Fantasy Football Week 6 D/ST Start/Sit: Buccaneers, Chargers, Jets
Ted breaks down three defenses to start and three defenses to sit for Week 6's fantasy football action.
Welcome to this week’s fantasy football DST start/sit breakdown! Last week, we had a mixed bag of results. My three Starts ranged between okay and great, with the Raiders having the worst outing at 4.0 fantasy points. Unfortunately, two of my three Sit picks posted top-six finishes for the week. At least we correctly predicted that the Browns’ defense would not be able to stop a red-hot Jayden Daniels. Hopefully, we can bounce back this week with good results across the board — let’s get started!
For more help with your toughest Start/Sit decisions, check out FantasySP’s NFL Start/Sit tool!
Fantasy Football Defenses To Start Week 6
Houston Texans @ New England Patriots
I already featured the Texans in my Week 6 DST Streaming article, but they are worth talking about again for two reasons. For one, we’ve gotten confirmation that Drake Maye will start under center for the Patriots, which does change things. For another, they’re still available in almost half of leagues despite being arguably the best defensive play of the week. If you’re reading this and your league is one of them, change that.
The Texans rank fourth in the league in pressure rate, while the Patriots rank second in pressure rate allowed. Maye’s mobility should eventually be an upgrade for New England’s offense, but the rookie will likely take a fair few sacks in his NFL debut. Even if Maye manages to avoid any rookie mistakes, the Patriots have the lowest projected team total of the week at a measly 15.5. The Texans provide a great combination of floor and ceiling in this matchup.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Despite an excellent matchup with the Broncos, the Chargers are still not rostered, let alone starting, in over 50% of leagues. Yes, Bo Nix and Denver’s offense had their best game of the season last week, putting up 34 points on the Raiders. But the difference between these two AFC West defenses cannot be overstated. The Chargers rank seventh in PFF Defense Grade as a team … the Raiders are 32nd.
Even including their matchup with Vegas, the Broncos have the fifth-lowest yards per game and sixth-lowest yards per play in the league. They are just behind the Patriots with a 16.5-point implied total, the second-lowest of the week. A good defense taking on an unimpressive offense, this is a no-brainer pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
This pick really comes down to two words: Spencer Rattler. With Derek Carr out with an oblique injury, the rookie is set to start for the Saints in this divisional matchup, and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty. After all, the previous two picks were targeting Drake Maye and Bo Nix, also members of this rookie class … and they were early first-round picks.
Rattler, once a top prospect, fell all the way to the fifth round. In his final year at South Carolina, he ranked outside the top 60 qualified college quarterbacks in PFF Passing Grade; that’s behind dozens of future insurance salesmen. This play isn’t without risk, as the Buccaneers’ defense is thoroughly below average: They allow the third-most yards per game to opposing teams. However, their offense is good enough that they should be able to force Rattler to drop back early and often, and chances are that will result in some sacks and a turnover or two.
Fantasy Football Defenses To Sit Week 6
Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles
Last week, the only Sit pick I got right was the Browns, so we might as well run it back. This Cleveland defense is simply not elite anymore. Thanks in part to their horrendous offense, they’ve actually given up the ninth-most points per game so far this season.
More importantly, this matchup is not a good one. The Eagles have dealt with injuries and inconsistency to start the season, but they still have one of the league’s most talented offenses. With A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson (whose impact cannot be overstated) all in line to play, Philadelphia is not a team to test. The Browns are currently projected to be started in over 45% of leagues, but that number should be 0%.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington Commanders
This pick isn’t at all about the Ravens (although, like the Browns, their defense isn’t as good as its reputation so far this season). Instead, it’s all about the Commanders, who have been absolutely unstoppable to start the season, ranking rank first in points per game at a massive 31.0.
Even after a relatively down week last week, Washington’s offense is still 25% ahead of the next team in EPA per play. And that next team actually happens to the Ravens, so you know that Washington will be going all-out in what should be an absolute shootout. You might think that could at least lead to some turnovers with a rookie in Jayden Daniels under center, but the Commanders also have the third-lowest rate of drives ending in turnovers in the league. Leave the Ravens’ defense on your bench this week.
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills
We can finish out our Sits with another high-profile defense in a tough matchup. The Jets are currently projected to be started in 69% of leagues, which is simply too high for a defense facing off with Josh Allen. It’s possible that fantasy managers are reacting to last week, in which Allen and the Bills’ offense struggled against the Texans. However, Houston’s defense still finished with just 3.0 fantasy points, as Buffalo scored 20 points despite Allen posting a miserable 30% completion percentage.
For the season, the Bills rank third in EPA per play and third in points per game. Things haven’t been as friendly for fantasy as they have been in years past, but Allen and Co. are still putting up points. The Bills’ new-look offense is also more conservative, meaning less chances for defenses to score fantasy points against them. They have the lowest turnover rate and third-lowest sacks per game in the league. There’s very little to like about this matchup, so the Jets belong on fantasy benches this week.
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