Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly start/sit advice all season long. We will be making our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings. Here are the wide receiver starts and sits from senior writer Tristan Cook.
One thing to keep in mind when making your start/sit decisions; it will ALWAYS depend on who your other options are. Don’t take the players below out of (or put them into) your lineup unless the alternatives are worth it.
NOTE: Rankings are sourced from FantasyPros expert consensus expert rankings (ECR) and our terminology is for a 12-team PPR league. So, saying WR2 means top 24, or TE1 means top 12, etc.
WEEK 5 WIDE RECEIVER RESULTS
| Player | FPts | Tgts | Recs | Yds | TDs | Call | Rank | Result | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wan’Dale Robinson | 16.0 | 9 | 6 | 36 | 1 | Start | 31 | 16 | +15 |
| Darius Slayton | 26.2 | 11 | 8 | 122 | 1 | Start | 66 | 7 | +59 |
| Courtland Sutton | 5.2 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 0 | Start | 34 | 64 | -30 |
| Tyreek Hill | 12.9 | 10 | 6 | 69 | 0 | Sit | 24 | 31 | -7 |
| Keenan Allen | 6.3 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 0 | Sit | 35 | 56 | -21 |
| Jakobi Meyers | 13.2 | 9 | 6 | 72 | 0 | Sit | 36 | 29 | +7 |
WIDE RECEIVER STARTS
Darius Slayton | New York Giants | WR 54
Week 5 Stats | WR 7 | FPts 26.2 | Tgts 11 | Rec 8 | Yds 122 | TDs 1 | Confidence 85%
My two starts for this week have one major thing in common: they both are going to see a big boost in their roles due to injury. We already saw this scenario play out last week for the Giants. Darius Slayton was a “start” for me and finished 59 spots above his weekly ranking. Despite the impressive performance, his Week 6 ranking is still outside the top-50.
With Malik Nabers set to miss another game due to a concussion, I expect Darius Slayton to once again feast for the G-Men. Additionally, with the uncertainty surrounding running back Devin Singletary’s Week 6 status, I expect a pass-heavy attack.
The Giants face the Bengals this week, who are a middle-of-the-pack pass defense so we don’t have to shy away. If you didn’t get Darius Slayton in your lineup last week, don’t make that mistake again in Week 6.
Josh Downs | Indianapolis Colts | WR 30
Week 5 Stats | WR 17 | FPts 15.9 | Tgts 11 | Rec 9 | Yds 71 | TDs 0 | Confidence 75%
For my other start, Josh Downs, the opportunity comes after Michael Pittman Jr.’s back injury is set to keep him out of the lineup for multiple weeks. Josh Downs impressed last week, hauling in 9 of his 11 targets for 71 yards receiving. The Colts face the Titans this week. Tennessee is actually the toughest defense to pass against through the first five weeks.
Normally, I would look elsewhere for wide receiver production but with Jonathan Taylor also set to miss this game, the Colts are going to have to pass the ball. I’m not expecting a massive performance, but Downs should get enough volume to be a safe play this week.
WIDE RECEIVER SITS
Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans Saints | WR 32
Week 5 Stats | WR 15 | FPts 18.6 | Tgts 9 | Rec 4 | Yds 86 | TDs 1 | Confidence 5%
If you are someone who has Rashid Shaheed on your roster, you know how explosive he is. His 17.8 yards per reception is the 5th-most among receivers with more than 5 receptions on the season. This week, he faces the Buccaneers defense, which has allowed the fifth most passing yards on the year. So, why is he a “sit”?
Once again, an injury—this time to Derek Carr—changes the landscape. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler is set to make his first career NFL start. It’s possible that we’ll see Rattler light up the stat sheet, but I don’t want to rely on a big play receiver and a rookie quarterback, unless I’m in a dire situation.
Calvin Ridley | Tennessee Titans | WR 36
Week 5 Stats | Bye Week | Confidence 0%
My next “sit” has the dubious honor of being on this list solely because of his poor play. Ridley had 2 receptions for 6 yards over his last 2 games combined. In his defense, the entire Tennessee pass offense has been atrocious this year. Their 145.0 pass yards per game is the 4th-lowest in the NFL.
The only redeeming reason to consider putting Calvin Ridley in your lineup this week is that the Colts have struggled against the pass. However, I would have to be in a really rough spot to put Ridley in a lineup.
Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers | WR 35
Week 5 Stats | Bye Week | Confidence 15%
Next up, rookie Ladd McConkey lands on the “sit” despite having a nice game before the Week 5 bye. The analysis is very straightforward. His matchup against the Denver Broncos defense is tough. Denver has allowed 159.8 passing yards per game, which is good for 5th best in the league.
Beyond that, the Chargers offense is averaging 136.0 passing yards per game. There’s no need to overthink this one. Don’t put Ladd McConkey in your lineup in Week 6.
WIDE RECEIVER FADE
A.J. Brown | Philadelphia Eagles | WR 6
Week 5 Stats | Bye Week | Confidence 50%
Finally, I’m looking to avoid A.J. Brown, if possible. In a week with Miami, Minnesota, Kansas City, and the LA Rams on bye, you may not have enough options on your roster to take out Brown. I get it. A.J. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league. So, if you choose to play him, be prepared for an underwhelming performance.
His WR6 ranking is far too high for my liking. The Eagles play the Cleveland Browns this week, who are the seventh-toughest pass defense in the NFL. The Eagles have an average pass offense, but are averaging the sixth-most rushing yards per game. I expect Philadelphia to run the ball against Cleveland. I absolutely would not use A.J. Brown in daily fantasy and am strongly considering my other options on dynasty teams.
That’s it for Week 6, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (x) (@THEtristancook) if you have any specific questions about who I would start.
If you enjoyed this micro view of our start/sit series, check out the full Positional Matchups chart from data Nerd Brad Custer (@MonCalFF) complete with IDP for every one of your starting spots:
