Here we go with the Single Game NFL DFS slate for Thursday Night Football of Week 6. Tonight’s matchup is between the Patriots and Giants, as New England is listed as a 17 point home favorite with an over/under of 40.
We’ll highlight the top picks and best bargains to assemble a cash-inducing lineup. On top of that, the “additional notes” section will feature several tournament selections while adding context to the rest of this slate.
We will be producing these articles for Thursday, Sunday, and Monday primetime matchups every week, so be sure to bookmark the Rotoworld Daily page for those occasions - not to mention all the other fantastic daily fantasy content.
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TOP PICKS
Tom Brady - QB - New England
Before we dive into the write-ups, I wanted to mention that there’s potential for light rain and 15 mph wind in this game. That doesn’t exactly feed into Brady’s fantasy rationale, but “TB12” could still deliver an efficient performance in the short passing game. The abundance of value (we’ll get to that in a moment) and a limited amount of top plays makes Brady and easy MVP/Captain pick against a Giants’ team that ranks 28th against the pass. The Patriots’ QB has been within 20-25 fantasy points in four of five games this season, and he could easily find that range again tonight.
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Sony Michel - RB - New England
This game script sets up beautifully for Michel. As mentioned earlier, the Patriots are listed as 17 point favorites, suggesting that they’ll enact a run-heavy approach to preserve a lead throughout the second half. Windy and rainy conditions make it even more probable that Michel sees 15-20+ carries in a cushy matchup. The Giants rank 23rd against the run so far this season, and I’m of the opinion that Michel can surpass his prop over/under of 80.5 rushing yards. There’s a chance he’ll add a touchdown (or two) on top of that as well.
BEST BARGAINS
Golden Tate - WR - New York Giants
Tate will serve as the WR1 for New York tonight, as Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Wayne Gallman, and Saquon Barkley have all been ruled out. It doesn’t help that the Patriots hold the best defense in the league after five weeks, making this even more of an uphill battle for QB Daniel Jones and his limited cast of playmakers. Regardless, there’s a good chance Tate will see double-digit targets, which could translate into serviceable fantasy production considering the bargain salary.
Jon Hilliman - RB - New York Giants
Hilliman is the other skill position player forced into a full-time role for New York. As mentioned in the previous write-up, Wayne Gallman will join Saquon Barkley on the sideline, meaning Hilliman is slated to receive a majority of the snaps at running back. Similar to the write-up of his teammate, Tate, the matchup is absolutely brutal against a stout Patriots’ defense. However, Hilliman could near 20 touches in this game, and he has an outside chance at a touchdown as the Giants’ primary back. That’s good enough to deserve consideration in this single game slate.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
On sites where you can roster the Patriots Defense, you should absolutely consider making that move. This is an ideal matchup against rookie QB Daniel Jones traveling to Foxboro on a shortened week. It just so happens that none of his offensive playmakers will suit up either, feeding the rationale for one of the best defenses (fantasy and real-life) in the NFL.
I prefer Michel over James White (RB - NE) if you can swing the extra salary. As mentioned earlier, the game flow sets up perfectly for Michel on Thursday. However, we can’t rule out White’s ability to translate 5-7 receptions into a strong fantasy line. In other words, I’m keeping him in mind as a stacking extension of Tom Brady, especially considering the windy conditions could have the Patriots’ looking more towards the shorter and intermediate routes. You could roster Brady, Michel, and White in the same lineup, as White’s value comes as a receiver instead of stealing carries (and goal-line looks) from Michel.
On the flip side, Josh Gordon (WR - NE) checks in as a boom-or-bust play that I’m only considering when blending multiple entries into large-field tournaments. Even though this is an excellent matchup, the Patriots probably won’t need to force the ball downfield, especially in with the rain and wind playing a factor. Sure, Gordon could slide past the defense a few times for big-gainers, but I’m not seeing that as a realistic scenario to trust for the bulk of my action.
We can’t forget about Julian Edelman (WR - NE), who is listed as questionable. Early reports suggest he’ll play, but we’ll need to confirm that while moving closer to kickoff. If Edelman is in, he’s the type of player I’m interested in for cash games, but I won’t necessarily force him into my lineups. In other words, he’s a fine stacking extension of Brady who runs underneath and intermediate routes. However, the questionable status and negative game flow are worrisome.
The kickers are still too cheap on DraftKings, where Mike Nugent (K - NE) checks in as a legitimate bargain who should see several opportunities set up by a New England offense that won’t have trouble moving the ball. I’m not afraid to play him in any format.
The dirt-cheap tournament choices include Matt LaCosse (TE - NE), Darius Slayton (WR - NYG), Cody Latimer (WR - NYG), and Jakobi Meyers (WR - NE). Tate is positioned as the top receiver for New York on Thursday, but it’s a mess after that. Slayton and Latimer could play a significant role, but they are difficult to trust in cash games. I’ll lean towards Slayton of that duo, but only for tournaments … Meanwhile, LaCosse and Meyers should both log respectable snap rates tonight, as Meyers sees a boost with Phillip Dorsett ruled out. Keep in mind that they are touchdown-dependent fantasy plays who you are hoping can sneak into the end-zone for tournament purposes.
