Latest / Upper Hand Fantasy / 2026 Week 6 Starts and Sits: 19 Calls and the Streamers to Use
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: Week six is here and we're getting to the point of the season where waiver wire pickups start deciding matchups.
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: If you grab Woody Marks, Damian Pierce, or Jeremy Bernard off of waivers this week, you're probably wondering whether they belong in your lineup right away.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: I've got answers on all three, plus a ton of starts, sits, and desperate starts to help you win your matchups this week.
- 0:16SPEAKER_00: Stick around because I've got a rookie running back who you've been starting all year, who I'm sitting this week, plus some streaming quarterbacks and tight ends to help you in a pinch.
- 0:23SPEAKER_00: So that's what we're doing today.
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
- 0:25SPEAKER_00: Now we are starting Jalen Warren against Tampa Bay.
- 0:27SPEAKER_00: I think it's obvious, but it's important to note that I could care less whether Rico Doddle plays or not, he'll be in my lineup.
- 0:33SPEAKER_00: Mike McCarthy basically said so when he called Warren the featured player in the backfield.
- 0:36SPEAKER_00: Since Doddle went down, Warren leads the league in snapshare and rush attempt share.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: He's also second in route participation and fifth in target share with 100% of the two-minute snaps.
- 0:46SPEAKER_00: And get this, he hasn't had a single goal line carry in this span, so the ceiling can get even higher.
- 0:50SPEAKER_00: Tampa's a tough matchup on paper, but they have a secret kryptonite.
- 0:54SPEAKER_00: They're top three in receptions and top ten in receiving yards allowed per game to running backs.
- 0:58SPEAKER_00: Guess who's second among all running backs in receiving yards this year?
- 1:00SPEAKER_00: You don't bench a back playing that well with this kind of volume.
- 1:03SPEAKER_00: He's in my lineup everywhere.
- 1:04SPEAKER_00: I'm starting Braylon Allen against New England.
- 1:06SPEAKER_00: Brees Hall looks like he's gonna miss again, so the door stays wide open for Allen as the Jets workhorse.
- 1:10SPEAKER_00: And I mean workhorse.
- 1:12SPEAKER_00: Over the last two games, he has 92% of the backfield touches, a 72% rap participation, and all the two-minute snaps so far.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: Isaiah Davis has four touches since Brees Hall went down.
- 1:21SPEAKER_00: Braylon has 44.
- 1:23SPEAKER_00: The matchup isn't great, but this is another one of those situations where you know you bank on the volume to take you to the promised land, even if it's the Jets offense we're talking about.
- 1:31SPEAKER_00: He's one of the safest starts of the week off volume alone.
- 1:33SPEAKER_00: Now I want to start Ramondre Stevenson and make sure he's in my lineup if Trevion Henderson is out.
- 1:38SPEAKER_00: Now, apparently Trevion Henderson had a high ankle sprain.
- 1:41SPEAKER_00: He was gonna be out for a few weeks, and now he's practicing, running around, looking good.
- 1:46SPEAKER_00: So I don't really know what's going on, but monitor those practice reports, monitor whether he's gonna play or not.
- 1:51SPEAKER_00: And you know, if he doesn't, Ramondre has to be in your lineup.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: Obviously, Ramondre can still get a little bit more work this week if Henderson is not 100%, but it's worth noting that when Henderson missed week one, Ramondre had an 85% snap share, a 72% carry share, and a 69% rap participation.
- 2:07SPEAKER_00: That's a workhorse plus role.
- 2:09SPEAKER_00: The Jets gave up the eighth most fantasy points and touchdowns to running backs this year, plus the seventh most yards per game.
- 2:15SPEAKER_00: The Patriots are favored by a full touchdown in this game.
- 2:17SPEAKER_00: They have the seventh highest team implied total, so the volume that he can get in this game makes him impossible to leave on your bench.
