Fantasy football, Week 6: Who to start and sit among running backs

Week 6 of the fantasy football season is here, and we’re back with another crop of start/sit options. We have a nice set of data about each team through five weeks, and can make informed decisions on good plays and traps. With that in mind, we’ll pick quarterbacks who should exceed expectations in Week 6, along with three you should probably sit.

Anderson turned in his third game with at least 20 carries in Week 4 before the bye. Now, he comes back rested and draws a cake matchup at home against a Giants offense that is going to struggle to possess the ball and stay in the game without any form of passing attack. It’s a perfect game script for Anderson to get somewhere around 25 touches and for the Broncos to operate most of the day in the Giants’ end of the field, increasing Anderson’s touchdown chances.

Terrance West is not expected to play and Alex Collins still has issues holding onto the ball. The Ravens defense should have its way with Mitchell Trubisky on a short week, which sets Allen up for a high-volume game. Allen’s 21 carries last week matched his season high as he seizes control of the lead-back role.

This selection will look a whole lot better if Bilal Powell is inactive on Sunday — and that should be the case despite his “game-time call” designation, as he didn’t practice all week. With Matt Forte the only other “healthy” back — and he’s got his own issues — McGuire is primed for an expanded role against a defense that ranks at the bottom of the league against pass-catching backs. Assuming the Jets will be playing catchup in this game, McGuire’s role as a receiving back makes him a smash candidate in PPR leagues.

Last week was supposed to be the week that Crowell and the Browns’ running game busted out against the Jets. And Crowell did get his most carries (16) since Week 1. But he still managed just 60 yards and Duke Johnson remains a prominent part of the offense. Despite their losses, the Texans remain a stout unit against the run and the Browns will almost certainly be playing most of this game from behind, further diminishing Crowell’s role.

Peterson gets a chance to start over after being acquired by the Cardinals, but really, what’s going to change? Bruce Arians has already said AP won’t play on third downs — that’s Andre Ellington’s job and the Cardinals hardly have the talent on the offensive line to make Peterson look good. The Cardinals are throwing the ball 40-50 times a game and that’s not likely to change anytime soon and Peterson doesn’t figure to benefit from that.

Murray got the first chance in the post-Dalvin Cook world, but Jerick McKinnon quite definitively made the most of his with 146 total yards, six catches and a touchdown. Murray will still get carries, but his role in the offense is likely to take a backseat to McKinnon, at least until McKinnon comes back to earth.