NFL Week 6 DFS Sleepers

Sleepers are key for any DFS lineup, providing fantasy points at a lower ownership. Week 5 didn’t provide too many winners, but not every week can be perfect. 

Let’s use the information we now must serve up a winner at each position in the sleeper category! 

This weekly column will provide you with the information you need before choosing a sleeper in DFS. Prices are sourced from DraftKings and FanDuel.

Sleeper picks

Quarterback

Brock Purdy @ CLE, $5,600 on DraftKings, $7,200 on FanDuel

It’s a bit funny to call an MVP candidate a sleeper, but being on the road in a tough matchup will do that to a player. The Browns are no slouches — at least on defense — but Purdy and the 49ers have looked unstoppable week after week. 

Purdy has finished inside the top 15 in each of his last three weeks but finally jumped inside the QB1 tier when he finished as the QB7 against Dallas last week. 

He should have a high floor given the weapons around him and the execution he has displayed this season. While the floor may not be a target for big tournament DFS lineups, it can play a role in smaller tournaments while saving a lot of your budget for other assets. 

Purdy at a QB12 price on both DraftKings and FanDuel — excluding injured QBs like Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray — is worth a play, even against Cleveland.

Running back

D’Onta Foreman vs. MIN, $4,400 on DraftKings, $6,000 on FanDuel

Ah, recommending a player who has been a healthy scratch for four consecutive weeks. We must be in the middle of the NFL season. 

Jokes aside, Foreman could be the RB1 for Chicago with Khalil Herbert (ankle) and Roschon Johnson (concussion) at risk of missing Week 6. Foreman is a bruising RB who is more than capable of a bell cow role.  

The 27-year-old former Panther RB turned his six games with 15+ rushes into four top-15 RB performances. Now Foreman faces a Vikings defense that has been middle-of-the-pack against running backs. If he gets a similar workload in Chicago as the last man standing, then he presents a massive value on his DraftKings $4,400 price tag.

Wide Receiver

Trenton Irwin vs. SEA, $3,200 on DraftKings, $5,500 on FanDuel

Trenton Irwin flashed at times in 2022 despite a crowded receiver room that limited his role to injury relief. With Tee Higgins dealing with a broken rib and subsequently sitting out Week 5, Irwin played over 70% of snaps. He caught six balls for 60 yards and a score on 10 targets. 

Irwin and the Bengals now face Seattle, who have allowed the second-most points to fantasy wide receivers this season. This pick is dependent on Higgins sitting out once more, but Irwin could be a sneaky play at a dirt-cheap cost.

Tight End

Cade Otton vs. DET, $3,200 on DraftKings, $4,900 on FanDuel

This play partially depends on Mike Evans sitting out with a hamstring injury. Even in a plus matchup, Otton is not worth the risk unless Evans is out. However, if the veteran receiver is inactive, Otton is a great sneaky play against the third-best matchup for fantasy tight ends. 

Only Houston has allowed more receiving yards to tight ends this season — represented by a whopping two-yard difference between the Texans and the Lions — giving Otton a perfect matchup. If Evans sits out with his hamstring injury, he will void enough targets for Otton to see extended usage. 

Otton does boast a 100% route participation according to PlayerProfiler, which adds to his upside.

Defense

Washington Commanders @ ATL, $3,100 on DraftKings, $4,000 on FanDuel

Only six teams average more sacks per game than the Commanders, who possess a dominant defensive line with an inspired Chase Young leading the way.  

It’s fair to be concerned about the team’s rushing defense after it was gouged by Khalil Herbert and the Bears, especially with the Falcons on deck. But given that Atlanta allows 3.2 sacks per game — the exact amount Washington averages in sacks per game — it’s fair to expect Desmond Ridder to spend Sunday on the ground with a high turnover possibility. Both teams take a lot of sacks, making either defense an intriguing play.