Herein is another edition of “Fantasy Draft Dominator” where we will examine the salaries of players at each position on FantasyDraft and make recommendations for both your cash games and tournaments. Below you will find a list of recommended players for both formats. Cash game players are the top overall values of the week and can be used without regard to expected ownership percentage. GPP players generally have high-upside, but are too risky for cash games. Expected ownership levels is also a major consideration in determining the top GPP options. In some instances, the value for a player is so strong, he will fall into both categories.
FantasyDraft Dominator will be posted each Thursday morning, but will also be updated throughout the week as new information becomes available. Should you have any questions or players you want to discuss, hit me up on twitter (@hindery).
Quarterback
Cash-Game Considerations
There are some decent low-priced options, with Carson Palmer ($11,300) leading the way. However, Tom Brady ($14,600), Cam Newton ($15,300), Drew Brees ($15,000) and Ben Roethlisberger ($14,100) all have excellent matchups and aren’t priced prohibitively.
Tom Brady ($14,600) Brady was ridiculous in his first game back from suspension, throwing for 406 yards and three touchdowns. He will make his home debut in Week 6 in front of what should be a raucous home crowd. The Patriots are huge favorites (8.5 points) and have the highest implied team total on the slate at 28 points. New England has only lost one home game against an AFC opponent going all the way back to 2007. The Bengals defense was amongst the league’s best in 2015, but has been just average through five weeks. Cincinnati has allowed 2.4 touchdowns per game to opposing quarterbacks, despite facing only one elite quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2) to date. Brady has a high floor, with 275+ yards and 2 touchdowns highly likely. He comes close to must-play status in cash games however due to his ceiling that can be especially dangerous on weeks like this where he should also be very highly owned. A 400+ yard, 3+ touchdown performance is going to be a realistic possibility every week for Brady with this deep group of weapons.
Cam Newton ($15,300) If Tom Brady hadn’t looked invincible in his Week 5 debut, Newton would be the obvious cash-game option on the fast track in New Orleans. In his last trip to the Superdome, Newton passed for 331 yards and 5 touchdowns (and added 49 yards rushing as well). The previous year, Newton passed for 3 touchdowns and also ran for 83 yards and a score. The Saints have given up 300+ yards passing in all but one of their games this season. Carolina’s Achilles heel has been pass protection, but New Orleans has generated just seven sacks this season and has struggled mightily to apply pressure to opposing passers for years. Carolina’s implied team total of 28 points is tied for the highest on the slate and the 53-point game total is by far the highest on Week 6.
Carson Palmer ($11,300) It will be tough to pay down at quarterback given the attractiveness of the elite quarterbacks, but saving some valuable cap space by going down to Carson Palmer makes good sense. Arizona is at home and has a dream matchup against arguably the worst secondary in the NFL. The Jets rank dead last in pass defense DVOA. The Jets have been destroyed through the air in recent week, allowing 689 passings yards and 7 passing touchdowns over the past two games to Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson. It is not just the elite quarterbacks who have given this Jets defense trouble however. Over the first two weeks of the season, the Jets allowed Andy Dalton and Tyrod Taylor to combine for 663 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. With an implied team total of 26.8, the Cardinals offense should have a big day. The Jets stout run defense funnels opposing offenses towards attacking them through the air, so Palmer should have a hand in most of the offensive scoring. Bruce Arians loves to take deep shots multiple times per quarter and Palmer should be able to connect on some big plays against this atrocious secondary, which could lead to a big day for the low-priced Cardinals quarterback.
Running Back
Cash-Game Considerations
Sub-$10,000 cash-game options are non-existent in Week 6, so we are forced to pay up at the position. Le’Veon Bell ($14,900) and LeSean McCoy ($12,900) are almost must-plays this week. Mid-priced options Melvin Gordon ($10,600), Jordan Howard ($11,700) and Carlos Hyde ($10,200) are all strongly in play at RB2 or as flex options.
