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Should I start Travis Hunter, Hollywood Brown, Deebo Samuel for Week 6? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Across Weeks 1-5 of the season, we've seen a handful of veteran WRs perform better than expected relative to where they were being drafted a few months ago. However, there are some disappointing young players who haven't found their footing yet. In this article, we will see if Deebo Samuel Sr., Hollywood Brown, and Travis Hunter should be started in fantasy in Week 6.
Samuel fits the bill here as he is smashing currently, ranking as WR8 in PPR points per game so far. Brown hasn't necessarily crushed, but he's carved out a meaningful role early in the year for the Chiefs. In addition, Hunter hasn't made a huge impact yet in the NFL.
So, should fantasy managers start Samuel, Brown, and Hunter in Week 6? Let's dive in and find out.
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Should I Start Deebo Samuel Sr. for Fantasy Football?
Samuel has firmly entrenched himself as a must-start player in fantasy this season. He's been the engine of the Washington offense with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) missing multiple games. Samuel leads the team with a 27% TPRR, 2.11 YPRR, and is seventh in the league with 30 total receptions.
In the two games that McLaurin has missed, Samuel has racked up 14 catches on 17 targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 5 against the Chargers, Samuel had a season high 11 targets, and no other Washington skill player had more than two. The connection between Samuel and quarterback Jayden Daniels is clearly growing and should continue to strengthen as the season progresses.
"That's the exclamation point" ‼️#WASvsLAC FOX pic.twitter.com/5Df4NVRI58
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 5, 2025
It's worth noting that Samuel missed practice on Thursday because he is managing a heel issue. However, he was a DNP in practice on Wednesday and Thursday last week before practicing in full on Friday and being clear for Week 5. He was able to practice on Wednesday this week, and this is likely just a rest day for the veteran WR.
It's a favorable matchup for Samuel on Monday night against a Bears defense that is allowing the sixth-most PPR points per game (24.3) to wide receivers. And specifically, they've been weaker against slot receivers, where Samuel lines up more than 60% of the time. Chicago is allowing the sixth-highest yards per target (8.2) to slot receivers, but could be getting its top nickel corner, Kyler Gordon (hamstring), back from injury this week.
That will be a fun matchup to watch. Samuel can be fired up as a solid WR1 in Week 6.
Should I Start Hollywood Brown for Fantasy Football?
Hollywood Brown has been a useful piece for fantasy managers this season. In a Kansas City offense that leads the league with a +8.9% pass rate over expectation, he leads the team in targets with 40 on the season, 10 more than Travis Kelce, who is next with 30. Brown is tied with Ja'Marr Chase for the most targets in a game this season, when he caught 10 of 16 targets for 99 yards against the Chargers in Week 1.
Despite playing his lowest percentage of offensive snaps of the season at 51.6% against the Jaguars, Brown drew eight targets, his most since Week 1. He only caught half of them for 48 yards. Inefficient targets have been the theme for Brown this season, with his 6.4 yards per target ranking 46th out of 63 wide receivers (minimum 20 targets).
Mahomes finds Hollywood for the 19-yard toe-tap catch
KCvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/tzInm5XKFJ— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2025
The speedy WR gets a favorable matchup to potentially exploit against Detroit the week before star WR Rashee Rice returns from suspension. They've allowed the fourth most PPR points per game (24.6) to opposing receivers this season. But he's not a recommended start in Week 6 due to his overall lack of efficiency and declining snap share.
Should I Start Travis Hunter for Fantasy Football?
Hunter had arguably his best game as a pro in Week 5 against the Chiefs, catching all three targets for 64 yards, including an acrobatic catch for an explosive gain of 44 yards. The 22-year-old’s offensive usage has been inconsistent so far, with eight targets in Week 1 still standing as his season high. He's been dynamic with the ball in his hands when given the opportunity, and his chances to make plays should come in future weeks.
The rook making plays 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bJ2kmw0DjL
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2025
Most of Hunter's targets have come in the short areas of the field, with his 8.8 average depth of target sitting below the league average for wide receivers. But we know all about his ability to win vertically and in contested catch situations. That part of his game should be unlocked as he gets more experience, and the short-area targets are necessary to keep his floor high.
Hunter played his highest snap share on offense of the season in Week 5 (67.2%), and that will continue to be an essential number to pay attention to. His fantasy stock seems to be rising as he gets acclimated to the speed of the NFL. The weekend, he draws a matchup with a beat-up Seattle secondary that just let fellow rookie WR Emeka Egbuka go for seven catches, 163 yards, and a touchdown.
Hunter will project as a FLEX option with some upside in Week 6, but doesn't need to be started in all 12-team leagues.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 6 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Deebo Samuel Sr., Hollywood Brown, Travis Hunter. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 6. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Deebo Samuel Sr., Hollywood Brown, Travis Hunter. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 6 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Deebo Samuel Sr., Hollywood Brown, Travis Hunter compared to others:
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