Daily Fantasy Football is back for 2016. No worry about bye weeks or injured players like in season-long formats. FanDuel offers a variety of cash and tournament contests consisting of a single week of matchups. Projecting player ownership to build lineups is an integral strategy to long-term success. Here are the key players for Week 6:
THE CHALK PLAYS
Cam Newton (at NO), $8,900: The Saints are a clear target defense for opposing quarterbacks. The Panthers played inside of a shell (and still lost) against Tampa Bay without Newton in the lineup in Week 5. This is a strong rebound game for Carolina as road favorites with the highest Vegas over/under and a top-3 team total of the week. The only thing the Saints have done well in pass defense is limit touchdowns (five in four games) but are allowing a 68% completion rate, 8.2 yards-per-attempt, and struggle to rush the passer (just seven sacks on the season).
Alex Smith (at OAK), $6,800: The Raiders, while dynamic on offense, are swiss cheese on defense. They have allowed 12 passing touchdowns and, like the matchup for Cam Newton this week, the Raiders struggle to get home on the pass rush. Oakland has allowed at least three touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in 3-of-5 games. At $6,800, Smith is one of the cheapest options of Week 6 with the most sturdy combination of floor and ceiling of the sub-$7,000 quarterbacks.
LeVeon Bell (at MIA), $9,300: Bell has been dominant since his post-suspension start to the season. Bell has 14 receptions in addition to his 210 rushing yards in two games. Bell is a strong producer despite not finding the end zone yet. With DeAngelo Williams on the mend, Bell is even more of a high-floor snap and usage bet. The Dolphins are an average matchup by the numbers for running backs, but the best back on their schedule thus far, DeMarco Murray, had his way with Miami's front seven to the tune of 137 total yards and five receptions.
Jordan Howard (vs JAX), $7,700: Howard's salary is rising by the week, but still a value as his Snap% is dominant and he has excelled by land and air since landing the starting role. Howard has 100 or more rushing yards and 20 or more receiving yards in both of those games. The Bears are home favorites and the two best running backs on their schedule to-date, Melvin Gordon and Frank Gore, both hit at least 85 total yards and each scored.
Kelvin Benjamin (at NO), $7,800: Benjamin was on of the few skill position players to escape the ugly Carolina-Tampa Bay Week 5 non-game with a decent fantasy performance. With Cam Newton back, Benjamin gets the vulnerable Saints secondary who has been consistently burned this season outside of a glut of touchdowns. Also, the Saints rarely produce pressure, a key weakness of Carolina's offense this season - protecting Newton in the pocket. Carolina is the No.3 Vegas team total of the week.
Jeremy Maclin (at OAK), $6,900: Alex Smith and Jeremy Maclin is a strong stack play in Week 6. The Raiders are a likely shootout team most weeks with a strong offense but suspect defense. Maclin is one of the lowest-priced lead receivers and Oakland is allowing the most fantasy production to opposing receivers in the NFL. Maclin is off to a sluggish start (on pace for less than 1,000 yards) with a single touchdown way back in Week 1. The targets have been solid with at least seven in every game. Maclin makes for an ideal WR2 or strong WR3 this week.
Jimmy Graham (vs ATL), $6,900: Graham is looking like his pre-injury self of late and Atlanta is an ideal matchup. The two tight ends of note the Falcons have faced, Coby Fleener and Greg Olsen, both torched Atlanta for at least 75 yards, each scoring a touchdown. Graham is $1,500 less than top-priced Rob Gronkowski this week and more than $1,000 less than Greg Olsen.
Delanie Walker (vs CLE), $6,700: The Browns are the best matchup for tight ends, allowing the most receptions and yards to the position and five touchdowns in five games. Five different tight ends have caught at least five passes this season against Cleveland, including 11-176-3 by the Martellus Bennett-Rob Gronkowski duo in Week 5. The Titans have a muddy amalgam of wide receivers, making Delanie Walker their de facto lead target with 16 targets over the past two weeks.
Stephen Gostkowski (vs CIN), $5,000, Steve Hauschka (vs ATL), $4,800: The Patriots and Seahawks are two of the highest Vegas team total of the week and both strong home favorites. With Tom Brady back and Russell Wilson healing from early-season knee and ankle injuries both kickers have raised floor and ceiling projections going forward.
Bills (vs SF), $4,800. The 49ers will have Colin Kaepernick under center for the first time this season. Kaepernick is a rough-around-the-edges quarterback beyond his primary read and while he runs for chunks of yardage at his best, also holds the ball in the pocket and runs into sacks. Buffalo has a strong sack total of 17 on the season and the 49ers have turned the ball over nearly two times per game. San Francisco is traveling cross-country and have the second-lowest team total of the week. Buffalo is a sturdy floor play in Week 6.