Le’Veon Bell ($14,900) Bell has stepped right back into the workhorse role upon his return from suspension. In two weeks, he has 38 carries for 210 yards. Where Bell really separates from the pack at running back however, is in his pass-game usage. He has already seen a whopping 17 targets and caught 14 passes for 122 yards. Despite facing a pair of stout run defenses and not finding the end zone in either game, Bell is still averaging 25.1 FantasyDraft points per game. Odds are good that Bell scores his first touchdown of the season against the Dolphins. The average touchdown projection for Bell by David Dodds, Maurile Tremblay and Sigmund Bloom is 0.83 and the Steelers implied team total of 27.5 is one of the highest on the slate. After facing the Jets extremely stingy run defense, Bell gets to face one o the league’s worst. The Dolphins have allowed opposing running backs to average 150.8 rushing yards per game, worst in the league. Bell has both a higher floor and higher ceiling than similarly priced wide receivers, so there is little reason not to get him into your cash game lineups as a running back or flex.
LeSean McCoy ($12,900) McCoy has been the centerpiece of the Bills offense. He has touched the ball at least 19 times in each game. While his receiving numbers are not eye-popping, McCoy’s 3.8 receptions per game project to a 60-catch season. McCoy has been surprisingly effective given that he has faced the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals, Patriots and Rams defenses through five weeks. He has his juiciest matchup of the year looming in Week 6, with the San Francisco 49ers traveling to the East Coast as 7.5-point road underdogs. The 49ers defense has been gashed on the ground in back-to-back weeks, allowing 23-138-1 to Ezekiel Elliott and 27-157-2 to David Johnson. On the season, San Francisco has allowed 146.8 rushing yards per game. Considering the hot start for McCoy and the ideal matchup, he should be a cash-game staple in Week 6.
Melvin Gordon ($10,600) If playing the Thursday slate, Gordon is a solid option at his surprisingly low salary. Gordon has scored in every single game and has already found the end zone seven times. In the four weeks since Danny Woodhead went down with an injury, Gordon has averaged 22.3 touches per game. He has seen 4.5 targets per game over that stretch and his abilities as a receiver are likely to be put to good use again in Week 6. Atlanta exploited passing game matchups against the Broncos linebackers, as Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman combined for a 7-167-1 line in the passing game. The duo also combined to rush for 119 yards and a score. While Denver’s defense is talented, their talented cornerbacks are funneling targets inside to opposing running backs and the Broncos have given up the 4th-most points to opposing running backs over the last three weeks.
Jordan Howard ($11,700) Howard is the top sub-$12,000 option on the slate. He has exploded onto the scene with 110+ rushing yards and 3 receptions in each of his first two starts. John Fox said last week he would “ride Howard hard,” and he has been true to his word with the rookie averaging 22.5 touches per game the last two weeks. On the season, Howard is averaging a ridiculous 5.8 yards per carry, so he is making the most of his opportunities. After facing the atrocious Detroit and Indianapolis defenses the past two weeks, the matchup does get more difficult with Jacksonville coming to town. However, the Bears are home favorites with a solid 24.5 implied team total. Jacksonville has been average against the run (allowing 4.0 yards per carry), but have allowed a whopping 22 catches to opposing running backs in the past two games. With another 18+ touch game likely for Howard, he is a safe cash-game option and has elite upside for tournaments given the explosiveness and efficiency he has shown in recent weeks.
Carlos Hyde ($10,200) Given the lack of value options at running back this week, Hyde’s mid-priced salary of $10,200 makes him a solid flex option with a high floor. Hyde has averaged 21.6 touches per game and scored in 4-of-5 games (with a pair of two touchdown games). He is also coming off the most productive receiving game of his career, with six catches for 36 yards against the Cardinals. The Bills have a decent run defense, allowing just 97.2 rushing yards per game, but have allowed six rushing touchdowns. Buffalo has allowed some big games to opposing running backs, with Matt Forte (33.9 points), David Johnson (26.1 points) and Todd Gurley (18.8 points) finding success. The unknown of how well the 49ers offense will function with Colin Kaepernick at the helm is enough to give some pause, but the risk-reward weighs in favor of a workhorse running back in a decent matchup priced at just $10,200.
