Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 6 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include D'Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, K.J. Osborn

October 14, 2023

Scott breaks down his fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 6 (2023). He spotlights key NFL players to start, and tougher lineup start/sit decisions.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my Week 6 Lineup Spotlights - Key Starters and Tough Calls for fantasy football. Every week, I share some of my favored players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These choices are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the 2023 fantasy football season.

We feature players that you should lean to in tough calls, and guys who may exceed expectations this week are also highlighted, so you can feel even more confident about starting or adding them. Skill position analysis here is based on my PPR rankings.

When considering each player for your lineup, also consult our fantasy football rankings to see exactly where they are positioned when compared to your other possible lineup choices.

Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 6

D'Onta Foreman

Injuries have depleted the Chicago running back room to the point where Foreman was inactive last week, and will now be starting against the Minnesota Vikings. John">Johnson" data-id="24372">Roschon Johnson has not sufficiently recovered from a concussion to replace the injured Khalil Herbert, so Foreman now becomes a viable one-week option. Johnson might be the lead RB for the Bears in their next game.

Foreman will be backed up by Darrynton Evans, who was recently signed by Chicago after leaving the Miami practice squad, and likely won’t function as anything more than a guy who will get some spot work. A true journeyman, Foreman is with his seventh team in eight seasons. Yet he can be projected for a heavy workload as a desperation option for Chicago.

Foreman suffered an Achilles injury in 2017 and took a long road back to being involved in an NFL offense, yet by 2022, he started nine games for Carolina and rushed for 110-plus yards five times, and had a three-TD outing. A quality amount of carries can lead to a productive game, and Minnesota ranks 17^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs.

Small sample of how good D’Onta Foreman was last Szn ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Week 7 -18 ➡️*CMC Trade 2022
◽877 rushing yards ranked 3rd in NFL
- 191 carries (4th in NFL)

◽(5) 100+ rushing games (2nd in NFL behind Henry)

(21) rushes 10+ yards (6th in the NFL)
(8) Rushes 20+ yards
- T-2nd…

— LaQuan Jones (@RealDealFantasy) October 13, 2023

The matchup is not daunting, and projected windy and rainy weather may put an emphasis on the running game for Chicago. so consider Foreman as a mid-range fantasy RB2 for Week 6. I would not start him over a more established and dependable RB, and Foreman is outside my top 15 at RB, but you can go with him in close decisions over other uncertain lineup options.

Chuba Hubbard

Miles Sanders has been banged up, and now a shoulder injury will keep him out against the Dolphins in Week 6. The ex-Eagle has rushed for 190 yards and one TD with only one reception this season. The matchup with Miami obviously does not bode well for a Carolina RB starter. Any Panthers RB will be scripted out of a lot of carries in certain catch-up mode.

You might want to fire up Hubbard for this week based on a projected heavy amount of reps, but opportunity does not always lead to ideal production. This is a scenario where Hubbard is at risk for limited carries, and not too many catches as his team plays from behind and the WRs are featured considerably more than he is. In 12 career starts, Hubbard has caught more than four passes once.

Hubbard falls just outside my top 20 at RB for Week 6. I would start him over disappointments such as Rachaad White or Rhamondre Stevenson, and even Jerome Ford, who faces the 49ers. But in cases where you have another option who can possibly post better totals in good matchups, such as James Cook or Alexander Mattison, I would fade Hubbard.

Jonathan Taylor

In his season debut in Week 5, Taylor totaled seven touches for 34 yards. Published reports have indicated that his reps will increase this week against Jacksonville, but Zack Moss has played so well, that the Colts do not need to rush him back into a pure featured back role.

I anticipate more of an even timeshare between Taylor and Moss this week. After signing a huge contract, it’s just a matter of time before Taylor clearly takes over as the pure lead guy, but it’s unlikely to happen outright in Week 6. So view him as a timeshare type with some upside regardless of matchup. I have Taylor ranked at No. 20 for Week 6, behind Foreman, Cook, and Mattison, but ahead of RBs such as Hubbard and Ford.

Salvon Ahmed

In some situations, injuries are forcing fantasy players to dig deep for RB fill-in options. With De’Von Achane and Jeff Wilson out for Miami in Week 6, Raheem Mostert is in a smash spot, yet Mike McDaniel comes from the San Francisco coaching tree, where he was a run game coordinator and offensive coordinator. The 49ers used to employ committees before acquiring Christian McCaffrey, and Mostert is likely not going to get 80 percent of the carries.

Ahmed may get enough rushing attempts to be worthy of a desperation fantasy start in Week 6. Many Dolphins fans are also intrigued about the potential of undrafted rookie Chris Brooks, a power back who might also figure into the mix. How much he will be used remains to be seen, but Brooks could cut into Ahmed’s opportunities a bit.

