(Image credit Denny Medley/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Before we take a look at my picks for week 6 let's take a look at my week 5 pick performance. And which teams are on a bye week.
Week 5: Record 6-9-1
Overall record: 32-44-3
This is the first week where teams are on a bye week. In total there are 4 teams on bye and they will be listed down below
Teams on a Bye Week
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Now that we have gone through how I went in Week 5, I will now give my weekly NFL draft picks with spreads for Week 6. The Spreads from these games were all found on Draftkings.
Thursday Night Football
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles (Spread +6.5)
This is an intriguing Thursday Night football game. Let's start with the Eagles as they upset the Carolina Panthers. I have been a big supporter of Jalen Hurts and although he made some terrible throws last week against the Panthers he has looked solid this season. I still don't understand why this team is not utilizing the running backs properly in this game. The o-line is a mess still due to injuries and I don't see how they perform against a stronger Buccaneers defense. While the Eagles defense was solid last week it is clear that it has not been the same since Brandon Graham got injured in Week 2. The Eagles will not have a ton of players on their team. Especially Dallas Goedert who was recently placed on the Covid-19 list and he will not play in this game. Fun Fact I looked this up did you know if the season ended today the Eagles would have three top 10 selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. They have the Dolphins pick from the 3-way trade with San Francisco acquiring Trey Lance and Colts pick in the Carson Wentz trade. I really like the buccaneers and although Brady hurt his thumb against the Dolphins. A lot of people forgot that he played the game with that injury and still performed well. No Rob Gronkowski or Lavantae David for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the Buccaneers are just too talented both on offense and defense. I will take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this game even though they are not the home team. If you haven't seen my latest survivor pick article the Buccaneers would have been my Week 6 survivor pick.
My Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5)
London Game #2 9:30 am
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars (Spread +3.5)
My Pick: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5)
I contemplated making this a tank game for the tournament for the 1st overall pick but I decided against it because I am not ruling out the Miami Dolphins yet this season especially as Brian Flores is the coach for Miami. Speaking of which I don't understand why people want Brian Flores to be fired. He has coached this team as the worst team in the 2019 season after being deleted by the Baltimore Ravens 59-10 to win 5 games. With the talent, Miami had it would have been hard to win 1 maybe two games. He even coached a team projected to be mediocre to win double-digit wins and almost made the playoffs last season. Brian Flores is not the issue with Miami and if the Dolphins got rid of him then the Dolphins will regret it. The Dolphins so far have been disappointing but Tua Tagoviloa is activated from IR and should play this game vs the Jaguars. A big issue for Miami is their offensive line and it is one of the worst o-line cores in the NFL today. Luckily the Dolphins are facing the Jaguars defense which is absolutely terrible. Including their secondary after trading CJ Henderson for a scrub tight end and a mid-round pick. In the case of the Jaguars I mean I don’t know what to say as they have been a complete mess and I have no hope with Urban Meyer as the head coach of this team. The Dolphins defense is not terrible and can provide pressure to Trevor Lawrence. I think this game will be a close one but, I will take the better-coached team which is the Dolphins. This game is a no bet as it is an international game but I can see this as a potential survivor pick but it is a risky move.
My Pick: Miami Dolphins (-3.5)
Sunday Football 1:00 PM
Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Football Team (Spread +6.5)
This is the battle of the disappointments for each conference. Especially with both teams' defenses as both have been abysmal this season. Both Secondaries are terrible and the pass-rushing core has been underperforming this year as well. Both offenses and coaches are holding this team together. I got to say Taylor Heinicke is a story that shows that anyone can make it in the league. He went from being a 4th string quarterback to being placed as the starter in the playoffs and almost defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in that game. He earned himself a job for years to come with that performance and he has continued to impress in this season as well. Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin have been great pieces to this offense as well and must start in this matchup in fantasy football. The Chiefs offense is still good even though Clyde Edwards-Helare will not play in this game due to injury but the Chiefs are loaded on offense. I will take the Chiefs in this game as like I said in my latest survivor article I would rather have Patrick Mahomes over Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. I will pass on betting on this game though.
My Pick: Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)
Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants (Spread +10.5)
I am not going to go long here at all. The Rams will crush the New York Giants in this game. I will list the Injuries that the Giants have on offense and will most likely be without in this game. QB Daniel Jones (Concussion), RB Saquon Barkley (Ankle), WR Kenny Golliday (groin), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (Ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (Foot), and OL Ben Bredeson (hand). That is a lot of big injuries that the Giants will have to deal with. No question here I am taking the Los Angeles Rams here and they will be my super lock for this week.
