NFL

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Afternoon-Slate Helper: Week 6

The Week 6 afternoon NFL DFS slate on FanDuel has four matchups, which kick off between 4:05 and 4:25 p.m. EST. We have two matchups with totals over 50.0 in the Falcons-Cardinals and the 49ers-Rams, so stacking those games is likely the way to go this Sunday.

Our NFL DFS Matchup Heat Map will be referenced for all implied totals and spreads throughout this article, so be sure to check it out.

Let’s check out the best plays at various prices on this short slate.

High Priced Studs

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys ($8,500)

The New York Jets have actually been effective at stopping the run, as evidenced by their fourth-ranked Adjusted Defensive Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. The problem is their offense has been so bad that teams rack up carries and yards against them. There's a strong chance that the same outcome will occur this week as the Dallas Cowboys are a 7.5-point favorite on the road against the Jets.


This sets up Ezekiel Elliott for a strong workload, and our projections have him as the highest-scoring running back on the slate. Zeke has been spelled by Tony Pollard in massive blowouts in the past, but with Sam Darnold back under center, the Jets should keep this one closer.

Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons ($8,500)

Julio Jones has put up clunkers in back-to-back games after having 265 yards and five scores over his first three games. It isn't for a lack of volume, either, as Matt Ryan has topped 300 yards in every game this season and Jones has seen at least seven looks in each. He's also second in the NFL in air yards with 573 while ranking 17th in receiving yards with 359, per airyards.com. Just like Will Fuller last week, Julio is bound to connect on these deep shots soon, and that should happen this week.

Julio should be matched up with rookie corner Byron Murphy and an Arizona Cardinals secondary that ranks 28th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. The opportunities are there and the efficiency will come.

Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys ($8,100)

While New York is stout against the run, they bend against the pass, ranking 18th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. Amari Cooper continues to be incredible, ranking third among receivers in Reception NEP per target. If the Jets are able to keep this matchup close at home, Cooper should have plenty of chances to torch this secondary.

Mid-Priced Upside Plays

Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets ($6,800)

Expect a heavy dose of Le'Veon Bell in this game, especially after the Cowboys were just crushed on the ground by Aaron Jones. Bell hasn't been the most efficient back, but who can blame him? He's had Luke Falk as his quarterback with the worst offensive line in terms of run blocking and pass protection, per Football Outsiders.


Bell's accounted for 46.7 percent of the Jets' total yards and touchdowns, which ranks second in the NFL. Our projections have him with the most receptions, the second most fantasy points, and the best value point-per-dollar among running backs.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers ($6,500)

In a game where the San Francisco 49ers ran for 275 yards, George Kittle managed to have his best fantasy day of the season on Monday night. San Fran also lost Kyle Juszczyk and Mike McGlinchey for the next few weeks, so they might be forced into more passing situations. That would greatly benefit Kittle, who we have pegged as the best fantasy tight end on the slate (by far).

Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons ($6,400)

The Atlanta Falcons have been incredibly bad on defense, which has forced their offense to play from behind against prevent defenses. This has benefitted Austin Hooper, as he has carved up defenses underneath as opposing safeties are hanging back to stop Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Hooper now ranks in the top-four among tight ends in targets, receptions, receiving yards. Plus, he's playing a Cardinals team that cedes the most fantasy points to his position.

Bargain Bin Prospects

Malcolm Brown, RB, Los Angeles Rams ($4,800)

Everyone's worst fears are being realized. Todd Gurley's lower body injuries are piling up, as the stud running back has yet to practice this week with a quad injury. This would set up Malcolm Brown as the workhorse in Sean McVay's offense, with Darrell Henderson as the change-of-pace option.


The matchups is less than ideal, as the 49ers rank first in Adjusted Defensive NEP per play. Brown is also not the strongest pass catcher, with one reception on the season and five all of last season. Still, his projected touches would make him a solid value if Gurley is out.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals ($5,600)

FanDuel continues to disrespect the GOAT with this cheap pricing, as Larry Fitzgerald checks in at under $6,000 yet again. Even with Christian Kirk possibly active this week, Fitzgerald projects to be the best receiver value on a point-per-dollar basis on the slate. Atlanta's defense looks hopelessly lost without Keanu Neal, as they now rank 31st in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play.

Fitz has caught at least five balls in every game and has shown the ability to post big weeks in shootouts with 21.3 FanDuel points in Week 1. With a 51.0-point total and negative game script coming up, he has a shot to have one of his best games of the year.



Jonathan Taylor Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice Jonathan Taylor Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jtsmittyyy. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.