Week 6 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Wide Receivers
Wondering who to start and sit at quarterback this week? Below are two top-notch start and two sit options at the quarterback position for Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 5 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- WR Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Atlanta Falcons – 11.2 fantasy points (WR24)
- WR Robert Woods (Tennessee Titans) @ Washington Football Team – 3.2 fantasy points (WR72)
- WR Kyle Philips (Tennessee Titans) @ Washington Football Team – 5.8 fantasy points (WR54)
Sits
- WR D.J. Moore (Carolina Panthers) vs. San Francisco 49ers – 15.9 fantasy points (WR12)
Wide Receiver – Starts
D.K. Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Seattle Seahawks opened as +2.5-point home underdogs to the Arizona Cardinals this week at MGM Grand, with the second-highest over/under, 51.0 points. The game has all the makings of a surefire shootout, as both defenses are top-12 in passing yards allowed, explosive pass play rate allowed, and passing expected points added (EPA) per play allowed. Both teams' ability to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks falls between Nos. 15-21 overall.
| Defensive Performance | Passing Yards Allowed per Game | Explosive Pass Play Rate Allowed | Passing EPA per Play Allowed | Quarterback Pressure Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 248.2 | 10.40% | 0.177 | 21.50% |
| Seattle Seahawks | 255.4 | 9.40% | 0.291 | 19.30% |
Among NFL wide receivers with at least 30 targets, Metcalf ranks eighth in the league in target share (28.4%), fourth in end zone target share (63.6%), seventh in targets per route run (27.0%), and ninth in yards per route run (2.31). Seattle’s 10.4% explosive pass plays generated ranks No. 1 overall, by a margin of 0.4%.
Khalil Shakir (Buffalo Bills) @ Kansas City Chiefs
The NFL’s two best offenses, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs unsurprisingly earned Week 6’s highest over/under, 54.0 points.
Last week, rookie wide receiver Khalil Shakir started in place of slot wide receiver tandem Jamison Crowder (broken ankle, Injured Reserve) and Isaiah McKenzie (concussion). It is unclear as to whether McKenzie will suit up this week but Buffalo had been using Crowder and McKenzie in complementary roles, with Crowder heading downfield and McKenzie working the short game. With Shakir’s explosive Week 5 performance (three receptions, 75 yards, and one touchdown on five targets), there is no reason to think Shakir will not assume Crowder’s role.
| Buffalo Bills Slot Wide Receivers | Route Participation Rate | Average Depth of Target | Targets per Route Run Rate | Yards per Route Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah McKenzie | 53.90% | 6.6 | 20.00% | 1.49 |
| Jamison Crowder | 27.20% | 9.3 | 18.00% | 0.85 |
| Khalil Shakir (Week 5) | 71.80% | 16.6 | 18.00% | 2.68 |
Shakir’s speed unlocked a true field-stretching slot role for Buffalo and his yards per route run efficiency dwarfed that of both men.
Kansas City is allowing 256.0 passing yards per game, the eighth most in the NFL.
Darius Slayton (New York Giants) @ Baltimore Ravens
After woefully underutilizing their talented Z-wide receiver Darius Slayton over the first four weeks, the New York Giants finally incorporated him into the game plan in Week 5. Slayton had the second highest route participation rate, 67.7%, and earned team-highs in both targets per route run rate, 33.0%, and yards per route run 3.76. The former number ranked top-eight and top-three in the league respectively, among all NFL players with at least seven Week-6 targets.
With the status of Kadarius Toney (hamstrings) and Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) totally up in the air, Slayton has a chance to once again lead the team in targets against the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL’s most passing-game-friendly defense through five weeks. Baltimore is allowing 289.4 passing yards per game, the most in the NFL.
*Full WR Rankings can be found here.
Wide Receivers – Sits
Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders) @ Chicago Bears
The Washington Commanders opened as +1.0-point road underdogs against the Chicago Bears. The game’s 38.0-point over/under is the lowest game total on the week by a margin of 2.5. Chicago’s defense has played better than expected but their offense has been a 17.2-points-per-game clunker. The latter average is tied for fifth lowest this year, which keeps opponents from feeling the need to push the pace. Per RotoViz’s NFL Pace App, Chicago opponents are averaging just 34 pass plays per game, tied for seventh fewest in the league. Chicago’s 53.2 offensive plays per game rank dead last in the NFL.
Chicago’s defense is one of the ten best teams in quarterback pressure rate generated (24.0%), passing yards allowed per game (197.6), and explosive pass play rate allowed (7.4%).
X-wide receiver Terry McLaurin is no longer Washington’s unquestioned top option in the passing game.
| Washington Commanders Pass Catchers | Target Share - End Zone Target Share |
|---|---|
| Curtis Samuel | 21.7% - 10.0% |
| Terry McLaurin | 15.9% - 20.0% |
| J.D. McKissic | 15.5% - 10.0% |
| Jahan Dotson | 14.0% - 44.4% |
Washington quarterback Carson Wentz ranks top-12 in passing yards per game (278.0) and touchdown rate (4.7%), but also ranks T-27th in interception rate (2.8%) and 32nd in sack rate (8.2%), and offers shaky stability for a borderline-No. 2 passing game option.
