NFL DFS Week 6 Picks & Lineups

It was another week when some better plays fell flat because of poor performance and injuries. James Conner, Anthony Richardson, De’Von Achane, and Justin Jefferson are among the top players now on Injured Reserve.

This is also a week where some of the best one-off position players are not on the main slate, with the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, Cowboys, and Giants playing island games. Add that to two teams on bye, and we have a challenging collection of slates.

Reminder: Use the Table of Contents to the right to easily navigate each section of the weekly DFS article.

Thursday Night Football DFS: Broncos @ Chiefs

The NFL lines used for TNF are current as of Oct. 12, 2023, at 11 a.m. ET., courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Spread: Chiefs -11
• Total: 47 Points

47 points and a two-score spread adds a level of uniqueness to Week 6s lid lifter. Future Hall-of-Famer Travis Kelce (ankle, $11,000 on DraftKings) is questionable, while we could also see the debut of Greg Dulcich (hamstring, $3,200) if he is activated from I.R.

Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs are second in passing rate over expectation (PROE), trailing only Eric Bieniemy‘s Commanders offense. It is also no surprise that Denver is attempting to run the ball more than pass, especially with a healthy trio in the backfield.

Both knowns come with detractors. The Chiefs continue not having a go-to wideout, and Kelce’s injury could throw the one constant out the window. That hasn’t stopped Patrick Mahomes ($12,800) from throwing multiple touchdowns in four of five contests.

Denver now has three running backs, with Javonte Williams ($7,200) off the injury report. It may not mean much this week with their swiss cheese defense that has allowed at least 407 total yards in three straight. In the expected situation that the Broncos are trailing, more work should fall on Jaleel McLaughlin ($7,000) and Samaje Perine ($5,000). The two combined for 14 targets over one game and change without Williams.

It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs defense ($5,600) can take advantage of the porous Broncos offensive line. Both teams are bottom-half in sack percentage, but Denver is allowing an 8.43% sack rate, 23rd in the NFL. K.C.’s bloated salary could pay off if the same story plays out for the struggling offense, especially at home.

Want a new way to play daily fantasy football? Try Sleeper DFS Fantasy Picks contests.

Create parlays of player props by betting Over or Under the assigned totals. The more picks in your parlay, the greater the payout.

Click below to get their signup offer of up to $100 free on a first deposit bonus.

In a rough week for Denver’s defense, Frank Clark has already been ruled out essentially as a healthy scratch and is not expected to be with the team much longer. Randy Gregory was also released a few days ago.

Favorite Thursday Night DraftKings Showdown Plays

* Stacks

Captain Travis Kelce with Patrick Mahomes and Marvin Mims

The goal here is to embrace volatility. Kelce could be limited but remains Mahomes’ top receiver. Mims’ route participation has decreased for no reason, but that may have to change naturally with the release of Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Captain Patrick Mahomes with multiple WR/TEs

Mahomes will draw the most CPT rostership. The uniqueness comes from the right combination of receiving options.

Captain Isiah Pacheco with Chiefs DST and Jerry Jeudy

The combo may be one of the more popular because of the RB-DST stack and Jeudy getting the most looks on first reads of any Denver WR.

Captain Courtland Sutton with Russell Wilson and Justin Watson

An inexplicable 1/13/0 on three targets ended a four-game double-digit DraftKings streak. Sutton will draw rostership in the FLEX position because he is $1,200 cheaper than Jeudy, so the leverage with Sutton is at CPT.

* Dart Throws/Cheap Options

TE Blake Bell ($200)

If Kelce were to be inactive, Bell would see a boost in routes run. He has zero targets since Week 1.

WR Justyn Ross ($600)

His four targets in Week 5 were a season-high, but he only played six snaps out of 66 runs by the Chiefs.

WR Brandon Johnson ($1,200)

The relative unknown has run the third-most routes for the Broncos and operates as the third WR in three-wide sets. The release of Humphrey secures his role on offense.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($1,100)

The former 1st rounder is running as the clear third back, but on a short week and with Pacheco getting upwards of 20 touches per week, CEH could be in for a larger workload if the score gets out of hand. He makes a great stack with CPT Pacheco.

