Week 6 Monday Night Start Decisions | Will Buffalo's Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman or Someone Else Lead the Way? Are Jets' Allen Lazard and Tyler Conklin Worth Starts?

Week 6 of the NFL regular season wraps up with a big-time AFC East battle between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. 

Let’s break down the fantasy football options from the contest and offer some insight on the best starters.

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Quarterbacks 

Buffalo’s Josh Allen and New York’s Aaron Rodgers are the starting quarterbacks in this contest.

Through five games, Allen only has 945 passing yards and a 60.3 completion percentage. He’s thrown eight touchdowns and no interceptions, so that’s been a positive at least. Allen has 160 rushing yards and two scores as well.

Rodgers has 1,093 passing yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions and has completed 61% of his passes this season. He’s also got 44 rushing yards.

This is a brutal matchup for Allen, as New York’s defense allows opposing fantasy QBs to score just eight points a week. Buffalo presents a tough challenge for Rodgers, with the Bills surrendering just 14 points a game. Allen is projected for 19 fantasy points, while Rodgers sits at 16 points.

Neither quarterback has been that great as a fantasy player this season, and the matchups aren’t super favorable, but if you had to choose between the two, you need to roll with Allen. His fantasy upside is way higher than Rodgers, especially when you tack on their rushing ability. Both seem destined for average or below-average fantasy scores given the matchup, however.

Running Backs

Buffalo’s James Cook and New York’s Breece Hall are the No. 1 running backs in this contest. Cook is questionable for the contest and Hall has underperformed all season, so neither look like great fantasy options at first glance.

Hall is up to 197 rushing yards and two scores on 65 attempts so far this season. He’s added 148 yards and a score on 21 catches.

Braelon Allen is the only other New York back who has really played meaningful snaps this season. He has 143 rushing yards and a touchdown on 31 attempts, while adding 72 receiving yards and a score on eight catches and 11 targets.

Cook has been the workhorse for Buffalo, rushing for 309 yards and four scores on 70 attempts, while going for an additional 123 yards and a score on 11 receptions.

Ray Davis and Ty Johnson have played in reserve roles. Davis has 93 total yards and a touchdown on 30 touches. Johnson has 103 total yards and two scores on just 14 touches. Johnson has played 71 snaps to just 44 for Davis, and I’d guess that’s how things play out if Cook cannot play.

Cook is expected to play, but we probably should expect him to not serve as the workhorse he’s been most of the season.

It’s already a tough matchup for Cook and the other Buffalo backs, as New York allows opposing backs to score just 16 fantasy points per week. Buffalo was the most favorable fantasy matchup for RBs coming into the week. Hall is projected for 16 PPR fantasy points, while Cook is at 13. Allen sits at nine and Davis is at three.

I too like Hall the most in this matchup. I think the Jets will try to get him going early under the new-look coaching staff, and this could be the game that gets him going for the rest of the season.

As long as he’s playing and not on a big-time snap restriction, Cook should be a pretty decent fantasy option as always. The matchup isn’t great and the injury is concerning, but he’s involved so much that he could still put up at least average fantasy numbers, especially if he can score just once.

I like Allen after that. In the favorable matchup, he’s not a half bad flex starting option if you are scrambling to fill out your roster. I like Johnson over Davis for the top Buffalo backup, but in the tough matchup, wouldn’t want to start either outside really deep leagues (even if Cook does eventually get ruled out).

Wide Receivers

Top Buffalo wideout Khalil Shakir is questionable for the game, which throws a wrench into the receiver outlook. If he cannot go, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Curtis Samuel will be options in the passing game.

Garrett Wilson leads the Jets, while Allen Lazard and Mike Williams are other options. Xavier Gipson and Malachi Corley haven’t done much this season, but they are worth mentioning after the coaching change this week.

Shakir has 230 yards and two scores on 18 catches and 19 targets across four games played. Coleman has 172 yards and two scores on nine receptions and 16 targets.

Hollins is at 73 yards and a touchdown on six grabs and 17 targets. Samuel has only 48 yards on nine catches and 13 targets, while Valdes-Scantling has 26 yards on two grabs and nine targets.

Wilson is coming off his best game of the season and is up to 292 yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions and 56 targets. 

Lazard has 240 yards and four scores on 20 grabs and 34 targets, while Williams is at 145 yards and no scores on 10 catches and 14 targets. Gipson has 22 yards on three grabs and six targets, and Corley had a four-yard catch on his only target across just two snaps played.

This is a tough matchup night for all wideouts involved, as both teams allow just 25 points per week. Wilson is projected for 13 PPR points, while Lazard and Shakir are at nine each. Coleman and Williams sit at seven points each, while Samuel is at five. 

Wilson is the top fantasy option at receiver in this game. He’s coming off his best showing and should be heavily involved again, which will help offset the tougher matchup.

If Shakir plays, I’d take him here, although I’m already not feeling super confident in him as a fantasy option. The same could be said about Lazard. Both guys are flex options, but in the tougher matchups, I prefer to lean away from starting them if I can.

I’d try Coleman next, but only view him as a starting option in deeper leagues. Williams is behind him, and then Samuel after that. 

Hollins, Gipson, Valdes-Scantling and Corley is how I’d round things out. I’d try to avoid these guys in all leagues if possible.

Tight Ends

Dalton Kincaid is the top Buffalo TE, while Tyler Conklin is the top one for the Jets. Conklin is questionable for the contest.

Kincaid has 166 yards and a touchdown on 15 catches and 24 targets this season. Dawson Knox also plays a good deal of snaps, but has just 30 yards on three grabs and five targets.

Conklin has 181 yards on 17 grabs and 27 targets for the season. Jeremy Ruckert has been the top backup, but has only 25 yards on four catches and seven targets.

The matchup for the Jets’ TEs is average, as Buffalo allows 10 fantasy points per week to the position. New York only allows six fantasy points per week. Kincaid is projected for 10 PPR points, while Conklin is at eight.

As long as Conklin plays, I wouldn’t mind starting either tight end in this contest. I actually like Conklin a touch more than Kincaid, but it’s pretty much a coin flip. If Conklin doesn’t play, I wouldn’t start Ruckert outside really deep leagues.

Kickers

Tyler Bass kicks for the Bills. He’s 8-of-10 on the season on his field goals and 16-of-17 on his extra points. 

Greg Zuerlein does the kicking for the Jets. He’s 6-of-8 on his field goals and made all nine of his extra points. 

Bass is projected for seven points, while Zuerlein sits at six points. I think this should be a fairly low-scoring game, with each kicker getting plenty of chances. I’d be fine starting either guy, but prefer Bass ever so slightly.

Defense/Special Teams

New York has the better defensive stats this season so far. The Jets allow 255.8 yards and 17 points a game. New York has six takeaways and giveaways. 

Buffalo gives up 342.4 yards and 21.2 points per contest. The Bills have nine takeaways and just two giveaways.

Both defenses are projected for seven points. I like the Jets D/ST more, but honestly wouldn’t mind playing either one in this contest. I’d take the Jets over the Bills if I had to make a choice.

Overall Rankings (OP or Flex spot)

1. Josh Allen

2. Breece Hall

3. Garrett Wilson

4. James Cook

5. Aaron Rodgers

6. Khalil Shakir

7. Allen Lazard

8. Tyler Conklin

9. Keon Coleman

10. Dalton Kincaid

11. Mike Williams

12. Braelon Allen

13. Ty Johnson

14. Ray Davis

15. Curtis Samuel

16. Mack Hollins

17. Xavier Gipson

18. Marquez Valdes-Scantling

19. Dawson Knox

20. Malachi Corley

21. Jeremy Ruckert