Week 6 DraftKings DFS Main Slate Best Value Plays, Best Pay Up Options

Welcome to Week 6 of the NFL 2026 season. This week, DraftKings’ main slate features 10 games. There are heavy hitters on their bye week: Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, the entire Detroit Lions offensive weapons, and the Vikings defense. Two teams are playing the very early morning International game, which will eliminate Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Parker Washington, and Nico Collins; and CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Christian Watson, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and George Kittle are all playing either Sunday or Monday night games. That’s a lot of fantasy points goodness out of the main slate.

But don’t worry, there are still plenty to choose from, with three high-point-expectation game environments, injury replacements, delicious payups, and tantalizing value plays that are yours for the taking.

Let’s get to the best game environments, best payup options, and best value plays for Week 6 on the DraftKings main slate.

Game Environment

Three games meet our point-expectations threshold:

Buffalo Bills -5.5 @ Las Vegas Raiders, 53.5

The Bills are a touchdown-or-less favorite on the road against the Raiders.

• The Raiders’ defense is 29th in rushing yards per game allowed (140.6); they have not held a team under 120 rushing yards since Week 1
• Quarterback Josh Allen has 239 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns
• Running back James Cook is averaging 106.4 rushing yards per game; he also has four fumbles in five games

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams -12.5, 52.5

• The Rams have the highest implied team total for the week
• Monitor the status of Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie; if unable to play, Michael Wilson becomes more interesting.
• Rams’ defense is giving up the second-fewest passing yards per game, 156.8

Chicago Bears -3.5 @ Atlanta Falcons, 48.5

• Bears no Montez Sweat and no Dayo Odeyingbo for this game. This is a loss of 27 total quarterback pressures and five sacks.
• Michael Penix Jr. has the fourth-worst EPA per dropback when pressured (-0.7) and the fifth-best EPA per dropback when not pressured (.58).
• Caleb Williams is expected to return for this game; he is priced as the sixth-most expensive quarterback on DraftKings, at $6,200.

Best Pay-Up Options By Positions

Quarterback, Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, $7500

Allen is the most expensive quarterback on the main slate. Allen’s floor is his rushing prowess. He has a 30% carry share, averages 8.25 carries per game, and currently has 239 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

He is also averaging 259.8 passing yards per game on 30.3 passing attempts per game with six passing touchdowns.

In their last three games, the Raiders have allowed:

Drake May: 374 passing yards and four passing touchdowns on 34 attempts.

Patrick Mahomes: 225 passing yards on 30 attempts with two passing touchdowns.

Tyler Shough threw four passing touchdowns on 42 attempts and 255 passing yards.

Running Back, Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs, $8500

Walker is the second-most expensive running back on DraftKings main slate. He is coming off the Chiefs’ bye week.

The Chiefs are an eight-point home favorite against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Walker is averaging 17.4 carries per game and five targets per game. He has a 6.3 yards-per-carry average, is first in juke rate (39.4%), second in evaded tackles (9.8/game), explosive rating (125.6), and breakaway runs (9.2% rate).

Wide Receiver, Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams, $8100

Nacua is the most expensive wide receiver on the slate. The only issue is this nebulous injury. Otherwise, since returning in Week 4, Nacua has 90.9% snap share, ran routes at a 90.7% rate, and had 12 targets and 125 receiving yards. And to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he followed it up in Week 5 with an 85.4% snap share, 49 routes run, 24 targets, 17 receptions, 138 yards, and one touchdown.

Now he gets a matchup with the Cardinals, who have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing receivers while giving up a game average of 156.6 receiving yards.

Tight End, Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders, $7500

Bowers and Trey McBride eclipse all other tight ends by $2000. Bowers would be the third-most expensive wide receiver on the DraftKings main slate at his current price.

The Bills’ defense is meh against tight ends, allowing 7.2 fantasy points per game and only giving up one touchdown to the position. They are, however, allowing the most fantasy points per game to the wide receiver position (29.9) with nine touchdowns.

Bowers has lined up in a traditional tight end position on less than 30%. He has occupied the slot or detached wide receiver on 40-58% of the offensive snaps.

Value Plays Week 6 DraftKings Main Slate

Quarterback, Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles, $4000

The Eagles were a -1.5 home favorite. The line has moved to the Carolina Panthers, now a three-point road favorite.

McKee offers no floor in the run game; the Eagles’ offensive line situation is not great, and running back Saquon Barkley is out. But he does have his full array of receivers.

The Panthers are coming off their bye week (oh yeah, the Eagles are returning from their London game). The Panthers’ defense pressures at the third-lowest rate (11.8%) and is allowing the third-most yards per game (387.2).

Running Back, Cam Skattebo, New York Giants, $5800

The Giants are a -1.5 home underdog versus the New Orleans Saints.

Skattebo is ninth among running backs with 20 evaded tackles, is averaging 3.6 yards per carry, and has a 63.7% opportunity share on a team that is fourth in run plays per game (28.2). Combine that with going against a New Orleans Saints defense that is allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (148.8), including yielding 113 rushing yards to Aaron Jones last week, 145 to Bijan Robinson in Week 4, and having the Raiders duo of Ashton Jeanty and Michael Washington combine for 110 rushing yards.

Wide Receiver, Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers, $4000

The Steelers are a 2.5-point road favorite against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers are giving up an average of 226.6 passing yards per game, while allowing receivers to average 31.1 DraftKings points per game.

Last week, Bernard led the team in routes run (32), targets (9), and tied Jaylen Warren for receptions (8) and was second to Warren in receiving yards (80-86).

Tight End, Orange Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers, $3800

The Chargers are an eight-point road underdog to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Even at a $3800 price tag, this is going to take a leap of faith, as the Chargers are not very good so far this season. They have the eighth-fewest first downs per game (17.6), the seventh-fewest yards per game (292.8), and the third-fewest points per game (16.8).

But on the positive side, their receiving options are getting very condensed, and the Chiefs are giving up the second-most DraftKings points per game (22.6) to the tight end position.

Pay Up or Value Play

Depending on your tournament (or cash game) size, it will determine if you go for the value play or for the studs in a good matchup.

Your defensive choice will depend on your offensive choices. Choose well.

Good Luck and Play Nice.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com