Week 5 in the NFL concluded with an otherworldly performance from quarterback Lamar Jackson in Baltimore’s comeback win over Indianapolis and now it’s on to NFL Week 6. This article will cover The Professor’s low-cost options for DFS, who are also players who could be available on Waiver Wires to stream or keep in your season-long NFL fantasy league.
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz, IND QB vs. HOU, $6700 FanDuel / $5400 DraftKings
It was lost in Lamar Jackson’s heroics, but Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw for 402 yards in the loss to the Ravens. He was helped by Jonathan Taylor’s 76-yard catch and run touchdown on a screen pass, but Wentz moved better than he had against Miami a week earlier and appeared more comfortable operating the Colts’ offense. Wentz has a strong opportunity to build on that performance against the Houston Texans defense and could have a big fantasy performance.
Joe Burrow, CIN QB @ DET, $7400 FanDuel / $6300 DraftKings
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow took a beating in last week’s loss to Green Bay, but he also created several spectacular plays. Burrow is on track to start after a post-game hospital visit in a game the Bengals need to win to stay in a crowded AFC playoff race. Detroit’s defense was able to limit Minnesota on Sunday, but the Lions have had more bad games than good on the defensive side and Burrow is playing at a high level. His connection with rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase is a lot of fun to watch.
Trevor Lawrence, JAX vs. MIA, $6800 FanDuel / $5700 DraftKings
Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, has carved out a significant role in the run game and continues to post respectable numbers despite a general lack of help from his coaching staff. The Miami Dolphins have fallen apart on defense this season and the Jacksonville offense should have some success as the two Florida teams fly to London to play this game, which will allow you to build a team around Lawrence as a cheap option.
Running Backs
A.J. Dillon, GB RB vs. CHI, $5400 FanDuel / $4900 DraftKings
A.J. Dillon has taken on an expanded role in Green Bay’s offense over the past two weeks and should continue to get opportunities against the Bears this week. The 250-pound back is averaging 4.4 yards per carry for the season and he has 28 touches for 176 total yards and a touchdown in the last two games, which appears to make him a high-floor option with the potential for a multi-TD game.
Myles Gaskin, MIA RB @ JAX, $6000 FanDuel / $5900 DraftKings
Gaskin hit a low point against Indianapolis a week ago, but rebounded against Tampa Bay, catching 10 balls on 10 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns in addition to 25 rushing yards on five carries. Miami is likely to post more than nine carries as a team against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who do not have anything close to the talent of Tampa Bay’s defensive front, but whether the touches come in the rushing or receiving game, Gaskin should get the ball in his hands this week.
Javonte Williams, DEN RB vs. LVR, $5600 FanDuel / $5000 DraftKings
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a bit of turmoil at the moment and Denver running back Javonte Williams posted 86 yards on 11 total touches last week. Williams continues to split work with fellow running back Melvin Gordon, but Williams is the cheaper option and has a similar range of outcomes to Gordon. Chicago running backs Khalil Herbert and Damien Williams both had productive games against this Las Vegas defense last week; Williams and Gordon could do the same.
Wide Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET WR vs. CIN, $5200 FanDuel / $4200 DraftKings
Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown is in a more defined role now that fellow receiver Quintez Cephus is out for the season with a broken collarbone. St. Brown plays in a below-average Detroit offense, which limits his projection, but he is also a priority target in his team’s passing rotation, which is difficult to find at this price point in DFS. St. Brown could be productive in the flow of the game or in garbage time, and while quarterback Jared Goff is not leading his teams to victories, he is 15th in the NFL in passing yards.
A.J. Green, ARI WR @ CLE, $5400 FanDuel / $4900 DraftKings
A.J. Green was a dud last week in a quiet game for quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense. There were a variety of reasons for the lack of offensive output, including missed opportunities in the red zone, drives derailed by negative plays, and a general lack of urgency to score in a game that Arizona controlled throughout, but the Cardinals will need to score more against the Nick Chubb-led Cleveland offense this week and Green will have an opportunity to get back on track. Fellow Cardinals receiver Rondale Moore is another interesting option on the cheap side who gets touches as a rusher and receiver.
James Washington, PIT WR vs. SEA, $5200 FanDuel / $4000 DraftKings
Steelers receiver James Washington requested a trade before the season to get more playing time, but last week’s injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster was a reminder of why NFL teams are reluctant to trade quality depth. Washington will be behind Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool in the receiving rotation, but he is a talented deep threat who is capable of getting behind Seattle’s cornerbacks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have a lot left in the tank, but he’s been able to dial up a few explosive pass plays over the past couple of weeks.
Tight Ends
Noah Fant, DEN TE vs. LVR, $5800 FanDuel / $4800 DraftKings
Noah Fant had a quiet week in Pittsburgh, but the talented tight end has a good matchup against the Las Vegas linebackers and safeties this week. Denver’s group of targets got smaller when tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was placed on IR ahead of last week’s game, which leaves quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with Fant and receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick as his primary targets. Denver is facing a Raiders team that is having a distracting week of preparation and Fant could benefit.
Mike Gesicki, MIA TE @ JAX (London), $5800 FanDuel / $4300 DraftKings
The Dolphins continue to have injuries pile up at wide receiver and the thinned-out target competition has created an opportunity for tight end Mike Gesicki. Gesicki was shut out in the opener of this NFL season, but he has gotten at least six targets in each of the past four games and has racked up at least 40 receiving yards. Miami’s offense is anemic, but whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, the Dolphins should be able to get some production against Jacksonville’s defense.
Conclusion
This article covered The Professor’s low-cost DFS plays for the upcoming week. For more fantasy content from The Professor check out his weekly appearance on Razor’s RedZone and the rest of his content on BeerLife Sports!
Steven Clinton, better known as "The Professor", is a former D-1 Quality Control Assistant (Northwestern, Toledo) who holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. He maintains an end-to-end NFL game projection model and is a film junkie who breaks down the tape of every NFL game.
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