Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.
Let’s take a look at a few polarizing players and what fantasy football expert Derek Brown advises. And you can find all of DBro’s fantasy football outlook in this week’s fantasy football primer.
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Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice
Start ‘Em
Last week was the ramp-up game for Stefon Diggs. He had a season-high 77.3% route share with a 38.9% target share, a 63.9% air-yard share, 101 receiving yards (5.94 yards per route run), and a 41.7% first-read share. Those are all simply ridiculous numbers. I don’t expect Diggs to keep producing like that, but he’s now a full-time player in the Patriots’ offense and the team’s WR1. He has two red zone targets this season, and both came in last week’s game. Diggs is a strong play this week against his former team, which has allowed the fifth-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.
In his first game back from suspension, Jordan Addison was the WR21 in fantasy, turning in four receptions and 114 receiving yards. He didn’t have a red zone target, but he had three deep targets from Carson Wentz. Addison had a 90.7% route share, a 17.4% target share, a 31.3% air-yard share, 2.33 yards per route run, and a 25% first-read share. He’s a strong flex play this week against a secondary that has allowed the third-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.
With Malik Nabers sadly done for the season, Darius Slayton is set to assume a larger role in the Giants’ passing attack. Last year, when Nabers was out (Weeks 5-6), Slayton was fed volume with a 29.3% target share (11 targets per game), a 56.9% air-yard share, 2.49 yards per route run (89.5 receiving yards per game), and a 36.5% first-read share. In those two games, Slayton was the WR7 and WR31 in weekly scoring. Last week, in the second half of the game without Nabers, Slayton had a 20% target share, a 42.3% air-yard share, and a 22.2% first-read share. It was a small sample (ten passing targets), but encouraging. I’m guessing the Giants chuck the rock more this week against the Saints to get Jaxson Dart more comfortable, and they should have success doing so. Slayton should lead the way for the Giants’ passing attack this week against a secondary that has allowed the second-most PPR points per target and the seventh-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers.
Cooper Kupp is the WR59 in fantasy points per game with one top 24 finish in weekly scoring (WR21). He has only one red zone target and zero deep targets. The matchup against the Bucs this week could aid Kupp in having another strong game. Kupp has an 18.4% target share, 1.91 yards per route run (40.5 receiving yards per game), and a 20% first-read share. Those are solid efficiency and usage metrics. What has hurt Kupp is the fact that Seattle has the third-lowest neutral passing rate, and they are fifth in plays run from positive game script (fourth-highest positive game script rushing rate). Kupp should be relied upon this week against a defense that is good at stopping the run and poor at defending slot receivers. Tampa Bay has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points per game and the sixth-highest passer rating when targeted to slot receivers (Kupp Weeks 1-3: 51.6% slot rate).
Troy Franklin has two top-36 wide receiver finishes this season (WR7, WR36). Franklin has three deep targets and five red zone looks across his last three games. Franklin has a 72.8% route share, a 19.7% target share, a 30.6% air-yard share, 1.78 yards per route run (49 receiving yards per game), and a 21.3% first-read share. Franklin is a solid flex this week against a secondary that ranks 15th in fantasy points per game and has allowed the tenth-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers.
Rashid Shaheed has been a consistent source of flex-worthy production with at least 8.2 PPR points in every game. The problem is that in the Saints’ offense, it’s tough to expect many ceiling games. Shaheed’s usage in the red zone could lead to it, though, as he has four red zone targets (ninth-best among wide receivers). He has a 16.8% target share, 43.5 receiving yards per game (1.28 yards per route run), and a 17.1% first-read share. The Giants have utilized single-high at the fourth-highest rate (62.6%) in the NFL. Against single high, Shaheed has seen his target share and first-read share increase to 19.2% and 18.5% respectively. He’s a solid volume-driven flex play against a pass defense that has allowed the third-most receiving yards per game and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to perimeter wide receivers.
Sit ‘Em
Since Week 2, Keon Coleman hasn’t surpassed 45 receiving yards in any game. During those three games, he has had only one red zone target. Over the last three games, Coleman has a 14.3% target share, a 29.5% air-yard share, 1.49 yards per route run (30.3 receiving yards per game), and a 20.8% first-read share (leads the team). Coleman is a tough player to trust, but he has a nice matchup and is flex viable this week. The Patriots have allowed the seventh-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. Last week, Christian Gonzalez didn’t shadow Tetairoa McMillan, so I don’t think he’ll shadow Coleman in Week 5.
Well, so much for easing Chris Godwin in. In his first action of the 2025 season, Godwin had an 86.4% route share, a 22.5% target share, and a 25% first-read share. He wasn’t effective with the usage, though, with only 26 receiving yards and 0.68 yards per route run. The volume and usage were nice to see, but this isn’t the week to consider flexing Chris Godwin. Seattle has allowed the fewest fantasy points per game and PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers (Godwin 63.2% out wide).
Wan’Dale Robinson is the WR30 in fantasy points per game. Robinson has a 20.6% target share, 1.90 yards per route run (59.3 receiving yards per game), and a 28.4% first-read share (second on the team). His ridiculous stat line in Week 2 is carrying a lot of water for his overall numbers. In the other three games this season, Robinson hasn’t produced more than 55 receiving yards. He has seen three red zone targets this season, though. Once Malik Nabers was out last week, he had a 40% target share and a 33.3% first-read share, but it was a small ten-target sample. This isn’t the week to look to flex Robinson. The Saints have been tough against slot receivers, allowing the sixth-fewest PPR points per target and the fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
Elic Ayomanor has finished as a top 36 wide receiver in two of four games (WR24, WR27). He has three deep targets and three red zone looks this season. Ayomanor has an 18.4% target share, 37.8 receiving yards per game (1.47 yards per route run), and a 22.1% first-read share. Arizona has the eighth-highest two high rate (55.6%). Against two high, Ayomanor’s yards per route run has dipped to 0.92, and his first-read share has dropped to 16.1%. This isn’t the matchup to consider flexing him. Arizona has allowed the eighth-fewest PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.
With the Dolphins losing Tyreek Hill for the year, Malik Washington will enter flex relevance when the matchup is right. Sadly, this week the matchup isn’t right. Washington has a 12.3% target share, 0.55 yards per route run (11.8 receiving yards per game), and an 11.5% first-read share. This week, he faces a Carolina pass defense that has utilized single high at the eighth-highest rate (58.1%). Against single high, Washington’s target share has stayed consistent with a 12.2% mark, but his first-read share has fallen to 7.4%. Carolina has allowed the 12th-fewest PPR points per target to slot receivers (Washington 55.3% slot).
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