FanDuel’s Week 6 Main Slate features 15 games and will kickoff at noon ET.
The two games that stand out as potentially slate-breaking are both noon kickoffs. LSU is a 27.5-point home favorite over Utah State and have a 50.5-point team total. Oklahoma is a 32-point road favorite at Kansas and have a 50-point team total. If either underdog is able to score enough to force four quarters out LSU or Oklahoma’s starters, we could see some big fantasy performances.
This slate breakdown will go position-by-position, highlighting the top options and giving an overview of the toughest choices we face this week. The top options are broken down into two categories. Players listed as Core Plays are those who you can play with high confidence in both cash games and tournaments. Players listed as Worth Considering are viable as cost-saving options in your main lineup or high-upside options for tournaments
Quarterback
Positional Overview
The slate is again loaded with elite, high-priced quarterback options. Oklahoma and LSU both have implied team totals of approximately 50 points, which makes star quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow top options. Aside from contrarian GPP builds, there is no reason to go away from these top quarterbacks who seem to have 30+ point floors.
Core Plays
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma ($11,500)
If Hurts is on the slate this season, he is automatically a core play. He is putting up stupid numbers through four games, averaging 324 yards and 3 touchdowns per game through the air. In addition to the elite passing numbers, he is also averaging 111 yards and 1.25 touchdowns per game as a runner. That’s over 18 PPG just with his legs on top of the 26 points as a passer. In essence, Hurts is putting up the passing numbers of a $9,500 quarterback combined with the rushing numbers of a $9,000 running back. FanDuel certainly made it harder to play Hurts, however. The $11,500 price tag makes constructing the rest of your roster really difficult and is one of the highest salaries I can remember seeing. There are a few other factors which make Hurts merely a good play this week and not the slam dunk he typically is. First, Kansas has a team total of under 18 points. This game could be over by halftime. Second, the weather is expected to be bad in Kansas on Saturday. The forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lastly, Texas is waiting for Oklahoma next week, making this a look-ahead spot.
Joe Burrow, LSU ($10,800)
In three games against FBS opponents this season, Burrow has put up 31.3, 36.6, and 38.0 fantasy points. A couple of those games were blowouts Burrow didn’t finish and he didn’t notch a rushing score in any of these games either (7 rushing touchdowns last season), so there is upside for an even bigger score. The matchup against Utah State sets up really well for Burrow. The Aggies play at one of the nation’s fastest paces, running 80.7 offensive plays per game despite an average time of possession under 26 minutes. Utah State’s offense is just good enough to force LSU’s offense to play into the fourth quarter (23 point team total). LSU boasts the slate’s highest implied team total (50.5 points). The Tigers are averaging a whopping 10.8 yards per passing attempt this season (3rd best in the nation) and Burrow could have another big passing day even if he doesn’t have a ton of passing attempts.
Sam Ehlinger, Texas ($10,700)
Ehlinger is a strong option due to the big numbers he is putting up as a passer. He is averaging 309 passing yards and 3.8 passing touchdowns per game through four games. He becomes a potential slate-winning option if he also has a big game as a runner. Ehlinger is averaging 48 rushing yards per game but has just one rushing touchdown in 2019 after rushing for 16 touchdowns last season. The matchup against West Virginia is a strong one. The Mountaineers rank just 115th nationally in defensive success rate. The one big factor working in Ehlinger’s favor and pushing him up into the core play tier is that his game is expected to be close, with Texas favored by 10.5. Hurts, Burrow, and Clifford are all playing as favorites of 27 points or more.
Others to Consider
Jett Duffey, Texas Tech ($8,000)
As a high-risk, high-reward tournament pick, Duffey looks intriguing.
The floor is low here. Duffey didn’t draw the start last week but played most of the game and struggled. He completed just 55% of his passes for 120 yards and no scores and rushed for 16 yards. Duffey had some rough outings last year as well. He also had some big games, however. Against Texas in 2018, Duffey threw for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns and rushed for 80 yards. Duffey is a great athlete who should be able to put up some numbers as a runner against the fairly average Oklahoma State defense that is has allowed over 5.1 yards per play this season. The 26.5 team total for Texas Tech ranks 12th highest of the 30 teams on the slate.
