Daily Fantasy Football Picks and Helper: Week 6

Wind and bad weather could impact this week's main slate of games, and that could lead to some low fantasy point totals.

That puts an emphasis on a few teams and games where environmental concerns are minimal.

Let's take a look at some of the best daily fantasy football plays at each position -- accounting for salary -- on the Week 6 FanDuel main slate.

Slate Overview

Here is a snapshot of each team's outlook, including opponent, implied team total, over/under, and spread based on FanDuel Sportsbook odds, and opponent defensive ranks for overall defense, pass defense, and rush defense, based on numberFire's Net Expected Points (NEP) model.

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Matchup: at NYJ

There is a dearth of high-upside quarterbacks on the main slate, so those with tangible paths to 30-plus FanDuel points have to earn some attention.

Jalen Hurts does have that path even in a potentially difficult matchup against the New York Jets. New York ranks 13th against the pass, per numberFire's opponent-adjusted EPA (expected points added) metrics, a number weaker than pre-season expectations would've suggested.

But Hurts has averaged 290.0 yards and 1.0 touchdowns in two matchups against top-half defenses this season -- plus 12.5 carries for 50.0 yards and 1.0 touchdowns on the ground.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Salary: $7,500
Matchup: vs. IND

This is already a second-time-around divisional matchup for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Indianapolis Colts, but no QB is perfect this week due to matchup, wind, injuries, or other reasons.

Trevor Lawrence is yet to crack 20 FanDuel points this season, in part because he has had more than one touchdown pass once (back in Week 1 against the Colts).

Lawrence has rushed 15 times for 73 yards in the past two games, though.

The building blocks are there for a bigger game, and the salary is very reasonable.

Others to Consider

Justin Fields ($8,500 vs. Minnesota Vikings) - Been feasting on bad pass D's but gets another this week in a solid game environment.

Joe Burrow ($7,500 vs. Seattle Seahawks) - Wind is up here but good matchup and clear stacking candidate.

Matthew Stafford ($7,300 vs. Arizona Cardinals) - Good game environment; ceiling is low but can work on this slate with few studs.

Running Backs

Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins

FanDuel Salary: $8,500
Matchup: vs. CAR

A lot has changed toward the end of the week regarding the running back landscape.

Jeff Wilson is out, thus paving the way for a big workload for Raheem Mostert as the Dolphins' lead back.

Mostert's projections in my simulation model give him the best floor versus ceiling rating of any back while tied to an elite Miami Dolphins offense. He's a core-level play.

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Salary: $7,700
Matchup: vs. IND

Travis Etienne and the Jaguars are going to be a common theme in the picks this week because of their game environment with the Colts.

Etienne has a 78.4% snap rate and 59.2% route rate through Week 5. He's turned his 19.0 carries and 4.2 targets per game into 102.0 scrimmage yards.

He's a three-down back and is tied to a good implied team total.

Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $7,000
Matchup: vs. SEA

Joe Mixon has played on at least 75.7% of the Cincinnati Bengals' snaps in each of the past four games and is due for touchdown regression after just one end zone visit thus far. This is despite receiving all 17 of the team's red zone carries.

Mixon's 81.6 scrimmage yards per game rank him 12th among healthy backs on the main slate, and that's with a catch rate over expectation (CROE) of -8.6%.

The Seattle Seahawks are a solid rush defense but are just average against receiving backs.

Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: $6,300
Matchup: vs. DET

Rachaad White has a 77.3% snap rate through his four games this season, ranking him sixth among main-slate RBs, and he also has received 76.5% of his team's red zone rushes. That ranks him fourth on the main slate.

White is also averaging 3.3 targets per game for 21.5 yards. A 10.4% target share helps alleviate concerns against a solid rush defense, the Detroit Lions.

Others to Consider

Christian McCaffrey ($10,300 at Cleveland Browns) - Tough matchup and salary but worth fitting into lineups when possible.

David Montgomery ($8,100 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers) - No Jahmyr Gibbs means huge work for Montgomery.

Alvin Kamara ($7,500 at Houston Texans) - 16.5 carries and 8.5 targets in two games since returning.

Breece Hall ($6,800 vs. Philadelphia Eagles) - 194 scrimmage yards last week on a 51.6% snap rate; still room for growth.

D'Onta Foreman ($6,000 vs. Minnesota Vikings) - Should be the featured back in the Bears' offense.

Chuba Hubbard ($5,500 at Miami Dolphins) - Should be the featured back in the Panthers' offense.

