England Patriots): Despite a low touchdown total, Diggs’ massive target share (12 targets and 10 catches last week) and high yardage floor make him a volume-based weekly start.

Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft (Green Bay Packers): Kraft has a highly favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose defense has allowed a high number of passing yards and a brutal 31.2 points per game.

Hunter Henry (New England Patriots): Henry is a primary red-zone threat for the Patriots, leading the team with three touchdowns, and is a good bet for a score against the Saints.

David Njoku (Cleveland Browns): Njoku continues to be a main target for the Browns with 30 targets and 20 receptions this season, giving him a safe target floor against the Steelers.

Cade Otton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Otton is coming off his best game of the season with 81 yards in Week 5, potentially signaling an increased role in the Buccaneers’ passing attack against the 49ers.

Zach Ertz (Washington Commanders): Ertz has had a bad past three weeks, which is no surprise as Jayden Daniels was missing time and he was just getting back into the swing of things. Ertz and the Commanders have a generous Bears defense this week.

Sit ‘em

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff (Detroit Lions): Goff faces a tough road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs defense, which has limited opposing quarterbacks through the air this season.

Justin Fields (New York Jets): Fields is in for a difficult outing against the Denver Broncos, who have a top-ranked defense that applies high pressure.

Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears): While the Commanders’ passing defense is ranked 23rd, Williams’ weekly fantasy production has been inconsistent with two up and two down games.

Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins): Tagovailoa has a difficult Week 6 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, who boast the fourth-ranked passing defense in the NFL, allowing just 172.2 yards per game.

Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders): Smith has been seriously struggling with his accuracy and you have to wonder if he’ll be the Raiders’ starter for much longer. For now, it’s hard to start him any week.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens): Henry is a risky play because he faces a formidable Los Angeles Rams run defense that ranks among the best in the league and his fantasy production has been brutal this year.

Breece Hall (New York Jets): Hall is facing a stout Denver Broncos run defense that ranks in the top five in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.

Jaylen Warren (Pittsburgh Steelers): Warren has a very poor matchup against the Cleveland Browns, who own the top-ranked run defense in the league, surrendering just 75.6 rushing yards per game.

Michael Carter (Arizona Cardinals): Despite leading the backfield last week, Carter’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts is unfavorable because the Colts’ defense is stout against the run and excels at limiting opposing scoring.

Isiah Pacheco (Kansas City Chiefs): Pacheco is a low-floor option against the Detroit Lions, whose defense ranks seventh against the run, limiting his projected output.

Wide Receivers

Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs): Worthy’s got a tough matchup against a stout Lions defense.

Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins): Waddle’s value could be depressed by the difficult matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, who have one of the best pass defenses in the league.

Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars): Thomas faces the Seattle Seahawks, who are a middle-of-the-road pass defense ranked 13th against fantasy wide receivers, capping his upside.

Garrett Wilson (New York Jets): Wilson is in a tough spot against the Denver Broncos, who feature a top-ten passing defense, ranking eighth in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.

Jauan Jennings (San Francisco 49ers): Jennings’ status is questionable with an ankle/ribs injury, and even if he plays, he faces a Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary that is improving.

Tight Ends

Darren Waller (Miami Dolphins): Waller’s role in the Dolphins’ offense remains limited, with a low route rate of 68 percent and target-earning acumen that is insufficient for reliable fantasy production.

Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons): Pitts is a risky start due to the Buffalo Bills’ defense, which ranks first in the NFL in pressure rate, creating constant disruption for the Falcons’ passing game.

Mason Taylor (New York Jets): Although called a “must-add,” Taylor’s overall usage is still low enough that he carries a significant risk, and he faces a tough Denver defense.

Mark Andrews (Baltimore Ravens): Andrews’ fantasy stock is falling as his route share has declined in four straight games, resulting in four out of five weekly finishes as the TE17 or worse.

Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers): Freiermuth is a low-end option to begin with, as he is consistently out-produced by other tight ends in the league. He has a tough matchup this week on top of it.