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

Week 6 DraftKings Deeper Sleeper Tournament Plays

Usually I open this with some snarky comment regarding Devonta Freeman, but this is just beyond me now. He's good, and if you've been riding him lately, you are probably doing well.

Week 6 doesn't actually have a lot of super expensive guys that are in plus spots. Jamaal Charles is gone. Julio Jones went on Thursday. Odell Beckham is dealing with a hamstring injury and is a question mark heading into a Monday night game. Antonio Brown's upside has been murdered lately by the play of Mike Vick. Demaryius Thomas has yet to go off. It's a very interesting landscape, and while there are certainly a lot of expensive plays that you'll want on your team, I see a lot of diversity being possible thanks to many of these studs rocking some fleas heading into Week 6.

This means that finding deeper difference makers is all the more important, as 5x value from someone who isn't on many owners' radars could vault you thousands of spots as people buy heavily into the few studs that are in good spots.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

Week 6 Quarterback Sleepers

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, NYJ): $5,000 - vs. WAS

Here's a minimum salary play for a guy who is coming off of a bye week, so Fitzy is a perfect fit for this column. There was a ton of talk last week surrounding the Falcons' passing attack against the Redskins defense, which naturally did not pan out well. While the Redskins defense did do a good job of containing the Falcons, it would be a mistake to just totally flip flop on the perception of the Redskins. There is still an exploitable matchup here. Even after last week's effort, the Redskins are graded out by ProFootballFocus as having the 22nd best pass coverage rating...which doesn't really deserve the word "best" thrown in there. Of course they also have Washington ranked as 21st against the run, so that whole "vaunted run defense" might be cracking a bit as well. Regardless, the Redskins secondary is beat up, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker are both great receivers, and for $5,000 one can't complain about a great matchup like this.

Colin Kaepernick (QB, SF): $5,000 - vs. BAL

We saw Kaepernick do pretty well against the Giants in last week's game to the tune of 23 completions on 35 attempts for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He showed that he is still capable of playing quarterback as long as he isn't rolling out to his left. Baltimore has been beaten like a drum by opposing quarterbacks, coughing up an all league performance to Josh McCown last week, so Kaepernick is automatically in the conversation by virtue of the Ravens' secondary. The 49ers' running backs are both nursing their own respective injuries as of today, and it may very well fall on Kaepernick's arm and his legs to win the game against Baltimore. It isn't as though the 49ers defense looks as though it is going to win them the game (25th overall according to PFF).

Other deep plays that might have higher ownership: Sam Bradford, $6,000 vs. NYG, Blake Bortles, $5,200 vs. HOU.

Week 6 Running Back Sleepers

Lamar Miller (RB, MIA): $4,300 –  @TEN

Many people may still be extremely lukewarm or ice cold on rostering any Miami Dolphins until the Dolphins show that they can be a competent offense. If you're looking to take a risk, here's the latest from Lamar Miller when asked about what new head coach Dan Campbell told his squad: “He pretty much told the whole team that we have to run the ball and stop the run”. Miller also noted that he has to be more decisive when he runs, because not everyone can pull off the Le'Veon Bell look obviously. Miller doesn't really have any challengers to his running game, and as the Dolphins look to build from the bottom up and re-establish their foundation, Miller may very well get to punch in one or two touchdowns and see better usage out of the backfield. The Titans have been a surprising defense so far, but most of their success is being generated by their pass rush and coverage, whereas their run defense is below average. Look to Miller as a cheap bellcow back who has a high ceiling.

Javorius Allen (RB, BAL): $4,300 – @SF.

The rationale here is pretty simple. The Baltimore Ravens are pretty banged up and the San Francisco 49ers defense is playing poorly. Steve Smith Sr. has said that his chances of playing this weekend are low. The backfield is a different story though, as Lorenzo Taliaferro was placed on the injured reserve as he must have encountered a serious setback with his foot injury, and Justin Forsett is still not 100% after suffering an ankle injury towards the end of last week's game against the Browns, though it should be noted that he practiced on Friday. Enter: Javorius Allen, also known as Buck Allen. He should get a decent amount of looks as Forsett was already not getting the bulk of goal line and short yardage work, and now Allen has no competition for spell-back duties.

Other deep plays that might have higher ownership: Chris Thompson, $3,300 @NYJ,  Ameer Abdullah, $4,000 vs. CHI, Darren Sproles, $3,800 vs. NYG.