* TNF Captain Picks

Patrick Mahomes ($19,200)

The reigning MVP can be the optimal captain with a couple flicks of the wrist. He’ll be popular, which will likely keep my number of CPT Mahomes lineups limited.

Isiah Pacheco ($14,100)

The Chiefs bell cow back has the clearest role of any non-QB offensive player in this game. Denver is allowing a league-worst 5.9 yards per rushing attempt.

Russell Wilson ($14,400)

He may not be cooking like he did in Seattle, but he has been fantasy-relevant in four straight games, including a 30-DK point effort in Week 2. He has enough talent and should have more time than normal to let plays develop.

Marvin Mims ($6,900)

Sandwiched between two games with yards per catch averages of 4.0 and 4.5 are three performances with 23.5, 24.3, and 56.5. Denver has 18 plays of 20-plus yards, tied for 7th-most. Reintegrating the rookie should be a priority as road dogs. Mims is a CPT dart throw that will differentiate your lineup while allowing for top options to fit in.

DFS Sunday Main Slate Week 6

Week 6 London DFS Showdown: Ravens @ Titans

• Spread: Ravens -4
• Total: 42 Points

Tennessee will be without Treylon Burks (knee) for a third consecutive game. The Titans may also be without starting DT Teair Tart (toe), which would put a damper on a Titans run defense that has been good against the run. Baltimore is relatively unscathed, with LB Odafe Oweh (ankle) the only player ruled out. Rookie RB Keaton Mitchell (shoulder) could make his season debut for the Ravens.

The injury to Tart plays into Baltimore’s run-first dynamic that has been infused with creativity in the passing attack. Only the 49ers pass at a lower rate, and only the Browns have gained yards through the air at a lower percentage.

There is little reason for the Ravens to change their identity against Tennessee with Lamar Jackson ($12,800 on DraftKings) as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. Zay Flowers ($8,200) has been the clear WR1 when the offense is passing. The rookie’s 34 touches are the most by any WR or TE on the Ravens roster and 14 clear of Mark Andrews ($9,000).

The passing attack has been aided by the arrival of Nelson Agholor ($5,600). The veteran has the third-highest target per snap share on the offense, with Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,200) and Rashod Bateman ($3,400) collecting injuries (surprise!). Neither has been productive when playing.

The Titans are a strange bunch. Ryan Tannehill ($9,200) is averaging a paltry 210 passing yards per game and has not topped 264 yards in any contest. That has made DeAndre Hopkins‘ ($9,400) production inconsistent despite being the clear target. He has only caught 62% of passes thrown his way.

Beyond Hopkins, the Burks injury has left the second read open to whichever player wants it that week. A running back or TE has tied or led the team in targets at some point this season. Bad for real-life football, but great for Showdown!

Favorite London DraftKings Showdown Plays

*Stacks

Lamar Jackson with Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor

I don’t trust OBJ and Bateman, and with the latter potentially drawing rostership as a cheap WR with some history of production.

Captain Zay Flowers with Lamar Jackson and Tyjae Spears

This stack will be popular, but for good reason. Flowers and Jackson have formed a strong working relationship, while Spears is out-snapping Derrick Henry and is tied for third on the Titans with 19 targets.

Captain DeAndre Hopkins with Mark Andrews and Justice Hill

Not stacking Hopkins with his QB opens salary, and Tannehill has a lower floor than a higher ceiling. Hill has seen work in the red zone as a rusher and pass catcher and would see more snaps than Gus Edwards in a negative game script in this build.

* Dart Throws/Cheap Options

WR Chris Moore ($200)

Moore is the definition of boom-or-bust, with zero targets in Week 5, two catches over 40 yards on the season, and a 60% snap rate. Playing someone at the stone minimum in this game may not be necessary, but he’s there.

RB Keaton Mitchell ($200)

The undrafted rookie logged three full practices and has a chance to be activated from I.R. He averaged six yards per carry in the preseason and would be a fresh face in the backfield. I don’t expect significant work, but he’s got speed.

TE Josh Whyle ($1,200)

Whyle is another rookie who can make a mark. He has 3/33/1 on three targets the past two weeks in part because defenses are more concerned with catching threat Chigoziem Okonkwo.

