Every year new narratives begin that define a season, with many diehard fans feeling like they know the outcome for their favorite teams before the first snap. Yet, year after year, the season never goes according to plan or expectations. For example, the Washington Commanders, with a new coach and rookie QB, look like one of the best teams in the league. Additionally, the Sam Darnold-lead Vikings simply keep winning and currently show no signs of slowing down. In fantasy, things go awry as well, and many fantasy seasons never go according to plan. However, if you're reading this, it means you still feel like you have hope for your team and all is not lost. Some people may have already given up, but a lot can change between now and the end of the year. Heading into Week 6, let's give you a couple names you can be confident in starting and some you should be weary of. 

Starts

QB- Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (49ers)

I thought Seattle QB Geno Smith would just be a streamer with good matchups. Apparently, so did most people, with him being currently available in nearly half of fantasy leagues. What may come as a surprise is that after a slow start in Week 1, Geno has been putting up big numbers. He’s averaged 324 yards per game over his last four games, and while his touchdowns are not going to pop out, has thrown at least one in each contest. He’s also been a surprising threat on the ground with 146 rushing yards. In Week 6, he’s got a fun divisional matchup at home against a 49ers defense that’s not exactly shutting down quarterbacks. If you're in need of a QB, Geno is the man.

RB- Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (Det)

Before the 2024 season began, this was a backfield I wanted nothing to do with. Veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott was brought back to be the starter, but other than that I couldn't find much to like. Now it looks like it’s the Rico Dowdle show in Dallas. Going up against Pittsburgh (who just happens to be the number one rushing defense in fantasy) last week, Rico got all the touches. He ended up with 20 carries for 87 yards, 2 catches for 27 yards, and a TD, while fellow RB Zeke only had 6 touches for 17 yards. Those numbers alone make Dowdle a very hot commodity in this week's waiver wire. He does have a tough matchup against Detroit in Week 6 but the touches will be there, and he is currently getting the majority of playing time in this Cowboys backfield. Start him with confidence.

WR- Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (@Car)

Overall, this week was a big step in the right direction for TEs, as across the board it seems like everyone had at least a mediocre performance. Jets TE Tyler Conklin is the one I would go after though. With 50 plus yards in two of his last three games, QB Aaron Rodgers seems to have found a new target. Additionally, Rodgers has zeroed in on Conklin 23 times over the last three weeks, making him a must-start. While Conklin has yet to score a TD, the involvement alone has him as a top-15 fantasy option. He could also sneakily finish in the top-10 at the position, especially if the scores come.  Conklin's currently available in over 60% of leagues, so go grab and start him while he's hot.

Defense - Houston Texans (@NE)

Matchups, lady’s and gentlemen, is how you stream defenses, and this is arguably the best of the week.  Available in 80% of leagues, the Texans play a downright awful Patriots offense. Additionally, Houston's defense has been solid overall, and they are coming off a game where they held the Buffalo Bills to just 20 points. Also, even though they haven't forced many turnovers, the sacks have been there with 15. While Houston's defense has been good, this game is more about how easy it should be to stop a very bad New England offense. Averaging just 12.4 points and 119 yards passing to go along with 130 rushing yards per game, it looks like the Patriots are playing 1970s smash mouth style football. While that strategy may have worked back then, these days it won't be nearly enough to keep up with the high-octane Houston offense.  As a result, the Texans defense will be a top-10 play in Week 6.

Sits

QB- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers ( @Sea)

I’ve talked about it before, but there are some QBs that are better in real life then in fantasy, and San Fran QB Brock Purdy is one of those guys. With back-to-back sub-par performances against some pretty mediocre defenses, Purdy has scored less than 15 fantasy points in 4 of 5 games. Making matters worse, he has 6 turnovers and only 1 game where he's thrown for multiple TDs. Additionally, Purdy doesn't have a great matchup this week, as the 49ers head into Seattle to play a defense that is allowing just 183 passing yards a game. While he might win a lot of games in real life, for fantasy purposes Purdy is best left on the bench in Week 6.

RB- Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders (@Bal)

The Washington offense has been awesome to watch, and RB Brian Robinson Jr is having a career year. Interestingly enough, Robinson has 5 TDs through five games, but if I dig deeper I'm going to recommend keeping him on the bench. Last week against a middle of the pack run defense, he had 2 rushing TDs but just 18 yards on 7 carries. Also, heading into Week 6, he’s going up against the number one rush defense in the league, as the Ravens are allowing an average of just 60 yards on the ground. The Commanders will have to keep up with the Ravens offense through the air, so I just don’t see B-Rob getting more than 8-10 touches. Find a replacement.

WR - Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (@Ten)

This offseason, the hype surrounding the offense of the Indianapolis Colts was real with QB Anthony Richardson and WR Michael Pittman supposedly forming a dynamic duo. While they haven't been bad, they also haven't been that good.  Pittman has seen 5+ targets every game, so he’s heavily involved, but oddly isn't putting up any other WR1 type numbers. Case in point: Pittman has had under 40 yards in 4 of 5 games and has just 1 TD, which he got with Joe Flacco at the helm in Week 5. To that end, he's too up-and-down to help any fantasy roster. To make things worse, the Colts play the Titans, who have allowed an astonishingly low 124 passing yards a game. I know you drafted Pittman high, but find a better wide-out for Week 6.

TE- Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (Wsh)

For the first time this year, I was actually having trouble finding a guy to bench for TEs, as there are a lot of poor performers with a high target share. So I chose the guy who once again had a big game and is going to have some hype. Ravens TE Isaiah Likely had a 2 TD performance this week after having just 2 catches in his previous two games combined. While I know some people will play him because of TDs, I beg you to stay away from TEs in this Baltimore offense, as he’s just too TD dependent to trust. Over the last 4 weeks, Likely has 7 catches for 69 yards and 2 TDs (from last Sunday). Those are starting numbers, but it's tough to depend on a TE averaging less than 20 yards a game over a 4-week span. Don’t let the touchdowns fool you, keep him on the bench. 

Defense - New York Jets (Buf)

Once again, when it comes to defenses, the smart move is to utilize the matchups. Speaking of, if you have the Jets in fantasy you have most likely been quite happy. With 17 or fewer points allowed in four straight games, they've also allowed the second fewest yards per game. However, those numbers do come with a small grain of salt, as the offenses they have played during that span are the Titans, the Patriots (who I mentioned earlier have a terrible offense), The Broncos (with a rookie QB), and then the Vikings in London. In Week 6 they have a much tougher matchup against a Bills offense averaging 28 points per game. The Jets have been great, but be smart and bench them for Week 6.