- 2:22SPEAKER_00: I'm also starting camp Scataboo against the Saints.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: They've given up the most fantasy points, yards, and touchdowns per game to running backs, and they're top three in yards per carry allowed.
- 2:31SPEAKER_00: Now, they face an absolute gauntlet, right?
- 2:32SPEAKER_00: Jameer Gibbs, Derek Henry, B.
- 2:34SPEAKER_00: John Robinson, Ash and Genty, uh, you know, Aaron Jones.
- 2:36SPEAKER_00: But Scatterboo isn't a scrub, and his role is actually very solid despite all the rotating that's happening in the Giants backfield.
- 2:42SPEAKER_00: He's still the primary back.
- 2:44SPEAKER_00: He plays all the two-minute snaps.
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: He's running routes at a top 12 rate among qualifying running backs, and his 93 opportunities ranked top 15 at the position.
- 2:51SPEAKER_00: He's been underperforming on that volume so far, but I think this is where the matchup can change a lot of that.
- 2:55SPEAKER_00: I'm starting Luther Burton against Atlanta.
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: Caleb Williams could be back this week.
- 2:59SPEAKER_00: I think people forget, you know, how weird his first two games were.
- 3:02SPEAKER_00: You know, in one of them, the Bears ran in six touchdowns on the ground, two of them by Caleb.
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: In the other, he didn't finish, and it was played in a monsoon.
- 3:10SPEAKER_00: That's not the norm.
- 3:11SPEAKER_00: Atlanta's top five in points and yards allowed per game to receivers, and schematically, this matchup is perfect for Burton because against single high safety coverage that Atlanta runs at the fourth highest rate, he's averaging 2.4 yards per route run and a 30% rate.
- 3:24SPEAKER_00: And against two high safety coverage, that drops all the way down to 1.38 and 20%.
- 3:28SPEAKER_00: The Bears also have the fifth highest team implied total of the week.
- 3:31SPEAKER_00: After a first five games that left a lot to be desired, this is the spot to start Burden.
- 3:35SPEAKER_00: I'm starting Jordan Love against Dallas for sure.
- 3:37SPEAKER_00: They allow the fifth most points and touchdowns per game to quarterbacks, and somehow this defense is even worse in real life than on paper.
- 3:44SPEAKER_00: They give up the most yards per play, the fifth most points per drive, they allow explosive plays at the third highest rate.
- 3:49SPEAKER_00: They just got hosed by Jalen Daniels, and Love has thrown three touchdowns and zero picks in two career starts against them.
- 3:55SPEAKER_00: Green Bay has the fourth highest team implied total, and the Packers Cowboys game has the highest over-under of the week at 53.5.
- 4:01SPEAKER_00: Vegas is expecting a shootout here, so Love has to be a start.
- 4:04SPEAKER_00: And if I'm desperate, I'm also starting Marshawn Lloyd in the Packers against Dallas.
- 4:07SPEAKER_00: You know, you're staying in that same game here.
- 4:09SPEAKER_00: Lloyd's usage finally looked right last week.
- 4:11SPEAKER_00: It's not perfect, but he was the Packers early down back with Chris Brooks on IR, Pierre Strong handling passing downs, and he punched in two touchdowns.
- 4:18SPEAKER_00: Everything I just said about the Cowboys defense applies here too.
- 4:21SPEAKER_00: The most yards per play allowed, the third highest explosive play rate in the highest total game of the week.
- 4:26SPEAKER_00: Green Bay's offense looks like it's figured some things out after a slow start, and Lloyd's the one getting the early down work.
- 4:32SPEAKER_00: In a matchup this good, I think he's a solid desperate flex.
- 4:35SPEAKER_00: Another desperate start is Woody Marks against Jacksonville.
- 4:37SPEAKER_00: You're probably excited to start him after picking him up, and I get it.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: The usage last week was excellent.
- 4:41SPEAKER_00: Now, once Monty left the game, Marks handled 100% of the backfield opportunities.
- 4:45SPEAKER_00: He ran about on 75% of the dropbacks.
