We are nearing the halfway point in the NFL season, and it’s about that time when teams are deciding how they are going to attack the rest of the season. The same can be said about fantasy football, too. Fantasy managers should be starting to get a feel for whether or not they are a legit championship contender or if moves need to be made.
You put in all the time doing research and building your lineup, but there are always guys flying under the radar who go and have a huge game. Here is a look at some sleepers who could be in store for a big Week 6.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 6
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Last week was as bad as it could possibly be if you were a Dak Prescott fantasy manager. It was a horrible game as he threw three interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers. While it was as bad as it looked, the 49ers’ defense is going to do that to a lot of quarterbacks.
It has been a weird fantasy football season for Prescott. When the Cowboys have been good, they have absolutely dominated teams to where Dallas barely threw the ball. Those blowouts are great for fans, but if you are a fantasy manager, you want your guys playing the full game.
If you still are in on Prescott as your fantasy quarterback, this is the perfect week to play him. As good as the 49ers’ defense is this year, the Los Angeles Chargers have been the complete opposite. No team has been worse against the pass this year, as Los Angeles allows 299.8 yards per game.
An extremely high mark that is currently on a pace to be the worst in the NFL since the Green Bay Packers gave up 301.8 yards in 2013.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Last week was bad for Prescott, there’s no denying that. However, this is not the San Francisco defense. Managers should look for him to have a big bounce-back game. Prescott will be a definite top-10 quarterback in Week 6, with even more upside.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Carolina Panthers
Jonathan Mingo was a second-round pick this past year by the Carolina Panthers, and the Ole Miss product is starting to put together a solid year.
In the past three games he has played, Mingo has been targeted six, eight, and seven times, respectively. He is coming off his best game of the season against the Detroit Lions, as he had five catches for 48 yards.
Besides Adam Thielen, Mingo is starting to become the No. 2 target for fellow rookie, quarterback Bryce Young. He could be in position for another solid game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins have done many good things this year, but one thing they have struggled with is stopping opponents from passing the ball. There have been a lot of wide receivers who have had huge games against Miami.
Against the Buffalo Bills, Stefon Diggs had six catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns. In the blowout win against the Denver Broncos, Courtland Sutton had eight catches for 91 yards and one touchdown. Teams have been forced to pass the ball in part because they get down early to the Dolphins.
Look for Mingo to continue to see several targets and to score his first NFL touchdown.
K.J. Osborn, WR, Minnesota Vikings
The loss of Justin Jefferson is absolutely brutal for the Minnesota Vikings, as well as fantasy managers who invested a top-three pick in him. He is going to miss at least the next four weeks, and there will now be plenty of open targets for Vikings receivers.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson and wide receiver Jordan Addison figure to be the two main targets in the passing game, but Osborn has a chance to put up some big numbers.
After being targeted only five times in the previous two games, Osborn had the ball thrown to him nine times against the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught five of those passes for 49 yards.
The Vikings will be visiting the Chicago Bears this weekend. Thus they will be facing one of the worst pass defenses in the league. The Bears are currently ranked 31st with 286 pass yards allowed per game. Osborn has proven to be able to have success against the Bears, as he had five catches for 117 yards in the season finale last year.
Osborn is going to have a lot of great matchups in this game against a poor secondary. Expect him to have his first 100-yard game of the season.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders’ passing game has been solid this year, as quarterback Sam Howell has shown a lot of potential. He has had one really bad game against the Bills, but other than that, he has been solid, helping Washington get to 2-3.
One of his favorite targets has been Logan Thomas, who is a mismatch problem at the tight end position. In the loss against Chicago, Thomas had nine catches for 77 yards and one touchdown.
The former collegiate quarterback has quickly become a red-zone favorite for Howell. Fortunately for him, he will be facing a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta has actually been very good against the pass, as the Falcons rank seventh in yards allowed through the air (190.8 per game).
MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings
But while they defend the pass very well, the Falcons have struggled to stop opposing tight ends. In the last three weeks, Atlanta has given up at least seven catches and 59 yards to Sam LaPorta, Evan Engram, and Dalton Schultz.
The weakness of the Falcons’ defense is the linebackers, and Thomas has made a living out of exploiting them. The recipe is there for a solid Week 6 showing.