My Week 6 Lineup Shenanigans
Alright folks, Week 6 is staring us straight in the face, and you know what that means – time to agonize over those start/sit decisions. I’ve been tinkering with my own lineups, and thought I’d walk you through my process, what I’ve been wrestling with this week.
So, the first thing I usually do is grab a coffee, sit down, and just stare at my rosters. Sounds productive, right? But seriously, I like to get a feel for the matchups. I pull up the schedule and see who’s playing who. Are my guys going against a team that bleeds points to their position, or are they running into a brick wall?
This week, for instance, I’ve got this one running back – let’s call him “Player A.” He’s been kinda up and down. His matchup on paper looks decent, not amazing, but not terrible. But then I started digging a bit. Their opponent has actually been surprisingly stingy against the run in the last couple of games, especially at home. That gave me pause.
Then, I move on to injuries. This is always a big one. Who’s banged up? Who’s practicing in full? Who’s got that dreaded “Q” next to their name? I spent a good chunk of yesterday just refreshing injury reports. It’s amazing how quickly a “sure start” can become a “panic bench” if they’re not looking healthy.
Next up, I look at recent performance and target share, especially for my receivers and pass-catching backs. Is a guy getting the looks? Or is he the third option on a team that barely throws? For Week 6, I’ve got a wide receiver, “Player B,” who had a quiet Week 5. But the two weeks before that, he was getting a ton of targets. The opposing cornerback he’s likely to see this week isn’t exactly a shutdown guy. So, despite the quiet game, I’m leaning towards trusting the target volume there.
Here’s a quick rundown of my general thought process for key positions this week:
- Quarterbacks: I usually look for guys in potentially high-scoring games or against defenses that give up a lot of passing yards. If my QB has a tough matchup, I might look at the waiver wire for a streaming option if there’s someone with a juicy one.
- Running Backs: Volume is king here for me. Who’s getting the carries, especially the goal-line work? Matchup is huge too. I’m a bit more hesitant to start a running back against a top-tier run defense unless they are an absolute stud.
- Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Targets, targets, targets. And red-zone looks. A good matchup helps, but if a guy is getting peppered with targets, I’m more inclined to roll him out there.
So, for Player A, that running back with the sneaky-tough matchup? I decided to look at my bench options. I have another running back, “Player C,” who’s in more of a committee, but he’s facing a defense that’s been absolutely gashed on the ground. So, despite Player A being the “bigger name,” I’ve actually penciled in Player C for this week. It feels a bit risky, but sometimes you gotta go with the matchup and recent defensive trends.
For Player B, the receiver coming off a quiet week? I’m keeping him in. The targets were there before, the matchup is okay, and I’m hoping for a bounce-back.
The last thing I do before locking things in, usually Saturday night or Sunday morning, is a final check for any late-breaking news. You never know when a key player might be a surprise inactive. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way plenty of times!
It’s always a bit of a grind, this whole start/sit dance. You weigh the stats, the matchups, the gut feelings. Sometimes you nail it, sometimes you get it spectacularly wrong. That’s fantasy football for you. But going through this process each week at least makes me feel like I’ve done my homework. Now, let’s just hope it pays off on Sunday!