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine ($2,600)

This is poor pricing for a wideout tied for third on his team in targets. 19 is not a lot, but NWI has games with five and six targets this season.

*Captains

DeAndre Hopkins ($14,100)

Hopkins should be priced the highest of any Titan, so we take the discount. The Ravens secondary is relatively healthy but is just middle-of-the-pack in 4for4’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to wide receivers.

Lamar Jackson ($19,200)

Sandwiched in between his Week 1 and 5 duds are three games with at least 22.88 DraftKings points. He’s the best player on the field.

Zay Flowers ($12,300)

Flowers is the 4th-highest priced non-QB but has the best matchup among the quadrant. The Tennessee secondary is questionable at best, and two of their better reserves are out in Week 6.

Derrick Henry ($15,000)

Henry is a CPT option if you believe the Titans take the air out of the ball. He has been inefficient at a level we have not seen in years, so the risk is higher. If you build 10 lineups, he makes sense as a captain in one or two. Henry has two weeks of 20-plus touches.

Week 6 Sunday Night Football DFS Showdown: Giants @ Bills

The football gods are frowning down upon us with another Giants primetime game.

• Spread: Bills -15
• Total: 44 Points

The Giants continue to be without LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) among a myriad of others, like Saquon Barkley (questionable, ankle). The biggest inactive for New York is Daniel Jones (neck). It’s a scary injury and not his first involving his neck. Well wishes, Daniel.

The Bills could be without their top two tight ends as Dalton Kincaid ($4,200 on DraftKings) is still in concussion protocol, and Dawson Knox ($3,800) was limited all week with a wrist injury.

Throw anything against the wall and hope it sticks when it comes to the Giants offense. Tyrod Taylor ($9,400) is going to running a lot with two starting o-linemen out, two questionable, and the swing tackle out. The best thing I can say is Wan’Dale Robinson ($4,600) had a second consecutive game with five catches and will have a similar QB throwing to him once again.

The Bills can dial up the heat on both ends of the ball, and should do so quickly.

Josh Allen ($12,800) and Stefon Diggs ($12,200) are connecting at an insane rate, averaging 104 yards per game through the air. The question with them is how much of their connection effect Gabe Davis ($7,800) and the tertiary targets.

It could be a big week for James Cook ($9,200) and Latavius Murray ($3,600). The duo, as well as Damien Harris ($1,800) had limited work in a dud against Jacksonville Week 5. Cook and Murray have been either the leader in total touches (Cooks averages 15 per game) or red zone TDs (Murray).

Harris is around enough to have one fewer RZ TD than Murray with the same amount of carries.

Favorite SNF DraftKings Showdown Plays

Josh Allen with Stefon Diggs and Bills Defense

Some of the backfield ambiguity for the Bills makes it difficult to recommend a RB/DST stack in the perfect game script for it. Taking the best 1-2 duo as the stack works while having Allen as another RZ back option.

Captain Gabe Davis with Tyrod Taylor and Wan’Dale Robinson

Davis is the deeper threat between he and Diggs, and has done a lot of damage with a few catches. Taylor and Robinson is my favorite Giants combo.

Graham Gano with Tyler Bass

Bass is going to be in a lot of lineups because of Buffalo’s 29.5-point implied team total. Gano may be busy as Giants drives stall. Potential winds over 10 MPH may also scare away some of their rostership.

* Dart Throws/Cheap Options

TE Quintin Morris ($200)

Kincaid and Knox could both be out, forcing Morris into a TE1 role. Morris also is a blocker first, so even one TE being out puts him on the field out of necessity.

WR Deonte Harty ($600)

Harty’s reward for 8.2 DK points last week is a $600 price slash. Harty can pick up yards in a hurry as we saw in London Week 5.

RB Damien Harris ($1,88)

Harris has two more yards and only one fewer TD than Murray in the red zone and is half the cost.

*Captains

Josh Allen ($19,200)

Allen may not have to do much to get to a big day. With his lack of rush attempts, picking his battles for running time may only be in goal-to-go situations.

Stefon Diggs ($18,300)

The two players most likely to have spike weeks are priced 1-2 for a reason. I’d lean Diggs as the CPT I’ll play the most.

