Puka Nacua And 3 More Must-Start Studs In Week 6 DFS Contests on DraftKings & FanDuel
Last week, I only hit on one of my foundation players (Ja’Marr Chase) while Jonathan Taylor (31.60) posted his third winning outcome over the past four weeks. The key to winning in the DFS market in Week 5 was value at running back – Rachaad White and Rico Dowdle. I had the latter rated in a favorable area (17.05 fantasy points at DraftKings) with about a 4X rating for his salary ($4,300). Unfortunately, I was sleeping at the wheel when listing my value plays of the week.
Week 5 DraftKings Winning Lineup
The best foundation in the DFS market was stacking Sam Darnold (31.64 – $5,100) with Jaxon Smith-Njigba (30.20) while correlating the Seattle pairing with Emeka Ebuka (34.30). The winning Week 5 roster had the top-rated quarterback (Justin Fields – 25.92) tied to teammate Breece Hall (21.50).
His lineup was loaded with fire in all roster slots, highlighted by his wins with Rico Dowdle (35.40) and the Saints defense (18.00). The second-place roster (244.56 fantasy points – $100,000) matched the million-dollar team in five lineup slots. His one miss was David Montgomery (18.22).
Week 6 NFL DFS Studs To Target
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (DK: $8,700/FD: $9,800)
Nacua is the top-ranked wide receiver this week, as he should be based on his explosive start to the season (52/640/3) and the Ravens' struggles defending wide receivers (second-most fantasy points allowed in PPR formats – 201.60).
Despite Baltimore’s weakness in wide receiver coverage, only Keon Coleman (8/112/1) has gained over 100 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown (7/77/1) posted a high-floor game while Nico Collins (4/52/1 on five targets) lost his ceiling when Houston jumped out to a commanding lead.
The challenge when featuring Nacua in a DFS lineup is finding enough other value at other roster slots to offset his high salary.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts (DK: $8,500/FD: $10,200)
After five games, Taylor only has had one explosive game in combined yards (215 in Week 2) while having a three-catch ceiling in four of his five starts. Daniel Jones hasn’t sniped him for a rushing touchdown since Week 2. Two of his 30.00+ fantasy days at DraftKings came via three touchdowns. The Colts have had him on the field for 80.8% of their plays, leading to 22.4 touches a game.
The most significant selling point for Taylor again this week is the scoring ability for the Colts. They’ve driven the ball well in each game this year, resulting in scoring 18 touchdowns and kicking 13 field goals over their 46 possessions. Indianapolis is averaging 34 points at home, while also excelling in passing the ball (8.5 yards per pass attempt).
Arizona sits just below the league average in running back fantasy defense. They’ve allowed 611 combined yards to backs with five touchdowns and 26 catches on 34 targets. Christian McCaffrey gained 140 combined yards with 10 catches in Week 3, and the Seahawks backs ran the ball 31 times for 120 yards and one score. The Cardinals faced the Saints, Panthers, and Titans in their other three matchups.
Indianapolis will be their most challenging matchup of the season, suggesting a high-volume workload for Taylor. He must gain over 100 rushing yards with two touchdowns to support this salary this week. I sense that Daniel Jones may steal some of his upside in this contest.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (DK: $8,400/FD: $9,500)
McCaffrey is ranked first at running back this week, giving him a 3X floor, which tends to play better in cash games in the DFS market. He must score over 34.00 fantasy points to fill his salary bucket at DraftKings, a level he has yet to reach in 2025.
Over his first five starts, McCaffrey scored between 22.70 and 27.90 fantasy points while averaging 26 touches per game. On the downside, the 49ers continue to struggle opening up running lanes, leading to their lead running back gaining only 3.1 yards per rush with no runs over 200 yards on his 91 carries. McCaffrey has looked dynamic in space when catching the ball (39/387/3 – 9.9 yards per reception). San Francisco had him on the field for 88% of their plays over the past three games.
The Buccaneers have played well vs. the run (94/338/3 – 3.6 yards per carry), but running backs have been a problem for their pass defense (21/257/1 on 26 targets), highlighted by them gaining 12.2 yards per catch. Most of their running back receiving damage came in Week 1 to Bijan Robinson (6/100/1). Over the past four weeks, no other back has gained over 37 yards receiving. Tampa Bay has yet to allow a running back to gain over 100 rushing yards.
The lingering receiving injuries for the 49ers almost force San Francisco to feature McCaffrey on as many plays as possible. His matchup isn’t great, which is offset by his opportunity in catches.
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins (DK: $7,800/FD: $8,100)
In Achane’s first game without Tyreek Hill in the lineup, he struggled to make plays in the run game (10/16) with only steady value catching the ball (6/30/1). His best success this season has been at home (122 combined yards with a touchdown and eight catches in Week 2 and 101 combined yards with a score and a catch in Week 4. Miami has given Achane 75 touches (18.75 per game) over the past four weeks. He has been on the field for 81.3% of the Dolphins' snaps.
Heading into Week 6, the Chargers’ defense sits sixth in fantasy points allowed to running backs (90.70) in PPR formats. They’ve allowed 4.5 yards per rush to backs, which is a sign of potential upside for Achane in this matchup. Last week, Jacory Croskey-Merritt (14/111/2) hit on three big plays – a 15-yard TD run, a 27-yard run, and a 28-yard catch.
Despite Achane's steady feel this year in fantasy points (16.50, 26.20, 16.10, 17.10, and 16.60), he brings an explosive gear while tending to have a competitive floor due to his pass-catching opportunity. He probably rates as a dark horse in Week 6 for the DFS market. His salary commands a 30.00+ fantasy day to pay off.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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