The 2023 NFL season continues to give us a handful of fantasy football surprises on a weekly basis. Need proof? In PPR formats, did you know Puka Nacua, DJ Moore, and Adam Thielen are all top-10 fantasy WRs through the first five games of the season?
Let’s take a closer look at some of my surprise start and sit candidates for Week 6 of NFL action.
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Start ‘Em Picks for Week 6
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields has bounced back in a very big way over the last two weeks. He has thrown for 617 yards and eight TD passes combined over this two-game stretch, which also includes an additional 82 yards rushing.
The gaudy rushing numbers haven’t been there like last season, but his jump in passing production certainly bodes well for his fantasy outlook for the remainder of the 2023 season.
He draws another favorable matchup in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings. Start him with confidence.
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams has been running a bit hot and cold over the last three weeks but still dominated the touches out of this backfield while battling through a hip injury against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game against the Eagles saw Matthew Stafford throw the ball all over the yard to avoid the stingy unit up front for Philadelphia.
Expect a bit more success on the ground against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6.
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
When you enter the fourth game of your NFL career averaging 11 yards per carry on 27 totes and somehow manage to improve upon that number… you know you are a part of something we’ve really never seen before.
Achane has rushed for 455 yards and five scores on just 37 carries over the past three weeks.
The Dolphins could have another favorable game script for Achane against the Carolina Panthers and should be a safe bet to see more than 10 total touches for a fourth consecutive week.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco has clearly emerged as the leading man from this Kansas City Chiefs backfield.
MORE:Â Fantasy/NFL News Tracker
For a second consecutive week, no other running back has seen more than three carries. Clyde Edwards-Helaire hasn’t done much with this carries, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry in his limited work.
Pacheco has found the end zone in three straight games and faces a Denver Broncos defense that has allowed a mind-blowing 187 yards rushing per game this season. Expect another busy and productive day at the office for Pacheco in Week 6.
DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
I’m not sure it is really possible to sit DJ Moore after 230 yards and three touchdowns against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
Last week wasn’t his only big game of the season. He topped the 100-yard mark against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Broncos earlier this year and has found the end zone in three straight games.
Moore is flirting with must-start territory and feels like a great play against the Vikings’ secondary in Week 6.
Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
Adam Thielen may not be the trendiest name in fantasy football. The Carolina Panthers may be one of the least entertaining offenses to watch in the league.
However, if Thielen continues to see a minimum of eight targets a week and the Panthers keep facing multiple score deficit game scripts on a weekly basis, then Thielen feels like a reliable WR2 for fantasy football in 2023.
Thielen has two games this season where he has caught 11 passes for 100+ yards and a score this season.
In Week 6, they face the Dolphins, who should put them in another favorable game script for Thielen.
My one concern would be Thielen’s ability to consistently separate against Xavien Howard, but the volume should be there again in Week 6 to make Thielen a quality starting option at the WR position.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This pick comes with a bit of an asterisk. If Mike Evans is available for this game against the Lions, Chris Godwin moves more into the low-end WR2 range.
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If Evans misses the game due to a hamstring injury, then Godwin immediately jumps into my top 15 this week.
Once Evans sustained a hamstring injury in Week 4, Godwin capitalized on his season-high 11 targets by producing eight catches for 114 yards.
The Detroit Lions offense is coming off of a great performance against the Panthers and should find some success against this Bucs secondary, which means the Bucs should have to rely heavily on Godwin if Evans can’t go.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for Logan Thomas in 2023.
His touchdown reception back in Week 2 came on the same play he sustained a concussion, which caused him to miss the next game.
Then after a modest day of production in Week 4, Thomas exploded for seven receptions for 77 yards and a score against the Bears last Thursday. This week he is set to face off against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed an average of 13 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends this season.
Sit ‘Em Options
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
The fact that we are calling a 249-yard performance with a score and no interceptions a disappointing day at the office for a rookie quarterback making his fifth NFL start tells us just how well C.J. Stroud has played through the first month of the season.
