It's only Week 6, but we're already at the point in the season where Close Calls can kill.
Now, for fantasy managers who are 4-1 or even 5-0, making the wrong call at WR3 or in the "flex" spot isn't the end of the world. It's unfortunate, to be sure. But odds are the rest of the starting lineup is solid enough to compensate for the points that were left on the table.
It must be nice.
But for fantasy managers who are 2-3 or 1-4, things haven't gone according to plan. The rest of the roster isn't holding up their own end of the deal, let alone able to help support another spot that's in the red. Injuries have forced them to consider players that Mr. Big Shot 4-1 would scoff at.
As the losses have mounted, the margin for error has decreased. The next Close Call that goes awry could be their last.
Yep. Something like that.
Fortunately, those teetering fantasy managers have some assistance making difficult lineup decisions for Week 6. A guardian angel of sorts.
Cue the harp music—it's time for another edition of Close Calls.
Every week, we're going to look at some of the closest calls. Make the case for both players. And then offer up this analyst's take on which player is the correct play.
For the sake of this exercise, we'll only consider quarterbacks and tight ends outside the top 10, running backs outside the top 20, and wide receivers outside the top 30 in Footballguys' Weekly Rankings. If you are trying to decide between Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions and Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons at running back, it's an easy call.
Gibbs is on a bye, you jerk.
Week 6 Close Calls
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh (QB17) vs. Jameis Winston, NY Giants (QB18)
The Case for Rodgers: Fun fact: Over the last three weeks, Rodgers has been a top-five fantasy quarterback—he has cleared 20 fantasy points in all three of those contests and is averaging his most passing yards per game since his last MVP season in 2021. Thomas Carelli of SI advocates rolling with the hot hand in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Do not fix what isn't broken," he said. "Rodgers has three consecutive games with 22+ fantasy points. In each of those games, Rodgers has thrown exactly 3 touchdowns and thrown for over 250 yards. So long as the Steelers can maintain a higher pass rate, I am comfortable with Rodgers in Week 6. The Buccaneers have a top-half defense against the pass, but in Rodgers' last three games, he has averaged 35 passing attempts. As a team, the Steelers have the third-highest NFL Pass Rate (65%)."
The Case for Winston: The Jameis Winston Experience is back on tour, baby! In last week's wild tie with the Washington Commanders, Winston threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a sixth-place fantasy finish. Per Dennis Sosic of Fantasy Six Pack, the JWE should bang out the greatest hits again on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
"His volume and ceiling are massive, and Winston continues to smash defenses," he wrote. "Winston has produced six passing touchdowns across his last two games. He is a high-volume passer who has increased the fantasy value of tight end Isiah Likely and brought Malik Nabers back to fantasy life. The Saints have allowed quarterbacks to complete more than 70% of their passes."
The Verdict: Winston. Both of these veteran (one more so than the other) signal-callers should be solid starts this week. But the matchup tilts pretty heavily toward Winston—while the Saints aren't a great fantasy matchup for quarterbacks, the Buccaneers have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position in 2026.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee (RB21) vs. MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay (RB22)
The Case for Pollard: If Pollard is going to record a fifth straight 1,000-yard season on the ground, he's going to have to pick up the pace—the 29-year-old has averaged fewer than 55 rushing yards per game in 2026. But as Tristan Cockroft of ESPN pointed out, a struggling Colts defense has made multiple running backs look like Jim Brown this year.
"If there's any week to trust Pollard as a clear fantasy RB2," he said, "it's one in which three top-20 running backs in terms of fantasy points per game are on bye and where he gets to face one of the league's struggling run defenses. The Colts just got pummeled for 36.8 fantasy points by Jaylen Warren in Week 5, meaning they've surrendered two of the position's five best single-game scores this season."
The Case for Lloyd: Lloyd was a preseason hype darling at running back after Josh Jacobs was put on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Lloyd finally gave fantasy managers something to smile about last week with a two-touchdown effort against the Chicago Bears. Now, as Matt de Lima wrote at The Big Lead, Lloyd gets to take on the Cowboys' non-existent defense.
"Dallas has allowed 590 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to backs," he said, "plus two receiving scores. Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw for 367 yards against Chicago, and an offense moving the ball that well puts the USC product near the goal line again Sunday night."
The Verdict: Pollard. The only thing this analyst has less faith in than the Titans offense as a whole is Green Bay's ability to run the ball. Lloyd did indeed score twice last week, but he also had just 10 carries and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. With the Colts allowing over 130 rushing yards per game and Pollard the clear lead back for the Titans, he gets the nod here.