- 4:48SPEAKER_00: The matchup isn't awesome overall, and it could be a little bit of tough sledding on the ground, but there's a sneaky receiving angle here.
- 4:54SPEAKER_00: The Jags allowed the second most receptions and the fifth most receiving yards to running backs this season.
- 4:59SPEAKER_00: So if he racks up volume through the air, which is kind of his bread and butter, he can come through.
- 5:03SPEAKER_00: It's hard to bench him even with the matchup.
- 5:05SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about Dallas Goddard versus Carolina.
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: I do want to start him.
- 5:08SPEAKER_00: Obviously, no Jalen Hurts this week.
- 5:09SPEAKER_00: Tanner McKee is going to be the guy.
- 5:11SPEAKER_00: You know, one thing you can maybe hang your hand on is that he'll throw the ball more.
- 5:15SPEAKER_00: Two games so far in his career, 255 yards passing on average.
- 5:19SPEAKER_00: Devontae Smith still isn't practicing as of Thursday.
- 5:22SPEAKER_00: Goddard's getting peppered when he's on the field, right?
- 5:24SPEAKER_00: 25% target share in his two full games this season.
- 5:27SPEAKER_00: And he didn't really play his full-time role in his first game back last week.
- 5:30SPEAKER_00: Carolina is a good matchup, too.
- 5:31SPEAKER_00: They're giving the sixth most yards and third most touchdowns.
- 5:34SPEAKER_00: Obviously, paying attention to Smitty's status this week, but I think I'm going to play Goddard regardless.
- 5:38SPEAKER_00: He might be their number one receiver.
- 5:40SPEAKER_00: Another desperate start is Damian Pierce versus Carolina.
- 5:42SPEAKER_00: You just picked him up off waivers, hoping that Saquon might not play.
- 5:45SPEAKER_00: And as of Thursday's practice, still not practicing.
- 5:48SPEAKER_00: So, you know, whether Philly elevates or signs anyone this week, we'll see.
- 5:52SPEAKER_00: But if Saquon's out, Pierce is in a great spot.
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: Without Shipley last week, he played 78% of the snaps.
- 5:58SPEAKER_00: He took 100% of the opportunities in the Eagles backfield.
- 6:00SPEAKER_00: That's not going to happen this week because we might see someone like Jaden Blue get elevated, take on that passing down roll.
- 6:06SPEAKER_00: But the early down roll should belong to Pierce.
- 6:08SPEAKER_00: Carolina allows the most yards per carry, the fourth most points per game, the third most touchdowns to running backs.
- 6:13SPEAKER_00: If Saquon's ruled out, Pierce can capitalize as a maybe, you know, low-end RB2 start in an excellent matchup.
- 6:19SPEAKER_00: Now we got a desperate wide receiver start for you.
- 6:21SPEAKER_00: That's Jeremy Bernard against Tampa Bay.
- 6:23SPEAKER_00: It's not an awesome matchup overall or schematically, but I can't sit him with the usage that he's seen with Michael Pittman out.
- 6:29SPEAKER_00: Last week, Bernard led the Steelers with a 29% target share on a career high, 94% rap participation.
- 6:34SPEAKER_00: And Aaron Rodgers, trust him.
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: He's been talking him up.
- 6:37SPEAKER_00: By the way, the usage last week wasn't a one-off.
- 6:39SPEAKER_00: The other time Pittman missed the game back in week two, Bernard had a near full-time role, 22% target share, and that was his second game of his career.
- 6:45SPEAKER_00: So, you know, this is one of those matchup-proof workloads, potentially.
- 6:49SPEAKER_00: If you took away the name and looked only at the usage, you wouldn't think twice about putting him in your lineup.
- 6:53SPEAKER_00: But someone who I am thinking twice about putting him in lineup is Emeka Igbuka.
- 6:56SPEAKER_00: I think I'm sitting him this week against Pittsburgh.
