While Week 6 NFL DFS isn’t getting off on the most exciting foot this week, we still get Thursday Night Football and another chance at winning some money playing daily fantasy football. Perhaps the schedule-makers originally thought we’d get a little more firepower out of the Washington Commanders taking on the Chicago Bears, but the expected game total of 38 doesn’t exactly keep us brimming with confidence. But I don’t want to deter you from playing, because you’re probably going to need some skin in the game to make this one watchable. And as always, we know that when it comes to DFS Showdown slates, it doesn’t matter how many points are scored, just so long as you have the right point-scorers in your lineup. Fortunately, we’ve got everything you need right here. You’ve got a full rundown of players and suggestions below and you can always take a look at our Weekly Match-Up Report and use NFL DFS Tools like our DFS Lineup Generator (a.k.a. the DFS lineup optimizer). We have everything you need to build a winning DFS lineup.

Now before we begin, for those who are new to the process, please take a moment to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into by playing single-game Showdown Slates. We love to have some skin in the game, for sure, but these slates are, for all intents and purposes, a lottery ticket. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but, more often than not, you need to hit on that random dart-throw that differentiates your lineup from that of the herd in order to claim the top prize. As a result, we encourage you to play responsibly and not over-invest. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll, and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK. Lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

 

 

Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears

Spread: Commanders -1

O/U: 38

Weather: Mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid to high-40s w/ winds blowing W at 9-11 mph

Notable Injuries:

Washington Commanders

Chicago Bears

  • none

2022 DVOA Defensive Rankings

Washington Commanders

  • vs Pass: 29th 
  • vs Run: 6th 

Chicago Bears

  • vs Pass: 15th 
  • vs Run: 25th 

**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

MVP/Captain

Justin Fields, QB CHI – While the numbers aren’t too enticing, Fields has shown some improvement over the last two weeks and with a matchup against a soft secondary that ranks 29th against the pass and has allowed 11 touchdowns through the air, we could see another step forward. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a 103.7 passer-rating against the Commanders and while they have a solid pass-rush that has produced 14 sacks, it plays right into the mobile aspect of Fields’ game. He can take off running or throw it downfield, but the ability to extend plays with his legs should give him value tonight.

Brian Robinson, RB WAS – He played 29-percent of the snaps last week in his return from being shot in the ass and the knee and actually led the backfield with nine carries. He only picked up 22 yards, but it was a very telling start to his 2022 season. Robinson profiled as the early-down back prior to the shooting and that’s exactly where he’ll be tonight against a defense that has allowed 170 rushing yards per game and eight rushing touchdown this season. With a little bit of early volume, he could really set the tone for this backfield.

Bears D/ST – It could be somewhat chalky, especially as the home team, but they can generate a decent pass-rush, have eight sacks on the season and have eight defensive takeaways. The low game total indicates a defensive battle as much as it indicates ineptitude of offenses, so this could be a solid play for your captain’s seat.

Mid-Tier DFS Plays

Carson Wentz, QB WAS – The way the Bears defense is set up, you would expect Ron Rivera to come out with a heavy run game early on and look for that to open up the play-action and allow Wentz to take some shots downfield. Whether or not that actually happens is yet to be seen and the low game total doesn’t exactly instill a whole lot of confidence for either team. But the Commanders are going to have to throw the ball at some point and Wentz, at least, has the weapons to help him rack up some decent stats. If you like getting those QBs into your lineup, here he is just waiting for you. 

David Montgomery, RB CHI – Monty came back last week and immediately saw a 72-percent share of the snaps, pushing Khalil Herbert back to the bench. The Commanders have been good against the run this season, thanks to their defensive line strengths, but they are still allowing an average of 110.6 rushing yards per game and have allowed three rushing touchdowns. Much of the ground work will likely come from Fields tonight, but the Bears are still going to need a strong game from Montgomery to help take some of the pressure off the quarterback.

Curtis Samuel, WR WAS – He’s been huge asset for the Commanders offense this season as offensive coordinator Scott Turner continues to use Samuel all over the place. He’ll do jet-sweeps and end-arounds, he’ll run short, quick timing routes to move the chains and he can come over the middle on a slant or crossing route, catch the ball in stride and add yards after the catch. Even if you think the Commanders go run-heavy, Samuel will still see enough work to be a solid add to your lineups.

