Fantasy Football Week 6 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Jaylen Waddle vs. Carnell Tate

Evaluating who to play in fantasy football between Denver Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle and Tennessee Titans WR Carnell Tate.

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) at the line of scrimmage against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were a number of WR1s on teams who underperformed in fantasy football in Week 5. Two of those WRs were Denver Broncos WR1 Jaylen Waddle and Tennessee Titans WR1 Carnell Tate. Here is a breakdown of who is more likely to bounce back and be the better player to start in fantasy between the two in Week 6.

Carnell Tate

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) runs with the ball during a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Sep 27, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Tate’s fantasy breakout in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, where he logged nine receptions on 12 targets for 145 yards and finished as WR11, saw that building momentum get completely brought to a halt in Week 5 against the Houston Texans. He had just one reception on five targets for six yards against Houston. He will try to get back to his breakout-level play in Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts are currently allowing the fifth-most passing yards per game in the NFL, 254.0. Within that, they have done a solid job of defending opposing WRs. They are giving up the 15th most standard fantasy points per game in the NFL to WRs and the 15th most PPR points. The last three opposing WR1s to face the Colts averaged 32.7 receiving yards, 3.7 receptions, and not a single opposing WR scored a TD.

Jaylen Waddle

Oct 11, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) catches a pass against Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard (33) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After recording 138 receiving yards in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Waddle has put up three straight discouraging fantasy performances. Over that span, he has a combined nine receptions for 64 yards and a TD. He will try to snap that streak of underwhelming outings when he faces the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.

The Seahawks, through five weeks, are allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL, 150.8. They are also allowing the fourth-fewest PPR fantasy points to opposing WRs per game in the NFL and the third-fewest PPR points. Opposing WR1s against the Seahawks over the last three games have actually done well. They averaged 83.3 receiving yards, 5.3 receptions, and two out of three WR1s scored TDs. 

Final Verdict

When it comes to who should start in fantasy football in Week 6 between Waddle and Tate, Waddle should start.

Overall, the Seahawks are a better passing defense than the Colts, but the Seahawks have struggled way more defending WR1s than Indianapolis, making Waddle’s fantasy ceiling higher than Tate's. With both WRs having extremely low fantasy floors every week, it is simply better to take the WR with more potential in this spot, and that happens to be Waddle. Also, it is hard to take a chance on starting Tate after he put up a dud in Week 5 against another team that ranks in the top-10 for most passing yards allowed per game. The Texans are currently allowing the 10th fewest passing yards per game in the NFL, 234.0. 

If Tate has a down week, he should be viewed as one of the best buy-low candidates in fantasy. If the Titans' offense does improve, he would be the main player to benefit in fantasy. He has the most targets on the team with 37.

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