The best options in daily fantasy football aren’t always the ones with the highest price tags, although that often makes them tougher to find.

Sleeper picks like Josh McCown and Doug Martin could have led you to big money in Week 5. Then again, big names like Tom Brady and Odell Beckham Jr. would have helped as well. The key is to balance the high-priced stars with lesser-known performers ready to explode.

Here is a look at the best overall options for Week 6 along with a few sleepers who can help you win your contest.

Top Sleepers

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers ($5,000)

After two miserable weeks at the helm, Colin Kaepernick bounced back with a strong performance in Week 5 against the New York Giants. Even with a loss, the coaching staff had to be encouraged at the quarterback’s 262 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing 65.7 percent of his passes.

Kaepernick explained the positive offensive momentum after the game:

He will try to keep up his solid play against a Baltimore Ravens defense that has looked lost as of late. After giving up 457 passing yards to Josh McCown, the unit now ranks dead last in the NFL with 21.4 fantasy points allowed per game to opposing quarterbacks, via ESPN.com.

Considering Kaepernick will cost the same amount on DraftKings as backups like Taylor Heinicke with zero career passes, the value is there.

Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Cleveland Browns ($4,500)

The Denver Broncos have had a terrifying defense this season, but one area opponents have had success is targeting running backs in the passing game. The Broncos have allowed 43 catches to opposing running backs this season, second most behind only the Atlanta Falcons.

This is good news for Duke Johnson Jr., who is still behind Isaiah Crowell on the depth chart but has been a major factor in the passing attack. Over the last three weeks, the rookie has 21 catches for 172 receiving yards and a touchdown.

With points-per-reception scoring, Johnson has a chance to pick up easy points to justify his relatively cheap cost. If things go well, he could end up being a major steal overlooked by many.

Charcandrick West, RB, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,000)

It’s amazing how a player rarely mentioned can become the hottest name in fantasy football within a few days. This is what happens when a big-time player like Jamaal Charles goes down with a torn ACL and everyone is left scrambling to find a backup.

Knile Davis had been the backup for Charles in past seasons, but it appears Charcandrick West has taken over these duties over the past few weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, Davis only totaled four snaps after Charles got hurt in Week 5, marking his only game action in three weeks. West has been on the field for 44 plays in that same stretch.

Although no one exactly knows how the coaching staff will split carries going forward, West more closely resembles Charles and would be the obvious choice to replace him. He fits Andy Reid’s offense with the ability to catch passes out of the backfield and make plays all over the field.

While both running backs are big risks this week, West is the one with the most upside and can give you plenty of value for the price.

Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans Saints ($3,300)

He might end up being a popular pick in all contests in Week 6, but Willie Snead should be in your lineup until his price starts catching up to his ability. The undrafted free agent has six catches in each of his last two games with a combined 230 receiving yards.

Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate notes what makes Snead so valuable:

Drew Brees might be on the decline, but he still throws the ball quite a bit and will target players who get open. Snead does that and makes plays when he gets an opportunity. For the price, there might not be a safer option on the board to be productive in PPR.

Dwayne Harris, WR, New York Giants ($3,100)

The New York Giants were struggling to find receivers earlier in the season, and things have only gotten worse with injuries. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Post, both Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle are question marks with hamstring injuries.

This leaves Dwayne Harris as one of the only remaining healthy options, which should bring him a heavy dose of targets throughout the upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In reality, Harris was playing well even before injuries to his teammates. He finished Week 5 with 72 receiving yards while bringing in six of his eight targets. He also scored a touchdown in Week 4 while catching five passes for 51 yards.

With Eli Manning playing well and a favorable matchup, Harris could be set for a breakout performance.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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Fantasy football would be a lot easier if the good players were always good and the bad ones were always bad. Since that doesn’t happen, figuring out whom to start or sit is a much bigger challenge.

Week 5 featured more disappointment from top picks Eddie Lacy and Jeremy Hill, while Devonta Freeman continued his surprise run as a dominant starting running back. While you can’t predict everything, it just goes to show why you need to re-evaluate your lineup each and every week.