Sensing a trend? Theo Riddick appears to have suffered a groin injury in practice for the Lions and so it looks like Abdullah will have passing down duties against Chicago. Getting cheaper passing down backs on DraftKings is always the move if you're going cheap but still hunting that upside. Bonus points if their team is going against a strong run defense that needs to be beat outside of the tackles.

Week 6 Wide Receiver Sleepers

Anquan Boldin (WR, SF): $4,300 - vs. BAL 

Torrey Smith, WR, 49ers: $4,200 - vs. BAL

If you're taking Colin Kaepernick and want to stack him with someone, Anquan Boldin was clearly Colin's hot read last week when things started rolling for San Francisco's passing offense. Boldin saw 12 targets, which he turned into eight receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. Compare this with Torrey Smith only getting two targets last week, and the fact that Boldin is only $100 more than Smith, it becomes clear that Anquan is the play for most rational purposes. Though, it should be noted that Smith is the huge boom or bust play if you're really sniffing out that tournament dice roll. Plus you've got the revenge game narrative going here as Smith gets to show Baltimore what they let go.

Cecil Shorts (WR, HOU): $3,200 – @JAX

Speaking of revenge games and "narrative street", Shorts also goes against his old team here. Now for those of you who don't buy into that, Shorts also just has a genuinely "plus" matchup against one of the league's worst pass coverage teams according to ProFootballFocus (28th overall). This game very well might end up going to same way that Tampa Bay-Jacksonville went last week, with a low projected point total for two below average teams where they just open it up against one another. Everyone is drooling over DeAndre Hopkins and Arian Foster, but Shorts may very well fall into some great numbers with very low ownership.

Other deep plays that might have higher ownership: Marquess Wilson, $4,000 @DET (if Jeffery or Royal sits), Dwayne Harris, $3,100 @PHI (If Odell Beckham Jr. sits), Rueben Randle, $4,400 @PHI (if he plays).

Week 6 Tight End Sleepers

Derek Carrier (TE, WAS): $2,500 - @NYJ

While one would like to have seen Carrier get more than three targets last week, he still turned them into two receptions and a touchdown. That was enough to put him over the 3x value threshold that many people set as their bar for making selections in DFS. This matchup should also see Carrier get more usage, as the Jets have a very good run defense which is paired with two very good cornerbacks. This means that pass catching running backs and tight ends should be an emphasized point of attack against them (Chris Thompson was listed earlier).

Zach Ertz (TE, PHI): $2,900 - vs. NYG

The Giants don't have the names and notoriety that the Jets have, but their defense has been profiling pretty similarly. They have a very strong run defense unit, and their cornerbacks on the outside are typically strong (though now they are without Prince Amukamura and their slot corner Trumaine McBride missed practice as well, so digest that too for your DFS teams), but they are very susceptible over the middle with inexperienced and overmatched safeties and linebackers. Last week against the Saints, Ertz got five receptions for 60 yards on seven targets (good for 11 DraftKings points), and if he can replicate that and tack on a touchdown then you've made great value.

Other deep plays that might have higher ownership: Richard Rodgers, $3,100 vs. SD, Larry Donnell, $2,800 @PHI.

Week 6 Defense Sleepers

Minnesota Vikings, D/ST: $2,900 - vs. KC

There is so much hype surrounding Charcandrick West and what he might do, that it's overlooked how the Chiefs offense ran through Jamaal Charles who is now gone. Not to mention that the Vikings themselves have been playing very well on defense this year, being graded out by PFF as being seventh best so far in 2015. Tack on two great returns in Cordarelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels and a struggling Chiefs defense that should see the Vikings having a lead and playing at home, and that is a formula I want to be in on.

Chicago Bears, D/ST: $2,400 – @DET

If you're going to punt, you could consider the Browns at $2,200 against Peyton Manning and the Broncos (that's weird to type), but I'd suggest looking at the Bears against the woeful Detroit Lions. You want to guess who is ranked right behind the Vikings in overall defense according to PFF? It's the Bears, sitting there at eighth. That being said, FootballOutsiders DVOA metric still has the Bears as the 28th overall defense, but that is still relying on 27% of its weight from preseason data (you can read more about the breakdown and see the numbers here). The point here is that while I wouldn't feel comfortable saying the Bears are the eighth best defense in the league, it appears that if you want to take a chance on a cheap defense, there is merit to playing Chicago in a matchup against a Detroit team that is making a lot of mistakes.

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF