Leonard Fournette has been one of the best running backs in football this year. This week, he tops the list of players we want high exposure to across our DFS lineups. Every build needs a strong core. DFS builds are no exception. Here are your core plays for NFL Week Six DFS.
[Pricing and data from Draft Kings]
[Vegas odds via vegasinsider.com]
Leonard Fournette and Other Week 6 DFS Core Plays
Week 6 DFS Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson $6700
I’m going back to the well this week and recommending we play Watson again. He has a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that could turn into a shootout between two of the league’s best young quarterbacks. The Chiefs rank 19th in DK points allowed to quarterbacks. The current line is over/under (55) Chiefs -4.5. If things go the way Vegas projects, there should be a plethora of fantasy points scored on both sides. With the lack of a legitimate run-game, the Texans will need a lot from Watson to stay competitive in this matchup with the high-powered Chiefs offense on the other side. If playing multiple lineups, you’ll want to build numerous game stacks featuring players from both sides of this game.
Matt Ryan $6400
Ryan has thrown for at least 300 yards in every game this season and has only failed to throw at least two touchdowns in a game once. This week, Ryan gets a quarterback-friendly matchup with the Arizona Cardinals who have allowed the most DK points to the quarterback position this season. The Falcons–Cardinals game has the second-highest over/under (51.5) on the slate, and the Falcons are 2.5-point road favorites. The Falcons offense runs through Ryan, so if the team is going to come close to their implied total (27 points), Ryan should have a good day. Of course, if you are playing in a GPP tournament, you’ll want to build some stacks with Ryan and his pass-catchers. Julio Jones can go off anytime, so he needs to be in some of those stacks. However, I have also listed two Falcons skill-players below, who have the best matchups and prices. If you play multiple lineups, deploy a few different versions of stacks with players from both sides of this game. Doing so will give us some leverage against all the, likely more chalky, Chiefs-Texans stacks.
.@PatrickMahomes (112.4) and @deshaunwatson (105.4) are 1st and 2nd respectively in career passer rating all-time (min. 20 games).
Their combined career passer rating of 217.8 will be the highest by opposing QBs entering a matchup in the Super Bowl era.@Chiefs | @HoustonTexans
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 9, 2019
Gardner Minshew II $5000
If you are looking to pay down for a quarterback, Minshew at only $5K makes a lot of sense. Minshew has been a steady contributor since taking over for Nick Foles in Week One. Last week, the Jaguars took the training wheels off, allowing Minshew to throw 44 pass attempts. He responded with 374 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions. This week, Minshew gets the New Orleans Saints who have allowed the second-most DK points to quarterbacks this season. Minshew makes for a good low-cost cash game quarterback, or stack him with DJ Chark in GPP lineups.
Week 6 DFS Running Backs Featuring Leonard Fournette
Dalvin Cook $8400
Cook has been a human highlight reel this season, ripping off one big run after another. He has also been heavily involved in the passing game this season. The man is averaging 27.2 DK points per game. His lowest DK points scored in a given week this season was 19 points. The matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles this week is a tough one, but Cook has yet to see under 20 touches in a game this season. He cost a lot more than the other guys on the list. However, if playing multiple lineups, you’re going to need some exposure to Cook. One, to help diversify your player exposure, and two, he could explode for the top score. He’s that good.
Leonard Fournette $6700
Leonard Fournette (23 TPG) ranks third among all running backs in touches per game. He averages over 100 rushing yards per game and has also been much more involved in the passing game than in years past, averaging six pass targets per game. His matchup with the Saints this week isn’t the best. The Saints rank fourth in DK points allowed to running backs this season. However, Fournette is an exceptional talent that is getting a monster workload every week. He is a volume-based, floor/ceiling weekly cash play, and when he has a red number next to his name on Draft Kings like he does this week, he is a good GPP option also.
Top RBs in Yards from Scrimmage – 2019
Christian McCaffrey – 866
Dalvin Cook – 742
Leonard Fournette – 655
Nick Chubb – 596
Austin Ekeler – 583
Alvin Kamara – 583
Marlon Mack – 512
David Johnson – 511
Josh Jacobs – 507
Chris Carson – 485
Derrick Henry – 485
Ezekiel Elliott – 478— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) October 10, 2019
Le’Veon Bell $6400
Bell averages 24.5 touches per game this season- second among running backs to only Christian McCaffrey. His production has been limited lately with opposing teams stacking the box against him because there was little to worry about in the passing game with Luke Falk playing quarterback. However, with Sam Darnold back this week, the opposing defense (Dallas Cowboys) will have to respect the passing game. Bell’s efficiency should climb, raising both his ceiling and his floor. The good news is, whether the Jets are ahead or behind, Bell will remain involved in the offense. His ability in the passing game makes him a safe cash game option for the DraftKings PPR scoring system. The fact that he has not put up big numbers the past few weeks, makes him a good GPP option as well.