Wide Receiver
Cash Game Considerations
We need to find value somewhere this week. With some extraordinarily attractive matchups for the top quarterbacks and very little in the way of cheap value at running back, it becomes tough to put together a solid cash game lineup without finding at least one bargain option at wide receiver. Michael Thomas ($8,400), Cameron Meredith ($8,100) and Tavon Austin ($7,700) are some of the top sub-$9,000 plays on the slate. If you pay up for a pair of top running backs, Antonio Brown ($18,900) may be too expensive to roster. T.Y. Hilton ($14,500) is a strong WR1 option that comes at a more affordable price than Brown.
T.Y. Hilton ($14,500) Aside from Antonio Brown, Hilton may have the best weekly floor-ceiling combination at the receiver position. Hilton has averaged 29.2 points per game of his last three. With Donte Moncrief out, Hilton has been the only reliable part of the passing offense for the Colts. He is the only player in the NFL who has seen double-digit targets every week and has 55 targets on the season. Hilton has scored in three straight games and has topped 170 receiving yards two of the past three weeks. Houston had been relatively stingy against opposing receivers before Adam Thielen torched them for 7-127-1 last week. Houston has also mostly kept Hilton in check in recent matchups (though he did torch the Texans for 9-223-1 back in 2014). In eight career games against the Texans, the two-time Pro Bowler has 43 catches for 778 yards and six touchdowns. The Texans defensive backfield is extremely banged up with cornerback Johnathan Joseph under the NFL concussion protocol, strong safety Quintin Demps dealing with a calf injury and cornerback Kareem Jackson recovering from a hamstring injury. Overall, the matchup shapes up as below average for Hilton and the Colts offense. But Hilton has been on fire and may be matchup proof at this point with Andrew Luck force-feeding him targets.
Tavon Austin ($7,700) Austin is a big part of the Rams offense. He has averaged a whopping 9.0 targets per game and 1.8 rushes per game. His production has been relatively modest however, due to his averaging just 4.8 yards per target and only finding the end zone once. If Austin is ever going to have a week where he sees an uptick in efficiency, this should be it. The Lions rank dead last in defensive DVOA and have the second-worst pass defense in the league. On the fast track at Ford Field, Austin has a good shot to break off a long play and find the end zone. He is a high-upside play with a decently solid floor who makes a lot of sense as a bargain option in both cash games and GPPs.
Cameron Meredith ($8,100) With Kevin White on IR, Meredith got his first NFL start in Week 5 and responded with a monster game. He caught 9-of-12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. Alshon Jeffery is the nominal #1 receiver in Chicago, but has battled knee and hamstring injuries for most of the past two months and has yet to top seven targets (averaging 6.2 per game) in any game this season. The starting outside receiver opposite of Jeffery has been the target magnet all season. In less than four games, Kevin White saw 36 targets. When he went down late in Week 4, Meredith saw three targets in the fourth quarter (before seeing 12 last week). Meredith should have another strong game against the Jaguars. Opposing receivers have already scored seven times in four games against the Jacksonville.
Antonio Brown ($18,900) The weekly case for Brown is pretty simple. He was the #1 fantasy receiver in 2014, 2015 and through five games of 2016, he is again the top-scoring receiver in football. Brown has scored at least 22 points in all but one game this season. The matchup against Miami is fantastic. The Dolphins have one of the least talented secondaries in the league and are 21st in DVOA against the pass. A.J. Green (10-173-1), Terrelle Pryor (8-144-0), Doug Baldwin (9-92-1) and Danny Amendola (4-48-2) have all had big games against Miami. The only question is whether it is worth it to shoehorn Brown’s massive salary into our lineups. With value plays harder to come by in Week 6, it may be a week where we are forced to pass on Brown in cash lineups despite the strong matchup.
