Daily Fantasy Football Week 6: Lineup Advice, Matchup Guide for 1-Week Leagues

Week 6 of the 2014 NFL season will test even the most veteran of fantasy football players. The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs are on a bye week, making players like Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and Jamaal Charles unavailable. Making matters worse, All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green won't play, according to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey, and Calvin Johnson is unlikely to take the field, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.

With these players—and several others—unable to contribute in Week 6, one-week fantasy lineups are already at a disadvantage. This is when current trends and matchups play crucial roles in the short-term success of fantasy enthusiasts.

Taking every bit of crucial information into consideration for the impending week of action on the gridiron, here's a position-by-position look at the best and worst fantasy plays, followed by the projected greatest-possible lineup for Week 6.

Quarterbacks

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Peyton Manning	DEN	NYJ	$10,200
Aaron Rodgers	GB	MIA	$9,600
Matt Ryan	ATL	CHI	$8,700
Jay Cutler	CHI	ATL	$8,500
Russell Wilson	SEA	DAL	$8,400

Peyton Manning is coming off a career-high 479-yard performance against the Arizona Cardinals, and now he gets an immensely favorable matchup against a New York Jets pass defense that has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.

In Week 5, Philip Rivers passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets defense, but he had a surprisingly efficient running game to lean on as well. Without Montee Ball in the fold, expect Manning to pass early and often, putting up monster numbers once again as a result.

Aaron Rodgers is red hot coming into Week 6, passing for seven touchdowns over his last two games. He faces a Miami Dolphins defense that is ranked ninth in the league against the pass; however, that was against a slumping Tom Brady in Week 1, followed by EJ Manuel, Alex Smith and Derek Carr.

NFL Network's Jeff Darlington summed up the quarterback's performances over the past two weeks:

Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler should be preparing for a shootout in the Georiga Dome. Both have fantastic wide receiver duos, and both are on teams that feature terrible secondaries. Expect lots of points in this contest, as both quarterbacks are quality fantasy starts.

Russell Wilson lit it up through the air and on the ground against the Washington Redskins in Week 5. Now, he settles in back in Seattle where he's only lost once as a starter. He also has the benefit of going up against a Dallas Cowboys defense ranked 21st in the league in total yards allowed.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Tom Brady	NE	BUF	$7,900
Colin Kaepernick	SF	STL	$7,800
Tony Romo	DAL	SEA	$7,400

Tom Brady may have had a slightly better showing in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals; however, he's a long way from being back in form, and it's far too difficult to rely on him after one above-average performance this season.

Colin Kaepernick should be avoided at all costs in Week 6. Not only are the San Francsico 49ers relying more heavily on the run in recent weeks, but he's going up against the top-ranked pass defense of the St. Louis Rams that's allowing an average of just 192.3 yards per game to opposing signal-callers.

Tony Romo is facing a Seahawks defense that may be ranked just 21st in the league against the pass, but it's difficult to trust any quarterback against a secondary that has been known to take over games on many occasions.

Running Backs

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Marshawn Lynch	SEA	DAL	$9,200
Matt Forte	CHI	ATL	$9,000
Giovani Bernard	CIN	CAR	$8,700
Frank Gore	SF	STL	$7,200
Justin Forsett	BAL	TB	$6,300
Andre Williams	NYG	PHI	$6,300

Marshawn Lynch is poised for a big week against the Cowboys. Dallas boasts the league's 20th-ranked run defense and 18th-ranked pass defense, and Lynch will benefit from those defensive flaws. Not only has the bruising running back scored three times on the ground this season, but he's entering this contest after recording a receiving touchdown in three consecutive games as well.

Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated tweeted one big reason for Lynch's projected success:

Matt Forte had a huge week against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, making an impact as a ball-carrier and receiver. Expect him to continue that trend against Atlanta's 28th-ranked run defense on Sunday.

Giovani Bernard will benefit from more touches while the team's top receiver is absent with a toe injury, and Frank Gore is poised to torch a Rams defense that ranks 29th in the league against the run. Both Andre Williams and Justin Forsett are up against shaky defenses and have significant value with very low price tags.

MIKE MCCARN/Associated Press

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
DeMarco Murray	DAL	SEA	$9,300
LeSean McCoy	PHI	NYG	$8,000
Alfred Morris	WAS	ARI	$7,600

Avoiding DeMarco Murray seems like a funny thing to do when taking into consideration what he's accomplished this season. But he's just not worth the price up against Seattle's top-ranked run defense that's only allowing an average of 62.2 yards on the ground per game this season.

LeSean McCoy simply hasn't been able to get in his groove this season. He's up against the Giants' 10th-ranked run defense in Week 6, and fantasy owners shouldn't consider this the week he finally breaks out.

Alfred Morris is coming off a lackluster showing against the Seahawks, and we can probably expect to see more of the same this week, as he takes on a stingy Cardinals run defense that is only allowing an average of 76.8 yards per game on the ground.

