I’m not exactly a money printing machine, but we’ve been able to find some success in the early goings of the season in Cash Games. Let’s keep it rolling.
The cash game article’s goal is to outline some safer plays while also providing options that will help you create the most optimal builds. The whole point of it all is to make some money. Sometimes we won’t, but putting ourselves in the best position to do so is the most important part. That should go without saying but can sometimes get overshadowed by the results on a week to week basis.
Mostly, people want to know how many points a guy scored and not necessarily the route that took them there. DFS is not only a science but a math equation. Let’s dive in, put the pieces together, and try to solve it. Here are the NFL DFS Cash Game Plays for Week 6.
Disclaimer: As always, there will be a lock emoji next to a few of my favorite plays. All of the guys mentioned are viable for cash games, but the ones with a lock emoji will be fixtures in my main lineup.
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford ($6,300 DK, $7,300 FD)
Box score watchers will not like the majority of Stafford’s performances this year. However two of those games came without his best wide receiver, and he’s actually had some tough matchups. The Jacksonville Jaguars are anything but a tough opponent, especially against the pass – they rank dead last in pass DVOA (43.5%). Stafford has thrown two or more passing touchdowns in each of his last three games. If this game remains close, which it is projected to, Stafford should continue to throw, and he’s not breaking the bank salary-wise.
Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5,900 DK, $7,400 FD)
Football’s version of Conor McGregor, Fitzpatrick, keeps fighting with his seemingly “I don’t give a crap” mentality. Just when we think he’s almost down for the count and inching closer to getting benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, he pops back up with a solid performance. In fact, Fitzpatrick is 10th in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks this season, according to fantasydata.com. Six of the quarterbacks listed ahead of him aren’t on the main slate this week. Going up against one of his many former teams, Fitzpatrick draws a fairly easy matchup against the pitiful New York Jets. The Jets are second-worst in DVOA against the pass this season (28.4 percent). Fitzmagic should be able to capitalize.
Other Options: Ryan Tannehill
Running Back
Alexander Mattison ($7,200 DK, $7,000 FD) – 🔒
The DFS sites did a solid job of pricing Mattison appropriately, but is it high enough to fade? Not for me, it’s not. With Dalvin Cook dealing with a groin injury that caused him to leave last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, Mattison stepped in admirably, rushing for 112 yards on 20 carries. Cook will be out of action again. The Minnesota Vikings are fourth in the league in rushing play percentage (50.33 percent), and I don’t expect that to change much with a competent replacement back. The Atlanta Falcons allow the seventh-most DK points per game to opposing backs. They are also tied for the most receptions allowed and lead the league for most receiving touchdowns allowed to running backs. Mattison is in a prime position to explode and prove why he is one of the best second-string running backs in the league.
Mike Davis ($7,000 DK, $7,500 FD) – 🔒
On full PPR sites like DraftKings, Davis is underpriced. His floor is extremely high,, based on his usage alone. The matchup versus the Chicago Bears isn’t terrific. However, they have shown some vulnerability with the absence of nose tackle Eddie Goldman. The Bears are middle of the pack in rushing yards per carry and rushing yards per game allowed, and they just let Ronald Jones run for 6.24 yards per carry and 106 yards on 17 carries last week. Only Alvin Kamara has more pass targets as a running back than Davis. He’s first on the team in red-zone targets and tied for second in football. Don’t overthink this. The matchup isn’t the sexiest, but Davis should reach his value on volume alone.
David Montgomery ($5,800 DK, $5,900 FD)
What? Why? Montgomery sucks! I can feel your negative energy and displeasure through the screen. Trust me. There’s nothing wrong with Montgomery. It’s always been more of a problem with his usage, or lack thereof. Since Tarik Cohen was placed on IR with a torn Achilles, Monty has quietly seen an uptick in passing-game usage, offensive snaps, and overall touches. In the two games without Cohen, Monty has caught 10 passes on 14 targets.
Carolina is tied (with the aforementioned Falcons) for most receptions allowed to running backs (43). They have also given up the most DK points per game to the position (37.4). Carolina has also been shredded on the ground, ranking second-to-last with 5.4 yards per carry allowed. Bears head coach Matt Nagy continues to harp on the fact that they need to get the running game going more. I hate to break it to you, coach, but that starts with you. Now is as good of a time as any.
