Whether you’ve played Daily Fantasy on Yahoo before or are trying for the first time, this weekly column will take an early look at the DFS landscape, revealing who I like to build lineups around, stars to fade, underrated games and bargains bin options to help you build a better team.
Lineup Building Blocks
Josh Allen ($41) @ Kansas City Chiefs
The top quarterbacks have been the most consistent DFS building blocks of the season opener, and this week two of them go head-to-head in a matchup with by far the highest total score (54.0 points). Allen was Fantasy’s top QB last week if you count just his first half, and Buffalo won’t let up after halftime against a Chiefs team that knocked them out of the playoffs. There is a real chance that no punts will occur in this game, and KC has conceded the seventh most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Allen is averaging more rushing yards and 1.5 more yards per passing attempt than last season, and you only let him fade to tournament opposition in this DFS matchup.
Rhamondre Stevenson ($26) @ Cleveland Browns
Stevenson led all backs in snap% last week He processed all 27 RB opportunities after Damien Harris left with a hamstring injury. Other RBs will contribute in Week 6, but Stevenson will again feature with Harris no matter who starts as quarterback for New England. The Patriots get a Browns run defense allowing for 5.3 YPC, the most EPA/rush (.17) by a wide margin, and the third most fantasy points for running backs. Cleveland has too fourth most combined points on average during their games this season, and Stevenson is a rising star.
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Marquise Brown ($24) @ Seattle Seahawks
Brown has seen double-digit goals in four straight games, averaging an NFL-high of 12.3 over that span (tied with Cooper Kupp). He should be busy again on Sunday De Andre Hopkins serving out the final game of his suspension and facing a Seahawks defense that easily allows for an NFL-high 8.6 YPA and second-highest EPA/pass (.25) this season. This game has the second-highest total of the week at 51.0 points — the second-highest is five points lower. Seahawks matchups are essentially tied around the second-highest combined points scored in 2022.
The story goes on
Brown’s salary this week remains lower than Jaylen Waddlewho has seen and likely will have more than six goals in just one game this season Skylar Thompson as his QB this week. Expect another great fantasy performance from Brown before Hopkins returns.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown has been a target machine for fantasy players this season. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
star to fade
James Robinson ($22) @ Indianapolis Colts
Travis Etienne Has took over Jacksonville’s backfield the last two games, and this week the Jaguars face a pass-funnel defense from the Colts, ranked 2nd in DVOA vs run. Running backs have averaged 24.0 carries for just 79.2 yards (3.3 YPC) in five games against Indianapolis, including a 23-for-64 performance against Robinson earlier this season. On the wrong side an odd timeshare, struggling during his return from an Achilles operation and on a team with one of the lowest implied totals this week, Robinson looks like a bad DFS player with an in-between salary Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook.
Underrated options
Geno Smith ($28) vs. Arizona Cardinals
It’s shocking that Smith opened the year as Fantasy QB #6, but it wasn’t an accident either. Seattle is throwing at a higher rate than before Russell Wilson, and the Seahawks’ schedule has already not been easy when it comes to the Broncos, 49ers and Saints. Smith was incredibly precise on deep passesbenefits from two great receivers (DK Metcalf looks a lot healthier than last season) and leads the NFL in CPOE. The Seahawks notably rank first on offense in DVOA.
Sunday looks like a good matchup as Seattle gets the second most yards per game while also allowing the most. The Seahawks face a pass-funnel defense from Arizona, who ranks among the leaders in EPA/rush but is on the bottom end of the NFL in EPA/pass (Seattle also just lost its lead for the season). Smith has evolved into a fantasy starter and looks particularly attractive in DFS this week.
Breece Hall ($19) @ Green Bay Packers
Hall was No. 4 last week and still doesn’t have a top 15 RB salary. The rookie had the most snaps inside the five-yard line of any RB last week, as Michael Carter‘s snap% keeps rejecting every game. Hall ranks notably in the top three of all running backs this season for goals, yards received, yards per route run, breakaway run rate, missed tackles/attempts, and yards per touch. The Jets have become run-heavy With Zach Wilson and this week you get a Packers run defense that ranks 30th in DVOA.
Jeff Wilson Jr. ($19) @ Atlanta Falcons
Wilson ranks above expectations in the top 5 in rush yards, wedged in between Saquon Barkley and Nick Chub. He lost some playing time Tevin Coleman last week, but that mostly got out of hand with the game, and he’s averaged 17.8 touches over the past four games. The extremely run-heavy 49ers are favored against an Atlanta defense that allows for the second-most EPA/rush this season, making Wilson underrated in the DFS.
[Week 6 Fantasy Rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | FLEX | DST | Kickers]
bargain
Marquez Valdes scantling ($11) vs. Buffalo Bills
Valdes-Scantling led Kansas City in distance run and goals last week, JuJu Smith-Schuster looks completely washed, and Mecole Hardman struggles with a heel injury. MVS is the near DFS minimum, although you get good targets Patrick Mahomes in a matchup with the week’s highest over/under by a wide margin.
Cade Otton ($10) with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Cameron Brate could return against the Steelers, but Otton might still have overtaken him on the Tampa Bay depth chart. Otton ran the most distances of any tight end last week more than a third comes from the coveted slot. Otton also targeted Tampa Bay, with Chris Godwin He sits a lot in the second half in a worrying sign he’s not entirely healthy. Especially in the weak tight end position, Otton is an obvious option in the DFS minimum.