THE SNEAKY PLAYS
Carson Palmer (vs NYJ), $7,700: Arizona, like Carolina, is primed for a bounce back week. Arizona is at home and against a weak (putting it kindly) secondary for the Jets. Palmer has been lackluster thus far in 2016, but the Jets boost the results of any opposing quarterback. The Jets allowing an NFL-high 118 passer rating, 12 scores to just two interceptions and by far the highest adjusted net yards per attempt in the NFL at 9.0. Arizona is one of the strongest favorites of the week (-7.5 points).
Russell Wilson (vs ATL), $8,400: After a slow start to the season, Wilson is heating up with four touchdowns over the past two games and a 69% completion rate. Seattle is a strong favorite and Atlanta is one of the clear targets for quarterbacks. The Falcons have allowed an NFL-high 14 touchdowns and are a below-average pass-rushing unit. Wilson is an underrated play from the top-tier of quarterbacks in Week 6, a few hundred less than Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and Ben Roethlisberger.
Giovani Bernard (at NE), $5,700: Jeremy Hill sparsely played with a chest injury and got dinged on those minimal snaps in-game. As a result, Bernard is a strong projection to see more than his usual 50% of the snaps when both backs are full strength. The Bengals are also hearty underdogs against the Patriots, pointing to an ideal game script for Bernard to build on his 25-reception total, currently No.2 in the NFL to Theo Riddick. Bernard has 19 targets over the last two games, a trend likely to repeat in Week 6. At a bargain price, even for an RB2 in lineups, Bernard is the perfect upside tournament play.
Ryan Mathews (at WAS), $6,500: Mathews rarely sees more than 50% of the snaps among the Eagles running back committee, but Week 6 marks an ideal matchup for Mathews. The Eagles are road favorites against a suspect Washington run defense which has allowed an NFL-high eight rushing touchdowns along with 5.1 yards-per-carry and 130 yards per game.
John Brown (vs NYJ): $6,600: The Jets are prone to giving up the big play and John Brown offers Arizona best deep threat seeing strong snap numbers. The Jets are also allowing an NFL-high 71.7% completion rate as Arizona is primed for a 'get well' home game against the Jets this week. Deep threats have thrived this season against New York with A.J. Green (12-180-1) in Week 1, Marquise Goodwin (2-112-1) in Week 2, and Sammie Coates Jr (6-139-2) in Week 5.
Tavon Austin (at DET): $5,700: Austin gets road turf this week in Detroit to show off his elite athleticism. Austin has been frequently used as a traditional receiver this year to the tune of 45 targets (No.12 among receivers) and at least six looks every game this season. The Lions are the second-worst pass defense by ProFootballRefence.com's Expected Points metric, allowing and NFL-high 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions and 71.7% completion rate. Similarly-sized T.Y. Hilton and Eddie Royal have both had strong games against Detroit through five weeks.
Lance Kendricks (at DET), $4,500: Kendricks is the super-saver special at tight end for Week 6. At just $4,500, Kendricks is a minimum-price but sees a strong snap count weekly. The Lions are the best matchup for opposing pass games this season and a top-5 play for opposing tight ends. Kendricks has medium-level target upside with games of six and seven targets respectively this season. Detroit was shelled by the Colts duo of Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle for 7-88-3 on 10 targets in Week 1. Kendricks could the Jack Doyle of Week 6 finding the end zone from off the typical fantasy radar. Kendricks has a strong 9% touchdown rate in his career, but yet to find the end zone on 23 targets in 2016.
Zach Miller (vs JAX), $5,800: The Jaguars have yet to be tested by an above-average tight end this season. Miller has 20 targets over the last three games, producing 18-182-3. Brian Hoyer has unlocked Chicago's pass game and Chicago is a rare favorite and team total this week.
Chandler Catanzaro (vs NYJ), $4,600: Despite a strong Vegas team total, Catanzaro is affordably priced at a few hundred less than the other strong favorites this week. The Jets have allowed the most extra points in the NFL (16) and are turning over opposing offenses on just 7% of drives, one of the lowest rates in the NFL. The Cardinals will consistently be marching into scoring range in Week 6.
Texans (vs IND), $4,400: The Colts offensive line is struggling and Andrew Luck continues to hold the ball too long as pressure gets home to the tune of an NFL-high 20 sacks. Houston is stingy defense and top-10 against the run and pass by ProFootballReference.com's Expected Points metrics. Indianapolis has turned the ball over only five times to-date, but pressure leads to turnovers eventually and the mounting sack total is pointing in the direction of interceptions and fumbles catching up.