There is value to be had across the board in Week 6 of daily fantasy football leagues with prices that don’t yet match up to ability of some players. Adding these players to your roster could give you a great chance of ending up in the money.
If you add these cheaper options to the top stars ready to put together huge numbers, you could be set for a big week. Here is a look at some players to build your team around in Week 6.
Quarterback
There is no reason to question Tom Brady at this point after another big game against the Dallas Cowboys. With two passing touchdowns and a rushing score as well, the quarterback finished with 25.3 fantasy points on DraftKings. Amazingly, this was his worst showing of the season.
The Indianapolis Colts have a lot of question marks in their secondary and should be unable to slow down Brady from his impressive pace to start the season.
Another top weekly option this year has been Carson Palmer, who has played much better than his current price would indicate. Pro Football Focus rates him as the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL this season based on his play, as described by Sam Monson:
Palmer’s raw statistics look nice enough. He has completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 1,316 yards and 13 touchdowns. […]
What makes all of this pretty special, however, is because Palmer plays in an offense that does things a little differently than most of the NFL. The Cardinals still attack deep down the field like few others. I don’t mean just the occasional deep shot, but rather regular deeper attempts than most of the league.
Like Palmer, Andy Dalton remains undervalued compared to the production he has provided in recent weeks. After topping 30 points against a Seattle Seahawks defense previously considered unbeatable, Dalton can certainly be trusted to continue his great season against a Buffalo Bills defense ranked 25th against opposing fantasy quarterbacks.
If you want to go bold, however, you might need a quarterback who has actually struggled through much of the year. Colin Kaepernick was arguably playing for his job in Week 5 and came through with 262 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
Against a struggling Baltimore Ravens defense that just allowed Josh McCown to throw for 457 yards, Kaepernick can surprise a lot of people with another big game. Considering he only costs the minimum for quarterbacks alongside mostly backups, there is good value to be had at the position.
Running Back
There are a few names in there who have frustrated those who do season-long leagues. However, the good thing about daily fantasy is that you don’t need an emotional attachment or even proof they have done well in the past. All you need is for them to perform well this week.
Eddie Lacy had just two fantasy points in standard leagues and hasn’t reached double digits since Week 1, but he still gets a lot of touches in a high-powered offense. His carries should actually increase with a great matchup against the San Diego Chargers, a defense that ranks dead last in the NFL with 5.1 yards allowed per carry.
Look for him to finally break some big runs and even get into the end zone at least once.
Another big weekly matchup to exploit is the Cleveland Browns, which gives C.J. Anderson a chance at redemption. Although he has been losing touches to Ronnie Hillman, Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus notes it hasn’t been as bad as it seems:
Considering not-so-prominent names like Bilal Powell, Dexter McCluster and Javorius Allen had strong showings against this defense, Anderson has a chance to do damage even with 12-15 carries.
The same could be said about Antonio Andrews, who is involved in a three-way committee with Bishop Sankey and McCluster. Still, he has become the team’s best goal-line option and even led the Tennessee Titans in receiving yards last game.
Although the Miami Dolphins could have a new attitude under new coach Dan Campbell, the facts remain the same, per James Walker:
It would take a bold pick, but Andrews has the potential for a strong showing in Week 6.
Matt Forte doesn’t have quite as easy of a matchup against the Detroit Lions, but no one has allowed more rushing touchdowns, and the Arizona Cardinals just destroyed this unit for 187 rushing yards on 7.5 per carry. With Forte getting plenty of opportunities in the offense and Jay Cutler at least forcing defenses to back off, the running back could continue putting up big numbers.
Wide Receiver
Odell Beckham Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury while Antonio Brown hasn’t been as productive with Ben Roethlisberger out of the lineup. This leaves DeAndre Hopkins as the best option of the week, something not necessarily expected coming into the season.
Evan Silva of Rotoworld breaks down what has made Hopkins so good this year:
Even with a rotation of quarterbacks throwing him the ball, the third-year receiver leads the NFL with 578 receiving yards thanks in part to a whopping 75 targets, also most in the league. Whether the passes come in vital parts of the game or in “garbage time,” they still count in fantasy football, and they help him become a dominant force every single week on DraftKings.
Targets are also important for Brandon Marshall, who gets throws his way 11.25 times per game. This has helped him rank fourth in the NFL with exactly 100 yards per game despite a relatively low yards-per-catch rate (13.3).
In a points-per-reception contest, Marshall is one of the safest picks on the board and still comes at a reasonable price.
Those looking to save even more money could look toward another veteran in Anquan Boldin. The 49ers receiver is coming off his best game of the year (eight catches, 107 yards and a touchdown) and faces the struggling Ravens secondary. Oh yeah, and that is the team who traded Boldin when he refused to take a pay cut.
The revenge factor is there to add to the already great matchup Sunday.
For those looking for lesser-known help, Dwayne Harris ($3,100) has been on a hot streak, but Stefon Diggs might be the best play of the week. After being inactive the first three weeks of the season, Diggs finally got onto the field and ended up leading the Minnesota Vikings with 87 receiving yards, catching six of his 10 targets.
The bye week could have given the coaching staff more chances to insert plays for the rookie to help boost an inconsistent passing attack.
Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Enter the DraftKings $1.5M Play-Action contest this weekend. Use Promo Code Nerdy Football when you sign up.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for all your fantasy football and daily fantasy needs.
Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com
NFL
Fantasy Football
Fantasy
Daily Fantasy
Football Daily Fantasy