Stroud’s streak of throwing multiple touchdown passes in a game may have ended, but his streak of not throwing an interception through his first 186 pass attempts stays intact for another week.
Unfortunately, he is set to face off his toughest tests to date in his NFL career when he takes on the New Orleans Saints this week.
The Saints’ defense just shut out the New England Patriots in their own building. In particular, the passing defense helped Mac Jones get benched for a second consecutive week after throwing for just 110 yards with two interceptions through the first three quarters.
If the Saints plays at this type of level, Stroud’s fantasy ceiling feels a bit lower than normal in Week 6.
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
I know how tough this is going to be for those who finally got a monster game from Breece Hall, but the right play is likely to send him to your fantasy bench this week.
The Eagles have been very strong against opposing rushing attacks, and this talented group up front could make life much tougher for quarterback Zach Wilson in passing situations.
Hall certainly has an intriguing fantasy outlook once he returns from the bye week with games against the Giants, Chargers, and Raiders but just beware of the potential risk of starting him against Philly in Week 6.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
Despite logging a full practice on Friday, Williams was inactive for their matchup against the Jets in Week 5, which opened the door for Jaleel McLaughlin to see an expanded role for a second straight week.
MORE: NFL Bye Weeks Schedule 2023
Unfortunately for Williams shareholders, McLaughlin looked great and was highly efficient with his 12 touches.
He produced 89 total yards and a receiving touchdown. To make matters worse, Samaje Perine had a very good day as a pass catcher in his own right, registering 73 yards on four receptions but struggled on the ground in comparison to McLaughlin.
The point is, if Williams is available for the matchup against the Chiefs, can we really feel confident that he will see the most work out of this backfield? Can we confidently say he will see the most snaps? Heck, can we confidently say he is the best option out of this backfield right now?
When you combine these questions with a matchup against a Chiefs defense that has given up an average of just 13.2 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs, then I would much rather go a different direction this week at the running back position.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
The target share continues to be concerning for Terry McLaurin, who has only led his own team in targets in two of the first five games this season.
Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is spreading the ball around quite a bit, which has included bigger roles for Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas than we originally anticipated heading into the season.
If these trends continue, McLaurin feels more like a boom or bust WR3 than the rock solid WR2 than we’ve become accustomed to in the past.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons passing offense showed signs of life in Week 5. Desmond Ridder posted the first 300-yard passing game of his career, which helped Drake London register season highs in the targets (9), receptions (6), and yards (78) statistical categories.
The real question is… do we see this trend continuing? On paper, London has a great matchup against a Commanders’ secondary that has been gouged by DJ Moore, A.J. Brown, and Stefon Diggs in the last three games.
My concerns with drawing those parallels are all three of those receivers are a bit twitchier and produce a lot of yards after the catch (YAC) — all three rank inside in the top-15 for YAC this season — which really isn’t London’s biggest strength.
Does London possess the talent to give this Commanders secondary issues in Week 6? Absolutely. Do we feel confident Ridder can build off of his performance against the Texans? That is where I am a bit skeptical.
I’m going to lean towards this potentially being an outlier performance from Ridder until I see more consistency from him under center.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers pass-catching trio of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk are all taking turns having monster fantasy performances in 2023.
Last week, Kittle went off for three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. The week before that, Aiyuk caught six passes for 148 yards. The week before that, it was Samuel who went for 129 yards and a score. Do you see the point I’m trying to make here?
This week, in particular, may be tricky for all three gifted playmakers when they face off against a Cleveland Browns defense who have given up just 10.8 fantasy points per game (PPG) to opposing WRs (which ranks 1st), and 5.7 fantasy PPG to opposing TEs (tied for 5th).
Given the very tough matchup and volatile nature of these pass catchers, Kittle may be worth considering fading this week if you have other quality options.
