Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em | Week 6

The Cleveland Browns come into Week 6 at 1-4 and riding a three-game losing streak to take on the 2-2 Philadelphia Eagles. The Browns offensive is faltering and most of that is due to the struggles of Deshaun Watson. Last week, Watson was sacked 7 times and passed for a mere 125 yards. The Eagles come in rested off the bye and look to get back over the .500 mark and keep pace in the NFC East. It goes without saying if A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are active they are must starts.

Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles DFS Start ‘Ems

Here are a few of the players we are heavily leaning on in this game. These players are in a good spot to have a solid performance and a favorable matchup.

Jalen Hurts ($7.2k DraftKings and $8.3k Fanduel)

Jalen Hurts has not given us the fantasy output we expect from him as evidenced by his QB20 ranking. However, he was down his top two wide receivers and still possesses elite upside with his rushing prowess. In the two games with a full complement of weapons, Hurts averaged 20.1 fantasy points which would be QB4 right now. That fantasy output is what we expect in Week 6.

Amari Cooper ($6k DraftKings and $6.2k Fanduel)

The only player we trust on Brown’s offense is Amari Cooper, and that is based on volume more than output. Cooper is drawing a 26.6% target share and has 47 targets through five games. The issue is just under 60% of those have been deemed catchable. Cooper is also tied for the team lead with Jerry Jeudy in goal-line targets. Philadelphia is ranked in the lower half of the league in fantasy points allowed to perimeter wideouts.

Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles DFS Sit ‘Ems

On the flip side, here are a few players we recommend sitting in this one.

Jerry Jeudy ($5.1k DraftKings and $5.7k Fanduel)

Jeudy’s metrics are not awful, he draws an 18.1% target share and is tied for the team lead in endzone targets, but he is on a Cleveland offense with a below-average quarterback. We just can’t trust anyone outside of Amari Cooper in this game. You may need to start him redraft leagues with bye weeks upon us, but in DFS Jeudy is a no-go.

Deshaun Watson ($5.1k DraftKings and $6.6k Fanduel)

We recommended Watson in our DFS Main lineup write-up last week, but he could not get it done in a smash spot versus the Commanders. Watson is QB22 and a definite DFS sit for us in Week 6 against the Eagles pass rush. At this point, Watson is not a starting fantasy asset with 4.8 yards per attempt and near the league bottom in most any passing metric.

Total Apex Lock of the Game

Saquan Barkley ($8.2k DraftKings and $9.2k Fanduel)

We go with Saquon Barkley as our DFS lock in this game and his DFS salary reflects the decision. Barkley’s usage is elite and dare we say matchup proof. He is a part of the three offensive facets we want, passing, rushing, and red zone usage.

The Brown’s defense is no pushover, ranked 12th overall but Barkley’s volume makes him our best lock option other than Hurts. Barkley is PPR RB3 and in four games has 85 touches with 5 touchdowns. The Eagles are a big betting favorite which plays into a positive running game script.

Total Apex Fade of the Game

Dallas Goedert ($5.2k DraftKings and $7k Fanduel)

We are fading Goedert this week. He has no doubt been terrific as the current TE4 in fantasy, but keep in mind that was with no A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith for almost two games. We are fading the production and volume that will most likely regress. In addition, Brown’s defense is ranked seventh in points allowed to the tight end.

Conclusion

The Browns-Eagles game is not a terrible game for DFS options. There are four high-level options on the Eagles side, assuming A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith remain on track to play. The game features a modest 42-point implied total and we are expecting most of that to come from the Eagles side of the ball. In addition, the Philadelphia defense is highly ranked in most outlets this week and is very enticing if you are a DFS player who will pay up for a defense.