Week 6 is underway. Thursday Night Football gave us more excitement this week in what has been a good year for prime-time games. Jalen Hurts made a game of it late, we had an O.J. Howard sighting, and Antonio Brown became the fastest player to 900 receptions in NFL history. There was also some excitement on the defensive side of the ball. Vita Vea continued to maul offensive lines and picked up a sack for his efforts. Alex Singleton went bonkers with 15 total tackles. Javon Hargrave was held off the sack sheet for the first time all season. Let’s look ahead to this weekend at five names IDP managers will want to start, and five others who may be best left on the bench.
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Start Em
Jordyn Brooks (LB – SEA)
Jordyn Brooks continues to impress for the Seattle Seahawks. The LB15 through five weeks of action, Brooks has been a consistent LB2 option in 2021. 10th in the league with 45 combined tackles, Brooks is on pace for LB1 level production if he can keep it up. While his solo count has been up and down, he has at least seven combined tackles in every game this season and has a three game tackle for loss streak going. He is the first one of the Seattle Seahawks first round reaches to actually look the part and has played starter’s snaps all season. Brooks is a high-level LB2 option for the first week of byes of the season. He has a plus matchup against a Pittsburgh Steelers team surrendering the 15th most fantasy points to the linebacker position and is expected to put up borderline LB1 numbers. Start Brooks with confidence for Week 6.
Greg Rousseau (DE – BUF)
Greg Rosseau has been excellent through five weeks of action and is currently the DL8 overall. He has found a way to produce despite seeing just 51 percent of the snaps. If the Bills finally take off the safety suit and let Rousseau loose, the rookie defensive end could push for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Rousseau can be counted as a potential DL1 option for Week 6 thanks to a plus matchup against a Tennesee Titans team surrendering the fifth most fantasy points to the defensive end position. Rousseau is a must-start going forward despite the rotational role.
Everson Griffen (DE – MIN)
Everson Griffen looks like he never left. Griffen left the Vikings as a free agent in the summer prior to the 2020 season but has picked up where he left off as a weekly sack threat across from Danielle Hunter. He has worked his way to starters snaps and is coming off a two sack performance. Griffen is on DL1 watch for Week 6, thanks to a plus matchup against Carolina Panthers team relinquishing the most fantasy points to the defensive end position, Griffen is in the DL1 conversation for Week 6
Quandre Diggs (S – SEA)
Quandre Diggs is the DB10 through five weeks of action and needs to be rostered and started in all competitive leagues. He was excellent again in Week 5, recording five solos, one interception, and one pass defended. It is still hard to call him a DB1, but as long as he is producing at such a high level, he can be counted as one, or at least an elite DB2 option. Diggs is a borderline DB2 for Week 6. He faces off against a running back centric Steelers team that should provide plenty of tackle opportunities. Start Diggs wherever possible.
Kyle Dugger (LB/S – NE)
Dugger racked up five solos and five assists in Week 5 and is rounding back into the DB1 level form he flashed to open the season. He has bounced back after two down weeks with two strong weeks and is poised for another strong outing in Week 6 against a Dallas Cowboys team, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to the safety position and the 10th most to the outside linebacker position. There is some concern about his snaps at linebacker once Jamie Collins is active, but keep deploying Dugger as you normally would until there is a definitive reason not to. Start Dugger as a borderline DB1 option for Week 6.
Sit Em
Jamin Davis (LB – WAS)
Veteran linebacker Jon Bostic was lost for the season with a torn pec, leading many to speculate that exciting rookie linebacker Jamin Davis would finally be elevated to a more consistent role. Unfortunately, at least for Week 5, it was the exact opposite. Davis managed to see a season-low in snaps. Landon Collins took snaps at linebacker in sub-packages, and while Davis should eventually earn a larger role, we cannot count on it for Week 6. He does have a plus matchup against the Chiefs, but if he is playing just 13 snaps, it doesn’t matter. Keep him benched until further notice.
Patrick Queen (LB – BAL)
Patrick Queen started the season with a bang but has struggled to hold LB3 value since Week 1. He is struggling in coverage as well, something that was thought to be a strength of his coming into the league. Queen saw a season-low in snaps in Week 5 and may find his role reduced until he can prove not to be a liability. Queen can still be rolled with as an LB2 for Week 6 due to the byes, but his days of LB1 appeal are over. He has a plus matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers team, allowing the 10th most fantasy points to the linebacker position, giving him solid LB2 upside. However, he has proven to have an LB4 floor, and with a reduced role, is more name than game at this point. Keep him benched where possible.
Yannick Ngakoue (DE – LV)
Ngakoue notched his first two sacks of the season in Week 5 and is back on the fantasy radar just in time for the byes. Yannick logged three solos, two sacks, and one tackle for loss against Chicago in Week 5 and could finally start rolling for the Raiders. However, Week 6 gives him a tough matchup against a Denver Broncos team surrendering the fewest fantasy points to the defensive end position. Ngakoue is a start if you are in a serious crunch but should not be counted as anything more than a DL3 for Week 6. Keep him benched if possible due to the tough matchup and spotty production.
Adrian Phillips (S – NE)
Phillips has been disappointing through five weeks of play, but some fantasy managers may be thinking about plugging him in with the byes now upon us. He had a strong Week 5 performance with five solos and three assists, but that was his first good game of the season. He has been at DB3 at best this season (three times) and finished as a DB5 twice. Phillips has a tremendous Week 6 matchup against a Dallas Cowboys surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to the safety position but cannot be trusted for anything above DB3 level production. He was excellent in 2020, If you only need him as a DB3/4, he is worth a look. However, if you find yourself in a pinch and need cover at DB1 or DB2, it is best to look elsewhere.
Grant Delpit (S – CLE)
Delpit thrilled in Week 2 with his DB6 overall performance but predictably fell victim to depth chart in the ensuing weeks. He did play starters snaps in Week 4 but went back to a bit role when the safety room was healthy in Week 5. Despite the obvious talent, Delpit needs to be left on benches, even if you find yourself in a bye week pinch. His time will come, but it will likely take an injury ahead of him in order for Delpit to see consistent enough snaps to feign fantasy relevance. Look elsewhere for a bye week filler for this weekend.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.