Justin Fields, Ohio State ($10,400)
The Buckeyes have an implied team total of 35 points, which sounds pretty good until you factor in this is a team averaging over 52 points per game so far. Against a Michigan State defense that ranks highly in nearly every category, it is likely to be tougher sledding for the Buckeye offense. Michigan State ranks Top 5 in opponent yards per game (254) and opponent yards per play (3.8). The Spartans are giving up just 15 points per game. All of which means Fields isn’t a core play or cash-game option at his $10K+ price tag. Don’t ignore Fields’ tournament upside, however. The Spartans are likely to try to jam the box to limit the OSU running game and dare the Buckeyes to beat them through the air. Fields could be up to the challenge. The Buckeyes receivers may dominate Spartan defenders if Dantonio decides to leave cornerbacks on an island. Indiana’s Michael Penix provided a bit of a blueprint last weekend, throwing for 286 yards and putting up 4 touchdowns in nearly pulling off the road upset. This will be one of our few opportunities this season to get Fields at relatively low GPP-ownership.
Running Back
Positional Overview
It is a unique slate in that Hubbard is the only truly elite running back play on the slate. J.K Dobbins and Darius Anderson have been running hot but both have very difficult matchups. So the main pay-up option will be Hubbard and whether or not to roster him is arguably the biggest decision point on the slate.
With the expensive RB1 options outside of Hubbard not standing out, we can use the running back position to save some money either by paying down at RB1 with somebody like C.J. Verdell or paying down at RB2. The easiest path to major cap savings might be the backup RBs in one of these two games with 50 point team totals like Kennedy Brooks or John Emery Jr.
Core Plays
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State ($10,600)
On a slate seriously lacking in strong options at the running back position, Hubbard carries the highest pure projection by a mile. He has been a machine this season, averaging just under 37 fantasy points per game in four games against FBS opponents. In addition to being a top talent, Hubbard is getting a massive workload. Not counting the game against McNeese State, he is averaging 31 touches per game. The matchup against Texas Tech is solid but unspectacular. The Cowboys are 10-point road favorites with a solid team total of 36.5 points. The decision here feels pretty easy: if you can comfortable fit Hubbard into your lineup, you should play him. That may be easier said than done, however. Hubbard is priced $800 higher than any other running back. With the top quarterbacks priced up as well, FanDuel has made it hard to fit in Hubbard and a pair of elite quarterbacks.
C.J. Verdell, Oregon ($8,200)
Verdell is priced very attractively in part due to the fact that his workload was down in Weeks 2 and 3 due to an injury he suffered in Week 1 against Auburn. He was back to his normal workload and workhorse role in Week 4 against Stanford with 24 carries. The Oregon running game has had a tough time getting on track this season but the Ducks used the bye week to try to get Verdell and the offensive line on the same page. It looks like a nice spot for Verdell to have a breakout game. California has a very good pass defenses but has struggled against the run. The Bears rank 92nd in rushing success rate. Cal gave up 177 rushing yards to Ole Miss and 191 rushing yards to Arizona State in their last two games. Oregon ran for 260 yards in this same matchup last year.
Others to Consider
Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma ($6,400)
Brooks has only carried 25 times all season, so it is understandable he comes in at just $6,400. The Oklahoma run game has been weird so far. Jalen Hurts has by far the most carries (47). Trey Sermon (34) is next highest while Brooks (25) is tied with Rhamondre Stevenson. However, most of Stevenson’s touches have come in garbage time and Brooks left early after a hit to his knee last week. But Brooks is fine for this week. “Yeah, he’s doing good,” Lincoln Riley said. “All good. He’ll play this week.” Brooks is really the 1B to Sermon’s 1A. Wet and windy conditions are expected, so this could be a game where Oklahoma leans a bit more heavily on the run. Even if Brooks gets only a small boost in volume to 10 or 12 carries, he can easily return value on this salary because Brooks has a career 8.8 YPC average. The main draw here is the price given how strong the expensive options are at every position.
Keaontay Ingram, Texas ($9,100)
The matchup sets up really well for Ingram. West Virginia has one of the worst rushing defenses in the Power 5 and ranks 123rd nationally in success rate against the run. West Virginia has been run over by better offenses. They gave up 232 rushing yards to Missouri in Week 2. Ingram has stepped into more of a true lead role of late. He handled a career-high 21 carries last week against Oklahoma State, racking up 140 total yards. With some reports that Sam Ehlinger has been dealing with sore ribs since the LSU game, the fact Ingram is getting more carries at the goal line at Ehlinger’s expense makes sense.
