The NFL season storms into Week 6, with bye weeks now compounding league-wide injury issues. Hunting values — both on season-long waiver wires and in DFS contests — takes on a new level of importance at this stage of the season, which is why we're here every Tuesday with a list of daily fantasy values, sleepers, and under-the-radar plays for both DraftKings and FanDuel.
The task at hand is simple: scour the player pools from the main slate, analyze the matchups and stat trends, and determine which players offer the most bang for your buck.
By capitalizing on affordable sleepers in certain DFS roster spots, we leave ourselves the budget to greatly improve other roster spots with proven weekly studs. In layman's terms, you can't afford a Nick Chubb ($8,200 on DK) each week without the occasional Eno Benjamin ($4,300).
WEEK 6 DFS: Best stacks
This column has been producing better than ever this season, and readers are seeing healthy returns on their DraftKings and FanDuel accounts. Among our 10-12 highlight hits each week, we have averaged right around 20 DraftKings points per player. Take a look at our massive list of highlights from our value picks for Week 5:
| Pos. | Player | Week 4 Game | DK Price | Pts. |
| QB | Carson Wentz | Commanders vs. Titans | $5,700 | 25.9 |
| QB | Tom Brady | Buccaneers at Falcons | $6,000 | 22.7 |
| RB | Rhamondre Stevenson | Patriots vs. Lions | $5,500 | 22.5 |
| RB | Raheem Mostert | Dolphins at Jets | $5,000 | 22.2 |
| RB | Kareem Hunt | Browns vs. Chargers | $6,000 | 14.7 |
| RB | Travis Etienne Jr. | Jaguars vs. Texans | $5,100 | 14.4 |
| WR | George Pickens | Steelers at Bills | $4,300 | 14.3 |
| WR | D.J. Moore | Panthers vs. 49ers | $5,200 | 10.7 |
| WR | George Pickens | Steelers vs. Jets | $3,800 | 19.2 |
| DST | Dallas | Cowboys at Rams | $2,500 | 23.0 |
| DST | New England | Patriots vs. Lions | $2,900 | 22.0 |
That's a whopping 11 DFS plays that exceeded expectations in Week 5 and averaged over 19.2 DraftKings fantasy points for a little over $4,700 per player. That kind of cheap production in our DFS lineups helps us afford proven weekly studs at other roster spots. When your cheap picks are posting nearly 20 points, you're sitting pretty in the DFS world!
Let's ride into Week 6 like a Broncos opponent in primetime! Here are our favorite DraftKings and FanDuel value plays for Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season.
All player values are from DraftKings and FanDuel. All stats are from NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.
NFL DFS Picks Week 6: QB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel
Geno Smith, Seahawks vs. Cardinals (DK: $5,700 | FD: $7,400)
We recommended Carson Wentz at this same DraftKings cost last week, and he delivered with 25.9 fantasy points. Two weeks ago, we highlighted Smith at $5,400, and he finished with nearly 33 DraftKings points. Well, we're back to the Geno well. The Cardinals have surrendered the 10th-most DraftKings points to QBs this season, and they often looked helpless against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in Week 5 (Hurts finished with 27.7 DK points). With RB Rashaad Penny (leg) out for the season, Pete Carroll should lean on Smith and his talented receiver corps even more than usual in a tough divisional contest.
More great Week 6 QB values: Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers at Falcons (DK: $5,500 | DK: $7,100); Daniel Jones, Giants vs. Baltimore (DK: $5,200 | FD: $6,800)
WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
NFL DFS Picks Week 6: RB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots vs Lions (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,500)
Stevenson cracked our short list of DFS values last week (DK $5,500/FD $6,000), and we're doubling down with the Patriots in Cleveland this weekend. New England RB1 Damien Harris (hamstring) could miss multiple games, so the Stevenson should enjoy a massive spike in usage. The Browns have allowed the sixth-most DraftKings points to RBs this season. Fire away!
Cam Akers, Rams vs. Panthers (DK: $5,300 | FD: $6,100)
This feels like buying stock in a failing company, but let's look at the bright side: nobody at this price point is seeing the RB1 volume Akers has seen, and the Panthers have surrendered the seventh-most DraftKings points to RBs this season. Akers saw 100 percent of the Rams' RB carries last week and has received 12-plus totes in three of the past four weeks. Jeff Wilson Jr. totaled 17 carries for 120 yards and a TD against Carolina last weekend (adding 12 receiving yards) and while Tevin Coleman Jr. amassed 67 scrimmage yards and two scores. If not now for Akers, when?
UPDATE: With Akers out for Week 6 because of personal reasons, Darrell Henderson Jr. (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,700) becomes a "free space" in a solid matchup against the Panthers where he should see close to 15 touches.
Other great Week 6 RB values: Breece Hall, Jets at Packers (DK: $5,800 | FD: $7,100); JK Dobbins, Ravens at Giants (DK: $5,500 | FD: $6,800); Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks vs. Cardinals (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,500); Eno Benjamin, Cardinals at Seahawks (DK: $4,300 | FD: $6,300)
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
NFL DFS Picks Week 6: WR sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel
Chris Godwin, Buccaneers at Steelers (DK: $6,000 | FD: $6,800)
The breakout game is coming for Godwin, who has battled back from a torn ACL as well as hamstring issues this season. Over the past two weeks, Godwin has caught 13-of-16 targets for 120 yards. Now he gets to go off against a Steelers secondary that just allowed Bills WR2 Gabe Davis to rack up 171 receiving yards and two TDs. This may be as cheap as you can get Godwin for the rest of the season.
D.J. Moore, Panthers at Rams (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,700)
Moore has struggled for the first time in a while thanks in large part to Baker Mayfield being a terrible NFL QB. But Mayfield (ankle) will miss some time, which means Moore could see his stock rise. Across Carolina backup QB P.J. Walker's only two NFL starts, Moore tallied 11 catches for 151 yards.
More strong Week 6 WR values: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers at Falcons (DK: $5,400 | FD: $5,800 | Jakobi Meyers, Patriots at Browns (DK: 5,300 | FD: $6,600); George Pickens, Steelers vs. Buccaneers (DK: $4,600 | FD: $5,800); Alec Pierce, Colts vs. Jaguars (DK: $4,300 | FD: $5,900)
NFL DFS Picks Week 6: TE sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel
Zach Ertz, Cardinals at Seahawks (DK: $4,900 | FD: $6,000)
Ertz has been a constant in the Cardinals' passing game this season, catching at least six passes in each of the past four games. Kyler Murray has looked the tight end's way 41 times this season, including 11 times in the red zone. The Seahawks have allowed the most fantasy points — on both DraftKings and FanDuel — to the tight end position this season. All signs point to YAS.
More top Week 6 TE values: Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. Cardinals (DK: $4,600 | FD: $6,200); Robert Tonyan, Packers vs. Jets (DK: $3,600 | FD: $4,900)
NFL DFS Picks Week 6: D/ST sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel
New England Patriots at Browns (DK: $2,900 | FD: $4,200)
Surprise, surprise: New England has a strong defense again. They shut out the Lions 29-0 last weekend in Foxboro and now look to slow down NFL rushing leader Nick Chubb and the Browns. Bill Belichick usually manages to limit the opposing team's No. 1 weapon, and he knows former Pats QB Jacoby Brissett better than anyone. The Pats provide great value to round out your lineup.
Other solid Week 6 D/ST values: Saints vs. Bengals (DK: $2,800 | FD: $3,800); Panthers at Rams (DK: $2,400 | FD: $3,700)
