The New England Patriots (3-2) will visit the New Orleans Saints (1-4) in Week 6. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, specifically regarding WR Stefon Diggs.
Is Stefon Diggs Playing in Week 6?
Diggs is not on the injury report and barring a surprise, he is expected to play.
We’ll continue to monitor the Patriots’ injury report leading up to kickoff for any changes. You can also visit and bookmark our Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Stefon Diggs in Week 6?
Fountain of Youth?
Full ACL recovery?
Random blip?
Depending on the lens you look through, Stefon Diggs could be labeled as anything from a must-trade-away player to a future league winner.
In Weeks 1-3, there were 61 receivers who averaged more yards per route than the veteran, but over the past two weeks, he’s blown away the field with 247 yards on 41 routes (6.02 yards per route, nearly quadruple the positional average over that stretch).
It should be clear that the true projection moving forward is somewhere between peak Calvin Johnson and the 62nd best receiver in today’s game. We expect this New England offense to continue to grow as Drake Maye develops, and that has me optimistic about Diggs’ potential to return startable numbers moving forward.
Upward trajectory alone isn’t enough to lock in a player, so let’s look under the hood a bit:
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Weeks 2-3: 5.8 aDOT with 55.4% slot share
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Weeks 4-5: 10.3 aDOT with 40.4% slot share
And this is where the interesting discussion comes in. If you’re buying Diggs as fully recovered, that profile is what you want. Maye has the ability to extend plays and thus allow an experienced player like Diggs to find holes down the field.
If you think this is a nice spurt, but that a receiver past his prime off of an ACL is going to have an issue winning vertically, then we have a problem. Over the past two weeks, the Patriots are telling us that they are in the former camp, asking their WR1 to forgo the easy button targets in favor for more field-tilting looks.
To my eye, Diggs looks fluid, and that has me singing an optimistic tune. For now. I don’t think a matchup with the Saints will teach us much, and that could well be the case next week in Tennessee too. Regardless of what side of the coin you fall on, holding is the play.
With these two favorable matchups, you stand to have an asset that gains value in the short term. A late bye is a pain (Week 14), and a Week 17 trip to Gotham to face the Jets isn’t optimal, but the schedule is otherwise advantageous.
If you’re going to sell, you wait. If you’re sold, you’re riding this bus to the finish line. Either way, you’re playing him this weekend (I have him ranked over Jameson Williams, Calvin Ridley, and Ladd McConkey for Week 6).
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Cheat Sheet.
Diggs’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 6
Diggs is projected to score 13.7 fantasy points in PPR formats.
We project Diggs to have 5 receptions for 59 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. Diggs could also add 0 rushing yards.
Check out the free PFSN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Week 6 Weather Impact: Patriots at Saints
Since the Saints play in a dome, there is no weather impact for this Week 6 matchup. Temperatures will be a comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit with no wind.