John Emery Jr. LSU ($5,900)
No. 2 back Lanard Fournette decided to quit, which bumps everyone else up a spot on the depth chart. Emery could be one of the prime beneficiaries. Ranked as one of the top freshman recruits in the country, Emery is off to a bit of a slow start but did show some flashes in LSU’s last game when he rushed 9 times for 51 yards and 1 touchdown. He might be primed to take on a bigger role. "Coach (John) Robinson kind of gives me a state of the union, John Robinson, every Monday morning," said Ed Orgeron. “Today it was like, hey, we need to work those backs in quicker in significant roles, and he's right. I didn't want to put them in the Texas game because we had to go -- I felt like we had to score every time, and I didn't want to fumble. I'm not saying they would have fumbled, but I've trusted that Clyde could do it, but we need to get these guys in more significant reps. We need to get them in the rotation. They played in the first quarter and the second quarter so they can be more prepared to win in the heat of the battle, and we can trust them to make the right play." In a game LSU is expected to win comfortably and carries a Vegas team total of over 50 points, this is a spot where it might make sense to take a flyer on somebody like Emery at a bargain price in GPPs.
Wide Receiver
Positional Overview
Given the players listed as core plays at quarterback and running back, our core plays at wide receiver are going to be the bargain options. The top quarterbacks are so dominant, it makes sense to try to squeeze their salaries in and make sacrifices elsewhere. That being said, there are some fantastic WR1 options as well. If we take some shortcuts at Superflex or running back, we can get at least one of the top wide receivers in. The elite receivers aren’t listed as core options only due to salary.
Core Plays
Wan’Dale Robinson, Nebraska ($7,000)
Robinson remains an intriguing low-cost option due to the fact he is getting played as both a wide receiver and running back. Starting running back Maurice Washington has limped out of each of the last three games, which has left an opening for Robinson to step in to the backfield. Robinson has 28 carries total over the last two weeks, which is where much of his upside comes from (along with the fact he can absolutely fly). There is also a reasonable floor here, as Robinson has at least 5 touches in every single game.
Jadon Haselwood, Oklahoma ($5,700)
If we want to play guys like Hurts, Burrow, and Hubbard, we need to dig deep for some value. Haselwood looks like an option in that regard, especially if we want to bet on talent. He was the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2019 class according to the 247 composite. Haselwood is a physical monster who got off to a little bit of a slow start as a true freshman. He caught 6-of-8 targets last week and is Oklahoma’s third-leading receiver on the season with 192 yards.
Chris Olave, Ohio State ($7,900)
Olave is averaging 3-50-0.8, which isn’t anything to get excited about. Especially considering he is facing a loaded Michigan State defense. However, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Olave has just barely missed out on long touchdown catches each of the past two games. In a matchup where we expect Michigan State to force Ohio State to beat them with the pass, Olave will be a key player for the Buckeyes as their top deep threat. Olave should see some single coverage and get some looks deep, which makes him the type of boom/bust option we want to target in GPPs.
Others to Consider
This week, paying up for one or more of the top wide receivers may be a contrarian play and a great strategy in tournaments.
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma ($9,700)
Lamb looks like the top receiver on the slate as Jalen Hurts’ top target. The future first-rounder is coming off of a monster 7-185-3 game against Texas Tech. He had five games last season with 100+ yards and at least one touchdown last season even though he was sharing a field with Marquise Brown, so we have a long track record of Lamb putting up big fantasy scores.
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State ($9,400)
Wallace has over 2100 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in 18 games going back to last season. The Cowboys offense doesn’t have quite the depth at receiver that they’ve had in recent years, so the entire passing offense runs through Wallace.
Justin Jefferson, LSU ($9,300) and Ja’Marr Chase, LSU ($9,900)
With the Tigers projected to score 50 points and starter Terrace Marshall out with an injury, Jefferson and Chase are both primed to have big games. Jefferson left the last game against Vanderbilt with a sprained ankle but is practicing in full this week and should be full go on Saturday. He has been Burrow’s top target over the past season plus. With Jefferson and Marshall out, Chase went nuts with a monster 200+ yard, 4-touchdown performance. The super-talented sophomore is pushing Jefferson for the title of top target. Both are great plays. There would have potentially been some value with Racey McMath ($5,000) stepping in as the third receiver but he is suspended for the first half due to a targeting call.
