Adam Thielen toes the line of a must-start receiver every week in two-receiver leagues. For two games this season, he's been fantastic with at least 15 PPR points. And for three games, he's been disappointing, scoring nine PPR points or less. But this should be a good week for him at Miami.
The Dolphins secondary is beat up, especially if cornerback Xavien Howard (groin) is out. Miami comes into this game at No. 12 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and the Dolphins have allowed four touchdowns to the position and five guys to score at least 12 PPR points.
If you look at the receivers who have hurt the Dolphins this year, volume has been the key. There have been four receivers with at least seven targets against Miami, and all four (Rashod Bateman in Week 2, Stefon Diggs and Isaiah McKenzie in Week 3 and Tee Higgins in Week 4) have scored at least 14 PPR points.
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Why is that relevant here? Well, Thielen has four games in a row with at least seven targets. We know Justin Jefferson is going to get his targets, and he has at least 11 in four of five games. He should be his usual dominant force. But Thielen's targets should continue to be there from Kirk Cousins as well, and Thielen should be considered a starter in all formats for Week 6.
Every Friday, you can find this column on sleepers and DFS plays on DraftKings and FanDuel. I'm also going to include our Friday show notes from Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ, which gives a game-by-game breakdown of starts, sits, favorite props and favorite DFS plays. It should help you with some lineup decisions each week.
Week 6 Sleepers
Sleepers
Garoppolo has the chance for his second game in a row with 20-plus Fantasy points in his Week 6 matchup with the Falcons. Four of five quarterbacks this year against Atlanta have scored at least 22 Fantasy points, with the lone exception being Jacoby Brissett in Week 4. Garoppolo just scored 22 Fantasy points at Carolina in Week 5, and he should be in a similar range this week to make him a streaming option in all formats.
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Three quarterbacks in a row have run for a touchdown against the Ravens, which could matter here for Jones. Even with his injured ankle last week at Green Bay in London, he still ran for 37 yards and is now averaging 61.3 rushing yards per game over his past three outings, with two rushing touchdowns. He only has one game with 20 Fantasy points this year, so he likely doesn't have a big ceiling in this matchup. But the Ravens are No. 4 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season at 25.2 points per game, which gives Jones the chance to be a streamer in deeper leagues.
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Gordon had a solid game in Week 5 against the Colts in the first outing without Javonte Williams (knee), gaining 103 total yards. He had 15 carries for 54 yards, along with three catches for 49 yards on three targets. He should continue to dominate the workload this week ahead of Mike Boone, and we'll see what happens with Latavius Murray, who was inactive against the Colts. This is a revenge game for Gordon, who started his career with the Chargers, and it's also a great matchup. The Chargers allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs, as six guys have scored at least 14 PPR points against this defense.
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Mostert has established himself as the lead running back in Miami, and Chase Edmonds might have fallen to third on the depth chart behind Myles Gaskin. Mostert has at least 17 total touches in his past two games against the Bengals and Jets, and he took off against New York with 18 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 9 yards on three targets. With Skylar Thompson expected to start for Miami at quarterback, look for the Dolphins to lean on Mostert again this week. And the Vikings have allowed four running backs to score at least 13 PPR points this year.
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We got word Friday that Cam Akers is out Sunday at Carolina for personal reasons. All coach Sean McVay said is Akers is "working through some things," so hopefully everything is OK, and we'll see what happens with his status for the rest of the year. For Week 6, this means you can rely on Henderson as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. The Panthers allowed six touchdowns to running backs on the season and four guys have scored at least 15 PPR points. The Rams have issues running the ball, but this should be a good spot for them given the opponent. And if the Rams are playing with a lead -- they are 10.5-point favorites -- we could see Henderson getting plenty of opportunities to get a lot of work. He already has two games this season with at least 10 PPR points, but this could be his best game of the year. Henderson is a top-20 Fantasy option in all leagues with Akers out.
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It's been a disappointing season thus far for Dillon, who scored 19 PPR points in Week 1 at Minnesota but has combined for 24 PPR points in his past four outings. He had a season-low six carries in Week 5 against the Giants and failed to catch the ball for the first time all year. But the Packers should get back to using their backfield in a big way in Week 6 against the Jets, who have allowed three of their past four opposing running backs to score at least 14 PPR points. Green Bay could always make this an Aaron Jones game and not use Dillon in a big role, but I don't mind trusting him as a low-end starter in non-PPR leagues and a flex in PPR. He will get back into the end zone this week and reward the Fantasy managers who stuck with him all season.
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Rashod Bateman (foot) was ruled out for Week 6 on Friday. He missed Week 5 against the Bengals, and Duvernay had five catches for 54 yards on seven targets, along with three carries for 24 yards. It's clear the Ravens were trying to get the ball in Duvernay's hands, and that could continue against the Giants if Bateman remains out. The Giants have allowed six receivers to score at least 12 PPR points this season, and Duvernay should be considered a high-end No. 3 PPR receiver in this matchup if Bateman sits.
