This season, I’ll be taking you through my favorite wide receiver start/sits using the brilliant Slot vs Wide tool on the Razzball website. This tool is revolutionary in analyzing not just the difficulty of a wide receiver’s matchup but also the success of their opponent against a specific style of player. Through four weeks, FantasyPros ranked my WR rankings as their ninth most accurate from among over 200 rankers. So yeah, the Razzball tools work. I recommend using them to help you with those tough start-sit decisions though you’re welcome to add your questions in the comments too. Please also check out my rankings at ffdfantasyfootball.com and you can find my long-form videos on the Fantasy First Down YouTube channel and my Slot/Wide analysis on the Razzball Fantasy YouTube channel.
Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool
Top WR Starts
- Player: DJ Moore
- Matchup: Jaguars
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 1
Last week, DJ Moore finally showed he can produce with Caleb Williams. This week, he should follow up this success with another good outing against the league’s best out-wide matchup, the Jaguars. Rome Odunze is also a viable, though risky, option as well. His snap rate is still high but the return of Keenan Allen hurts his floor.
- Player: Darnell Mooney
- Matchup: Panthers
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 2
The Falcons threw for over 500 yards last week and now get an easy matchup against the Panthers. This is unlikely to be a shootout like the Bucs game, but Darnell Mooney still has plenty of upside. His 16-target Week 5 explosion shows his upside, but if the Falcons decide to grind out a win on the ground, you’ll be relying on Mooney ripping off another big touchdown. Given DJ Moore’s Week 5 effort in a similar role, that’s not out of the question. This should go without saying, but Drake London is a great start too.
- Player: Terry McLaurin
- Matchup: Ravens
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 5
The Commanders have looked like a legitimate contender this season, with Terry McLaurin emerging from a difficult opening fortnight to gather 264 yards and 2 touchdowns across the following three weeks. Washington will need to pass early and often to have any success against the Ravens so I’m backing Scary Terry to have another big game in Baltimore.
- Player: Tee Higgins
- Matchup: Giants
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 10
After his massive Week 5, Tee Higgins should be back at the forefront of your mind. He gets a good matchup against the Giants, who are best attacked out wide. He’s a must-start for me even though he can be a little boom-bust.
Desperation WR Starts
Michael Wilson (ARI @ GB): The Cardinals shocked the 49ers last week and now face an inconsistent Packers outfit. Their secondary has conceded the third most points to out-wide receivers making Michael Wilson a viable start. But he comes with plenty of risk thanks to his falling snap involvement and the return of Zay Jones from suspension.
Jalen Tolbert (DAL vs DET): Through four weeks, Jalen Tolbert had out-touched and out-gained Brandin Cooks. With Cooks on IR from Week 5, Tolbert turned his 10 targets into 87 yards and a vital touchdown. He gets a great matchup against the Lions who are admittedly most generous to slot receivers (music to Lamb owners’ ears) but also give opposing outside receivers plenty of opportunities.
Top WR Sits
- Player: Michael Pittman Jr
- Matchup: Titans
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 32
The Colts have looked very good under Joe Flacco but there’s two things that can stop this momentum. The first is the potential return of Anthony Richardson, whose passing leaves a lot to be desired at this stage of his career. The second is a Titans secondary that has allowed the least out-wide receiver points by a wide margin. I can’t trust Pittman this week and even though slot receivers are OK against Tennessee, I’m avoiding Josh Downs too.
- Player: George Pickens
- Matchup: Raiders
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 10
I have serious concerns about George Pickens after he played under 60% of the team’s snaps for the first time since his debut in 2022. Mike Tomlin described this as “load management”, which is frankly worse news than an injury. I don’t know what all this means, but I’m not trusting Pickens against the Raiders who, for all their faults, don’t concede many points to outside receivers.
- Player: Garrett Wilson
- Matchup: Bills
- Out Wide Matchup Rank: 29
According to traditional wisdom, the ousting of Robert Saleh should typically lead to a positive response from the team in the following week. But against a strong Bills secondary in what could be a grind-fest, I’m not trusting Garrett Wilson. Sure, he had a boom game in a great matchup against the Vikings, but he was also shut down by tougher opponents in the Broncos and Titans. Many of you will have no choice, but if you have a solid WR2 on your bench, I’d play him over Wilson.
