Week 6 Thursday Night Fantasy Football Starting Options: Are Brock Purdy and Geno Smith Set Up for Success? Are Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jauan Jennings and Tyler Lockett Standard League Starting Options?

Week 6 of the NFL regular season kicks off with an NFC West battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

Let’s go over the top fantasy players from the contest, looking at their season stats, recent trends and matchups.

Looking for more help with your toughest fantasy football Start/Sit decisions? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Start/Sit Tool!

Quarterback Fantasy Outlook

Seattle’s Geno Smith and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy are the starting quarterbacks for this contest.

Smith has 1,466 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He’s completed 71.9% of his passes and added 146 yards and a score on the ground.

Smith has over 275 passing yards in four straight games, but just four touchdowns and three picks over that span. He’s rushed for 110 yards over the past two games, making him a bit better fantasy asset.

Purdy has 1,374 passing yards, six touchdowns and four picks this season. He’s added 108 rushing yards and completed 65.6% of his passes.

Purdy has topped 200 passing yards in all five games. He’s got at least one touchdown pass per game over the past four weeks, but has thrown three picks over the past two games. Purdy has been a pretty average fantasy QB each week.

The matchups for the quarterbacks are pretty similar, with each defense allowing 16 fantasy points per week. Purdy is projected for 19 points, while Smith is locked in at 18.

With four teams on byes this week, Purdy and Smith should be in a lot of standard league starting lineups. I prefer Purdy between the two, but also wouldn’t be surprised if Smith is the better fantasy performer. I’m sure these two will appear in our weekly QB start decision story, so be sure to check back Thursday for that.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

Jordan Mason is the workhorse back for San Fran, while Kenneth Walker III leads Seattle. Isaac Guerendo is the top backup in San Fran, while Zach Charbonnet fills in for Walker.

Walker has played in three games this season, tallying 202 rushing yards and four scores on 37 attempts. He’s added 99 receiving yards on 13 receptions and 16 targets. He’s at least been an average fantasy performer in each week he’s played.

Charbonnet started in weeks 2 and 3, and was an above-average fantasy performer during that time. For the season, he’s got 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 44 attempts, while adding 134 yards and a score on 18 catches and 22 targets. He’s got just 26 rushing yards and 58 receiving yards in two games since Walker returned.

Mason is up to 536 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 105 carries this season. He’s got 66 yards on seven catches and eight targets. Mason has at least been an average fantasy option most weeks - his worst performance was in week 5, when he produced 98 total yards on just 15 touches.

Guerendo has just 28 snaps played this season. He’s rushed 12 times for 41 yards and not been targeted in the passing game.

It’s an average matchup for the running backs, with each defense allowing 21 points per game. Mason is projected for 14 PPR fantasy points, while Walker is at 15 and Charbonnet just six.

Mason and Walker are pretty close in my book, but I’d take Mason if I needed to make the choice simply because he’s the clear lead back for his team. Charbonnet gets just enough work to make Mason my favorite fantasy back in this game. I think Mason and Walker need to be starting in all leagues though.

Charbonnet is a deep league starting option, but it’d need to be pretty deep to make a lot of sense to me. Guerendo should be avoided in all formats.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

There’s a number of good receivers in this game. Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jauan Jennings lead San Fran, while Seattle has DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett.

Aiyuk finally got going in week 5, and now has 314 yards on 21 catches and 37 targets for the season. He’d been a below-average fantasy performer until week 5.

Jennings has 377 receiving yards and three scores on 22 receptions and 31 targets. Almost all of that came in week 3, but he also had solid outings in weeks 1 and 4.

Samuel has 233 yards, but no scores, on 17 catches and 27 targets across four games. He was good in weeks 1 and 2, and was OK in week 4 before falling off big time in week 5.

Metcalf leads the Seahawks with 43 targets, catching 28 for 421 yards and two scores. He had average or better outings in weeks 2-4, but below-average marks in weeks 1 and 5. 

Smith-Njigba has 257 yards and a touchdown across 29 catches and 40 targets. He had solid fantasy showings in weeks 2, 4 and 5, but little impact in weeks 1 and 3.

Lockett is at 274 yards and no touchdowns across 22 catches and 32 targets. He’s had four weeks of double-digit fantasy outings, but nothing too crazy any single week.

The matchup for the wideouts is slightly below average, with each defense allowing 29 fantasy points per week. Metcalf is projected for 16 PPR points, Samuel is at 13, Aiyuk 12, Lockett 12, Smith-Njigba 11 and Jennings seven.

I also like Metcalf the best of the receivers in this game, but followed by Aiyuk, then Samuel. I then like Smith-Njigba over Lockett and then rounding things out with Jennings. Samuel, Aiyuk and Metcalf are all standard league starters, while JSN and Lockett are flex options (if you start them, put them in a normal WR spot and save the flex spots). JSN and Lockett are better deep league starting options, as is Jennings.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

George Kittle is easily the best fantasy TE in this game. Noah Fant is the Seahawks’ top option.

Kittle has 225 yards and three touchdowns this season on 23 receptions and 29 targets across four games played. He’s been an above-average fantasy performer in three of his four games.

Fant is up to 135 yards and no scores on 14 catches and 18 targets in five games played. He’s had one OK fantasy showing and four duds.

The TE matchup is more favorable for Kittle than Fant, as Seattle allows opposing TEs to score 11 points per game, while San Fran gives up just eight. Kittle is projected for 12 PPR points, and it might go up when his injury designation is updated. Fant is projected for only six points.

Kittle is a must-start fantasy TE this season - don’t overthink it. Fant is a deep league option, but one I’d try to take away looking at his season numbers and defensive matchup.

Kicker Outlook

Matthew Wright will kick for San Fran with normal kicker Jake Moody out with an ankle injury. Jason Myers does the kicking for Seattle.

Myers is just 8-for-11 on his field goal attempts this season, with all three misses coming from over 40 yards. He’s made all 12 of his extra points.

Wright last kicked in the NFL for the Panthers in 2023. In his four-year career and across 24 games played, Wright is 40-for-47 on his field goals and 35-of-37 on his extra points.

Wright is projected for seven points, while Myers is at 6. I think there will be a good amount of offense in this game, leading to several kicking chances. I think San Fran wins, so I like Wright a touch more - but I understand if you don’t want to start a replacement kicker.

Defense/Special Teams Outlook

San Fran’s defense allows 307.8 yards per game, while Seattle gives up 311. The Niners allow 21.2 points, while Seattle gives up 22.8.

San Fran has eight takeaways and giveaways on the season. Seattle is at four takeaways and seven giveaways.

San Fran is projected for eight points, while Seattle is at six. I too like the San Fran defense a little more in this game, but I also wouldn’t be opposed to starting Seattle.

Be sure to check back Thursday for any trending start/sit decisions involving Thursday night players.