NFL DFS picks: Sunday's Week 6 bargain bin for the main slate

Welcome to Week 6 of the NFL season and the daily fantasy bargain bin. Our big hits last week were Joe Flacco and Tucker Kraft, but there were too many misses for my liking. This week there are some interesting plays due to injury, but overall we aren't inundated with smash plays on the cheap, so we'll need to do some hunting.

We'll also have our player pool shrunken once again due to bye weeks. The Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings will all have the week for some rest and relaxation.

I'm not in love with the cheap running back options, mostly due to matchups, so there's a decent chance I pay up for running back this week where I can make it work. The same can be said for quarterback. That matchup between Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels looks great for fantasy and for real life. It should be fun watching those two go back and forth. But in the end, it will be tough paying up for them while also not punting a position.

Quarterbacks

Andy Dalton, Panthers vs. Falcons ($5.2k)

Dalton had a bad game last week against a good Chicago defense, but that was expected. He gets to return home to take on the Falcons, who have a middling pass defense, ranked 22nd in DVOA and EPA. Atlanta is favored in this game, so Dalton should be pushed to air it out more. The Falcons pressure the quarterback on 14.4 percent of dropbacks, which is second worst in the league. Dalton needs a clean pocket and he should get it this week compared to the Bears who get pressure on over 29 percent of dropbacks.

Justin Fields, Steelers at Raiders

Fields hasn't been consistent enough to require a big uptick in cost, but he's shown upside much higher than what he can be rostered for. There's little doubt he's risky, but we know he can find the end zone with his legs and add some with his arm. The Raiders pass defense ranks 26th in DVOA and just gave Bo Nix a strong fantasy game, and his best game of the season.

Running backs

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers vs. Saints ($5.4k)

This isn't the best matchup you'll ever get, but with Rachaad White listed as doubtful, Irving's ability and increase in usage should be enough for a bargain play. Irving has shown that he very well may just be better than White, but even if he's not, he's been able to put up good numbers in a limited role already.

Antonio Gibson, Patriots vs. Texans ($5.3k)

With Rhamondre Stevenson out this week, Gibson should see an uptick in work. He's looked good this season, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. This will be Drake Maye's first game and they'll be going against a tough defense. It's risky, but I expect Gibson to get plenty of work as the team brings along their rookie quarterback.

Wide receivers

Dontayvion Wicks, Packers vs. Cardinals ($5.2k)

Wicks saw an uptick in work last week but wasn't able to get on the same page as Jordan Love. Christian Watson is surprisingly questionable this week, but I suspect he will sit at least one more week with his high ankle sprain. As long as he does, Wicks makes for a strong bounceback candidate this week. The Cardinals rank 29th against the pass in DVOA and 27th in EPA and I expect Love and Wicks will have a better time connecting this week, as they have been able to in the past.

Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys vs. Lions ($5k)

Tolbert came on strong last week against the Steelers with Brandin Cooks on I.R. He led the team in targets and receptions, catching 7-of-10 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown. The Lions haven't given up many touchdowns to wide receivers this year, with four in four games, but they do give up a lot of receptions and yardage, as teams often are trailing or know they have to put up good numbers to keep their strong offense at bay. Tolbert's got a lot of value in this game, as it has one of the highest over-unders of the week and the Cowboys are underdogs, which means there should be plenty of passing from the Cowboys.

Tight ends

Tucker Kraft, Packers vs. Cardinals ($4.8k)

At this point, there are very few tight ends that you can truly count on, so spending up for the top guys isn't something I want to do. Kraft is quickly becoming one of the top guys after two big games in a row where he's caught 10 passes for 141 yards and three touchdowns, but at 4.8k, he's still got plenty of value in him.

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers at Raiders ($4.3k)

Freiermuth has back-to-back touchdowns and now faces a Raiders defense that ranks 29th in DVOA against tight ends. He doesn't get high enough volume to be a high-upside pick, but Arthur Smith's offense loves tight ends in the red zone and I don't see why Freiermuth can't make it three touchdowns in a row this week.