DraftKings NFL DFS Picks For Week 6 Main Slate: James Cook Set to Feast

The Week 6 NFL DFS slate is an interesting one.

We have a London game, four teams—including some high-octane offenses—on bye and some fantasy-friendly defenses off the main slate. That does, however, make things fun, as you’ll really have to choose your spots.

Here’s where my mind is at for Week 6 NFL DFS.

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins vs. Buffalo Bills ($5,400)

I’ve written about Cousins all week. Maybe it’s because I’ve been impressed by his play in the early going. Or maybe as a diehard Buffalo Bills fan, I just know how unbelievably bad this pass defense is.

Yeah. That one.

The Raiders return home to host a tired, struggling Buffalo Bills pass defense that just surrendered nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns to Matthew Stafford. On the season, the Bills are now coughing up 22.8 fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers, the fourth-most in football. Buffalo’s pass rush has improved this season, but if Greg Rousseau or Deone Walker don’t generate pressure, this team gets torched through the air. When the quarterback is not pressured, the Bills are bleeding production:

77% CMP (3rd-worst)
7.9 yards/attempt (8th-worst)
7.4% TD rate (5th-worst)
15.7 passing FPPG (4th-most)

Overall, the Bills are now allowing the league’s fifth-highest explosive pass play rate (16.4%) and fifth-highest EPA/dropback (0.226). Buffalo’s corners and linebackers have been absolutely lost in zone coverage this season, particularly Cover-3, which they run about 35% of the time. Against Cover-3 this season, Cousins has completed 40-of-49 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 9.9 YPA (2nd).

Others to consider:

Josh Allen @ LV ($7,500)
Aaron Rodgers @ TB ($5,500)

Running Back

James Cook @ Las Vegas Raiders ($7,400)

Yes, the fumbles have been less than ideal. But they won’t lead to Joe Brady reducing his carries. They can’t. Because after Josh Allen, this is easily the most important player on this offense, and arguably the entire team.

Putting the fumbles aside, Cook has been unbelievable since Week 2. During that stretch, he is averaging 118.7 rushing yards per game (3rd-most) on 20.5 carries per game (4th-most). No player in football is averaging more yards before contact per attempt over the last four weeks (3.07), while his 20.7% explosive rush rate leads the NFL. Despite offering next to nothing in the passing game, Cook, who has also scored five touchdowns during that stretch, is averaging 19.8 PPR PPG, good for RB6. Buffalo will continue to rely heavily on Cook this weekend.

Especially if DJ Moore remains sidelined.

Without Moore last Monday, the Bills leaned on the ground game, sporting the league’s second-highest neutral-script rush rate (63.8%). If Moore is out again, things might be more difficult for the passing game, leading to 20-22 carries for Cook in a favorable matchup.

The Raiders are allowing a league-high 2.39 yards before contact per rush attempt this season to go along with the second-highest explosive rush rate (13.7%). Those are quite literally the two worst areas to struggle ahead of a meeting with Cook and the Bills' rushing attack. I love his chances of posting his fourth 100-yard and a touchdown game over his last four contests.

D’Andre Swift @ Atlanta Falcons ($6,700)

Fortunately, Swift salvaged his day with a goal-line touchdown last week before the game really got out of hand. In the second half against Green Bay, Swift only played 17 snaps, while recording just two touches. Things should be much better this week against the Falcons, especially if Caleb Williams is under center. It turns out that Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum are, in fact, not better for the Bears offense than the former first overall pick.

Who would have thought?

Swift would also benefit from the absence of Kyle Monangai, who missed last week’s game with a toe injury. Again, I’m throwing out last week’s game due to the blowout, which contributed to Roschon Johnson seeing 10 touches, five of which came in the final quarter.

Assuming Monangai is sidelined again and this game is competitive, Swift should be in store for 20-plus touches pretty easily. The matchup is solid, as Atlanta is coughing up 5.2 catches (5th-most) and 7.8 targets (3rd-most) per game to opposing backfields. And with Williams at quarterback, Chicago’s offense should sustain drives, giving the team more scoring opportunities, most of which will go to Swift.