Terry McLaurin, WR WAS – It’s been an incredibly disappointing season for Scary Terry thus far, but he remains an outstanding talent, should Carson Wentz actually be able to get him the ball. It’s a tough matchup with Jaylon Johnson, but we all know McLaurin has the speed to beat coverage downfield and we know he’s got the hands to come down with the long pass.

Darnell Mooney, WR CHI – Few people are going to even have Mooney in their lineup tonight, but it makes for a nice contrarian move as the Commanders secondary is one of the worst. Mooney has taken 65-percent of his snaps from the slot where he will match-up with Benjamin St-Juste, one of the corners we’ve been targeting against heavily in DFS. If there was a time to shine for one of the most-hated receivers in the fantasy kingdom, tonight would be that night.

Commanders D/ST – They don’t generate much in the way of turnovers, but if you think Fields holds the ball too much, the Commanders pass-rush is rock-solid and has generated 11 sacks for over 100 yards lost. The score will stay down, so every point for a sack counts.

J.D. McKissic, RB WAS – Should the Commanders fall behind and be forced into a heavier passing attack, McKissic will see his snaps go up and he’ll land half a dozen targets or so. Chicago ranks 13th in the league against running back pass-plays, so if you believe the Bears fall behind at any point, he’ll be worth a look in full-point PPR contests on Draft Kings.

Equanimeous St. Brown, WR CHI – There haven’t been a whole lot of catchable passes to go around through the first five games for Chicago, but St. Brown is the No. 2 in this passing attack and he’s got the snaps and targets to prove it. The Commanders rank 30th in DVOA against the opposition’s No. 2 receiver and are allowing an average of 73.1 yards per game to them. If you believe as I do that the Bears are going to have to attack through the air at some point, then St. Brown makes for an interesting add to your lineup.

Antonio Gibson, RB WAS – He’s now the hybrid back in Washington, bridging the gap between Robinson and McKissic. His carries won’t be as abundant as Robinson’s but he’ll continue to see a handful of targets in the passing game. If he can get some looks in the red zone, he might get a boost in value, but overall, he’s probably best used if you are a multi-lineup player and just want some alternative exposure from Robinson.

Dante Pettis, WR CHI – We’re starting to dig a little deeper here and look for some ways to differentiate ourselves from the herd. Pettis has seen five targets over the last two games and while we haven’t seen him actually make a catch since Week 1, that’s still the third-most targets among receivers on this team. The Commanders secondary is bad, so if there were ever a time for fringe receivers to make a statement, perhaps this is it. Confidence level is at a three right now, but that’s better than a zero, right?

Dyami Brown, WR WAS – We’ll have to monitor his health leading up to game time tonight, but if he’s healthy and able to play, Brown caught everyone’s attention with his two touchdown catches last week. There is definitely speed here and Wentz didn’t seem to have issues getting him the ball, but there are obvious concerns that it was just a matter of soft one-on-one coverage and a little luck.

Cole Kmet, TE CHI – Is there hope here for the Kmet truthers? The Commanders rank 15th in DVOA against the tight end and are allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the position this season. Kmet is averaging three to four targets per game over the last three weeks, so there’s an air of hope. We’d like to see more than one red zone target over the first five games, but then again, this offense hasn’t really shown itself yet and maybe there is, indeed, more on the horizon.

John Bates, TE WAS – With Logan Thomas out for this week, we’ll take a look at Bates over Cole Turner, the team’s other tight end. It’s not a great play overall, but with the Bears ranking 20th in DVOA against the tight end, it could be worth a shot if you think the Commanders linger close enough to the end zone for a target or two.

For the record – both kickers are obviously in-play for tonight’s contests and given the low game total and their teams’ offensive struggles, both could be worthy of a spot in your lineup.

DFS Dart Throws

Khalil Herbert, RB CHI – With Montgomery back, Herbert’s touches are reduced to those of just a change-of-pace back, so while he won’t see a world of touches, you could see that scenario where Montgomery breaks a big play and suddenly Herbert is in the game to vulture red zone and goal line touches. It ain’t pretty but it’s something.

Taylor Heinicke, QB WAS – Strictly a gut feeling but for some reason I feel like this could be the time Wentz gets sacked and hurt or just his ineffectiveness in the first half pushes head coach Ron Rivera into benching him and we get another look at Heinicke. You only do this if you are a multi-entry lineup player, but couldn’t you just see it? Heinicke comes in for the second half and throws for two touchdowns to put the Commanders back into this game? Food for thought!