X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 6) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests

C.J. Stroud - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

The top NFL Pick'em pool picks for Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season. Mike's weekly NFL Pick'em pool targets, avoids, and predictions to help win pick'em contests.

The undefeated Chiefs and Vikings will be two of the four teams that are on a bye during Week 6. As we march forward in a season that has been filled with wild upsets, will heavy favorites live up to expectations this week?

Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format that requires it. The games will be grouped into locks, semi-confident picks, and toss-ups. The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least confident pick. The winner picks are italicized.

Some weeks, you may see a subcategory of “Wait and See” because some platforms require all games to be selected before the kickoff of Thursday Night Football. There may still be some injury questions for Sunday and Monday games. If that’s the case, I’ll leave those games off to the side and suggest where they should be placed if a player is in or out. Let’s get to our Week 6 picks.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code SUMMER. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Week 6 NFL Pick'em Pool Locks

The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least-confident pick. The higher the number, the better. The winner picks are italicized.

  • 14 – Houston at New England
  • 13 – Tampa Bay at New Orleans

The Patriots are making a change at quarterback with rookie Drake Maye replacing Jacoby Brissett. The Texans lost start wide receiver Nico Collins to a hamstring injury. It doesn’t matter. The Texans are the vastly superior team and still have C.J. Stroud under center. They should win this matchup handedly.

The matchup between the Buccaneers and Saints has lost a lot of its luster with Derek Carr (oblique) set to miss multiple games. Fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler will start in his place. The Buccaneers have one of the better offenses in the league, averaging 25.4 points per game. Don’t expect Rattler to be able to help the Saints keep pace.

 

Semi-Confident Picks For Week 6 Pick'em Pools

12 – Pittsburgh at Las Vegas

Things are already unraveling for the Raiders. Davante Adams will be out again as he deals with a hamstring injury and his request to be traded. Gardner Minshew II has been so bad that he lost his starting job to Aidan O'Connell. This is a great bounce-back spot for the Steelers, who have lost back-to-back games after starting out the season 3-0.

11 – Atlanta at Carolina

The Panthers finally have a competent offense with Andy Dalton starting at quarterback. The problem is that their defense has given up an average of 33.0 points per game. After scoring a total of 62 points over their last two games, Kirk Cousins and the rest of the Falcons’ offense should be able to carry the team to victory.

10 – Chicago vs. Jacksonville

The Jaguars finally put one in the win column by defeating the Colts in Week 5. It wasn’t exactly a great win, though, with Anthony Richardson (oblique) and Jonathan Taylor (ankle) sidelined for the Colts. The Jaguars have allowed the most passing yards per game in the league, setting up Caleb Williams with a favorable opportunity to throw for at least 300 yards for the third time over his last four games.

9 – Philadelphia vs. Cleveland

The Eagles haven’t been great with their 2-2 record and injuries hampering their offense. However, they should still be the favorites against a Browns team that is 1-4 and has scored a total of just 79 points. The Browns continue to roll out Deshaun Watson, who has not thrown for more than 196 yards in a game. He also has one or no touchdown passes in four of five games.

 

NFL Pick'em Toss-Ups Of Week 6

8 – Cincinnati at New York Giants

It’s surprising that the Giants have a better record than the Bengals through five games. The Bengals have scored an average of 28.0 points per game, while the Giants have only averaged 17.8 points per game. On paper, the Bengals have significantly more offensive talent, so they should win this game. However, the Giants have held their own, even in most of their losses, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they won.

7 – Baltimore vs. Washington

Another big surprise is the Commanders (4-1) having a better record than the Ravens (3-2) through five games. This will be a good test for the Commanders, on the road against a Super Bowl contender. The Ravens should be able to win this game as they have the more talented overall roster, but with how well Jayden Daniels has been playing, the Commanders might be able to pull off the upset.

6 – Detroit at Dallas

The Lions have played three home games on their way to a 3-1 start. The Cowboys are 3-0 on the road, but they have lost both of their home games. Still, the Cowboys were 8-0 at home last year. Injuries on both sides of the ball could be the Cowboys’ undoing, but the combination of home-field advantage and the duo of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb could help the Cowboys put a scare into the Lions.

5 – Green Bay vs. Arizona

Kyler Murray can almost single-handedly carry the Cardinals to a victory. Still, they are just 2-3 this season despite averaging 24.0 points per game. Their defense has been a problem, allowing 25.8 points per game. The Packers deserve to be heavy favorites at home, but Murray potentially going off against a defense that has allowed the 10th-most passing yards per game in the league is also a possibility.

4 – Los Angeles Chargers at Denver

Points will likely be at a premium in this matchup. The Broncos have allowed 14.6 points per game and the Chargers have given up 12.5 points per game. The Chargers have the advantage of having added rest coming off their bye week, but this game could come down to which team can convert the most field goal attempts.

3 – Seattle vs. San Francisco

Anything can happen during a divisional matchup on Thursday Night Football. The Seahawks sit atop the NFC West at 3-2, while the 49ers have a 2-3 record despite having a +20 point differential. Two of their three losses have come by three or fewer points. When in doubt, I usually recommend taking the home team on Thursday Night Football.

2 – Buffalo at New York Jets

A loss to the Vikings in London proved to be the final straw for Robert Saleh, who was fired by the Jets this week. Probably his biggest undoing was the loss to the Broncos the week prior in which the Jets scored only nine points. Will interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich help turn around their season? I want no part of picking this game in any pool that matters with a new coach for the Jets and the Bills battling injuries.

1 – Tennessee vs. Indianapolis

Richardson is trending towards returning for Week 6, but that might not actually be a good thing for the Colts considering how well Joe Flacco has played in his absence. The Colts could also be without Taylor again, which would put even more pressure on Richardson to perform in the passing game. Will Levis is not only dealing with a shoulder injury, but he has just four touchdown passes to go along with six interceptions. If you can, stay far, far away from picking this matchup.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open