My Pick: Los Angeles Rams (-10.5)
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (Spread -9.5)
This is an extremely important game for both teams. Not only because it is a divisional game but this is a game that could help tiebreaker wise on who could win this division. The AFC South is extremely wide open where any team can take the division. Davis Mills has played a lot better than he did after the team got deleted by the Buffalo Bills weeks ago. I think they will do solidly against a beaten-up Colts defense. A big injury to keep an eye on is Laremy Tunsil who suffered a thumb injury and could miss a few games if he gets surgery (Again my luck as news came he will be getting surgery which is a huge loss for the Texans). I don't think the Texans' defense is as bad as originally thought. To be honest I don't know what to think of the Colts. They blew a 19 point lead against the Ravens. They played too conservative in that game which is something you never ever do against a team like the Ravens. They would have won that game if Rodrigo Blankenship did not have a hip injury and I doubt he plays next week as well... Speaking of injuries the Colts are dealing with a ton of them. Including on their offensive line and their secondary. I doubt Xavier Rhodes and Andrew Sendejo play this week. But the Colts should be healthier and have players return in this matchup and I like that the Colts are the home team. I do expect the Colts to win this game but I will take the points in this game as the Texans are a team that likes to play tight games. I will be betting on this game.
My Pick: Houston Texans (+9.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers (Spread -1)
Boy, a lot of people were nervous with both the Vikings and Panthers last week in survivor. The Vikings got lucky and won where the Panthers lost to the Eagles. I got to be honest I think the Vikings are garbage. They honestly were playing too conservative and almost handed a win to the Detroit Lions. I got to say Mike Zimmer could be on the hot seat this season if the Vikings are not in the playoffs. Minnesota’s defense is completely terrible and their pass rush is mediocre. The secondary has been brutal and they should cut Brashad Breeland as he is becoming more of a liability than a benefit. They almost had the Lions win and they did a terrible job on their 2 point conversion at the end of the game. I don’t see Dalvin Cook playing this game either as well which is a big issue for this mediocre Vikings defense. I got to be honest Carolina has had a big problem ever since Christian McCaffery suffered an injury. I mean Chuba Hubbard has been a solid player but McCaffery is extremely valuable in Matt Rhule’s Offense. Darnold did not do well last week but luckily will face the Vikings who are terrible. The Panthers are the home I will go with the Carolina Panthers
My Pick: Carolina Panthers (-1)
Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions (Spread +3.5)
I want to start off by saying that the Detroit Lions are cursed. I believe that the Bobby Layne curse is still here as this team should have more wins than they do. Especially when looking at their season two games were lost due to the kickers kicking a game-winning field goal and one game where they came back and would have won if there was another quarter for the team. The Lions have been completely snake bitten this season and it gets worse as now Frank Ragnow is expected to miss the season due to his foot injury. This Lions defense has been cursed with more and more injuries on this defense as well. There are no weapons except for TJ Hockenson and the Runningbacks. Jared Goff is horrible and has reverted to how he played his rookie season. A lot of people would stop reading here and take the Bengals here and that is what I am doing. This game is a no bet for me because Joe Burrow was hospitalized with a throat injury. He is expected to play but I would keep an eye on it as throat injuries are no joke especially for quarterbacks. I will be staying away from this game and blindly take the Bengals.
My Pick: Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5)
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Spread +4.5)
I have to ask, How is this spread so low right now? I don't get it especially as the Bears are dealing with injuries and their defense has been a disappointment so far this season. The Bears offensive line is brutally bad and the Packers defense should have a field day with this o-line. Excluding Allen Robinson and Cole Kmet, the Bears don't have a ton of options to work with. Yes, Jaire Alexander is still injured but the Packers should do a good job containing them. Excluding the o-line which has not been performing well and whatever is going on with Za'darius Smith, I don't see a reason to take the Bears in this game. I still can't believe the events that occurred with the Bengals game last week with Mason Crosby. There's always one game where Mason Crosby looks completely terrible especially years ago where he sucked vs the Minnesota Vikings. But I will take the Packers with Pride and I will be betting this game.
My Pick: Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens (Spread -3)
This to me is the Game of the Week for me. I really like both teams this season. I will admit that I was more in favor of Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert but my goodness Justin can throw a football. He has been very fantastic with the Chargers and he has been making the Dolphins regret not taking Herbert in the Draft. He has been fantastic and if I was a Chargers fan I would be stoked to have a QB like Herbert on your team. Again remember how I say that the Offensive line is extremely important. The Chargers can be added to this example by investing in bringing in Corey Lindsley, and Bryan Bulaga. I got to say Rashawn Slater Jr has been the best o-lineman prospect in this class by far. He has been fantastic and the Chargers have two good tackles protecting Herbert. I think they will do a solid job with blocking Baltimore’s defense which has been hit by the injury bug. Slater will have a challenge with Odafe Jayson Oweh as he has been a solid option on defense. The Ravens have been lucky to have good talent bailing them out with QB Lamar Jackson and K Justin Tucker. They have been doing a fantastic job with the Ravens this year. With all the injuries the Ravens have the team has done an ok job with filling their replacements. I am excited to see how Lamar performs against the Chargers defense which has been great this year. I will go with the Chargers in this game but I don't want to bet on this game. I will absolutely find a way to watch this game.