Wide Recievers

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Demaryius Thomas	DEN	NYJ	$9,100
Julio Jones	ATL	CHI	$9,000
Antonio Brown	PIT	CLE	$8,900
Jordy Nelson	GB	MIA	$8,500
Alshon Jeffery	CHI	ATL	$7,700
Percy Harvin	SEA	DAL	$7,600

Demaryius Thomas is coming off a game in which he torched the Cardinals secondary to the tune of 226 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he's set to take on a Jets secondary that doesn't have the capable personnel to cover him effectively. Back-to-back 200-yard receiving games may not be out of the question.

Like his quarterback, Julio Jones benefits from facing a bad Bears secondary. Expect the speedy wide receiver to take the top off Chicago's defense at least once during this impending shootout. Speaking of taking the top off a defense, look where Jones ranks in catches of 20-plus yards, via NFL on ESPN:

Antonio Brown and Jordy Nelson have the benefit of being the top target of their respective quarterbacks and are up against defenses that have given up plenty of yards and points so far this season. This makes both quality plays in Week 6.

Alshon Jeffery is a matchup nightmare for the Falcons secondary and should put up some big numbers—especially if he can find the end zone—whereas Percy Harvin's speed and versatility will simply make him too much for the Dallas defense to handle.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Pierre Garcon	WAS	ARI	$7,300
Keenan Allen	SD	OAK	$6,700
Michael Crabtree	SF	STL	$6,700
Sammy Watkins	BUF	NE	$6,500

Since Kirk Cousins has taken over at quarterback for Washington, Pierre Garcon has been an afterthought in the offense. After a nice performance against the Eagles, he recorded just 28 and 23 yards, respectively, over the last two contests. Even against Arizona, it's difficult to trust this receiver until he shows better chemistry with the team's signal-caller.

It's pretty much the same story for Keenan Allen and Michael Crabtree. Both are up against top-five pass defenses this week, and both have not been reliable targets all season long. It will be better to wait for consistent production before adding either one to a fantasy lineup.

Sammy Watkins had a decent game in Week 5 with Kyle Orton at the helm; however, he may not be in line for similar numbers against Darrelle Revis and the Patriots' third-ranked pass defense in Week 6.

Tight Ends

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Julius Thomas	DEN	NYJ	$8,200
Greg Olsen	CAR	CIN	$6,600
Antonio Gates	SD	OAK	$6,200
Larry Donnell	NYG	PHI	$6,000

Julius Thomas is far and away the most talented tight end in action this week. He has a great matchup against the Jets and is coming off a two-touchdown performance in Week 5. There's no reason to think Manning will be targeting him any less this week, so expect another big day.

Greg Olsen has been the most reliable target for Cam Newton so far this season, and now he faces a Bengals defense that struggles against tight ends—it allowed a touchdown to both Tim Wright and Rob Gronkowski in Week 5.

Even though Olsen is listed as questionable this week, Rotoworld's Adam Levitan fully expects him to play:

Antonio Gates and Larry Donnell are gifted pass-catchers in the red zone, and based on their respective matchups, each should come away with a reception in the paydirt in Week 6.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Player	Team	Opp.	Price
Jason Witten	DAL	SEA	$5,900
Vernon Davis	SF	STL	$5,800

Dallas' new offensive mindset hasn't been favorable to tight end Jason Witten. He has yet to record a touchdown, catch more than five passes or eclipse more than 61 yards in a single game this season. This week gives even more reason to say away, as he's facing the Seahawks defense.

Vernon Davis was back at practice this week, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee; however, that's no reason to rush him back into your lineup. The 49ers are relying more heavily on the run lately, and St. Louis boasts the league's best pass defense.

Defense

Team	Opp.	Price
San Diego Chargers	OAK	$5,600
New England Patriots	BUF	$5,400
Tennessee Titans	JAX	$5,100
Denver Broncos	NYJ	$5,000

There's a very simple and logical reason to these defensive values. None of these defenses are below average, and they are all up against teams that rank in the league's bottom five in points scored this season. Take your pick, because all four of these squads should produce nicely in Week 6.

Team	Opp.	Price
Carolina Panthers	CIN	$5,700
Seattle Seahawks	DAL	$5,400
Philadelphia Eagles	NYG	$5,300

The Panthers are facing a Bengals offense that didn't exactly light it up in Week 5 but possesses enough talent to get significant points on the board in any given week. There are far better options than this risky endeavor.

Seattle is generally one of the league's best defenses, but the Cowboys offense has been surprisingly efficient this season. Philadelphia has scored some nice special teams points lately, but it's tough to count on that to continue, especially with a red-hot Giants offense coming to town.

Pos.	Player	Team	Price
QB	Matt Ryan	ATL	$8,700
RB	Frank Gore	SF	$7,200
RB	Andre Williams	NYG	$6,300
WR	Percy Harvin	SEA	$7,600
WR	DeSean Jackson	WAS	$7,100
WR	Golden Tate	DET	$6,400
TE	Greg Olsen	CIN	$6,600
K	Blair Walsh	MIN	$5,100
D/ST	Broncos	DEN	$5,000

All player values courtesy of FanDuel.com.