Start/Sit Questions 5.24
Some things in fantasy football are easy. We know we should start Tyreek Hill and Breece Hall. We know we should bench the backup running back who is only on our roster in case of injury. A lot of the decisions are made for us. However, there are a lot of things that are not so simple. All of the “in between” situations are what can make the difference between a few wins and losses, and therefore it can be the difference between a successful season or a failed season. Every Friday, we are here to help!!
I’ll take questions each week in our #fantasy-football channel in our Discord from people looking for Start/Sit advice and give my thoughts. This article on Fridays will feature a few of those questions and responses, so join our Discord to be a part of the conversation or ask questions of your own!!
Question 1:: PPR FLEX: Dontayvion Wicks or James Conner? (PSUBALTFAN)
Answer:: It is easy to get caught up in the hype when an exciting young player gets thrust into a new role and has immediate success. While Wicks is a player I am very high on and has a great role in a good matchup, starting him over a player like Conner is a big jump for me. Conner is a centerpiece of the Cardinals’ offense and is playing in a potentially high-scoring game. It’s easy to let the 49ers’ defensive reputation scare you away here, but Conner is likely to see in the range of 20 touches and just two weeks ago we saw Kyren Williams score three touchdowns against San Francisco. Wicks could certainly have a good game, but that is far from a sure thing, and in a regular fantasy league where you only have to beat one opponent, I would not be benching Conner in this spot.
Question 2:: Christian Kirk or Xavier Worthy in my Flex spot? (Full PPR) (JM0ney)
Answer:: This answer will depend in part on the status of Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, who has missed the last three games. The Colts’ defense faces the most plays per game of any team in the league, leading to increased volume for opponents, and they have allowed big games to opposing wide receivers all season. If Engram is out, I would definitely go with Kirk. If Engram plays, I might side with Worthy, as the Chiefs will be looking for him to step up in the absence of Rashee Rice.
Question 3:: Need to start two of these three:: Tyreek Hill / Christian Kirk / Dontayvion Wicks (shakey34)
Answer:: I’m not benching Tyreek yet. I know it has looked really bad recently, but he is still such an elite player and I feel like benching true studs like this hurts you more often than it helps over time. As for the other spot, I would start Kirk if Engram misses another week. I do think Engram plays, however, and my lean is slightly towards Wicks if Engram plays.
Question 4:: I need to start two: Jerome Ford / Josh Downs / Tre Tucker / Jordan Whittington? (0.5 PPR) (kujo33)
Answer:: Since this is 0.5 PPR, my first lean is to Ford, as he appears to have control of the Cleveland backfield now and the Browns sound like they should have a healthier offensive line in a decent matchup against Washington. For the other spot, it is between Downs and Whittington. I love Tucker as a player, but that Raiders/Broncos game is likely to be a punt-fest. The decision for me comes down to who starts at QB for the Colts. If it is Joe Flacco, I’d start Downs. If it’s Anthony Richardson, I’d go with Whittington.
Question 5:: Dontayvion Wicks, Khalil Shakir, or Jaylen Waddle? (PPR) (Zachary_Tyler14)
Answer:: I prefer Wicks from this group. In an earlier question I said I would stick with Tyreek Hill despite the Dolphins struggles. This is a similar question, but Waddle is lower in the pecking order and less likely than the uniquely talented Hill to break a huge play that makes his day. Shakir’s status for the Bills game in Houston is in doubt, while Wicks has a great matchup and the Packers now may also be without Romeo Doubs, which would increase the target share for Wicks even more.
