NFL fantasy football picks: Who should I start in Week 6?

NFL Fantasy Football is moving into Week 6. Some managers are riding high on the momentum of a string of victories, while others are not so lucky. It's time for the weekly puzzle - just who should you start in Sunday’s games? There is still time to tinker with your line-up, though the week has officially begun. If you're lucky, you didn't start many of the players from the Chicago Bears’ 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders.

Matchups are vital to fantasy football picks. They determine just how favorable a situation is going to be for a particular player. Whilst defenses can gain points, the focus of this will be on which individual offensive playmakers you should select ahead of Sunday.

Which fantasy football players should be starting for you in Week 6?

If you want a successful Week 6 in fantasy football, then you need to find a way to start these players:

Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons

Deebo Samuel has been the best performing wide receiver in the 2022 season to this point. His usage as both a receiving option and a runner has given Kyle Shanahan’s offense a spark. This is despite a season-ending injury to Trey Lance bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back into the starting line-up.

Samuel causes most defenses problems and is a fantasy football fiend. He will get you points against anyone. However, his Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons is especially favorable. The Falcons are the sixth-worst defense in terms of yards given up per game. They are the fourth-worst in terms of passing yards given up. This plays right into Samuel’s wheelhouse and you can expect him to score fantasy points galore for the San Francisco 49ers.

Tom Brady - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Fantasy football owners have tended to steer away from Tom Brady as the 2022 NFL season has progressed. He has struggled behind a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that has lost some serious weapons. His lowest moment came against the Green Bay Packers when Brady was without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, leaving him with nobody to pass to. As such, his fantasy football numbers haven’t been great, but Week 6 will see that change.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the second-worst pass defense in the NFL this season. For whatever reason, they just can’t seem to stop the deep ball. Brady is going to have a field day with Evans and Godwin likely to play. Julio Jones has a question mark against him for Sunday, but there will be more than enough options for Brady to throw multiple touchdowns to.

Marquise Brown - Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have given up the most yards per game of any NFL defense in 2022. In their five games, they have surrendered an average of 430 yards per game. This isn’t a sign of a good pass-defense. The Seahawks will once again crumble against Marquise Brown, who has been sensational since signing with the Arizona Cardinals.

Kyler Murray’s form hasn’t been great this season, but with criticism he could well find a clash against Seattle the perfect opportunity to turn his fortunes around. If this proves to be the case, then 'Hollywood' Brown could get you at least 30 fantasy football points in Week 6.

Geno Smith - Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals

Rather uniquely, the Week 6 matchup between the Seahawks and Cardinals sees two poor defenses going up against each other. This will be a high-scoring game and that is wonderful news for fantasy football players. Arizona have been awful at putting quarterbacks under pressure this season. They have registered just six sacks, the lowest in the league.

Fantasy football owners will be aware that Geno Smith has the highest QB rating in the NFL this year. His weakness is playing under pressure. But if he is given time to throw, Smith can carve open a defense. You can expect this to happen against Arizona and Smith could be a huge points scorer. This is a smart pickup as not many fantasy football players would have drafted the former New York Jets starter.

Saquon Barkley - New York Giants vs Baltimore Ravens

Despite only scoring three touchdowns this year, Saquon Barkley has been the most important player on the Giants’ offense. In two matches, he has rushed for over 145 yards, whilst in his worst performance, he still hit 70 yards. Overall, he leads the league in yards from scrimmage with 676. Barkley is in fine form, even if fantasy football owners are still waiting for his breakout game.

That is likely to come on Sunday when the Giants take on a defensively fragile Baltimore Ravens team. Whilst the Ravens’ biggest struggles have been through the air, it’s worth noting that they are the sixth-worst ranked defense in terms of yards allowed per rush. They allow an average of five yards per rushing attempt, which is the sort of fragility that Barkley will exploit. You should put Barkley in your starting lineup, because he is going to cook against the Ravens.