Week 6 has arrived, and as team strengths and weaknesses become clearer, leveraging matchups is critical to crafting effective daily fantasy strategies.

I'm looking at all of them and scouring data to help you make good DFS choices with my Week 6 NFL DFS plays, featuring my top stack, value plays, GPP plays, and fades. 

Our NFL DFS Projections and DFS Pick'em Tool are also great resources; if you're interested in college DFS, we have projections here too.

Top NFL DFS Stack for Week 6

Dallas Cowboys

Here is how the models at Paydirt view the best QB+2 stacks on the slate:

QB stacks

While we have the Ravens as two of the top five stacks, I want to put a slight asterisk around them because their projection is heavily influenced by Lamar Jackson and much less by the stacking pieces. This is fine from a macro POV, but it’s worth noting that in situations like this, it’s better to “skinny stack” (QB+1) instead of full stack.

The reason I want to focus on Dallas for my priority stack this week is that they have the highest median by a couple of points (52.16) and by far the highest top finish rate at 10.10%. They also have one of the best matchups on the board against DET, who is giving up 6.9 fantasy points and 50 yards above average to opposing WRs. Finally, it gives us access to Jake Ferguson and fills the TE position so we don’t have to scramble to pick the best of the worst position. 

Combine the raw projections and roster upside with the highest game total on the slate (52.50) and the Cowboys are the top option on a stack filled with good spots.

NFL DFS Value Plays For Week 6

RB: Tony Pollard

There is a lot to like about Pollard this week, though it’s worth saying that he isn’t going to have an ownership discount. He is well underpriced at $6k on DraftKings, as his utilization score of 7.96 has him nestled between Joe Mixon ($6,900) and Chuba Hubbard ($6,300) and far above Derrick Henry ($8,000). His median projection of 16.82 is solid as well, and in the simulations over at Paydirt he comes up with a 4x rate of 12.80%, the second highest on the slate. The single downside is an ownership projection of 23.06%, but with the baselines and the price it is warranted. He’s a great place to start your builds. 

WR: Ray-Ray McCloud III

There is going to be a significant focus on ATL receiving options this week after Kirk Cousins threw for 500 yards during a primetime game. Likewise, they have a soft matchup with the Panthers, who allow 2.6 PPR points above average to opposing WRs along with 1.6 receiving TDs. Even though McCloud is the WR3 for this offense, his route participation (95%) and strong aDOT (8.0) give him a strong ceiling, and his salary just doesn’t account for that. At $4,300 he is going to carry some ownership, but he is around $700-$1,000 too cheap, so we should be happy to play him where he fits.

TE: Jake Ferguson

Piggybacking on the priority stack above, Jake Ferguson makes for a plug-and-play option at TE based on game environment and stack upside. He projects well at a median/ceiling combo of 13.01/27.89 and has had great involvement in the Cowboys' offense. His TPRR of 24% leads to a target share of 21% and a utilization score of 7.5, the sixth-best mark at TE so far this season. While I think he makes for a better stacking piece than a one-off, I love this game environment enough to use him in a multitude of ways. If you are playing any cash games, he is a stone-cold lock.

Top NFL DFS GPP Plays For Week 6

RB: Saquon Barkley

It’s hard to understate the role that Barkley has right now. He has a 76/65% split of snaps/routes along with 50% of the rush attempts inside the five-yard line, giving him incredible upside in any matchup. What’s more is the matchup this week is with the Browns, who have been as inept as it comes, which leads to a great game script for Barkley to see his rushing attempt ceiling. The Paydirt simulations have him finishing as the top overall RB a whopping 25.90% of the time, making him a clear priority as a spend-up. He is an awesome base for any GPP, especially when paired with Tony Pollard.

WR: Tank Dell

The Texans will be shorthanded this week with Nico Collins going to IR, so it’ll be on the back of Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs to pick up a significant amount of slack. I think there’s going to be a lot of focus on Diggs, and he’s a great play, but I am looking at Dell as a more suitable replacement for what Collins brought to the offense. Diggs' aDOT is 6.6 on the season, and he is much better at this point in his career at possession routes and more shallow stuff. Dell is more suited to running the deeper targets that Collins excels at (Dell’s aDOT is 11.3 on the season) and should have the boom or bust plays at his disposal. At $6,200, the price is kind of thin, but I think the ownership will be low enough and his median/ceiling combo of 14.14/29.18 is worth taking a shot on.

TE: Sam LaPorta

On the other side of the Cowboys/Lions that we have been focusing on, we have Sam LaPorta, who has been written off by the fantasy community I believe a bit too soon. I do think it is fair to say that he has been lackluster, but we have seen some signs of life from him this year and the upside is obviously still there. While his current target share is a paltry 11%, he had 19% in week 1 and 21% in week 4. Likewise, the aDOT is relatively low but he has shown spikes there as well. The industry is looking at him as dead, but I think he has simply been inconsistent, and it makes sense to buy talent at low ownership. He’s a great large field play this week.

Top Fades For NFL DFS Week 6

The main name that appears overvalued this week, based on his projections and ownership, is Chuba Hubbard. Here are the results from the Pivot Finder for a range of +/-$300 and a projection of +/-3 points:

Pivot finder

Unlike previous weeks, I would not say that Hubbard is a bad play by any means. While he is overpriced relative to his upside, it’s worth saying that he still has a positive leverage score and does not get overshadowed by the other options. 

The key here is that RB just kind of…exists. It’s a nothing position in the current landscape of GPPs because of its relatively narrow range of outcomes. Some people would say that this represents a spot where you shouldn’t reach the ownership, but fading high-owned pieces that score 16 points for a lower-owned piece that scores 16 points does nothing for you.

While Hubbard definitely looks overvalued, I would suggest that you just keep his exposure in check in MME and avoid him in single entry. He’s a fine piece, but you can do without him.