Michael Thomas ($8,400) Thomas has generated buzz from the first day of OTAs, shined in the preseason and has been coming on strong early in the regular season. His role in the offense has steadily grown to the point where he has seen 20 targets over the last two games. He has also been on the field 64 snaps per game over the last two. Even if Thomas’ usage dips slightly with Willie Snead fully recovered after a bye week, he still should see the field often as the third receiver. Thomas has a decent floor considering his price. He has caught at least four passes every game. He also has an intriguingly high upside, which is equally important even in cash games. Thomas has scored in back-to-back games and there should be plenty of receiving touchdowns to go around again this week. Drew Brees has thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of his last seven home games and the 6’3, 212-pound Thomas is the best red zone option on the roster. While Carolina’s defensive reputation may scare some away, the matchup for Thomas is solid. Carolina ranks just 22nd in DVOA against the pass and the game is expected to be a shootout with the highest over/under of the week at 53 points.
Sammie Coates Jr ($9,200) Coates suffered a hand injury last week and is listed as questionable, so we will need to follow the news regarding his health closely throughout the week before locking him into any lineups. If Coates is able to play as expected, he is one of the top bargain options on the slate. The size/speed freak broke out with a monster 6-139-2 performance against the Jets in Week 5. With 19 targets in the past two weeks, Coates is gradually growing into the role previously occupied by Martavis Bryant as the #2 receiver and primary deep threat in the Steelers prolific passing offense. While the upside for Coates is clearly in his ability as a big-play receiver on deep balls (at least one 40+ yard reception in each game), his increased usage on short and intermediate routes (screens, crossing routes, etc.) over the past few weeks also gives Coates a reasonable floor considering his sub-$10,000 pricing.
Jeremy Maclin ($12,000) Oakland has allowed a whopping 1,653 passing yards already this season (331 per game), so clearly there is an opportunity here for the Chiefs passing game to put up numbers. The matchup is especially appealing for Maclin. He runs 45% of his routes from the slot, where he would matchup against D.J. Hayden, who has been average this season (graded 59th out of 116 eligible CBs by PFF), but has a long track record of giving up big plays. When lined up outside, Maclin has a sneaky good matchup. Both of Oakland’s cornerbacks rank highly on PFF (David Amerson is 5th and Sean Smith 21st), but the 6’3 duo predictably struggles against smaller, shiftier receivers while faring better against bigger, slower opponents. Sub six-footers Brandin Cooks (6-143-2), Willie Snead (9-172-1), Steve Smith (8-111-1), and Travis Benjamin (7-117-0) all had big days against this Raiders defense and Maclin plays a similar style of game. Maclin is seeing 9.3 targets per game and should be heavily involved for the Chiefs. He also may be due for some positive touchdown. After scoring 18 times in 2014-15, he has found the end zone just once this season.
Tight End
Cash Game Considerations
Greg Olsen ($13,300) and Rob Gronkowski ($12,600) both look poised for big weeks. Either make excellent plays at either tight end or as a flex. The lack of viable bargain options at other positions (especially running back) may make finding value at tight end necessary to construct a strong overall lineup. Martellus Bennett ($8,400) and Travis Kelce ($9,300) are both underpriced considering their usage and favorable matchups.
Greg Olsen ($13,300) Over the past four weeks, Olsen has averaged 6.5-111-0.5 and over 20 FantasyDraft points per game. New Orleans has the 26th ranked pass defense and Olsen has feasted against the Saints in recent years. In his two 2015 games against New Orleans, Olsen averaged 8.5 catches, 131.5 yards and a touchdown (over 30 fantasy points per game). The price is tough to swallow, but Olsen is one of the top plays on the slate if you can fit him in. Maurile Tremblay projects Olsen for over 20 points this weekend, which compares favorably with the top receivers. Even if you like one of the cheaper tight ends better, Olsen is also a top option as a flex.
Martellus Bennett ($8,400) In his first game with Tom Brady, Bennett exploded with six catches for 67 yards and three touchdowns (30.7 points). While it is going to be difficult to project which of the deep cast of receiving weapons in New England will lead the way in any given week, it is clear that Bennett is a big part of the offense. He has averaged over 60 snaps per game and has topped 18 fantasy points in 3-of-5 games. The Bengals defense has give up three touchdowns to opposing tight ends already, despite not facing a top-10 tight end (according to FantasyDraft salary).
