Week 6 of the NFL season is here, and Awesemo has a ton of great tools and NFL DFS strategy to help you tackle all the largest contests in DFS. This article will give you some first impressions of the upcoming slate, including some of the top matchups and value plays. We will discuss the pricing and who sticks out at various tiers for Yahoo daily fantasy NFL picks this week.
Week 5 brought down the thunder in terms of injuries, as multiple players from big teams went down. The Giants lost Daniel Jones (concussion) and Saquon Barkley (ankle) in game, and the Chiefs also lost Clyde Edwards-Helaire (knee) for multiple weeks. Other Kansas City stars are also dealing with injuries, so watch that team’s injury report. JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) is done for the year too, which should open up targets for Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson in Pittsburgh. There is more news to go over, but the main theme is, watch the injury reports in Week 6.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy: Week 6 NFL First Look & Value Plays
QB Patrick Mahomes — $40
There will be a lot of chatter around Patrick Mahomes this week. as the Chiefs enter Week 5 with just a 2-3 record and in last place in their division. Mahomes has also thrown an uncharacteristic six interceptions already through just five games. Real records do not matter in fantasy, though, and the Chiefs (who also just lost their starting running back for weeks) are about to play Washington, who has allowed the second-most yards and touchdowns passing this season. Mahomes is $40, and some of his main weapons may be banged up, but this game features two of the weakest defenses in the league and should be fertile ground for a fantasy production.
QB Taylor Heinicke — $28
If targeting Mahomes in this game, then Taylor Heinicke also needs a shout. Heinicke enters off a down week against the Saints, as he completed just 48% of his passes and threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. It is possible the fairy dust is starting to wear off Heinicke a bit, but he also just faced the Saints, a team that made Aaron Rodgers look like Matt Flynn in Week 1. Kansas City has allowed a ton of big plays this year and ranks third-to-last in yards per pass allowed against this season. This game has a game total hovering around 55 points, so Heinicke, at under $30, should bounce back, and his rushing potential means his upside should be considered elite for his price-range.
QB Joe Burrow — $28
Joe Burrow is another quarterback with upside in this same price range. Burrow had a tough game against the Packers, as he took a couple of big hits and then also saw his kicker blow a makeable field goal in overtime to win the game. Burrow is playing well, though, and is setting career highs in completion percentage and yards per attempt in 2021. The attraction is the Lions, who rank dead last in opponent yards per attempt in 2021 (9.3) and have been a big-play factory for opposing quarterbacks this year. Burrow has three healthy wideouts and should make a mockery of this Lions secondary. Expect him to be popular this week given the Bengals’ 25.25 implied team total.
QB Justin Fields — $20
There is not a ton to love in terms of min-priced quarterbacks this week. Justin Fields ($20) has won two games in a row as starter, yet his fantasy relevance is at about zero after averaging just 18.5 pass attempts and 7 yards rushing per game through two starts. He is starting to look more comfortable, though, and these things tend to turn in a hurry. Green Bay is going to put more pressure on the Bears defense than their last two opponents, and it should mean the Bears will be forced to unleash Fields with more carries/passing opportunities late in this game. The potential for a Week 6 spike is there for a talent that has the tools to be a fantasy stud in the future.
RB Nick Chubb — $30
The Browns rushing attack went off last week against the Chargers, with Nick Chubb accumulating 161 yards on 21 carries. Chubb landed his 10th career touchdown run of 20 yards or more in that game and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry on the season. The getting continues to be good this week for Chubb, as he faces off against another weak run defense in the Cardinals. Arizona may be 5-0, but teams have run the ball with success, as opponents are averaging 5.4 yards per carry against them, second worst in the league. Chubb may lose some red-zone opportunities to Kareem Hunt, but the big-play potential against these weak run defenses makes him an elite pay-up option again in large-field GPPs.