- 6:58SPEAKER_00: Igbuka was sitting at just a 20% target share through four weeks before his outlier, 39% target share against Dallas.
- 7:05SPEAKER_00: Remember, this offense is being run by an undrafted rookie quarterback right now.
- 7:09SPEAKER_00: It's just a tough ask against the Steelers defense.
- 7:11SPEAKER_00: That's bottom 10 in points per game allowed to receivers, especially with Tampa at the fourth lowest implied team total on the slate.
- 7:18SPEAKER_00: So I'm waiting for Baker to come back before I trust Igbuka as anything more than a PPR flex.
- 7:22SPEAKER_00: I might be sitting Jeremiah Love this week, assuming that he plays, he didn't practice on Thursday.
- 7:27SPEAKER_00: But you know, I hate sitting a rookie like Jeremiah Love as much as the next guy, but the Rams are a really tough matchup.
- 7:32SPEAKER_00: After his promising week three, when he had all the work, the usage has dried up, and obviously he's dealing with that ankle injury.
- 7:37SPEAKER_00: So he's running fewer rounds than ever.
- 7:38SPEAKER_00: Tyler Algier was the only one with the goal line carry over the last couple games.
- 7:42SPEAKER_00: So, you know, Love is basically just an early down back right now.
- 7:45SPEAKER_00: And with the Cardinals 12 and a half point underdogs, the game script could work against him in this one, with Tyler Algier being the primary passing down back.
- 7:51SPEAKER_00: The Rams have allowed the eighth fewest touchdowns to running backs this season.
- 7:54SPEAKER_00: Just an awkward spot with a backdrafted third overall.
- 7:57SPEAKER_00: But if you have a better option, I'd sit Love this week.
- 8:00SPEAKER_00: If you need some tight end help, I'm starting Tyler Higbee against Arizona.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: On the other side of this game that I just talked about, Higbee's walking into a great matchup.
- 8:06SPEAKER_00: The Cardinals give up the third most points and yards per game to tight ends, plus the fifth most touchdowns.
- 8:11SPEAKER_00: He's also way better against two high safety coverage, which Arizona runs at the second highest rate in the league.
- 8:16SPEAKER_00: He's also had three top 12 finishes over these last three weeks.
- 8:19SPEAKER_00: Ferguson's still going to be out.
- 8:20SPEAKER_00: The Rams have the highest implied team total of the week at 32 and a half, and it's not even close.
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: Higby's one of Stafford's favorite targets right now.
- 8:26SPEAKER_00: I think we can continue to use him at least until Terrence Ferguson's back.
- 8:29SPEAKER_00: If you're looking for a quarterback who's definitely on your waiver wire, is Michael Penis.
- 8:33SPEAKER_00: He's a desperate start for me against Chicago.
- 8:35SPEAKER_00: First thing, you know, make sure Pennox is good to go, right?
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: Obviously.
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: I think he will be.
- 8:38SPEAKER_00: But if he is, the overall matchup is just okay, but schematically it's elite for Pennox.
- 8:43SPEAKER_00: Pennox is dog walking the rest of the league in yards per attempt against single high coverage and man coverage.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: He's first by a mile among all quarterbacks against both, and Chicago runs both at a top five rate.
- 8:53SPEAKER_00: The Falcons' offense has been moving way differently since he came in, too.
- 8:56SPEAKER_00: They rank number one in yards per play, number one in explosive pass play rate, and number one in EPA per play.
- 9:02SPEAKER_00: In a game with the fifth highest over-under of the week, I think you can start him for a solid floor and a ton of upside.
- 9:07SPEAKER_00: I think I'm going to be sitting Jake Ferguson this week against Green Bay, even though there's a lot of scoring to be had there.
- 9:12SPEAKER_00: If you have another option, the Packers have been stingy against tight ends this year.
- 9:16SPEAKER_00: The bottom 10 in yards allowed per game, only one tight end has scored more than eight points against them.
