There were only two teams on bye in Week 6, so most of the league's top fantasy performers who were healthy were available to contribute for the managers who drafted or added them. While a lot of big names had big days, there were a few crippling duds that cost their fantasy teams a critical victory as we approach the halfway mark of the fantasy regular season.
Which fantasy stars deserve to be benched after their dreadful Week 6 outings? Read on to find out, beginning with a look at the absolute disaster that was the New York Jets' offensive performance in London.
Fantasy stars that should be benched after Week 6
All Jets
While the Denver Broncos have a strong defense and made a statement in Week 5 by toppling the Philadelphia Eagles, no one expected the Jets to look as incompetent as they did on Sunday. The Jets managed 11 points in a loss to Denver, but none of them came via touchdown, with all of New York's scoring being delivered by three Nick Folk field goals and a safety triggered by a holding penalty from the Broncos in their own end zone.
The main offender was Justin Fields, who held the ball for way too long on the day and was sacked nine times, throwing for just 45 yards passing and netting the offense -10 yards through the air. Breece Hall was fed the football 22 times, turning it into 59 yards as he ran into a Broncos' brick wall, while Garrett Wilson (3 catches for 13 yards) and Mason Taylor (1 catch for 2 yards) were invisible as a result of Fields' miserable outing.
Head coach Aaron Glenn belittled a reporter asking if Fields' job was in jeopardy, meaning he will get the start in Week 7 against an improving Panthers' defense. Fields is playing himself off of fantasy radars and the Jets know he has issues throwing, going to an extreme run-first offense to try and score, so all Jets should be on your bench until further notice.
Stefon Diggs, WR, New England Patriots
The revenge game narrative did wonders for Stefon Diggs, who torched his old team in Week 5 by racking up 10 catches for 146 yards on Sunday Night Football. A normal Sunday against New Orleans, however, proved to be a letdown for Diggs backers as he caught only three passes for 28 yards in New England's 25-19 win over the Saints.
The target volume was disappointing for Diggs, who was third on the team in looks as Drake Maye distributed his 26 passing attempts in a fairly egalitarian fashion. New England also relied primarily on its rushing attack, dialing up 31 runs compared to just 26 passes, which makes sense as the Patriots try not to overload Maye's plate in his second year as a starter.
While there will be more blow-up spots in the offing for Diggs, he is a more volatile fantasy asset than we had hoped for after two strong games in Weeks 4 and 5. Week 7's trip to Tennessee offers a friendly defensive draw for Diggs, but there is significant blowout risk, so if Diggs can't get his work in early he could be a glorified blocker down the stretch.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The surprise inactive announcement for Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh's Week 4 London game appeared to open the door for Kenneth Gainwell to seize a significant role in the Steelers' backfield. Gainwell's monster effort against a strong Vikings' defense, when he ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns while catching six passes for another 35 yards, appeared to portend at least a time share with Warren but that didn't play out in Week 6.
A healthy Warren assumed the lead role in Pittsburgh's backfield and looked pretty good, carrying 11 times for 52 yards on the afternoon in a game that the Steelers had in hand for a while. Gainwell was relegated to the leftovers, turning six carries into 22 yards, while also watching rookie Kaleb Johnson mix in for another six carries.
The saving grace of Gainwell's fantasy game is his pass-catching ability, although his six catches generated just 14 yards on Sunday. A strong Browns' defense can be partially blamed, but Gainwell's upside is severely limited beyond a PPR flex as long as Warren is healthy.
All Browns Pass Catchers
The move to the tank appears to be in full swing for Cleveland, which benched Joe Flacco and sent him to Cincinnati this week to clear the way for evaluation of their young quarterbacks. Dillon Gabriel has gotten a look first and underwhelmed in his first two starts, albeit against strong defenses in Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
A look at Gabriel's game tape doesn't suggest he will be the key to unlocking an aerial assault for the Browns, so all of his pass catchers need to be significantly downgraded. Jerry Jeudy has been a disappointment so far this season, but David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr could also be negatively impacted by Gabriel's growing pains.
Even a trip to see Miami's awful defense won't help Cleveland much since Gabriel's throws were all over the place on Sunday. Until Gabriel can demonstrate more accuracy as a pro, feel free to bench any Browns' receivers and tight ends if you have better options available on your roster.