Others to consider:

Jonathan Taylor vs. TEN ($8,000)
Ashton Jeanty vs. BUF ($6,500)
Tyler Allgeier @ LAR ($4,800)

Wide Receiver

Drake London vs. Chicago Bears ($7,000)

*Checks notes* “Michael Penix is expected to start Sunday vs. Bears.”

Alright. You can absolutely play Drake London this week.

That was the only concern entering Week 6, but with Penix set to start, London is a high-end WR play on this slate. As expected, his fantasy season has been revived by Penix, as London has averaged nine targets, seven receptions and 136 yards per game over the past three weeks.

During that span, London’s 36% target share is tied for the highest mark in the league. The only thing missing has been touchdowns. London hasn't seen an end zone target over the last three games, mostly because Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson have been so effective at scoring from close. The Falcons have only dropped back to pass on 32% of snaps from inside the 10-yard line this season, the fifth-lowest rate in football.

Eventually we’ll see London find the end zone, especially since the usage is so favorable. He gets a matchup with a Bears secondary that just allowed over 200 yards and two touchdowns to Green Bay’s wide receiver duo, with most of the damage coming off explosive plays. The Bears deploy single-high coverage at one of the highest rates in the league, and against single-high this year, London is averaging 4.7 yards per route run, the highest mark in football.

Jalen Coker @ Philadelphia Eagles ($5,900)

We haven’t seen Coker since Week 3. He missed Carolina’s Week 4 game against the Lions, followed by a bye this past weekend. But Coker is practicing in full and ready to roll against the Eagles on Sunday.

I know the last time we saw the Panthers play, Tetairoa McMillan went crazy, catching 14 passes for 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But Coker is just as important to this passing attack, and through the first three weeks, he paced McMillan in both target share (21%) and TPRR (24%). McMillan is awesome, of course, but I want to make sure more people realize just how involved Coker is when he’s healthy. Following Carolina’s Week 14 bye, which included Carolina’s playoff game against the Rams, the usage was eyebrow-raising:

McMillan: 23% target share, 18% TPRR, 25% EZ targets
Coker: 22% target share, 19% TPRR, 32% EZ targets

Over their last seven full games together, Coker is averaging 6.8 targets, 5.7 receptions, 72.5 receiving yards and 16.9 PPR PPG. At sub-$6,000 on DraftKings, Coker is underpriced, especially against a reeling Eagles team that is coughing up the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing pass-catchers from the slot this season, which is where Coker lines up around 41% of the time.

Others to consider:

Malik Nabers vs. NO ($6,500)
Carnell Tate @ IND ($5,000)
Xavier Worthy @ LAC ($4,600)

Tight End

Isaiah Likely vs. New Orleans Saints ($4,800)

Following a two-touchdown performance against the Commanders on Sunday, Likely is now the TE3 in fantasy points per game, trailing only Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. His role is elite, as Likely currently leads all tight ends in both TPRR (30%) and target share (30%).

Winston should continue throwing the ball Likely’s way a ton in Week 6. The Giants face a struggling New Orleans team allowing the eighth-most fantasy points (13.1) and second-most targets (9.4) per game to opposing tight ends this season.

The Saints are deploying Cover 3 at one of the highest rates in the league, which bodes well for Likely, who has been targeted on 29% of his routes against zone coverage this year. An area to attack Cover 3 is in the flats, and we could see Likely utilized there often in this matchup. The Saints have allowed the third-most targets (26), 10th-most receptions (14) and 11th-most PPR PPG (7.7) on out routes this season. Likely, meanwhile, has run out routes 25.6% of the time this year.

Tyler Higbee vs. Arizona Cardinals ($3,400)

I will admit, Higbee probably isn’t a cash game option this week. Yes, the matchup is elite, but his overall involvement could leave a little to be desired. With Colby Parkinson back last week, Higbee’s route rate fell from 76% to 64%. He made the most of his six targets, converting five of them for 83 yards.

Six targets sounds solid until you consider Matthew Stafford threw the ball 54 times. Of course, we (probably) shouldn’t expect Puka Nacua to see 24 targets again, and given the matchup, I think Higbee can make the most of his looks this weekend, too. The Rams are projected to score over 30 points against an Arizona defense coughing up 16.2 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, the fourth-most in the league.

Others to consider: