Week 6: Deep Sleepers

After a week-long hiatus, I am back to projecting deep sleepers for fantasy football. My Week 4 picks were pretty good, with Willie Snead, Jamison Crowder and Duke Johnson all showing up big for fantasy owners. Enough of the self back-patting. Time to see who will sleep deeply in Week 6.

Quarterback

EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills (CIN)

Vaya con dios if you go this route, but this is a DEEP sleepers article. Most quarterbacks are already entrenched as starters, therefore they are owned in normal leagues or higher-priced in daily fantasy. That said, injuries happen and backups like Manuel make for intriguing options. Manuel doesn't have a terrible matchup, and he's shown some capability in executing an offense. Playing at home will help him. So will possibly getting back LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins.

Fanduel: $5,500

Draftkings:$5,000

Running Backs

Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs (@MIN)

Not really a deep sleeper, especially with Jamaal Charles out for the year, but Charcandrick West is widely considered to be the guy that's going to gobble up most of Charles' previous workload. It may very well be Davis who puts up more fantasy points, as he profiles as more of a physical back, which could lead to goal-line carries. Regardless, Davis will get more touches than he had previously been getting, and he has the explosiveness to rip off some chunk gains when given the chances.

Fanduel: $5,500

Draftkings: $4,500

James Starks, Green Bay Packers (SD)

Starks has been very ineffective with his carries this season, but the matchup this week can't get any better. Eddie Lacy will get the bulk of the carries, as is the case every week. This week sets up for some garbage time stats to be had, and that's where Starks can come in and salvage a good fantasy day. The Chargers have a bottom-three rushing defense, so the Packers will probably try to run all over them. Starks could be a garbage time hero this week.

Fanduel: $5,400

Draftkings: $3,300

Wide Receivers

Riley Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles (NYG)

He hasn't done much except for that long touchdown catch against the Redskins in Week 4, but this could be a week where he sees more playing time. Nelson Agholor missed practice Wednesday and is uncertain to play. Even if he does, he might be on a pitch count, especially considering he hasn't been effective at all. Cooper is a big bodied receiver who can win at times on the outside. The Giants aren't great at defending the pass, so Cooper has some appeal this week.

Fanduel: $5,300

Draftkings: $3,100

Danny Amendola, New England Patriots (@IND)

Aaron Dobson was a healthy scratch last week, which means that Amendola is locked in to the starting receiver role opposite Julian Edelman. That resulted in only two catches for six yards last week, but this week should be much more favorable as the Pats take on a Colts defense that has been dreadful this season. They've been specifically terrible against the pass, setting up nicely for Amendola to have a good game.

Fanduel: $4,800

Draftkings: $3,400

Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals (@BUF)

I've been burned by a Bengals receiver before, as Marvin Jones laid an egg after I highlighted him in my Week 4 article. We're going back to the well this week, but with a different guy. Sanu has slowly been getting more involved in the offense these past two weeks, and Andy Dalton is looking his way much more often. This game sets up as a better matchup for him than the other Bengals wide receivers, as he does his work in the middle of the field. The Bills have good outside cornerbacks, but are vulnerable down the middle. Sanu should have room to operate.

Fanduel: $5,000

Draftkings: $3,200

Tight End

Tim Wright, Detroit Lions (CHI)

Eric Ebron should miss another game, leaving open tight end snaps for Tim Wright. He didn't do much with his snaps last week (three catches for 12 yards), but they will have to move the ball through the air against a Bears defense that is underratedly solid versus the run (only two rushing touchdowns allowed). Stafford has struggled to find consistency throwing to his receivers, with Theo Riddick out of the backfield being his most trusted target. Wright could see more looks come his way as Stafford tries to get into some sort of rhythm.

Fanduel: $4,500

Draftkings: $2,500

Defense

Chicago Bears (@DET)

The Bears defense has actually come alive over the past two weeks. They get another good matchup this week, travelling to Detroit to take on turnover-prone Matthew Stafford and the Lions inept running game. Detroit gives up the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. While the Bears defense isn't what it once used to be, there is potential for another 7-10 point game from a defense that most people don't expect to be competent fantasy-wise.

Fanduel: $4,300

Draftkings: $2,400