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: That was TJ Hawkinson in week one.
- 9:22SPEAKER_00: Ferguson's fourth on his own team in targets here at just 12%.
- 9:25SPEAKER_00: That's behind Lamb, Pickens, and Fleurinois.
- 9:27SPEAKER_00: In 19 career games with Pickens and Lamb both in the field, he's averaging just nine points per game.
- 9:31SPEAKER_00: And in the three games this year where he didn't score, he put up fewer than five points.
- 9:35SPEAKER_00: You're basically starting him and praying for a touchdown.
- 9:37SPEAKER_00: So I'd pass.
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: If you're looking for a desperate wide receiver or flex, you can look at Keenan Allen against Tennessee.
- 9:42SPEAKER_00: He's earning targets every time he's on the field, man.
- 9:44SPEAKER_00: I hate it, but it's it's true.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: Like he has the eighth highest target rate in the league among qualifying wide receivers.
- 9:49SPEAKER_00: Tennessee is top 10 in fantasy points and yards per game allowed to receivers.
- 9:53SPEAKER_00: Schematically, it's also a great fit because Allen averages a 32% target rate against too high safety coverage, uh, you know, compared to just 22% against single high coverage.
- 10:03SPEAKER_00: And the Titans, they've run too high at the fifth highest rate.
- 10:05SPEAKER_00: The Colts also have the sixth highest implied team total of the week.
- 10:08SPEAKER_00: Josh Downs has been struggling these past couple weeks.
- 10:10SPEAKER_00: I would start him and kind of hope for the best, but Allen could be the one who comes through in this matchup.
- 10:16SPEAKER_00: I want to start Denzel Boston against Baltimore.
- 10:18SPEAKER_00: I I can't tell whether this is a desperate start or a regular start.
- 10:21SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna call him a regular start here.
- 10:23SPEAKER_00: Casey Concepcion, you know, we'll see if he's gonna play through that concussion.
- 10:27SPEAKER_00: He's practicing in a limited basis.
- 10:28SPEAKER_00: We'll see if he gets to, you know, go through the concussion protocol and play.
- 10:31SPEAKER_00: But if Concepcion's out, Boston's a great desperate play.
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: The Ravens allow the seventh most points per game, the fourth most receiving yards to wide receivers.
- 10:38SPEAKER_00: They give up the sixth most points on the left perimeter, which is exactly where Boston runs most of his routes.
- 10:43SPEAKER_00: Uh the coverage split is also wild because against two high safety coverage, which Baltimore runs at the third highest rate this year, Boston's averaging four yards per route run and a 22% target rate.
- 10:52SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I said four yards per route run.
- 10:53SPEAKER_00: That's insane.
- 10:54SPEAKER_00: Against single high, though, that drops from four yards per route run to 0.62.
- 10:59SPEAKER_00: And the target rate goes from 22% to 13%.
- 11:02SPEAKER_00: So again, great schematic matchup.
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: Cleveland's a four and a half point underdog in this one.
- 11:06SPEAKER_00: Top receivers have gotten it done against the Ravens every week.
- 11:09SPEAKER_00: I'm fine starting him.
- 11:10SPEAKER_00: And one desperate starter wide receiver's trade tucker against Buffalo.
- 11:13SPEAKER_00: He's been giving you a decent floor, nothing too crazy.
- 11:15SPEAKER_00: The usage isn't horrible on an offense that's missing target competition outside of Brock Bowers.
- 11:20SPEAKER_00: 17% target share for him, you know, for the year so far.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: But, you know, I think it's a great overall matchup.
- 11:25SPEAKER_00: Buffalo allows the most fantasy points, the third most yards, and the second most touchdowns per game to receivers, believe it or not.
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: They also give up the fourth most points per game to outside receivers, where Tucker runs most of his routes from.
- 11:35SPEAKER_00: And he's been productive against the too high coverage that Buffalo runs at the eighth highest rate.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: If the Raiders have to throw a bunch again in a negative game script, like last week, he could be on the end of a deep touchdown.
