NFL Week 6 DraftKings Main Slate: Core Plays, GPP Targets, Values and Stacks

Sunday offers several ways to build a strong DraftKings lineup. Buffalo–Las Vegas has the ingredients for a back-and-forth game, the Rams give us appealing choices at several price points, and Chicago–Atlanta could open another route to tournament upside. The harder decisions are in the value range, where a handful of injuries could change both playing time and the players available around the stars.

Philadelphia is the first place to watch. Jalen Hurts has been ruled out, and Philadelphia has confirmed Tanner McKee will start at $4,000. Several Eagles skill players are also working through injuries. The final team report confirms DeVonta Smith is active and names Pierce the primary ball carrier alongside Steele and Blue. Affordable combinations still carry uncertainty about efficiency and workload. Eagles Sunday report Eagles injury report

Core plays to build around

Josh Allen, QB, Bills — $7,500 at Raiders

Allen is our ceiling-first quarterback. His rushing role can deliver even when Buffalo’s receivers do not: he threw only 19 passes against the Rams but ran ten times for 121 yards and a score. Through five games, he has 239 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. We can use him without forcing a double stack, although that touchdown pace should not become a weekly expectation. Bills game log

Stafford saves $1,100. That saving matters if paying for Allen would leave us relying on a receiver whose playing time is uncertain. Allen is the raw-ceiling choice; Stafford can produce the stronger complete lineup.

Khalil Shakir at $5,300, Keon Coleman at $4,900 and Dalton Kincaid at $5,100 provide different ways to pair him with a receiver. DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer are questionable with shoulder injuries; Keon Coleman has no game designation. Confirm the active receivers before assuming targets will concentrate, and do not treat either questionable player as out. Bills–Raiders injury report

Kyren Williams, RB, Rams — $6,800 vs. Cardinals

Williams has caught six, ten and six passes over his last three games, alongside 15, 16 and 16 carries. That gives us a lead back with two routes to DraftKings points at a middle-range salary. Rams game log

The catch is that those receptions came during an unusually pass-heavy stretch. A comfortable Rams lead should help his rushing chances, but it can also give Blake Corum late work. We like the $6,800 role without requiring another six-catch game or assuming every touchdown belongs to Williams.

Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons — $8,700 vs. Bears

Robinson gives us a premium workload with more than one route to a big score. Atlanta’s game log shows at least 16 carries in every game, 102 carries for 580 yards overall, and another 18 catches. His last three rushing totals are 194, 145 and 86 yards. The passing-game role also helped him reach 118 scrimmage yards against Baltimore even without a touchdown. Falcons game log

The rushing workload is the foundation here. Eight of his 18 receptions came in the opener, with ten across the following four games, so we should be careful about promising a large receiving floor. Brian Robinson Jr. also shares the backfield. Bijan is our premium route to Atlanta’s rushing production; Kyren’s $1,900 saving may be more useful when we want expensive receivers.

Puka Nacua, WR, Rams — $8,100 vs. Cardinals

Nacua’s recent involvement makes him our first expensive receiver. He caught 17 of 24 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo. That followed nine catches for 125 yards in Philadelphia. The Rams keep finding ways to put the ball in his hands, giving him the reception volume that matters so much on DraftKings. Rams Week 5 usage review · Current game log

We should expect fewer than 24 targets this week, particularly if Los Angeles controls the game. Start with Stafford–Nacua at $14,500 rather than assuming we need a third Ram and an expensive opponent. Nacua’s short-area opportunities can still work in an efficient win; extra stack pieces need a more specific distribution of yards and touchdowns.

Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders — $7,500 vs. Bills

Bowers has 24 catches, 312 yards and three touchdowns across his three appearances, including 14 catches for 196 yards and two scores in his last two. He gives Las Vegas a credible way to answer Buffalo and gives an Allen lineup a concentrated return option. Raiders game log

Buffalo ranks 31st in pass defense, but its coaches have made containing Bowers a priority. Defensive attention matters, and his $2,700 premium over Likely is a real lineup decision. We prefer Bowers when deliberately building around this game; Likely makes more sense when the saving upgrades a speculative receiver to an established role. Bills matchup preview

Bowers was a full participant Friday and has no game designation against Buffalo. That resolves the injury designation, without guaranteeing a full workload. Raiders Friday injury report

Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants — $4,800 vs. Saints

Likely’s role is especially attractive in full-PPR scoring: 77.2% of his routes have come from the slot, where he can function as a receiver rather than a traditional in-line tight end. He has 33 catches through five games, and New Orleans has allowed 36 receptions to the position. The counterweight is Cam Skattebo’s rushing matchup, so we want Likely’s catch volume without assuming New York needs another pass-heavy, two-touchdown day from him. Giants players to watch

GPP targets and alternatives

Matthew Stafford — $6,400 vs. Cardinals. Arizona has conceded 14 passing touchdowns, making Stafford a strong alternative to Allen when the rest of the lineup needs salary. The Rams do not need another 50-attempt game to exploit that matchup. Keep protection in the evaluation: Alaric Jackson is suspended, leaving David Quessenberry to make his first start since 2023. That is a specific reason to resist treating every Rams pass catcher as equally safe. Week 6 stack analysis · Rams left-tackle update

Drake Maye – $6,600 vs. Jets. The Jets blitz on 52.4% of dropbacks, creating one-on-one throws and scramble chances that Maye can punish. They also rank tenth in defensive EPA and use more split-safety disguise than last season. This is a bet on Maye beating a capable defense, rather than repeating the Las Vegas matchup. A.J. Brown is officially active after his ankle injury. His receiving workload remains uncertain, so active status alone does not settle the stack partner. Patriots Sunday active-status report Patriots activation announcement Patriots game plan

Davante Adams — $6,600 vs. Cardinals. Adams costs $1,500 less than Nacua and gives a Stafford lineup a different salary shape. Use him when building for Rams passing touchdowns to land in a different place.

Caleb Williams: $6,200 at Falcons, with starter and workload conditions. Atlanta’s official Sunday report says Williams is back after his hamstring absence; he is also absent from the NFL’s final Bears inactive list. Falcons game-day report Confirm Chicago’s starting quarterback and expected mobility before building this stack; the return report does not guarantee his normal rushing role. Luther Burden III at $5,400 and Rome Odunze at $4,900 remain the stacking options if those conditions are met.

Michael Penix Jr. — $5,000 vs. Bears. Penix practiced fully Friday and has no game designation; Atlanta confirmed he will start Sunday. Drake London at $7,000 is the pairing we want: he has 408 receiving yards across the three games since Penix returned, according to the Falcons. That is a productive connection at a manageable $12,000 combined salary. Falcons injury update · London’s recent role

Xavier Worthy — $4,600 and Travis Kelce — $5,500 vs. Chargers. Rice has been ruled out against the Chargers. Worthy and Kelce deserve another look. NFL Friday availability update The opportunity could change, but an absence alone does not establish either player’s target count. Chiefs injury report

Values that could make the lineup work

Tanner McKee — $4,000 vs. Panthers. McKee is confirmed to start, and Dallas Goedert gives him a $3,900 partner with an established receiving role. The pair releases salary, but it belongs in tournament builds: McKee offers little rushing protection and Philadelphia’s offensive line remains unsettled. DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks are cleared for Sunday; their returns could improve the offense while spreading out the targets. Eagles Friday injury report Goedert can also be used alone without committing the quarterback slot to this offense. Panthers on the quarterback change

Tyler Higbee — $3,400 vs. Cardinals. Higbee is an optional third piece in a Stafford–Nacua lineup. His 68.8% route share across the last two games produced an 11.4% target share and no red-zone targets. Five catches in each game came with enormous team passing volume. If Los Angeles wins with fewer throws, his opportunity is more fragile than Nacua’s. An absence for Nacua or Adams would materially change that assessment. Week 6 outlook