Wide Receivers

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Matchup: vs. ARI

Cooper Kupp debuted with an incredible role in Week 5.

He drew 12 targets on 40 routes for 118 yards and no scores. His aDOT (average depth of target) was healthy at 10.3 yards, and he saw one of two red zone targets.

The Arizona Cardinals are allowing a +9.4% catch rate over expectation to opposing receivers, the third-highest rate in the NFL.

This is an easy sell for someone whose salary will probably start with a nine next week.

Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars

Ridley FanDuel Salary: $7,000
Kirk FanDuel Salary: $6,600
Matchup: vs. IND

Calvin Ridley faces a Colts team that is 7th in rush defense but 20th in pass defense, so he could get a few extra targets sprinkled in because of the funnel matchup.

Ridley's sitting at a 20.0% target share on the season. His 66.6 yards per game are underwhelming on 7.2 targets per contest, but he has had 4.8 downfield targets per game and 1.2 red zone targets per game.

Giving those proper weight, his workload looks much better.

Kirk has a 23.9% target share and is very much in play, too, as are most of the Jaguars.

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: $6,300
Matchup: vs. DET

Chris Godwin could be in line for a lot of targets while Mike Evans is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Godwin already has averaged 7.5 targets per game (3.0 of them being downfield and 1.8 in the red zone). That's a 25.2% target share, for context.

The Detroit Lions are just average against opposing WRs.

Others to Consider

Tyreek Hill ($9,800 vs. Carolina Panthers) - Blowout risk is real but 130.2 yards and 1.0 TDs per game. Jaylen Waddle ($6,800) is also in play.

Jordan Addison ($6,700 at Chicago Bears) - Thrust into a bigger role without Justin Jefferson.

Michael Pittman Jr. ($6,500 at Jacksonville Jaguars) - 11 targets in Gardner Minshew's last start.

Michael Thomas ($5,900 at Houston Texans) - Good matchup vs. HOU, who is allowing a high catch rate and short targets.

Tight Ends

T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

FanDuel Salary: $6,700
Matchup: at CHI

T.J. Hockenson should see an influx of targets with Jefferson sidelined and vacating a 26.4% target share. Hockenson sure could use that.

He has averaged 7.8 targets but just 50.8 yards per game. That's a 19.8% target share.

The Chicago Bears are letting up a +9.5% CROE to tight ends, giving Hockenson a clear path to added production on his targets.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Salary: $5,500
Matchup: vs. IND

Tight end is pretty tough -- as usual -- and while we need to get away from the Jaguars sometimes, Engram is still a standout tight end play and deserves some spotlight.

Engram trails just Hockenson in my simulations in terms of floor probability versus ceiling probability, and the Colts are letting up the second-highest target-per-route rate to tight ends in the NFL.

Engram has a 20.6% target share to rank him third among main slate tight ends.

Others to Consider

Logan Thomas ($5,400 at Atlanta Falcons) - 11 targets last game; ATL letting up highest target-per-route rate to TEs.

Kyle Pitts ($5,100 vs. Washington Commanders) - 9, 4, and 11 targets over his past three games; 2nd on main slate in target share (21.1%) among TEs.

Defenses

San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: $5,000
Matchup: at CLE

A $5,000 salary for a defense is not the easiest thing to build around, but the San Francisco 49ers are in a great spot against the Cleveland Browns, who are going to be starting either an injured Deshaun Watson or P.J. Walker (if Watson can't go).

The wind is up in Cleveland, and that has a positive impact for defensive scoring historically.

For an already struggling offense, they could be in real trouble in this matchup.

Atlanta Falcons

FanDuel Salary: $4,100
Matchup: vs. WSH

The Washington Commanders are setting up as great process plays defensively because they rank first in pass rate over expectation and because Sam Howell is taking sacks at a high rate (13.2% of his drop backs; league-average is 7.2%).

The Atlanta Falcons are just 32nd in pressure rate, so that's not ideal, but Howell has averaged 5.5 sacks per game in two matchups versus teams in the bottom eight in pressure rate.

Others to Consider

Minnesota Vikings ($4,100 at Chicago Bears) - Fields is playing well versus poor defenses but still a 9.9% sack rate.

Chicago Bears ($3,200 vs. Minnesota Vikings) - Facing a Vikings team without Justin Jefferson, and the wind is up.

Be sure to check out all of the Week 6 daily fantasy football contests on FanDuel.

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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.