Week 6 Seasonal Rankings: Standard | PPR
Each Sunday in this spot I'll list my top five plays at each position. I'll also offer cash lineups.
We also have an added bonus of projected ownership, thanks to UFCollective. I'm just highlighting a few I found interesting, but if you're interested in all of their ownership projections, you can sign up here.
Now, the lineups I'll give below are cash lineups and ownership doesn't matter as much in cash games. Where it does matter is in building tournament lineups. Low-owned players who score well are gold in that format.
So after my top five, I'll give you my favorite player that UFCollective is projecting below 5 percent ownership. Let's get to it.
QB
1. Alex Smith (FD $6,800, DK $5,700)
2. Drew Brees (FD $8,500, DK $7,900)
3. Cam Newton (FD $8,900, DK $8,100)
4. Ben Roethlisberger (FD $8,700, DK $7,500)
5. Brian Hoyer (FD $7,000, DK $5,800)
You're going to spend a lot of money on running back in Week 6 so you have to find some way to make it fit. At $6,800 Alex Smith saves you almost $2,000 off the most popular quarterbacks and provides a nice floor and high ceiling against one of the worst pass defenses so far in 2016. I'll pair Smith with Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce and even Tyreek Hill or Chris Conley in tournaments.
I still have Ben Roethlisberger in my top five, but I'm probably not as excited about him in tournaments as most. I'm afraid Sammie Coates' hand and game script could limit his ceiling compared to his ownership. I'd rather play either quarterback in New Orleans.
FanDuel Contrarian: Marcus Mariota (3.54 percent)
DraftKings Contrarian: Derek Carr (3.91 percent)
RB
1. LeSean McCoy (FD $8,200, DK $6,900)
2. Le'Veon Bell (FD $9,300, DK $7,900)
3. DeMarco Murray (FD $8,800, DK $7,700)
4. Lamar Miller (FD $7,900, DK $6,600)
5. Christine Michael (FD $7,400, DK $6,800)
In cash it's extremely difficult for me to get away from the McCoy/Bell pairing. Bell is probably going to play even more receiver today, which gives him a floor like no other running back. McCoy has been running hot and has a phenomenal matchup against a bad 49ers defense traveling across the country.
In tournaments it becomes a little bit easier to drop down and take Lamar Miller. Yes, Miller has been terrible, but the Colts provide an excellent opportunity to get going. The absence of Will Fuller likely means the Texans will focus even more on the ground game. I expect 120 total yards and a score for Miller.
FanDuel Contrarian: Giovani Bernard (4.34 percent)
DraftKings Contrarian: Spencer Ware (1.34 percent)
WR
1. Amari Cooper (FD $7,100, DK $7,500)
2. Antonio Brown (FD $9,700, DK $10,000)
3. Kelvin Benjamin (FD $7,800, DK $8,100)
4. T.Y. Hilton (FD $7,900, DK $7,700)
5. Michael Crabtree (FD $7,000, DK $6,900)
With both of the Raiders wide receivers in the top five you can tell that the KC/OAK game is my favorite stack (not including New Orleans of course). I don't expect both Raiders wide receivers to have huge games, but I can't see Kansas City shutting them both down either. Cooper is more likely to have the big play that covers value for you almost immediately.
Speaking of the big play, T.Y. Hilton against a banged up Texans secondary is a solid option as well.
You're going to need at least one dirt cheap receiver today and my favorite is also my top contrarian play on FanDuel. All reports are that Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett are back to full speed. The breakout I expected from Lockett starts in Week 6.
FanDuel contrarian play: Tyler Lockett (2.88 percent)
DraftKings contrarian play: Alshon Jeffery (3.89 percent)
TE
1. Delanie Walker (FD $6,700, DK $5,500)
2. Greg Olsen (FD $8,100, DK $7,000)
3. Travis Kelce (FD $6,400, DK $5,000)
4. Zach Miller (FD $5,800, DK $3,800)
5. Jimmy Graham (FD $6,900, DK $4,900)
In cash I want all of the Delanie Walker this week. The Browns are awful against tight ends and Walker saves you $1,400 off fellow elite option Greg Olsen. The only difficulty is those expensive running backs. If you absolutely can't find a way to fit Walker in I'd look to drop down to Zach Miller. If you need even more relief, Richard Rodgers has decent touchdown odds against a Cowboys defense that hasn't covered tight ends very well.
FanDuel contrarian play: Richard Rodgers (0.79 percent)
DraftKings contrarian play: Zach Ertz (3.13 percent)
DST
1. Chicago Bears (FD $4,300, DK $2,300)
2. Buffalo Bills (FD $4,800, DK $3,700)
3. Seattle Seahawks (FD $4,800, DK $3,600)
4. Tennessee Titans (FD $4,700, DK $3,300)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (FD $4,800, DK $3,400)
Yeah, I'm hoping for one big play from a Bears defense that has been better than we expected. More importantly, I need the salary relief. In tournaments, don't forget about the Tyler Lockett/Seahawks stack. If Lockett returns a kick to the house, that gets you 12 Fantasy points on one play.
FanDuel contrarian play: Green Bay Packers (2.92 percent)
DraftKings contrarian play: Baltimore Ravens (2.59 percent)
Kicker
Thankfully you don't have to use kickers on DraftKings -- I wish FanDuel would follow suit and #BanKickers. Until they do, I'll list one option from each price range. Don't overthink it.
Stephen Gostkowski $5,000
Steven Hauschka $4,800
Mason Crosby $4,600
Will Lutz $4,500
FanDuel Cash Lineup
QB Alex Smith $6,800
RB Le'Veon Bell $9,300
RB LeSean McCoy $8,200
WR Kelvin Benjamin $7,800
WR Amari Cooper $7,100
WR Tyler Lockett $5,300
TE Delanie Walker $6,700
K Will Lutz $4,500
DST Chicago Bears $4,300
DraftKings Lineup
QB Derek Carr $6,500
RB Le'Veon Bell $7,900
RB LeSean McCoy $6,900
WR Tyler Lockett $3,600
WR Cameron Meredith $4,100
WR Jeremy Maclin $6,300
TE Delanie Walker $5,500
FLEX Michael Crabtree $6,900
DST Chicago Bears $2,300