My Pick: Los Angeles Chargers (+3)
Sunday Football 4:05 PM
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns (Spread -3)
This is the game of the 4 PM slot for me. If you were to ask me years ago that Arizona and Cleveland would be the best teams in the NFL I would have thought that you were dreaming. Baker the past few weeks has not performed well due to dealing with a shoulder injury and I wonder if he is healthier this week than he was last week. The Browns are dealing with a ton of injuries especially as Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are also banged up; luckily they are luckily facing a mediocre Cardinals defense. Arizona will be without Chandler Jones as he was recently placed on the COVID-19 list. Both secondaries are dealing with injuries as well and I do think this will be a high-scoring game. Arizona will be healthier as Byron Murphey should be back from his injuries. This is another no bet for me but when in doubt I will take the points with the Arizona Cardinals but I don't feel confident at all.
My Pick: Arizona Cardinals (+3)
Sunday Football 4:25 PM
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (Spread -3.5)
I am not going to go too much into this game. It is clear that the Las Vegas Raiders were distracted by the Jon Gruden emails. It gets worse for the Raiders as Jon Gruden made the decision to resign as the head coach. It is a terrible situation and the new interim head coach is Rich Bisaccia who was the special teams coach for the Raiders. Honestly, I am shocked they did not go with current defensive coordinator Gus Bradley but we will see how Bisaccia will do. This team will be distracted in this game and I have no clue how Rich Bisaccia will do as the interim head coach. I will not be betting this game but I will take the Denver Broncos in this game.
My Pick: Denver Broncos (-3.5)
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots (Spread +4)
This is another spread I don’t understand. How is this spread not at a touchdown at this point? New England looked absolutely terrible against the Texans. Especially with how beaten up their o-line was and Damien Harris dealing with an injury during that game. New England struggled to contain the Texans pass rushers and will now have to deal with the Cowboys defense which has not been terrible in this game. Mac Jones struggled with the Texans secondary which is awful and Dallas has good players that patriots receivers will have to deal with. I think Dallas is too talented on offense and even though Ezekiel Elliot is dealing with a rib injury he should play this game. Ceedee Lamb is a player I honestly think is the best receiver on this team and I really like Amari Cooper as well. I like Dalton Shultz fantasy-wise in deeper leagues. I question the coaching for Dallas as Mike McCarthey is going to hold this team back. The Patriots have the better coach but I will be taking the Cowboys to win and cover the spread. I will absolutely be betting on this game.
My Pick: Dallas Cowboys (-4)
Sunday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers(Spread -5)
There are many people taking the Pittsburgh Steelers in survivor this week. That is an extremely risky pick because this is a classic scenario regarding the Steelers. What is it well paying down to competition. This has been a continuous habit with the Steelers especially lately during the Mike Tomlin years. Especially last season during the Cleveland Browns where the Browns had improper practices for many weeks and played that playoff game without their head coach. Why is Mike Tomlin still the Head Coach of the Steelers Again? Look I know Mike Tomlin is a good head coach but the way the Steelers and his play calling was in that game was ridiculous beyond belief and should have gotten him fired after that game. Luckily for Tomlin, the Steelers organization still believes that firing coaches is not the “Steelers Way” and decided to re-sign him to an extension for some reason that I don’t understand to this day. Now getting back to the game I still don't get why Big Ben is starting games. The guy can barely walk to the sidelines and can’t throw anymore. He has been dealing with multiple injuries and it is hindering their performance. I'd feel more confident with the Steelers if Big Ben was not the starting QB. The Steelers o-line and receiver core is a complete mess and is beaten up right now. JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for the season due to his shoulder injury which is a big loss for the Steelers and Chase Claypool is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Their defense is getting healthier but it is a below-average defense. Luckily the Steelers won’t face a Russell Wilson-led offense as he suffered a brutal finger injury that will take him out for 4-8 weeks. Geno Smith will take over and he was solid during his performance against the Seahawks. This week he will be facing an easier defense than he did against the LA Rams. I will admit something: Seattle's Defense sucks. Jamal Adams has heavily regressed as a safety and the Seahawks should just permanently move him to linebacker. I like Seattle in this game but there is no chance that I will bet on this game at all.
My Pick: Seattle Seahawks (+5)
Monday Night Football
Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans (Spread +6)
I would have loved this game weeks ago but the Titans are dealing with a ton of injuries right now. Especially on defense as their defense has been very mediocre at best. I doubt Julio Jones plays this game as he is dealing with his injury. The Titans o-line is absolutely terrible and If I am the Bills I would blitz all game and provide pressure to Ryan Tannehill. I do like Jeremey McNichols via PPR Fantasy as I think he is going to get a ton of targets in the receiving game. Derrick Henry is amazing and should once again do a solid job against this defense. I think the Bills are more talented and healthy and I will be taking the Buffalo Bills in this game
My Pick: Buffalo Bills (-6)