RB Jonathan Taylor — $23
Jonathan Taylor is another running back coming off a monster week. He averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on 15 carries against the Ravens but broke out as a receiver, taking three catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Most of his damage came on a 76-yard touchdown catch and run, but the play highlights his explosiveness. Like Chubb, Taylor can get there by grinding down weak opponents or by breaking out huge touchdown scores. He has the pleasure of facing the Texans, who are allowing 4.4 yards per carry (10th worst in the NFL). Taylor looks too cheap at under $25 and is set for lots of work, with the Colts 10-point favorites.
RB Darrell Henderson Jr. — $20
Darrell Henderson Jr. has dealt with injury concerns the last couple of weeks but continues to churn out some solid fantasy performances. He came out of the game briefly last week but returned and posted 4.81 yards per carry on 17 carries. The fact that the Rams went right back to Henderson in last week’s game after he came back from injury — and the fact Sony Michel only averaged 3.6 yards per carry — is a good sign his usage should be trusted going forward. The Rams play the Giants, who have all their skill players banged up. Los Angeles is favored by 10.5 points, and the Giants are allowing 4.7 yards per carry (fourth worst in the league). Henderson is in a monster spot for Week 6 and very affordable at just $20.
WR Davante Adams — $37
The Packers take on the Bears, who have allowed 7.1 yards per pass attempt and seven touchdowns already to opposing wide receivers (fourth most in the league). Like the Bengals last week, the Bears simply do not have the talent on the outside to keep up with an elite receiver like Davante Adams, who was literally getting open at will (on short and long routes) against Cincinnati last week. Chicago is set up to stop the run, but Adams may come close to replicating his 11-reception, 206-yard performance from last week. He should be a top pay-up option again in Week 6.
WR D.J. Moore — $29
D.J. Moore finally had a slow game last week against the Eagles. It was inevitable that Moore would eventually come back to earth, and that it happened against the Eagles (who have been solid for the most part at limiting wide receivers) maybe should not come as a huge surprise. Moore is still averaging 10 targets per game, though, and has become the clear alpha of the Panthers offense. The matchup against a talentless Vikings secondary makes for a good bounce-back spot in Week 6 as well. The Vikings are playing at the seventh-fastest pace in the league and rank 11th worst in limiting the pass. Moore is pricy but should be trusted.
WR Ja’Marr Chase — $24
Everything about Burrow above applies to Ja’Marr Chase as well. Chase has been targeted on 24.2% of Joe Burrow’s pass attempts in 2021 and has produced an insanely efficient 19.8 yards per catch. Maybe that number will regress a bit as the weather gets colder, but the Lions have given up 6.5 yards per play (second worst in the league) and continue to be ravaged by injuries and bad luck. Chase is producing like an elite wide receiver but is still being priced cheaply enough to make him a great value.
WR Michael Pittman Jr. — $15
Michael Pittman Jr. should get some attention this week after going for a long touchdown against the Ravens. He has emerged as one of the dominant downfield options for the Colts in 2021 and comes in averaging 9.5 targets a game over his last four starts. The matchup against the Texans could produce fewer pass attempts from the Colts if Taylor gets off to a good start, but the Texans are also allowing 7.7 yards per pass attempt (seventh worst in the league). Pittman is too cheap considering his usage and opponent.
TE Mark Andrews — $21
The Ravens are coming off a thrilling win over the Colts on Monday Night Football, and tight end Mark Andrews was a huge part of their success in that game. He may finally be joining the elites in terms of fantasy usage and production at his position, as he has caught five passes or more in each of his last four games — and is coming off his best game as a pro, with 11 catches on 13 targets for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens are passing more in 2021, and Andrews leads the team in targets and has averaged nine targets a game over his last three starts). He is too cheap in what could be a high-scoring game against the Chargers.
TE Ricky Seals-Jones– $11
Washington may be without Logan Thomas for a little while longer, and that development means Ricky Seals-Jones could be a very viable play in the future, especially in Week 6 against the Chiefs. Seals-Jones saw eight targets last week with Thomas out of the lineup, which tied for second on the team. This play is dependent on Thomas being out another week, but at just $11 it is more than worth watching the news on that front. Washington is currently a 6.5-point underdog, and teams are throwing the ball well over 35 times against Kansas City, so the opportunities should be there for Jones if he is the starter.
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