With the Patriots playing on Thursday Night Football, I'm thinking some of you may want to add some excitement to a Pats-free Sunday slate. I'm here to help!
For my take on every relevant skill player for Week 6 fantasy purposes, check out my lineup rankings at rotobahn.com. It's completely free. No registration. No signing in. Just follow the link and enjoy.
All pricing in this article was sourced from DraftKings.
This is a slightly abnormal week in that the elite running back plays are either in tough matchups, are injured or are off the main Sunday slate. That could serve to change the lineup construction that many successful players have been using this season—where you put elite running back plays in both RB slots and in the flex spot as well. Don't get me wrong, you can still go with three running backs, but using the high-cost backs in all three spots feels suboptimal based on situations and pricing.
Let's look at a few of the players I'll be rostering on this week's slate.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs vs. Texans, $7,500
You might expect me to move away from Mahomes after he let me down last week, but no, that's not happening. He's at home playing a team that you want to throw on, because the Texans defend the run better than the pass. Houston is also getting crushed by wide receivers, so we'll want to keep close tabs on the Chiefs injury report. Sammy Watkins is unlikely to play but has yet to be ruled out. Tyreek Hill is being listed as a game time decision, but word could come in around noon as to whether he'll be playing or not. If Hill sits, then Mecole Hardman ($5,300) becomes a great play as does Demarcus Robinson ($5,900) and, they would be cheap enough to stack. Another player to consider is Byron Pringle ($3,500), whose cost and role make him viable as long as Watkins remains out. So playing Mahomes this week is far from a binary decision. It's not just how to stack, but we can also debate whether we want to. In cash games, you can make a strong argument that you just take Mahomes' points and avoid the whack-a-mole that stacking could become if all those receivers are active. So keep your head on a swivel. I'm using Mahomes in cash games without a stack, but I'm ready to put a few Mahomes stacks in tournaments depending on how the injury situation shakes out. Jim Hackett and I will get into this on the Fantasy Football Hour.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams vs. 49ers, $4,300
Todd Gurley is out and Brown will start in his place. He is basically a free square. You get a solid 15-touch floor (my projection) and since he will get most of the goal line action, he gives you ceiling too. You could fade Brown to try and gain an edge on the field if he flops, but I think taking the free square is the better play this week, and certainly in cash games.
Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys at Jets, $5,600
On September 16 of this year, Gallup has surgery to trim the meniscus in his knee. For those who know meniscuses, in terms of getting back on the field, a trim is better than a repair. Still, the fact that Gallup was killing it last week is rather remarkable. Week 6 brings Gallup and the Cowboys to New York to play the Jets. It's a great matchup because the Jets have weak perimeter defenders. They often leave them on islands because the only thing defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes more than a bounty, is a blitz. The Jets best corner is their slot guy, Brian Poole, who will be covering Randall Cobb. Further helping matters, the Jets stuff the run well. The way you beat them is by attacking the secondary. This leads me to my next recommendation.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys at Jets, $7,000
While Gallup will find his way into more of my Week 6 lineups due to his low cost, I am very much liking Cooper's chances against the Jets for the same basic reasons described above. Here's the summation. Two of the best players on the Cowboys (Amari and Gallup) matchup directly against the Jets' weak flank, and, the Jets are not generally inclined to change the way they do things—they try to out execute you. If that holds, they will go down in flames. I will have either Cooper or Gallup in all my lineups this week, and in my Dak Prescott stacks, I will use both.
Lastly, please remember to play within your comfort level. You can have loads of fun playing DFS without spending more than ten bucks a week, so please play responsibly.
Jim Hackett and I will get into all of our favorite Week 6 plays on the Fantasy Football Hour, live on 93.7 at 8 a.m. on Sundays. Join us!