Jalen Brooks — $3,200 at Rams. Brooks gives us a cheaper way to bring a Rams stack back from Arizona. The Cardinals report 39 snaps last week after 13 combined in the first four games, and seven targets as he took on part of Marvin Harrison Jr.’s former role. Only two catches for 16 yards resulted. Arizona also used three-tight-end formations on 25 snaps, and Kendrick Bourne remains involved. We are buying a chance at useful catch-up work, without treating Brooks as an established every-down receiver. Cardinals snap review · Passing-game update

Tre Tucker — $4,700 vs. Bills. Tucker is the cheaper Las Vegas return option when Bowers is too expensive. He has at least four catches and 40 yards in each of his last four games, according to FantasyLabs. That provides a firmer starting point than selecting a minimum-price receiver only because he fits. Week 6 analysis

Chris Godwin Jr. — $4,400 vs. Steelers. Godwin returned to full practice Thursday after a rest day. He remains a candidate for a cheaper Tampa Bay pairing, with rookie Jalon Daniels confirmed as the starter after Tampa Bay ruled Baker Mayfield out. Keep the quarterback change in the evaluation. Bucs injury report · Quarterback update

Panthers DST — $2,500 at Eagles. Carolina provides salary relief against a team changing quarterbacks. That is enough to put the defense in the discussion; it is not enough to assume McKee will turn the ball over repeatedly. Avoid pairing the Panthers with a heavy Eagles passing stack in the same lineup.

Stack menu

Build	Players	Combined salary	What needs to happen
Rams passing pair	Stafford + Nacua	$14,500	Efficient passing scores concentrate through Nacua
Rams optional double stack	Stafford + Nacua + Higbee	$17,900	Passing volume or a Higbee touchdown justifies the extra piece
Buffalo with premium return	Allen + Coleman + Bowers	$19,900	Buffalo stays aggressive and Bowers drives the response
Buffalo with cheaper return	Allen + Shakir + Tucker	$17,500	Both passing games distribute enough work to these receivers
Chicago ceiling	Caleb Williams + Burden + London	$18,600	Williams starts with a credible workload and the game supports a passing exchange
Atlanta salary-saving stack	Penix + London + Odunze	$16,900	Chicago keeps Atlanta throwing
Philadelphia budget pair	McKee + Goedert	$7,900	McKee’s volume produces enough points to justify the salary saved

These combinations are starting points. Arizona’s Trey McBride costs $7,200 and Michael Wilson costs $6,700 if you want a return player with a Rams stack; the extra salary should be deliberate. An opposing player is optional when the game script does not support one.

The injury decisions still ahead

• Philadelphia: Hurts and Shipley are on injured reserve, and Barkley is inactive. DeVonta Smith is active. The Eagles name Dameon Pierce at $5,100 as the primary ball carrier, joined by Carson Steele and Jaydon Blue. That confirms the three-back group without establishing a numerical split or an exclusive workload. Eagles Sunday inactive and backfield report
• Patriots/Jets: A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson are officially active, as are Will Campbell and Christian Gonzalez. Brown’s workload remains uncertain; Henderson’s return means Stevenson does not have an uncontested backfield. Patriots Sunday active-status report The Jets confirm Omar Cooper Jr. returns to the lineup. Breece Hall, Adonai Mitchell, Dylan Parham and Joseph Ossai are inactive. Kenyon Sadiq is not on the final inactive list; no full-workload guarantee follows. Jets Sunday inactive list
• Baltimore: Lamar Jackson has been ruled out with an ankle injury, and Tyler Huntley is confirmed to start Sunday at Cleveland. Huntley at $4,700 is now a confirmed-starting option. Friday’s final report gives Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers no game designation; Bateman returned to full participation and Flowers remained limited. Neither receiver should be treated as unavailable, and the report does not guarantee a full workload. Ravens Friday injury report
• Buffalo/Las Vegas and Kansas City/Los Angeles have several receiver situations to resolve before final stacks.

The best Friday plan is to identify the expensive pieces worth building around and leave room for the value decisions to become clearer. The final player pool should follow the confirmed roles on Sunday.