Carolina has allowed the second-most Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG) and most rushing TDs (eight) to RBs. Ahmed may get a decent amount of rushing attempts, so I have him ranked as a top 35 RB for Week 6, but he should only be used ahead of RBs with even more uncertain playing time outlooks. Brooks is ranked at No. 41. Either Ahmed or Brooks, based on who performs better in Week 6, will be worth rostering for the weeks ahead and maybe in the longer term, considering that Mostert and Wilson have often dealt with injuries throughout their careers.

Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 6

Michael Pittman Jr.

Some players simply perform great against certain opponents. This is true for Pittman, who undoubtedly grins widely when he sees the Jaguars on the upcoming schedule. In his last two meetings with the Jaguars, Pittman has totaled 21 receptions for 231 yards. Gardner Minshew faces his former team this week and won’t hesitate to gun the football. Getting the ball to Pittman will be a priority.

The Jaguars’ coaches and defenders are well aware of how Pittman has fared against them in recent meetings. But they still might not be able to hold him down. Jacksonville ranks 24^th in yardage allowed to WRs, so even if Pittman does not explode for big numbers, he has a healthy projected statistical floor for Week 6.

Garrett Wilson

The Philadelphia pass defense can be exploited, and the Eagles’ defense is also dealing with some significant injuries. After five weeks, Philly ranks 29^th in FPPG allowed to WRs. The secondary injuries have continued to pile up, as both Darius Slay and safety Justin Evans are out for Week 6 because of knee issues. Rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has been very disruptive up front, will also be out with a knee injury.

Zach Wilson with a PERFECT throw to Garrett Wilson

(via @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/sYTf8dvcBT

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 8, 2023

Zach Wilson has played better over the past two games and will certainly feed Garrett Wilson often. The Jets’ WR has five-plus receptions in each of his first three home games this season and is a good starting option for solid production with the potential for his best game of the season so far.

K.J. Osborn

Osborn is expected to move into the Vikings' X receiver role in place of the injured Justin Jefferson beginning in Week 6. While he obviously lacks the big-play ability of Jefferson, Osborn does have an established on-field rapport with Kirk Cousins. As a secondary target over the past two seasons for Minnesota, he caught a total of 12 TD passes, and he has two in 2023.

In Week 5, Osborn had a season-high five receptions. In his last meeting with the Bears, he finished with five receptions for 117 yards. He had five-plus catches in his last two games against Chicago. The 26-year-old has been targeted six-plus times in three games so far this season.

As I previously mentioned, the weather may be a concern in the Vikings-Bears matchup. Osborn, however, can function as a possession target for Cousins and might still be a useful fantasy WR3 option. Jordan Addison, more of a deep threat, may be more adversely affected by the conditions.

Gabe Davis

The frequent boom-or-bust Buffalo WR has provided more of the “boom” lately, with TD receptions in four consecutive games. The Giants have allowed six TD receptions to WRs, tied for third-most in the NFL, so Davis may indeed maintain the longest active receiving TD streak in the NFL for another week.

In Week 5, Davis also finished with a season-high 100 receiving yards. But he has not caught more than three passes in three of five games so far, so consider trading him after he comes through with a good performance in Week 6. There might be much inconsistency ahead, as TD-dependent WRs usually don’t prove to be reliable.

Quarterback And Tight End

Dak Prescott

The Cowboys desperately need to bounce back from a Week 5 embarrassment against the 49ers. Prescott, who has a 4-1 record on Monday night football, will be a key to regaining some respectability. He has thrown two-plus TD passes in each of his Monday starts. The Chargers rank 29^th in FPPG allowed to QBs, so Prescott is a viable Week 6 streamer.

Chargers have the worst pass defense in the league, giving up 300 yards a game. All this despite playing the Titans (28th in passing offense) and backup QB Aidan O’Connell.

If ever there was a week to get the passing offense and Dak Prescott back on track, Week 6 is it!

— Ben Grimaldi (@BenGrimaldi) October 13, 2023

Logan Thomas

The Washington TE is coming off a quality outing, with nine receptions on 11 targets for 77 yards and a TD in Week 5. Atlanta allows the second-most FPPG to TEs. Thomas is a fitting starting option for those who have been streaming TEs or dealing with a disappointment like Kyle Pitts. But Thomas has never shown us enough to be used over more proven starters such as George Kittle or Dallas Goedert. I do have him ranked as a top 10 TE this week, but Thomas is not a must-start based only on matchup and one-game momentum.

Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.

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