The upcoming weekend will feature plenty of tough decisions for all fantasy owners, but here is some advice for a few close calls heading into Week 6.

Start ‘Em

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

It’s easy to mock Eli Manning for the faces he makes, but he has been excellent on the field this season.

Over the last four weeks, the Giants quarterback is averaging 21 fantasy points per game in standard leagues with at least 18 each time out. Even with various injuries at receiver, Manning is spreading the ball around to running backs, tight ends and whoever is open at the time.

Against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that ranks just 26th in the NFL against the pass, Manning should be able to continue his hot streak and have another big game.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers

Fantasy owners aren’t happy about Eddie Lacy’s lack of production this season. After managing just 27 rushing yards in Week 5 against the St. Louis Rams, the running back is now averaging just 6.8 fantasy points per game in standard leagues. He hasn’t reached double digits since Week 1.

On the plus side, a lot of this has just been circumstance and bad luck. Between injuries, tough matchups and game flow, the running back hasn’t been able to reach his potential yet this season.

That should come in Week 6 with a matchup against the San Diego Chargers, a team that ranks dead last in the NFL with 5.1 rushing yards allowed per carry. The Packers will likely lean more heavily on the run than they have all season, giving Lacy a chance to pick up yards and hopefully touchdowns.

If he’s on your team, don’t be afraid to keep him in your lineup. If he’s on another team, try to make a trade before the 25-year-old gets back on track.

John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald was the star for the first month of the season and seemingly isn’t going anywhere, but John Brown can still be a valuable piece of this red-hot Cardinals attack.

Brown finished with 73 receiving yards in Week 5, including an 18-yard touchdown catch. Still, his best play might have been a 49-yard grab in a big moment for the offense, as described by Sports Illustrated:

A blowout win meant none of the receivers needed to do much in the second half, but Brown now has 11 catches for 148 yards over the last two weeks. He is clearly still a major part of this offense and will have more big games in his future, including against an inconsistent Pittsburgh Steelers secondary in Week 6.

Sit ‘Em

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins

Even though a lot of it has come in garbage time, Ryan Tannehill does have multiple touchdowns in each of his last three games. With his talent and variety of weapons around him, there is still plenty of upside for the rest of the season.

New interim coach Dan Campbell also noted there will be slight changes offensively, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald:

The problem is we don’t know how much things will improve, if they will at all. The Dolphins looked awful in Week 4 against the New York Jets, which is why Miami made a coaching change in the first place. The entire offense is too difficult to trust at this point, and the safer move is keeping Tannehill on your bench until we see more.

Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins

The difference between someone like Lacy and Alfred Morris is that even with poor numbers, Lacy is going to keep getting touches. You can’t be as certain with Morris with both Matt Jones and Chris Thompson taking away playing time in the Redskins backfield.

According to Pro Football Focus, Morris only had 14 snaps in Week 5 despite getting the start, finishing behind both Thompson (26) and Jones (21). Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post noted Morris barely saw the field late in a close game:

This would be more understandable in a blowout where a pass-heavy attack was needed, but Washington didn’t need Morris in a close game against an Atlanta Falcons defense that had struggled against the run to start the year. Morris is clearly being phased out in this backfield, and he isn’t worth trusting on your fantasy team.

Travis Benjamin, WR, Cleveland Browns

It figures now that Travis Benjamin has become a more consistent threat in the Browns offense he is no longer a smart play. This is due to the Denver Broncos’ impressive pass defense on display this season.

According to ESPN, the defense ranks first in the NFL with only 11.8 fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers per game.

Steve Smith Sr., Jeremy Maclin, Calvin Johnson and Amari Cooper were all limited against this defense, which makes Benjamin’s breaking the trend highly unlikely. The secondary will be all over him, and the pass rush won’t provide much time for deep routes, likely leading to a quiet day for the surprisingly productive receiver.

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