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I'll go back to Doubs this week as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues despite his down game in Week 5 against the Giants in London. He only had five targets and finished with three catches for 29 yards. In two games prior to that, he had eight targets in each outing against Tampa Bay and New England, and Doubs scored at least 13 PPR points in each contest. The Jets have allowed eight receivers to score at least 13 PPR points this season, and Doubs and Allen Lazard are worth trusting in this matchup at home.
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For the first three weeks of the season we watched Greg Dortch post quality production for the Cardinals while Moore was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Finally, in Week 5 against Philadelphia, it was Moore's turn, and he turned eight targets into seven catches for 68 yards, along with two carries for minus-7 yards. Arizona is trying to put the ball in Moore's hands, which is great, and that should continue in Week 6 at Seattle with James Conner (ribs) and Darrel Williams (knee) banged up. Moore should be considered a high-end No. 3 PPR receiver this week, and Seattle has allowed five receivers to score at least 14 PPR points this season.
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This might not be the ideal setup for Moore to get on track this week, but there are some positives that could help him. Interim coach Steve Wilks will hopefully make it a focal point to get Moore more chances, and in the one game where he had double digits in targets this season (Week 4 against Arizona) he scored 12 PPR points. P.J. Walker might be better for Moore than Baker Mayfield (ankle), and let's face it, can anything be worse? And the Rams are No. 4 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, with six scoring at least 17 PPR points this year. Moore is only a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in most leagues, but I wouldn't be shocked if this is his breakout performance.
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There could be a squeaky wheel game coming for Boyd this week, which would be boosted if Tee Higgins (ankle) can't play. He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, but Zac Taylor indicated that Boyd will get more chances, no matter what happens with Higgins in Week 6 at New Orleans. "That's something we need to do," Taylor said of getting Boyd more involved, via The Athletic. "The production hasn't been there because we haven't given him the opportunities to have the production. Certainly he's got to be a big part of what we do because he's a premier player and one of the best slots in the league." Boyd can be used as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues if Higgins is out, and Boyd is still worth using as a sleeper in deeper formats if Higgins plays.
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The status for Tee Higgins (ankle) will likely determine just how good Hurst can be this week, but he's done a nice job the past two games with at least 11 PPR points in each outing against the Dolphins and Ravens. In Week 5 at Baltimore with Higgins limited, Hurst had six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. He already has three games this season with at least five catches, so he can be a low-end starter in PPR even if Higgins plays against the Saints.
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Engram did a nice job against the Colts in Week 2 with seven catches for 46 yards on eight targets, and we'll take 11 PPR points from him again in the rematch. He's also coming off a solid game in Week 5 against Houston with six catches for 69 yards on 10 targets. Engram hasn't been consistent this season and is still looking for his first touchdown. But there's a good opportunity to use him as a streamer this week in the rematch with the Colts.
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Let's hope Dissly scores his fourth touchdown of the season against the Cardinals in Week 6, and Arizona has been a favorable matchup for opposing tight ends this year. The Cardinals are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and four tight ends have scored at least 10 PPR points against Arizona. Dissly has three touchdowns on the season, and he will hopefully find the end zone this week in a favorable matchup. He's worth using as a streamer in deeper formats.
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DFS GAME PREVIEWS & LINEUPS
These are game previews from our Fantasy Football Today show on CBS Sports HQ on Friday from me, Adam Aizer and Dave Richard. The player props are from Caesars Sportsbook.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis (Adam Aizer)
- Injuries of note: Jonathan Taylor (ankle), Nyheim Hines (concussion), Zay Jones (ankle)
- Start or Sit: Sit James Robinson
- DFS play: Michael Pittman (DraftKings $7,300/FanDuel $6,700)
- Prop to play: Trevor Lawrence over 1.5 TD passes (+110)
New England at Cleveland (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injuries of note: Mac Jones (ankle), Damien Harris (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Start Jakobi Meyers
