The Week 6 NFL DFS Yahoo main slate begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT and features 10 games. The Texans and Vikings are on bye, while the Thursday Night Football (Eagles-Giants), London Game (Broncos-Jets), Sunday Night Football (Lions-Kansas City) and Monday Night Football (Bills-Falcons and Bears-Commanders) participants are excluded from the main slate.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS football contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Week 6 include a pair of rookie top-10 draft picks, as well as a veteran combination looking to capitalize on facing a porous pass defense.
QUARTERBACK
Matthew Stafford, LAR at BAL ($33): Stafford has posted at least 375 passing yards and three touchdowns in each of his last two outings, and he's set up for a similar performance against Baltimore's league-worst defense. The Ravens are surrendering a league-high 35.4 points per game, and Baltimore's defense has allowed a whopping 14 total touchdowns in its last three games. The expected absence of Lamar Jackson (hamstring) will make it harder for the Ravens to sustain drives on offense, providing even more opportunities for Stafford to carve up Baltimore's injury-riddled secondary.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Herbert, LAC at MIA ($36); Jordan Love, GB vs. CIN ($33); Bryce Young, CAR vs. DAL ($28)
Against the Grainers: Baker Mayfield, TB at SF ($39); Trevor Lawrence, JAC vs. SEA ($31); Mac Jones, SF at TB ($22)
RUNNING BACK
Ashton Jeanty, LV vs. TEN ($32): Jeanty got off to a slow start but is starting to showcase the skills that prompted Vegas to draft him sixth overall, as the rookie RB has 264 scrimmage yards and three total TDs over his last two games. He's poised to keep rolling against a Titans defense that has been ravaged on the ground, allowing a league-high eight rushing TDs to RBs this season while tying the Bengals for the second-most rushing yards allowed to the position, trailing only the Dolphins. With the Raiders favored at home in this clash between 1-4 teams, Jeanty faces minimal risk of having his workload reduced by an unfavorable game script.
Javonte Williams, DAL at CAR ($31): Williams has surprisingly been one of the league's most effective RBs in the early going, ranking third league-wide in rushing yards (447) and tied for second in rushing TDs (five). Carolina's run defense has improved compared to last season's historically bad unit, but the Panthers are still vulnerable on the ground, giving up 4.8 yards per carry. This projects to be the highest-scoring game of the Week 6 NFL DFS Yahoo main slate, and Williams is likely to retain a substantial role in a Cowboys offense that's expected to remain without top WR CeeDee Lamb (ankle).
Honorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs, GB vs. CIN ($40); Kyren Williams, LAR at BAL ($31); Hassan Haskins/Kimani Vidal, LAC at MIA ($10)
Against the Grainers: Travis Etienne, JAC vs. SEA ($26); Jaylen Warren, PIT vs. CLE ($23); Tony Pollard, TEN at LV ($23)
WIDE RECEIVER
Davante Adams, LAR at BAL ($31): Adams' salary is much easier to fit into lineups than Puka Nacua's ($43), and while Nacua could well end up worth paying up for, Adams also has a sky-high ceiling against the porous Ravens secondary. Baltimore's 10 receiving scores allowed to WRs are tied with Dallas for the most in the league, while no other team has allowed more than seven TDs to the position. Adams has exceeded 50 receiving yards in each of his first five games with the Rams, and scored a TD in three of them, showcasing excellent chemistry with Stafford, so they make for a strong Week 6 stacking combination in NFL Yahoo DFS contests.
Tetairoa McMillan, CAR vs. DAL ($26): In addition to being tied for the most touchdowns allowed to wide receivers, the Cowboys have also given up the most yards (944) to the position. McMillan has quickly established himself as the top option in the passing game for the Panthers, as he's been targeted at least eight times in every game and leads the team with 351 receiving yards (the next highest is 108). Despite Bryce Young's shortcomings as a passer, McMillan's combination of volume and matchup makes the rookie WR an excellent value.
Calvin Ridley, TEN at LV ($22): Ridley got off to a slow start along with the rest of Tennessee's passing attack, but he broke out for 131 receiving yards last week against the Cardinals, coinciding with rookie QB Cam Ward's highest total in passing yards (265). A lack of viable alternatives keeps Ridley's target floor high, as he's had 34 passes thrown his way this season. While he leaves a lot to be desired in terms of efficiency, Ridley's significant attention from Ward makes him an appealing option against a Raiders defense that has allowed the third-most yards to WRs (843).
Honorable Mentions: Emeka Egbuka, TB vs. SF ($35); Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA at JAC ($35); Kendrick Bourne, SF at TB ($10)
Against the Grainers: Brian Thomas, JAC vs. SEA ($27); Ladd McConkey, LAC at MIA ($25); Matthew Golden, GB vs. CIN ($18)
TIGHT END
Tucker Kraft, GB vs. CIN ($19): It can be tough to predict which Packers wide receiver will see the most attention from Jordan Love in any given game, but Kraft has a higher floor as the team's top pass-catching TE, especially against a Bengals defense that has struggled mightily at defending the position. Cincinnati's defense was the worst in the league against TEs last season and hasn't shown any improvement in that category this year, allowing the fourth-most yards (345), second-most catches (34) and second-most TDs (four) to the position this season. Kraft's 16 catches for 225 yards and two TDs this season have come in only four games, and he has nine TDs in his last 18 games.
Honorable Mentions: Tyler Warren, IND vs. ARI ($22); Jake Ferguson, DAL at CAR ($19); Hunter Henry, NE at NO ($17)
Against the Grainers: Trey McBride, ARI at IND ($24); David Njoku, CLE at PIT ($17); Hunter Long, JAC vs. SEA ($10)
DEFENSE
New England Patriots at NO ($11): This unit has demonstrated a high floor, scoring at least 7.0 fantasy points in four of five games. The Patriots are a nice bargain option, even on the road, against a Saints offense that's averaging just 18.4 points per game (sixth-fewest in the NFL). New Orleans' best offensive player, Alvin Kamara, is battling an ankle injury, and the Saints' already anemic offense would have an even harder time moving the ball if Kamara's less than 100 percent healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CLE ($17); Los Angeles Rams at BAL ($14); Indianapolis Colts vs. ARI ($13)
Against the Grainers: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. SF ($14); Dallas Cowboys vs. CAR ($13); Jacksonville Jaguars vs. SEA ($12)