Darren Waller ($11,100)

In the scenario where the Giants move the ball enough to stay relevant, Waller will be a top target. Robinson is the easy pay-down player for the Giants, but Waller needs to be in play more. Buffalo lost Matt Milano for what is expected to be the season after breaking a leg. It can be argued that he is the most important player on that defense and would’ve been one of the players likely to get Waller off his game.

Waller is an option to get away from the expected higher-rostered CPT options, but should not be rostered as a must-CPT play.

Week 6 Monday Night Football DFS Showdown: Cowboys @ Chargers

• Spread: Cowboys -1.5
• Total: 51 Points

The game with the highest Over/Under closes out Week 6. No surprise that good health is tied to this total, as the Chargers are getting Austin Ekeler ($11,200 on DraftKings), Josh Palmer ($7,000), Donald Parham Jr. ($2,200), Joey Bosa, and Derwin James back from their injuries.

The biggest absence for the Cowboys is Leighton Vander Esch (neck/concussion).

A full roster of offensive talent is great news for Justin Herbert ($10,800) as he contends with the Dallas pass rush. Only Buffalo and Cleveland have a better sack rate than the Cowboys’ 10.14%.

The return of Ekeler may be the biggest reason the Cowboys don’t get to Herbert at their current rate.

The Chargers have five players with an aDOT of 10 yards or less (min. 5 targets). That is not the airing out that fantasy players expected with the arrival of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, but for at least Week 6, it is helpful.

Dallas enters as small road favorites in part because the Chargers defense is ranked 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to opposing offenses, according to 4f0r4. That includes Los Angeles being no better than 20th in aFPA to any position.

The Cowboys offense is the second-best the Chargers will have faced at home this season. Against Miami, the best offense in the NFL, the Bolts had as many sacks and DraftKings points as a team as I did.

Favorite MNF DraftKings Showdown Plays

*Stacks

Keenan Allen with Justin Herbert and Brandin Cooks

The loss of Mike Williams (ACL) for the season put the onus on Allen to be the leader of the passing attack. Allen and Herbert have excellent rapport and utilize quick reads and passes to gain chunk yards.

Captain Tony Pollard with CeeDee Lamb and Austin Ekeler

This is an expensive stack, but it includes the favored Cowboys that see the most work and success with the do-it-all Ekeler.

Dak Prescott with CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson

Lamb’s salary will make him fairly popular at CPT in a squeaky-wheel narrative, which is where paying more for Dak and stacking the duo makes sense. Prescott has been a distributor of the ball and has rarely locked in on any one player.

Ferguson is tied for the third-most red zone targets.

* Dart Throws/Cheap Options

TE Luke Schoonmaker ($200)

The rookie has a target in four consecutive games but has not reeled one in since Week 2 (a TD).

WR Derius Davis ($1,400)

The former TCU wideout saw a bump in play and production sans Williams, collecting five total touches and 67 yards (51 rushing) Week 4. His role could diminish with former TCU teammate Quentin Johnson ($4,200) getting a bye week boost.

TE Donald Parham Jr. ($2,200)

The spring football legend has three catches on six receptions on seven targets. Three have been for scores. His role is clear and small.

WR Michael Gallup ($2,800)

The veteran will be a popular pay down spot from Cooks since they have a similar aDOT, but Gallup has more production.

*Captains

Tony Pollard ($14,400)

I could argue that Pollard is the best player in this game and should be rostered as such. He is averaging 0.75 PPR points per touch on 20 touches per game.

This is a potential blowup spot.

Keenan Allen ($15,900)

PPR darlings such as Allen can be the optimal CPT just by catching the ball. He is averaging 108 receiving yards per game, buoyed by 111 and 215-yard outbursts.

Jake Ferguson ($7,800)

Only three Cowboys regulars (10-plus touches) average more PPR points per touch than Ferguson. His RZ usage is elite for any player and is priced lower because of position.

He only has one RZ TD, but the utilization is too good to not use at CPT to open roster construction.

Dak Prescott ($15,000)

Since 2020, Prescott is averaging 39 pass attempts, 309.8 passing yards, and 2.07 passing TDs while seeing his interceptions drop from 1.0 to 0.6 in games with an Over/Under of at least 50 points. He also averages 5.9 more fantasy points per game in those games (22.5).