- DFS play: Rhamondre Stevenson (DraftKings $6,000/FanDuel $7,500)
- Prop to play: Jacoby Brissett over 0.5 interceptions (+116)
Cincinnati at New Orleans (Dave Richard)
- Injuries of note: Tee Higgins (ankle), Jameis Winston (back), Chris Olave (concussion), Michael Thomas (foot), Jarvis Landry (ankle)
- Start or Sit: Start Hayden Hurst
- DFS play: Hayden Hurst (DraftKings $3,300/FanDuel $4,900)
- Prop to play: Wil Lutz over 1.5 field goals (+108)
Baltimore at New York Giants (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injuries of note: Rashod Bateman (foot), Kadarius Toney (hamstring), Kenny Golladay (knee), Wan'Dale Robinson (knee)
- Start or Sit: Start Devin Duvernay
- DFS play: Darius Slayton (DraftKings $3,800/FanDuel $5,600)
- Prop to play: Daniel Jones over 36.5 rushing yards (-106)
San Francisco at Atlanta (Dave Richard)
- Injuries of note: Kyle Pitts (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Start Kyle Pitts
- DFS play: Jeff Wilson (DraftKings $6,200/FanDuel $7,200)
- Prop to play: Marcus Mariota over 1.5 pass TD (+190)
New York Jets at Green Bay (Adam Aizer)
- Injuries of note: Aaron Rodgers (thumb), Christian Watson (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Start Allen Lazard
- DFS play: Allen Lazard (DraftKings $6,200/FanDuel $6,200)
- Prop to play: Randall Cobb over 39.5 receiving yards (-121)
Minnesota at Miami (Dave Richard)
- Injuries of note: Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), Teddy Bridgewater (concussion), Raheem Mostert (knee), Alexander Mattison (shoulder)
- Start or Sit: Start Raheem Mostert
- DFS play: Skylar Thompson (DraftKings $5,000/FanDuel $6,300)
- Prop to play: Kirk Cousins under 259.5 pass yards (-125)
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh (Adam Aizer)
- Injuries of note: Chris Godwin (hip), Julio Jones (knee), Russell Gage (ankle), Cameron Brate (concussion), Pat Freiermuth (concussion)
- Start or Sit: Sit Diontae Johnson
- DFS play: Mike Evans (DraftKings $6,900/FanDuel $7,700)
- Prop to play: Najee Harris under 44.5 rushing yards (-133)
Carolina at Los Angeles Rams (Dave Richard)
- Injuries of note: Baker Mayfield (ankle), Cooper Kupp (foot), Tyler Higbee (ankle)
- Start or Sit: Sit D.J. Moore
- DFS play: Robbie Anderson (DraftKings $4,100/FanDuel $5,300)
- Prop to play: Matthew Stafford over 0.5 interceptions (-103)
Arizona at Seattle (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injuries of note: James Conner (ribs), Darrel Williams (knee), Tyler Lockett (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Start Geno Smith
- DFS play: Eno Benjamin (DraftKings $4,600/FanDuel $6,300)
- Prop to play: Rondale Moore over 5.5 receptions (+120)
Buffalo at Kansas City (Adam Aizer)
- Injuries of note: Dawson Knox (foot), Isaiah McKenzie (concussion)
- Start or Sit: Sit Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- DFS play: Devin Singletary (DraftKings $6,100/FanDuel $5,700)
- Prop to play: Patrick Mahomes over 2.5 passing TDs (+136)
DraftKings
QB: Geno Smith ($5,700) vs. ARI
RB: Rhamondre Stevenson ($6,000) at CLE
RB: Eno Benjamin ($4,600) at SEA
WR: Cooper Kupp ($9,700) vs. CAR
WR: DK Metcalf ($6,800) vs. ARI
WR: Darius Slayton ($3,800) vs. BAL
TE: Hayden Hurst ($3,300) at NO
FLEX: Gabe Davis ($6,500) at KC
DST: Patriots ($2,900) at CLE
Let's go with the Start of the Week in Smith with this lineup, and we'll stack him with Metcalf. I'm excited for this duo to continue to have another huge game against the Cardinals, and this should be a high-scoring affair.
With that in mind, we'll start Benjamin in one running back spot, and he should be popular given his price tag with James Conner (ribs) out. He also has a great matchup against the Seahawks, who have allowed every running back this season to gain at least 100 total yards. Stevenson is another player who should be quite popular, but he should be worth it against the Browns with Damien Harris (hamstring) hurt.
I love that I can play Kupp in this lineup, and I expect another big outing from Davis against the Chiefs. And Slayton has plenty of upside as potentially the new No. 1 receiver for the Giants in a favorable matchup against the Ravens. And Hurst should be heavily involved from Joe Burrow, especially with Tee Higgins (ankle) hurt.
FanDuel
QB: Kyler Murray ($8,300) at SEA
RB: Rhamondre Stevenson ($7,500) at CLE
RB: Jeff Wilson ($7,200) at ATL
WR: Marquise Brown ($8,200) at SEA
WR: Chris Godwin ($6,800) at PIT
WR: Adam Thielen ($5,900) at MIA
TE: Zach Ertz ($6,000) at SEA
FLEX: George Kittle ($5,700) at ATL
DEF: Rams ($4,400) vs. CAR
As I said, I love the Cardinals-Seahawks game this week, so I'll stack Murray here with Brown and Ertz. All three should be excellent in what should be a high-scoring matchup.
I'll play Stevenson again in this lineup, and I'll play two 49ers here with Wilson and Kittle. Wilson has been excellent, and Kittle is due for a big game, which should happen against the Falcons.
Godwin has yet to score a touchdown this season, and that should happen this week against the Steelers. And you can read above why I like Thielen given his matchup against the Dolphins. This is one of my favorite lineups that I've done this season.
