Welcome to Week 5 RotoBallers! The season is starting to ramp up, and it is crucial to make the optimal lineup decisions on a weekly basis. As injuries and bye weeks will start to pile up, it is important to start getting some wins under your belt to be in the playoff mix all season long.
Heading into the sixth week of action, we are still early in the season, but fantasy managers who have gotten off to a slow start need to string some wins together from here on out. At this point, we can likely get a pretty good feel for how good or bad some fantasy rosters are.
Here are some players I think will be in for a tough game in Week 6 and could disappoint their fantasy managers. However, there could be some managers out there who aren't in any position to bench these players. It is important to remember that none of these guys are "must-sits," but fantasy managers need to temper expectations.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
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- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
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- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Should I Bench Zach Wilson In Week 6?
Wilson looked composed and limited himself to zero turnovers in Week 5 against a solid Miami defense, but he draws a nightmare matchup in Week 6 against the Packers defense who will be looking for a bounce-back effort.
The Packers' secondary has allowed the second-fewest passing yards and just four passing touchdowns through five games, meaning we could be seeing a rough one from the Jets' sophomore quarterback.
Zach Wilson has a completion % of 18.8 when under pressure.
Lowest of any starting QB in the NFL by a mile.
Please, @packers. Be aggressive on Sunday.
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) October 13, 2022
We’ve seen the Packers' defense can be vulnerable against the run, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a hefty dose of Breece Hall and Michael Carter to take advantage of this.
However, the Jets could be playing from behind in this one which would mean Wilson would have to air it out, however, he’s completed just 56 percent of his passes and thrown one touchdown pass in two starts. He isn't a must-bench option in two-QB/Superflex leagues, but he has a very low floor in this one.
Should I Bench Najee Harris In Week 6?
This shouldn't come as a surprise, but Harris draws another brutal matchup in Week 6. We could see a lot of the same that we saw in Week 5 with Harris, as the Steelers played from behind the entire game limiting him to just 11 rushing attempts.
He didn't make the most of those attempts either as he totaled just 20 rushing yards. The sophomore now faces the Buccaneers' run defense who hasn't been as impressive this year, but they are still a matchup to avoid.
If you think Najee Harris fantasy managers are panicking now, wait until you see his value plummet after this week’s matchup against the Bucs.
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) October 13, 2022
They’ve allowed the 15th-most rushing yards and 4.4 yards per carry, but the game script and woeful Pittsburgh offensive line do no favors for Harris in this matchup. Fantasy managers likely can’t afford to bench one of their early-round picks, but it is worth considering based on what we have seen this season.
Should I Bench Tyler Allgeier In Week 6?
Fantasy managers likely rushed to Allgeier off the waiver wire as he was vaulted into a prominent role, but he draws a brutal matchup against the 49ers in Week 6. The rookie figures to serve as the lead back in the run-heavy Falcons offense with Caleb Huntley mixing in, but that still isn't enough to give him an appealing outlook against one of the league’s best defenses.
The 49ers have allowed a league-low 357 rushing yards and 3.0 yards per carry, giving the Atlanta backfield a murky outlook in this one. Allgeier looked good in Week 4 against the poor Browns run defense with 104 total yards, but the current state of the Falcons' offense and the matchup make him an easy fade in Week 6.
Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for RB3/FLEX options this week.
Should I Bench Mike Williams In Week 6?
Williams has been notorious for being a boom-or-bust option when it comes to fantasy production, which has once again been the case this year. The big receiver has three games with over 100 receiving yards this season, while he was held under 20 receiving yards in the other two games. He’s seen 40 targets over his past four games, but a matchup with one of the league’s best corners in Patrick Surtain II is a reason to be cautious about his outlook in Week 6.
The Broncos' defense has allowed a league-low 883 passing yards through five games, making them a brutal matchup for opposing wide receivers. Surtain has limited the production of guys like D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. this season, so there is no reason to believe he can't do the same with Williams.
Without Keenan Allen in the lineup Williams has become a weekly must-start option, however fantasy managers should temper their expectations in this one.
Should I Bench Amari Cooper In Week 6?
Cooper has surprisingly gotten off to a strong start with Jacoby Brissett filling in at quarterback, but he draws a tough matchup in Week 6 with the Patriots. The Patriots have been notorious for limiting the production of the opposing team’s No. 1 wide receivers, as they completely eliminate them from the game plan.
Last year, we saw Cooper catch just five passes for 55 yards against New England while CeeDee Lamb went off, so this makes me think we could see the Patriots dare Brissett to make Donovan Peoples-Jones burn them in Week 6. Not to mention, the Cleveland rushing attack is among the best in the league, potentially limiting the volume to go around for Cooper.
It wouldn't be that much of a surprise to see Cooper limited in this one, as we have seen performances from him of three catches for 17 yards and one catch for nine yards this season. The former Dallas Cowboy seems like a player to fade from starting lineups in Week 6.
Should I Bench Evan Engram In Week 6?
At such a shallow position, fantasy managers will likely look at Engram’s target numbers from Week 5 and consider him for starting lineups in Week 6. However, he seems like someone to fade this week considering what the Jaguars will look to do on offense. Engram had seven catches for 48 yards in their previous meeting with the Colts this season, but he has been held to under 30 receiving yards in three games and hasn't found the end zone this season.
We heard head coach Doug Pederson say he failed to get Travis Etienne the ball enough in Week 5, which makes me think we could be looking at a run-heavy game plan from the Jaguars in a game where they should be playing with the lead.
With 18 targets in Week 2 and 5 combined and eight total targets in the rest of the games this season, Engram seems like too much of a risky option for lineups this week in what is a pretty solid Colts defense.
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