Other Options: Myles Gaskin, James Robinson, Derrick Henry, Ronald Jones
Wide Receiver
Kenny Golladay ($6,200 DK, $7,200 FD)
Want some cold hard facts and stats? The Detroit Lions are much better when Golladay is on the field. Fact. Matthew Stafford has hooked up with his number one wide receiver for a touchdown in each of the two games he’s played this season. In those two contests, Golladay saw 15 targets, soaking up over 23 percent of the team’s target share. He gets a delightful matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are allowing the most yards per pass attempt this year (8.7), and the fourth-most passing yards per game (280.2). You don’t need to stack him with Stafford, but you don’t have to avoid it either.
A.J. Brown ($5,600 DK, 6,500 FD) – 🔒
Similar to Golladay, the Tennessee Titans are much better with Brown’s presence. Corey Davis isn’t likely to play, as he remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so there is no one on the outside to battle Brown for targets. This mid-5,000 price on Brown is ridiculously low. Ryan Tannehill has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league this year, with a 110.8 quarterback rating. The Houston Texans have been worse against the run than the pass this season, but this is the fourth-highest points total on the board, and since I’m not using Henry as much in my lineups because he doesn’t offer much receiving upside, I still want to get a piece of this game’s pie.
Chase Claypool ($5,200 DK, $5,500 FD)
Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers found creative ways to get their rookie wideout involved last week. Diontae Johnson exited last week’s game with a back injury, and he’s already been ruled out for this week’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns. It’s hard to believe Claypool will duplicate last week’s incredible four-touchdown performance. However, he should be in line for another heavy dose of targets. This isn’t some flash in the pan receiver who is coming out of nowhere. The Steelers drafted him No. 49 overall because of his elite size and speed combo. His 4.42 40-yard dash time is one of only two receivers ever to run that fast at his size. I’m okay with plugging Claypool into my lineups as a solid value. If you don’t feel as comfortable with it, Laviska Shenault is a solid pricepoint pivot.
Other Options: Laviska Shenault, Terry McLaurin, Adam Thielen
Tight End
Jonnu Smith ($5,200 DK, $5,800 FD)
As always, the tight end position is ugly this week. Maybe even more so than usual. Normally, Jonnu wouldn’t be in consideration for Cash Games at this price tag. However, he’s one of the few reliable sources for points unless you pay up for Mark Andrews. Brown has only played in two games, but Jonnu is leading the team in red-zone targets with seven, and he’s caught six of those for five touchdowns. If that’s too boom or bust for you, his weekly overall target volume has been steady (7,5,8,7). I’m fine with using him, but only if you aren’t using Brown in the same Cash Game lineup.
Eric Ebron ($4,100 DK, $5,200 FD)
Ebron’s increasing volume is intriguing at this price. Big Ben Roethlisberger has targeted his tight end 13 times the last two games, and Ebron has caught 10 of those for 93 yards and a touchdown. He did have a critical fumble and drop last week, but the Cleveland Browns are yielding the fourth-most receptions to tight ends this season (33). I think Ebron can get it together and build upon his increased volume. Unlike Smith, I don’t mind playing Ebron in the same lineup as Claypool because of the difference in salary.
Other options: Mark Andrews, Mike Gesicki
Punt Option: Irv Smith Jr.
Defense/Special Teams
Miami Dolphins ($2,900 DK, $4,400 FD)
The Phins have been putting some pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They rank eighth with 2.8 sacks per game and ninth in adjusted sack rate (7.7 percent). The Jets will once again be trotting out Joe Flacco and a mostly nameless cast of offensive players alongside him.
New York Jets ($2,400 DK, $3,500 FD)
The Jets’ defense as a whole isn’t anything to write home about. However, they gear up for a divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Unless this game gets drastically out of hand in the Dolphins’ favor, Fitzpatrick should be tossing the pigskin around quite a bit, and we know he has a risk-taker nature to him. A cheap defense like the Jets, who could get a turnover or two, won’t kill you.
Other Options: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings
Good luck and let’s win some cash! Follow me on Twitter for any last-minute tweaks, updates, or questions you might have.
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