4 Best FanDuel NFL DFS Stud Picks for Week 6

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

These players take up the biggest chunk of your salary cap, and they need to deliver quality performances for your lineup to reach its ceiling.

With some help from our NFL DFS projections, here are four studs to target on this week's main slate, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL DFS Stud Plays for Week 6

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

FanDuel Salary: $7,800

Drake Maye's salary is up to $7,800 despite scoring a season-low 12.12 FanDuel points (FDP) in Week 5. That speaks to how impressive Maye looked in the touchdown-less effort, and he had cracked 20 FDP in each of the previous three games.

After last week's efficient effort (22/30, 273 yards through the air), Maye is now tied for fourth in EPA per dropback (among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks). He's tied for fifth in yards per attempt (8.2) and sits fourth in completion percentage over expectation (+7.4% CPOE).

Those are elite marks, and they're coming from a second-year quarterback who's also averaging 5.4 rush attempts and seeing 25% of the New England Patriots red zone carries.

This week, Maye is indoors against a New Orleans Saints team ranked 21st in schedule-adjusted defense while leading the league in adjusted pace. They've been fantasy-friendly to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the sixth-most FDP per dropback. They're also just 31st in pressure rate -- an important factor to consider with Maye inside the top 10 in passer rating from a clean pocket but just 21st when pressured, per PFF.

It doesn't hurt that Maye's top two stacking candidates (Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry) are both salaried under $6,000.

In a fast-paced, indoor matchup against a bad defense, Maye is shaping up to be my most-rostered quarterback on the Week 6 NFL DFS slate.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: $9,500

Christian McCaffrey is the league's single biggest underperformer in the touchdown department, scoring 3 touchdowns compared to 6.2 expected touchdowns, per Brandon Gdula's numbers.

Even so, he's still managed to average 20.9 FDP and slots in as the second highest-salaried wide receiver on the Week 6 main slate.

That speaks to just how strong CMC's volume has been. He leads the league by a healthy margin with 39 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) per game -- 11.5 more than the next-closest running back. He's second at the position in scrimmage yards per game (133.8) and ranks second in snap rate (84%).

The San Francisco 49ers have fed McCaffrey the rock week in, week out, helping him hit 19 FDP in all five games this season. We just haven't seen that signature multi-touchdown game, capping his ceiling to his point.

But sooner or later, CMC's 4.2 red zone rush attempts and 1.8 red zone targets per game are going to lead to an overcorrection -- I want to be there when it happens.

That could come this week with the Niners headed east to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa is a bottom-10 scoring defense (26.4 points per game allowed) and ranks just 22nd in schedule-adjusted defense overall.

The Bucs have been a solid run defense, but they've been shredded by pass-catching backs. They've given up the fourth-most FDP per target to the position while yielding the most yards per route run. That should be music to CMC's ears coming off three consecutive 80-yard games through the air.

Jonathan Taylor makes a lot of sense this week, too, but CMC's superior volume and screaming touchdown regression makes him my preferred running back to build around at a noticeably lower salary.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

FanDuel Salary: $9,000

Like with running back, there's a pretty clear top two wide receivers for the Week 6 NFL DFS slate: Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I won't fault anyone for playing Puka -- he has at least 19.5 FDP in every game this season -- but JSN's been nearly as impressive (18.1 FDP per game) and is in the better game environment this week. He also comes at a significantly lower salary.

JSN has the utilization we're looking for in a $9,000 receiver. He ranks second at the position in target share (33.1%) and fifth in air yards share (45.6%) while pacing the league with 4.27 yards per route run. The next-closest receiver (Puka) is down at 3.65.

But this week's matchup is what really sets him apart. JSN's Seattle Seahawks are headed to Jacksonville to take on a Jags secondary that has given up the fifth-highest target rate to opposing wide receivers. They've given up 20-FDP games to Ja'Marr Chase and Nico Collins this season, so ceiling shouldn't be an issue here.

Weather shouldn't be too much of a factor in this game, either -- something that shows up in the 47.5-point over/under (second highest on the main slate). This game being essentially a pick 'em offers plenty of intrigue, too.

That, coupled with his elite volume metrics, is enough to pencil Smith-Njigba in as my favorite high-salary wide receiver on the Week 6 FanDuel NFL DFS slate.

Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Salary: $6,800

Even with Brock Bowers ($6,500) banged up and Trey McBride ($6,400) disappointing in the touchdown department, Week 6 offers several high-salary tight ends to consider for the main NFL DFS slate on FanDuel. Jake Ferguson ($7,000) is coming off a 20.4-FDP game, Tucker Kraft ($6,700) has the highest target share for the team with Week 6's highest implied team total, and Darren Waller has cleared 16 FDP in each of his two active games.

But if I'm allocating a large chunk of my cap to tight end, Tyler Warren is who I want the most exposure to.

The rookie has cemented himself as a key cog in one of the league's best offenses. He enters Week 6 averaging 11 FDP per game despite recording only one receiving touchdown. Among Indianapolis Colts pass catchers, Warren ranks second in route participation (77%) and third in red zone snap rate (75%). He's second on the team in target share (20.8%) and red zone target share (22.2%) while sitting third among all tight ends in yards per route run (2.40).

On top of that, Warren has two red zone rush attempts and even attempted a pass last week. The Colts are telling us Warren is a focal point in their offense; we should listen.

Now, Warren hasn't had a true ceiling game yet. He's topped out at 15.8 FDP, though his two best fantasy performances have come in the last two weeks. But this week's date with the Arizona Cardinals could open things up for him. The Cardinals enter Week 6 ranked just 16th in adjusted pass defense while allowing an above average catch rate and yards per route run to opposing tight ends.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt Warren's case that his Colts boast the main slate's second-highest implied team total. With strong volume and stellar offensive expectations in a plus matchup, Warren is my go-to high-salary tight end in Week 6.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.