- Player: Ray-Ray McCloud
- Matchup: Panthers
- Slot Matchup Rank: 29
The Panthers have consistently erased slot receivers across consecutive seasons. Hence despite his 16 targets for 118 yards across the last two weeks, I’m avoiding Ray-Ray McCloud in Week 6. He also faces a tough slot matchup in Week 7 in the Seahawks so he’s droppable in most leagues where he’s rostered.
WR Exceptions
Jerry Jeudy (CLE @ PHI): The Eagles concede the second most points to opposing slot receivers, which should really help Jerry Jeudy. But against a great matchup in the Commanders, Jeudy put up a big, fat dud. I can’t trust him this week despite the juicy opportunity.
Rashid Shaheed (NO vs TB): Kirk Cousins threw for over 500 yards against the Buccaneers last week, so the Saints should be in for a fun game, right? Well, not so much. Derek Carr is out and Jake Haener isn’t someone I’d put my fantasy team into the hands of. There are better options on most rosters.
Good luck in Week 6 and remember, every player will be a sit in some leagues and a start in others so if you have any start-sit questions, drop them in the comments below or hit me up on Instagram @TheFantasyFirstDown
Download Table as CSV | |||
Note: Filters and sorting in the table below apply to the output |
# | Defense | Total PPG Allowed | Slot PPG Allowed | Wide PPG Allowed | Slot% | Wide% | Next Opp |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BLT | 50.3 | 16.6 | 33.7 | 33% | 67% | PIT | |
TB | 43.5 | 14.3 | 29.3 | 33% | 67% | BYE | |
SEA | 41.0 | 15.2 | 25.7 | 37% | 63% | SF | |
CLV | 39.2 | 14.9 | 24.2 | 38% | 62% | NO | |
DET | 36.4 | 19.4 | 17.0 | 53% | 47% | JAX | |
ATL | 36.3 | 12.0 | 24.2 | 33% | 67% | DEN | |
MIN | 35.3 | 14.8 | 20.5 | 42% | 58% | TEN | |
NO | 34.8 | 19.9 | 14.9 | 57% | 43% | CLV | |
BUF | 34.3 | 13.9 | 20.3 | 41% | 59% | KC | |
CIN | 34.2 | 8.7 | 25.6 | 25% | 75% | LAC | |
HST | 33.9 | 13.7 | 20.2 | 40% | 60% | DAL | |
DAL | 32.5 | 11.1 | 21.4 | 34% | 66% | HST | |
IND | 32.0 | 12.8 | 19.2 | 40% | 60% | NYJ | |
JAX | 32.0 | 8.9 | 23.1 | 28% | 72% | DET | |
PIT | 32.0 | 10.8 | 21.2 | 34% | 66% | BLT | |
NFL Average | 31.6 | 12.1 | 19.4 | 38% | 62% | ||
LAC | 31.4 | 12.8 | 18.6 | 41% | 59% | CIN | |
ARZ | 31.1 | 14.5 | 16.6 | 47% | 53% | BYE | |
MIA | 30.6 | 11.1 | 19.5 | 36% | 64% | LV | |
LA | 30.2 | 11.1 | 19.1 | 37% | 63% | NE | |
TEN | 30.1 | 12.1 | 18.0 | 40% | 60% | MIN | |
CAR | 29.4 | 10.8 | 18.6 | 37% | 63% | BYE | |
NYG | 29.3 | 13.3 | 16.0 | 45% | 55% | BYE | |
DEN | 29.2 | 11.0 | 18.2 | 38% | 62% | ATL | |
KC | 28.7 | 15.4 | 13.2 | 54% | 46% | BUF | |
NE | 28.3 | 7.4 | 21.0 | 26% | 74% | LA | |
CHI | 25.7 | 7.4 | 18.3 | 29% | 71% | GB | |
GB | 25.4 | 12.3 | 13.1 | 48% | 52% | CHI | |
SF | 25.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 40% | 60% | SEA | |
NYJ | 24.2 | 9.1 | 15.1 | 38% | 62% | IND | |
WAS | 23.5 | 7.2 | 16.3 | 31% | 69% | PHI | |
LV | 21.8 | 10.2 | 11.6 | 47% | 53% | MIA | |
PHI | 18.8 | 5.6 | 13.2 | 30% | 70% | WAS |