The second half of the season kicks off Friday night with a Renegades-Battlehawks battle at The Dome, and Week 6 also features a marquee Defenders-Panthers clash among its four games.
DraftKings is offering a full array of cash games and tournaments based on UFL regular-season and postseason games. DraftKings' UFL DFS rosters largely mirror that of NFL contests, with a notable exception -- there is no TE-specific spot, but rather two WR/TE spots and two additional flex spots that can be filled with a running back, wide receiver, or tight end.
QUARTERBACKS
Jordan Ta'amu, DC at MICH ($10,000):
I'm slow to warm to Ta'amu at times due to his well-known issues with ball security, but his caliber of production over the last two games is undeniable. The spring league veteran has earned his standing as the second-highest-salaried player on the slate by tallying 29.4 and 39 DK points in the last pair of contests, as well as 19.4 three games ago.
Ta'amu's last two performances have been especially noteworthy considering he's generated them without Ty Scott (IR-arm), and the most recent came against a capable Renegades defense. Ta'amu now tangles with a unit that presents another tough matchup on paper in that of the Panthers, but Michigan has yielded the second-highest completion rate (61.1 percent) and this game will be played in controlled conditions and fast track of Ford Field.
Bryce Perkins, MICH vs. DC ($9,800):
Perkins makes for a very viable option on the other side of the Michigan-DC clash, as the one-time Rams backup QB has demonstrated an increasingly strong command of the offense as the first half of the season unfolded. Perkins has now eclipsed 20 DK points in three straight games, adding multiple touchdown passes in each of those contests.
Perkins hasn't scored under 14.3 DK points in any of his first five games, and he's already exceeded an 80.0 percent completion rate in two of those contests. Factoring in his rushing dimension – he's added 133 rushing yards and three scores on the ground – he's very much in play despite the Defenders' very strong numbers against the pass and aggressive pass rush.
ALSO CONSIDER: Luis Perez, ARL at STL ($9,500)
RUNNING BACKS
Kalen Ballage, ARL at STL ($7,700):
Ballage's production has been inconsistent, but his home-run ability and recent performances make him a strong consideration in a favorable environment Friday night while profiling as only the fourth-highest-salaried running back. Ballage comes into the matchup having scored 15.5 DK points in the wild loss to the Defenders in Week 5, a performance where he averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored a rushing touchdown while adding three receptions.
Ballage also compiled 21.9 DK points against the Brahmas in Week 1, and he now faces a Battlehawks defense that's given up 4.2 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns through the first five games. Given Ballage also has a receiving role that's led to nine receptions (10 targets) thus far, he makes for a potentially rewarding mid-salary play.
Toa Taua, MICH vs. DC ($5,800):
Tauau has progressively taken the reins of the Panthers' running game in the last two games, scoring 12.3 and 23.2 DK points in that pair of contests. The Nevada product has averaged a robust 5.1 yards per carry in that span while also scoring three rushing touchdowns, and he added a pair of receptions for 18 yards in the Week 5 loss to St. Louis.
Tauau had a long track record of solid production at the college level, as he spent five years at Nevada and posted between 675 and 911 rushing yards in that span while also tallying 80 receptions in the last two seasons alone. The opposing Defenders have also allowed 4.2 yards per carry and five rushing TDs, and their aggressive pass rush could also lead to Perkins checking down to him on multiple occasions.
ALSO CONSIDER: Zaquandre White, HOU vs. MEM ($7,200)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Justin Hall, HOU vs. MEM ($8,900):
Hall delivered as a Week 5 suggestion, posting one of his signature performances in the form of a 9-68 receiving line on 10 targets on the way to 15.8 DK points. That was the sure-handed receiver's third double-digit DK-point tally in the first five games, and given his clear chemistry with new signal-caller Jalan McClendon, he should be busy once again in Week 6.
The Showboats have allowed seven touchdowns through the air while only picking off one pass and recording a modest five sacks, so McClendon should have plenty of time to target Hall in what is typically a short-area role. Hall has seen at least seven targets in three straight games, and the numbers support the notion of another productive afternoon.
Hakeem Butler, STL vs. ARL ($7,300):
Butler put any doubts about the health of his previously ailing hamstring firmly to rest with his Week 5 performance, as he lit up the Defenders for 29.4 DK points via a 2-124-2 line on four targets. As the yardage numbers indicate, Butler had no problem breaking free downfield for both of his touchdowns, finding the end zone from 67 and 57 yards out.
The big-bodied receiver can still be had at what would be considered a discount this week despite the $500 salary increase, as Butler has been priced at or near five figures in seasons past thanks to his often stellar production. The Renegades have allowed a league-low 47.6 percent completion rate but have also surrendered the fourth-most passing yards per game (170.6), and they're also tied with the Showboats for most TD passes allowed (seven).
Devin Ross, MICH vs. DC ($4,200):
Ross is admittedly best left for tournaments, but this is a gut-instinct pick based on the Week 6 state of the Panthers' receiving corps and Ross' previous track record in the USFL and last season. Michigan will be without Samson Nacua due to a one-game suspension, while Ross is expected to return from a one-game absence due to a hand injury.
Ross had a 3-51 line on four targets in Week 4, and he previously produced a 28-309-1 tally for Michigan in the 2022 USFL debut campaign. Ross also totaled 112 yards on only seven receptions in two games with the Panthers last season, and he could step into Nacua's No. 3 receiver role in Week 6.
ALSO CONSIDER: Marlon Williams, BHAM vs. SAN ($5,400)
FLEX
Braylon Sanders (WR), DC at MICH ($6,000)
Sanders is yet another sensibly salaried option from the Defenders-Panthers battle. The big-play receiver struck again in Week 5, recording a season-high 17.1 DK points via a three-catch, 81-yard, one-touchdown effort versus Arlington.
That performance was preceded by a 3-87 line versus the Brahmas that netted 11.7 DK points. As that pair of performances indicate, Sanders, who never averaged under 16.3 yards per catch in any of his five college seasons at Mississippi, doesn't need many touches to offer a useful fantasy performance.
ALSO CONSIDER: Malik Turner (WR), MICH vs. DC ($7,100)
TEAM DEFENSE
Houston Roughnecks vs. Memphis Showboats ($4,300): The Roughnecks opened the season fielding one of the league's worst defenses, but the unit has progressively improved and developed into a productive group that is now averaging 9.6 DK points per contest. Houston just scored a season-high 21.0 DK points against the Brahmas in Week 5 thanks to a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six, and by allowing only 118 total yards.
The matchup in Week 6 isn't overly daunting either, as the Showboats have generated the third-fewest yards per game (255.6) and are averaging a UFL-low 3.3 yards per carry. Memphis has also thrown six interceptions and taken six sacks, so there should be opportunities for Houston, which also has tallies of 9.0 and 14.0 DK points within the last four contests, to offer a strong return.