- 11:45SPEAKER_00: All right, let's knock out some of these streaming quarterbacks and tight ends real quick.
- 11:48SPEAKER_00: Kirk Cousins against Buffalo.
- 11:50SPEAKER_00: He's a streamer that I, you know, I talked about at the top.
- 11:52SPEAKER_00: He's third in touchdowns per game among quarterbacks this season.
- 11:55SPEAKER_00: He's currently the QB 11 in points per game, and the matchup's pretty good, man.
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: I just mentioned, right?
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: Buffalo, top three in points, yards, and touchdowns allowed per game to quarterbacks this season.
- 12:02SPEAKER_00: Uh the Raiders have the ninth highest team implied total as well.
- 12:06SPEAKER_00: This game has the second highest over-under of the week, right?
- 12:08SPEAKER_00: So this is the type of game that you want to target players in.
- 12:12SPEAKER_00: He's not someone I'm dying to start, but he's a worthwhile option over underperforming quarterbacks that you might have.
- 12:17SPEAKER_00: I think Tyler Huntley is another desperate start, uh, obviously way more desperate than any of these other options, but obviously we have to pay attention to Lamar Jackson's status.
- 12:25SPEAKER_00: If he doesn't play, um, I think if he doesn't, then Huntley's in a good spot here because the matchup's good overall and it's much better schematically.
- 12:31SPEAKER_00: Huntley, you know, in this game, you know, he's been a lot better against single high and man coverage.
- 12:36SPEAKER_00: Cleveland runs both at this highest rate in the league, and he's also using his legs too.
- 12:39SPEAKER_00: 9% design rush rate.
- 12:41SPEAKER_00: He took one of the goal line carries as starter in week five.
- 12:44SPEAKER_00: Um, that, you know, he might have a little bit of a rushing floor here.
- 12:46SPEAKER_00: So it could be a nice streamer if Lamar sits.
- 12:48SPEAKER_00: A tight end streamer that you might want, and he might still be available on waivers is Pat Frymouth against Tampa Bay.
- 12:53SPEAKER_00: The Steelers are still gonna air it out regardless, like even without Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson, and you know, Frida Muth's a route participation jumped to 78% and 79% over these last two games.
- 13:02SPEAKER_00: He's been the overall tight and four.
- 13:04SPEAKER_00: Tampa is top eight in points, yards, and touchdowns allowed per game to tight ends.
- 13:08SPEAKER_00: He's not as good against single high as he is against two high, so it's not a perfect schematic matchup, but I think he's a solid pivot if you need one.
- 13:14SPEAKER_00: Some of the most upside this week, but super risky.
- 13:17SPEAKER_00: Desperate start, Dalton Kincaid against Las Vegas, man.
- 13:20SPEAKER_00: I hate that it's come to this, but Kincaid's targets have completely fallen off a cliff after he was on fire through the first three games.
- 13:26SPEAKER_00: It's not really a playing time issue.
- 13:28SPEAKER_00: He's, you know, he hit a two-year high in route participation at 82% last week.
- 13:32SPEAKER_00: The matchup's great though.
- 13:33SPEAKER_00: Vegas allows the fourth most points, the second most touchdowns to tight ends, and the Bills have the second highest implied team total of the week.
- 13:40SPEAKER_00: So this is a complete dart throw with a very low floor.
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: But if you want upside, I just can't give up on him just yet.
- 13:46SPEAKER_00: So that's everything for week six.
- 13:47SPEAKER_00: Keep an eye on the injury report through Sunday because a lot of these guys are dependent on some injuries.
- 13:51SPEAKER_00: But if this helped you, please hit the subscribe button whether you're watching on YouTube or listening on the podcast.
- 13:56SPEAKER_00: It helps us so much.
- 13:57SPEAKER_00: Good luck this week.
- 13:58SPEAKER_00: I'll hope to see you in the next one.