As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won't see "start Jahmyr Gibbs" here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineup for a win each week. Importantly, the new "Start of the Week" and "Sit of the Week" are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most essential players to start or sit.
Also, you'll see quite a few references in this year's column to NFL Pro, spotlighting insights provided through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all of those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X (@MattOkada) or Instagram (@mattokadaNFL) and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Yes, Skattebo has been extremely frustrating for fantasy, with zero appearances inside the top 15 at his position and three single-digit duds. His missed tackle and explosive run rates have been particularly disappointing, but the Saints are marching in to fix all of this. Against running backs, New Orleans has allowed a league-high 133.4 rushing yards per game and a 48.9% success rate. The defense gives up the 10th-most yards before contact per carry (1.3) and third-most yards after contact per carry (3.8) to the position. In five games, the Saints have also allowed seven running backs to hit double-digit fantasy points and five to score 17 or more. With his still-voluminous workload, Skattebo should finally drop an RB1 performance.
Notable starts
Coming off his two best fantasy outings of the season, Stevenson will face a Jets defense that was obliterated by Jahmyr Gibbs (expected) and Kyle Monangai (unexpected) over the past few weeks. With TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) sidelined, Stevenson has high-end RB2 value as the primary back for a resurgent Patriots offense.
With four teams on a bye and several unfortuitous matchups, Lloyd cracks this list against the paper-thin Cowboys defense. He remains the primary back in Green Bay, and Dallas just surrendered 175 total yards and two touchdowns to Bucky Irving.
Speaking of middling lead backs going against defenses recently torched by the position ... Pollard handled 14 of 17 running back carries for Tennessee in Week 5, while Indy gave up 188 total yards and two touchdowns to Jaylen Warren. Pollard is playable in a thin week.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
It’s getting ugly for the third overall pick in Arizona. Love has now scored fewer than eight fantasy points in three of his last four games and is coming off a career-low 2.2 points after logging just 22 yards on 12 carries against the Lions. His involvement as a receiver has declined, he hasn’t had a rushing touchdown since Week 1 and he’s averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Week 6 brings a meeting with the Rams, who hadn’t allowed a touchdown or 14 fantasy points to any running back until James Cook III got loose on Monday night. As tough as it is to sit a player you drafted highly, Love cannot be trusted Sunday.
Notable sits
Dobbins finally had a good fantasy day in Week 5, but he belongs right back on your bench in Week 6. He sits bottom three among qualified RBs in rush yards over expected per carry and success rate. This week, Dobbins faces a Seahawks defense allowing just 3.6 yards per carry and -0.24 EPA/carry to the position.
Inconsistent to start the 2026 season, Hampton's 2.4 yards per carry and 31.7% snap share in the Week 5 loss to Denver really hurt. The Chiefs can be beaten by receiving backs, but Hampton has ceded that role to the combo of Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell. He’s a low-end FLEX play in what figures to be an ugly game script.
Tuten has been impressively efficient this season, but touchdown vulturing from Trevor Lawrence’s arm and Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s legs have capped his ceiling. Now his floor is under threat against a Houston defense allowing the league’s fourth-lowest explosive run rate and the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