Chris Carson $6000
Carson has averaged 27 touches over the last two weeks and averages 21.8 touches per game. This week, he plays the Browns, who have allowed the third-most rushing yards per game this season. We all saw what the San Francisco 49ers run-game did to the Browns on Monday night. Now, they will have to contend with Carson on a short week of rest. Carson and the Seattle Seahawks defense make for a nice GPP stack this week, or use him in cash by himself.
Week 6 DFS Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp $7100
Kupp has been a PPR machine this season, gobbling up targets from Jared Goff to the tune of 12.6 TPG. 49ers slot corner K’Waun Williams has only allowed .25 fantasy points per reception per Mike Clays cornerback/wide receiver matchups worksheet. However, he has yet to guard anyone who is playing at the level of Kupp. With Brandin Cooks dealing with a concussion and questionable to suit up, Kupp could see an even higher target share than the already astronomical 34 percent target share that he has seen to this point in season. Until Kupp begins to cool off, he’s a weekly cash-game lock.
Amari Cooper $7000
Cooper has benefited from the Cowboys new pass-happy offense under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Last year, Cooper was up and down with a high performance one week and a dud the next. This season the passing volume has picked up, and Cooper has seen at least seven targets in every game but one. Those targets are not short dump-offs either. Per (airyards.com), Cooper’s average depth of target (aDOT) is 12 yards. This week, Cooper gets a wide receiver-friendly matchup with the New York Jets, who rank 23rd in DK points allowed to the receiver position. The Cowboys offer the potential for a low-owned/high-upside GPP stack this week. I like the idea of using Dak Prescott with both of his top receivers in a stack. Make it a game-stack by rolling it back with Bell.
Yards per Route Run🔥
WR's; min 20 targetsMichael Gallup 3.49
Michael Thomas 2.95
Amari Cooper 2.93
Chris Godwin 2.79— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 10, 2019
Michael Gallup $5600
Gallup has been a beast so far in his second year as a pro. Through three games, Gallup is averaging 113 yards per game. He’s averaging 22 DK points per game and is still priced too low at only $5.6K. As noted above, the matchup is good for the Cowboys receivers. You can play them in a GPP-stack or individually in cash.
Mohamed Sanu $4500
Nobody passes the ball more than the Atlanta Falcons this season. Sanu has been targeted six or more times in every game but one this season- he was only targeted five times last week, however, he scored a touchdown to make up for it. Sanu offers us cost savings while providing a decent PPR floor. You can play him in a GPP-stack with Ryan, or as a value play in cash lineups.
Week 6 DFS Tight Ends
Zach Ertz $5400
Ertz has seen at least seven pass targets in every game this season. Priced at only $5.4K, Ertz offers a safe return on investment floor for DFS cash-lineups. He can also be used as a GPP-pivot off of the chalk tight ends with the bright green numbers next to their names on DraftKings. While Ertz has been hovering around his floor through the first few games, he is due for a ceiling-game any day now. We want him in our GPP lineup when that happens. If playing multiple lineups, Ertz needs to be in a few of them.
Austin Hooper $5000
Hooper has the best tight end matchup on the slate. His opponent this week, the Arizona Cardinals, have allowed a tight end touchdown in every game but one. Hooper has been more involved in the Falcons passing game this season, averaging more than eight targets per game. Eat the chalk with Hooper this week in your cash lineups. He will be highly owned and can kill your chances of cashing if he goes off, and you don’t have him. However, in GPP lineups, I recommend one of two approaches. Either, stack him with Ryan and another Falcons pass-catcher, or fade him and try to gain leverage against the field by pivoting to a lower-owned tight end.
Austin Hooper with 93 catches in his last 17 games. For reference, Travis Kelce at 108.
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) October 7, 2019
Will Dissly $4900
Dissly is a pivot play for GPP lineups off of the more chalky tight ends. In his last four games, Dissly has had either 80 yards receiving or a touchdown in all of them. He is becoming this year’s version of George Kittle. With Russell Wilson playing at the top of his game and looking to Dissly consistently, Dissly is a good bet to continue his run of success. While he doesn’t have the target volume to be a trustworthy cash game option, you have to love the upside he provides for GPPs.
Week 6 DFS Defenses
Seahawks $3400
The Hawks will play the Browns, who are coming off a Monday Night shellacking by the 49ers. The Browns offensive line has been a dumpster fire this season, allowing 3.2 sacks per game (teamrankings.com). Fire up the Seahawks, and watch them go to work on the Browns porous O-line and a shaky Baker Mayfield this weekend.
49ers $2700
The Niners defense has been one of the best fantasy defenses this season, averaging 15 DK points per game. Look for them to give it their all this week in a division matchup against the reigning NFC champion Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers D is more of a GPP play, as the Rams offense can put up points if they get going. However, the Niners defense is going to make that very difficult. With most of the ownership this week going to either the defenses at the top or the bottom of the price list, the San Francisco defense offers an opportunity to differentiate by going in the middle.
Jets $1500
The Jets defense has been too good to be this cheap. They have averaged the second-most points per game of all the defenses available on the main slate. Even though the matchup against the Cowboys is tough, it won’t take much for this unit to exceed value. Plus, the savings provided by this play allows us to fit in more of the high-dollar and higher upside options listed above.