Travis Kelce ($9,300) Kelce has one of the highest floors at the tight end position. He has seen at least seven targets every week and has at least five catches in every game. Oakland has had a tough time defending the tight end position. San Diego tight ends combined for 7-104-2 last week and Atlanta tight ends scorched the Raiders for 10-181-1 in Week 2. Kelce’s pricing also compares favorably to the sub-$10,000 receivers and running backs and is a safe, high-floor choice as a flex in Week 6.
Rob Gronkowski ($12,600) Gronkowski finally appears to be approaching 100% after being badly hampered by a sore hamstring early in the season. He topped 100 yards in Tom Brady’s Week 5 debut. Gronkowksi, the most dominant red zone presence in the NFL, has yet to fine the end zone in 2016 and it feels like he is due. The Bengals have allowed three touchdowns to opposing tight ends already and haven’t faced a tight end anywhere near as talented as Gronkowski. While Greg Olsen has a higher floor and edges Gronkowski as the top overall tight end in Week 6, Gronkowski has obvious multiple touchdown upside and is one of the best GPP plays on the slate.
Gary Barnidge ($6,400) Barnidge has seen his targets increase every week, topping out at eight in Week 5 against the Patriots. He should continue to be a big part of the Browns offense and Week 6 sets up for an especially favorable game script. Cleveland has been relatively run-heavy this season, averaging just 34.4 passing attempts per game. But a combination of a beat up offensive line and stout Titans defensive line should push the Browns to a more pass-heavy approach. The bargain pricing for Barnidge is what really puts him on the radar this week though. In projected targets per dollar, Barnidge ranks at or near the top of the list at just $6,400.
Defense
Cash Game Considerations
With the Vikings on bye, we have to do more homework this weekend. If paying up, the Steelers ($6,700) and Titans ($6,400) both have favorable matchups against beat up offensive lines. The Bears ($4,600) are amongst the top bargain options.
Steelers ($6,700) The Steelers defense has shown major improvement. Pittsburgh has notched seven sacks and held both the Chiefs and Jets to 14 points or less over the pas two weeks. They face a Dolphins offense that is reeling. Miami allowed six sacks to a middling Titans defense at home in Week 5 and gave up five sacks to the Bengals in Week 4. The Steelers defensive strength is against the run, where they rank 9th best in the league according to DVOA. Miami has rushed for a pitiful 72.4 yards per game, so they are likely to quickly turn into a one-dimensional offense against the Steelers stout front seven. With little threat from the run game and Miami likely to be playing from behind, the game script sets up perfectly for the Steelers defense to rack up sacks and force turnovers.
Bears ($4,600) Cap space is tighter than normal in Week 6, so it is potentially worth reaching for a lower-priced defense to buy upgrades elsewhere. The Bears are home favorites against a Jacksonville offense that has averaged 1.8 turnovers per game and allowed 3.0 sacks per game. The Jaguars have averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and 75.3 rushing yards per game, so their offense tends to get pass-heavy (which is exactly the type of offense we like to target). While the Bears 18th ranked defense may not inspire a lot of confidence, the combination of pricing and favorable matchup makes Chicago one of the better point per dollar plays on the slate.
Titans ($6,400) The Titans defense dominated a bad offense on the road last week, notching 6 sacks and collecting a pair of turnovers against the Dolphins. Tennessee returns home and faces a poor Cleveland offense that ranks 26th in DVOA. The Browns are in an especially tough spot coming into Week 6 due to injuries. Cody Kessler is likely to play, but is dealing with rib injuries that forced him from last week’s game early. The offensive line is in a tough spot. Top guard Joel Bitonio is out with a sprained foot and star tackle Joe Thomas is questionable with a knee injury. Tennessee all have a major advantage in the trenches, especially inside where Karl Klug and Jurrell Casey both rank in the top 15 according to ProFootballFocus grades.
