Well, last weekend was weird.
Unfortunately, my Week 5 lineup didn’t cash. And due to an outage on FanDuel’s end, I had to wait until Monday to find out for sure what I already knew.
Let’s turn the page to Week 6 and hope for better results… and no issues on FanDuel’s end!
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Quarterback
Kirk Cousins (MIN): $7,100
Ryan Fitzpatrick might be the trendy value play at quarterback this weekend. However, I’m going to take Cousins, who has a better matchup and is a few hundred dollars cheaper.
This is one of the rare cases where Cousins carries a ton of DFS appeal. He did a solid job last week against a terrible Seahawks defense and I expect him to do even better against the Falcons, who have surrendered a league-high 30.5 FanDuel points per game.
With Dalvin Cook likely out, I anticipate the Vikings will be more aggressive through the air at home. The firing of Dan Quinn may give the Falcons a greater sense of urgency. But this is still a banged-up secondary that’s lacking talent and has allowed the most passing touchdowns in the NFL.
Running Backs
Aaron Jones (GB): $8,500
I typically don’t like picking running backs who are going up against Tampa Bay’s fearsome front seven. I’m making an exception with Jones here. With bye weeks and injuries, it’s a pretty thin group atop the running back options. Jones is one of the few guys out there with a workload you can bank on.
And while Tampa Bay is second in the league against the run, covering running backs has been an issue this season. The Bucs have given up 38 receptions for 286 yards to opposing tailbacks this season. Even if Jones has a hard time on the ground, there should be plenty of opportunities to make plays through the air.
James Robinson (JAX): $6,500
I’m going back to Robinson even though he disappointed us with only 7.5 points last week against Houston. Even with a bye week factored in, the Lions rank 26th in the league against the run with 682 yards allowed. Robinson should be able to get back on track and continues to provide value at tailback.
Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen (MIN): $7,400
Let’s go all-in on the Vikings passing game! Why not! Thielen is coming off a two-touchdown performance against Seattle and has garnered 23 targets in his last two games.
With Quinn gone, the Falcons could change schemes and ditch his Cover 3 defense. But I’m still not sure Atlanta has the horses to cover anyone, whether it’s in man or zone coverage. Thielen offers a strong floor and high upside this week.
DeVante Parker (MIA): $6,400
This might finally be the week we get the Parker breakout game. It seems he’s overcome the hamstring injury that’s hampered him early on. Now he faces the Jets and his former coach, Adam Gase.
I’m guessing morale isn’t very high in Jets HQ this week. And New York has allowed 948 yards to opposing receivers this season. Fitzpatrick’s volatility stopped me from putting him in my lineup, but I’ll happily take his top receiver at this price.
Chase Claypool (PIT): $5,500
I’m doing it. I’m going in on Chase Claypool. There are a few reasons why:
- He’s still the cheapest Steelers pass catcher on the board.
- Diontae Johnson might not play, and even if he does can’t be trusted to stay healthy.
- Cleveland has allowed the second-most receptions (79), third-most yards (1,016), and second-most touchdowns (8) to opposing receivers this year.
Claypool’s talent intrigued me at Notre Dame, so I don’t think last week’s breakout was a fluke. However, it’d be crazy to expect another outburst like that against the Browns. With Johnson and tight end Eric Ebron questionable to play, I could see Claypool putting up another solid outing. At this price, it’s worth a shot on lightning striking twice.
Tight End
Mark Andrews (BAL): $7,600
Andrews is a luxury for me this week and has a great matchup against an Eagles defense that’s given up the fifth-most FanDuel points in the league to opposing tight ends. When Baltimore gets in the red zone, you know Andrews is Lamar Jackson’s first read. I’m expecting them to connect at least once in the end zone this weekend.
FLEX
David Montgomery (RB – CHI): $5,900
If you’re going to take a flier on Montgomery, it better be the week he’s facing one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. Carolina is allowing 5.4 yards per carry and has surrendered eight rushing touchdowns this season.
Montgomery has also seen an uptick in targets since Tarik Cohen was lost for the season. In his last two games, Montgomery has garnered 14 targets and has caught 10 of them. In the three games before that, Montgomery had gotten only nine targets.
If Matt Nagy commits to the run, there’s plenty of upside for Montgomery to have a strong day.
Defense and Special Teams
Baltimore Ravens: $4,900
I originally pegged the Dolphins against Joe Flacco and the Jets. But I had some extra bucks to spend and knew Miami would be a popular pick amongst the public. So we’re going to add Baltimore’s defense, which should wreak havoc against Carson Wentz and Philadelphia’s terrible offensive line.
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Matt Barbato is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @RealMattBarbato.
