DraftKings & FanDuel NFL DFS Week 6 Cash Strategy & Picks
This is a cash game article. The goal is to make sound decisions for 50/50s and Double Up contests on DraftKings and FanDuel. These are difficult contests. If you can win 60% of your cash games over the course of the season, you are playing like a professional.
A few things to keep in mind before we get to the best plays of the week:
If you can enter low-dollar contests–$1 to $3 contests–start there. Many pros won’t be able to play in those contests.
Enter Single Entry contests before the huge contests that allow mass multi-entry (MME). Generally, you can expect the cash line to be lower in Single Entry contests, because a larger portion of the field will be made up of pros in MME contests.
The goal of these contests is not to win first place. The goal is to min-cash. Thus, the focus is more on players with high floors (generally a result of projectable volume) than players with high ceilings (boom-bust players).
Do not be afraid to late swap. A lock before the 1 PM ET games is not necessarily a lock before the 4 PM ET games. If your players in the early games dud–especially players who are not played by a majority of the field–you may be playing from behind, and a swap to more boom-bust type players may be viable.
Editor's Note: Check out Week 6's DraftKings & FanDuel Tournament Strategy & Picks.
Cheat Sheet
“Locks” are players that would almost certainly be mistakes to leave out of your lineup.
“Options” are players you should seriously consider to fill out the rest of your roster after adding all “Locks.” Generally, your lineup should probably include all Locks, and should be filled out almost exclusively with players listed as Options.
For further details on any plays listed here, read below.
DraftKings Cash Locks: Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Drake London
DraftKings Cash Options:
QB: Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Spencer Rattler
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Bijan Robinson
WR: Diontae Johnson, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud, Zay Flowers, CeeDee Lamb
TE: Jake Ferguson, Cade Otton
DST: Buccaneers, Eagles, Patriots, Titans, Steelers
FanDuel Cash Locks: Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Drake London, Jake Ferguson
Fanduel Cash Options:
QB: Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Daniel Jones
RB: J.K. Dobbins, Chuba Hubbard, Tyrone Tracy
WR: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Godwin, Zay Flowers, Diontae Johnson, Terry McLaurin, Wan'Dale Robinson
TE: N/A
DST: Eagles, Buccaneers, Patriots
DraftKings Picks
Cash Locks
Bucky Irving ($5,400 DK) is priced as though he will split carries with Rachaad White, but White is doubtful to play this week. Irving has ten targets on 23.2% route participation this season, and could see increased passing game usage as well with White out.
Tony Pollard ($6,000 DK/$7,000 FD) has handled 61 of 88 running back carries for the Titans and added 15 targets on 47.1% route participation. Pollard gets a great matchup with a Colts defense ranked 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to running backs.
Drake London ($6,700 DK/$7,400 FD) is second on the Falcons in route participation (83.1%) and leads the team in targets with 44. London faces a Panthers defense ranked 23rd in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to wide receivers.
Cash Options
Jalen Hurts ($7,200 DK) is averaging more than 40 rushing yards per game, and gets his top two receiving threats back for this game.
Lamar Jackson ($7,800 DK) averages 72.6 rushing yards per game and leads the offense with the highest implied team total of the week.
Dak Prescott ($6,700 DK) leads a Cowboys team ranked 20th in neutral pass rate.
Spencer Rattler ($4,000 DK) gets his first NFL start for the Saints. The fifth-round rookie had just 410 rushing yards across 48 games in college, but those stats include negative yardage for sacks and would look a bit better with the sacks removed. Rattler also had 16 rushing touchdowns.
Chuba Hubbard ($6,300 DK) has handled 68 of 99 running back carries for the Panthers and added 17 targets on 43.5% route participation. Hubbard has scored at least 17.5 PPR points in each game with Dalton.
Bijan Robinson ($6,600 DK) has handled 67 of 100 running back carries for the Falcons and added 19 targets on 54.5% route participation. Robinson will be an elite option if he is a full go against the Panthers, but he has been limited by a hamstring injury.
Diontae Johnson ($6,100 DK) has been targeted 33 times in three games with Andy Dalton, scoring more than 20 PPR fantasy points in two of three.
Darnell Mooney ($5,300 DK) leads the Falcons in route participation (89.9%) and is second with 39 targets.
Ray-Ray McCloud ($4,300 DK) is third on the Falcons in route participation (82.5%) and targets (31).
Zay Flowers ($6,500 DK) leads the Ravens in route participation (86.9%) and targets (38).
CeeDee Lamb ($8,600 DK) leads the Cowboys in route participation (83.3%) and targets (38).
Jake Ferguson ($5,000 DK) leads the Cowboys with a 19.7% target share in four games. Ferguson ranks fourth in route participation (68.7%).
Cade Otton ($3,500 DK) is third on the Buccaneers in route participation (68.0%) and targets (24).
FanDuel Picks
Cash Locks
Bucky Irving ($5,700 FD) is priced as though he will split carries with Rachaad White, but White is doubtful to play this week. Irving has ten targets on 23.2% route participation this season, and could see increased passing game usage as well with White out.
Tony Pollard (/$7,000 FD) has handled 61 of 88 running back carries for the Titans and added 15 targets on 47.1% route participation. Pollard gets a great matchup with a Colts defense ranked 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to running backs.
Drake London ($7,400 FD) is second on the Falcons in route participation (83.1%) and leads the team in targets with 44. London faces a Panthers defense ranked 23rd in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) to wide receivers.
Jake Ferguson ($6,100 FD) leads the Cowboys with a 19.6% target share in four games. Ferguson ranks fourth in route participation (68.7%).
Cash Options
Jalen Hurts ($8,300 FD) is averaging more than 40 rushing yards per game, and gets his top two receiving threats back for this game.
Lamar Jackson ($9,500 FD) averages 72.6 rushing yards per game and leads the offense with the highest implied team total of the week.
Daniel Jones ($6,800 FD) averages 21.6 yards per game rushing this season and leads a Giants offense ranked 17th in neutral pass rate.
Chuba Hubbard ($7,400 FD) has handled 68 of 99 running back carries for the Panthers and added 17 targets on 43.5% route participation. Hubbard has scored at least 15.5 half-PPR points in each game with Dalton.
J.K. Dobbins ($6,700 FD) has handled 56 of 97 running back carries for the Chargers and added 11 targets on 48.1% route participation. Dobbins could see an increased workload with Gus Edwards out, though the Chargers will have Kimani Vidal available for the first time.
Tyrone Tracy ($5,800 FD) handled 18 of 22 running back carries for the Giants in week five and added two targets on 28.2% route participation, and will be an option if we get early confirmation that Devin Singletary, currently questionable, is out.
Diontae Johnson ($6,900 FD) has been targeted 33 times in three games with Andy Dalton, scoring more than 17 half-PPR fantasy points in two of three.
Zay Flowers ($7,200 FD) leads the Ravens in route participation (86.9%) and targets (38).
CeeDee Lamb ($9,300 FD) leads the Cowboys in route participation (83.3%) and targets (38).
Chris Godwin ($7,500 FD) is second on the Buccaneers in route participation (77.9%) and leads the team with 39 targets.
Terry McLaurin ($6,800 FD) leads the Commanders in route participation (79.8%) and targets (35). McLaurin’s average depth of target (aDOT) of 14.7 yards downfield ranks third of all players with at least 30 targets.
