Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Football Matchup Breakdown For Week 6

This matchup breakdown is curated from Week 6 analysis already published at Fantasy Life by Matthew Freedman, Dwain McFarland and Zain Dhanani. Every blurb below appears in full as originally written (some edits made with news updates), with its author credited and a link to the piece it came from.

Cowboys vs. Packers Matchup Breakdown For Week 6 Fantasy Football

• Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 18, 8:20 pm ET (Sunday Night Football)
• Spread: Packers -1.5 (opened -3)
• Total: 53 (opened 51.5)
• Implied Team Totals: GB 27.25, DAL 25.75

Consensus market odds as of Friday afternoon. Check our NFL odds page for the latest lines.

Green Bay Packers Fantasy Preview For Week 6

Jordan Love (QB)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 QB Favorites (Matchup Upgrades):

Jordan Love (Packers) vs. Cowboys: Love has been a scattershot passer this year (60.5% completion rate), but his efficiency (8.0 AY/A) is in line with what we saw in two prior seasons (8.1), and last week he had his best performance of the campaign (25.3 fantasy points, 367 yards passing, 2 TDs, 0 INTs). His setup isn't perfect: On offense, he could be without five starters in RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee, IR), RG Jacob Monk (quadriceps), LG Aaron Banks (toe), WR Jayden Reed (neck, IR), and RB Josh Jacobs (Commissioner Exempt List). On top of that, the Cowboys have three extra days off following Thursday Night Football. But also … it's the Cowboys, who have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf) and outdoors (vs. indoors). It's just a bonus that the Cowboys in the back seven could be without LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring), CBs Joey Porter (illness) and Decobie Durant (hamstring), SS Jalen Thompson (hamstring, IR) and No. 3 S P.J. Locke (foot, IR).

From Dwain McFarland's Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Quarterbacks To Start):

Jordan Love | Packers

Injuries and poor performance forced Green Bay to revamp their offensive line over the last two games. But the results with Laken Tomlinson, Travis Glover, and Anthony Belton in the lineup have coincided with less pressure on Love.

Matchups have also been a factor, but below you can see the pressure rate allowed by week plus the opponent's pressure rate for the season per TruMedia:

• Week 1 vs Vikings (46% pressure rate): 54% pressure rate allowed (+8)
• Week 2 vs Jets (35%): 28% (-7)
• Week 3 vs Falcons (44%): 46% (+2)
• Week 4 vs Buccaneers (27%): 13% (-14)
• Week 5 vs Bears (38%): 27% (-11)

Over the last two games, their pass protection has been a plus, after adjusting for the competition. In fact, you could argue that the nightmare matchup against the Vikings in Week 1 is the outlier.

This week, Love faces a Cowboys pass rush ranked 26th in pressure rate (31%). And QBs against Dallas have thrived—even under pressure—with a league-high 120.5 passer rating.

We Dem Boyz pass coverage doesn't hol' up, hol' up, hol' up.

Dallas is the sixth-best passing matchup, boosting fantasy production through the air by 2.8 PPG.

Love has already eclipsed 300 yards three times in 2026, including 387 against Minnesota and 367 against the Bears. I have him projected for 280 this weekend—the highest for Week 6. That mark is pretty far above the market at 268.

Normally, I would dial it back, but this is a pass-first offense—Green Bay is tied with the Panthers for the highest dropback rate over expected (DBOE) at 8% in 2026—in a potential shootout matchup as three-point favorites with a 27.25 team total in Freedman's NFL Game Model.

It is rare to feel fine about a 280-passing-yard projection, but in this instance, I'm good.

Fantasy Projections

• Median: 19.3
• Xfinity Best (Ceiling): 23.7
• Floor: 15.5

Love is my QB3 for Week 6 and projects as the QB4. He is a must-start unless you have Josh Allen or Brock Purdy on your team.

MarShawn Lloyd (RB)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 RB Favorites (Scoring Upgrades):

MarShawn Lloyd (Packers) vs. Cowboys: Lloyd has utterly disappointed this year (7.5 fantasy points per game, 167 yards, 3 TDs on 40 carries, 13 targets, 47 Utilization Score). Even so, last week he showed that he has the ability to turn modest usage (44% snap rate, 56 Utilization Score) into functional production (16.2 fantasy points, 37 yards, 2 TDs on 10 carries, 2 targets). It's not ideal that his OL could be down three starters in RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee, IR), RG Jacob Monk (quadriceps) and LG Aaron Banks (toe). On top of that, the Cowboys have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football. But also … it's the Cowboys, who have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf) and outdoors (vs. indoors). It's just a bonus that the Cowboys are No. 2 in largest fantasy boost allowed to RBs (+4.9) and could be without LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring).

From Dwain McFarland's Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (RB Upgrades):

MarShawn Lloyd | Packers: We are getting pulled back in. After stinking up the fantasy streets for four games, Lloyd emerged with 16.7 points in Week 5. He accounted for 64% of the rushing attempts before resting in the fourth quarter with a big lead. This could be a rug-pull situation where Matt LaFleur leans into the hot hand each week, but a matchup against Dallas makes me more willing to lean into the uncertainty. The Cowboys have pulled an ole against stampeding RBs (+4.7 PPG), giving Lloyd the second-best matchup. Lloyd is a low-end RB2 with RB1 upside if his role sticks.

Matthew Golden (WR)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 WR Favorites (Matchup Upgrades):

Matthew Golden (Packers) vs. Cowboys: The setup isn't perfect for Golden. The Packers could be without three OL starters: RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee, IR), RG Jacob Monk (quadriceps) and LG Aaron Banks (toe). Additionally, the Cowboys have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football. But also … it's the Cowboys, who have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf) and outdoors (vs. indoors). It's just a bonus that the Cowboys in the back seven could be without LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring), CBs Joey Porter (illness) and Decobie Durant (hamstring), SS Jalen Thompson (hamstring, IR) and No. 3 S P.J. Locke (foot, IR). And as for Golden himself, I think he's still underappreciated. He hasn't been as productive as No. 1 WR Christian Watson (19.3 fantasy points per game, 26-474-6 receiving, 40 targets vs. 13.3 fantasy points per game, 24-397-2 receiving, 44 targets with 1-6-0 rushing), but his usage has been comparable (85% route rate, 25% target share, 38% air yard share, 33% end zone target share vs. 84% route rate, 22% target share, 32% air yard share, 40% end zone target share, per our Fantasy Life Utilization Report), and across the league he's the No. 3 WR in air yards (623). This is absolutely a smash spot.

From Dwain McFarland's Week 6 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Wide Receivers I Am Starting):

Matthew Golden | Packers

Matthew Golden moved into WR2 territory in my Utilization Report rest-of-season outlook two weeks ago. But I still wanted to write him up in this column for Week 6 because not everyone has read that, and Golden has not been a top-24 WR in many consensus views.

Golden is averaging 15.7 PPG (17th) with a strong underlying profile. His 79 Utilization Score ranks 13th thanks in part to an 85% route share and 25% target share.

He is garnering big-time air yards with 125 (3rd) with a 14.5 aDOT. But he is not a downfield-only option. His 8.8 average route depth is in the sweet spot for WR booms.

His historical Utilization Score comps have averaged 15.7 PPG—exactly in line with his average for the season. That bodes well for continued production.

The Packers boast the fourth-highest team total (25.75) in Freedman's model, and the Cowboys boost opposing WR production the 10th most (2.7 PPG). And that number doesn't really do the matchup justice. Per SumerSports, Dallas powers the No. 1 passing-game success rate (56%) and passing EPA per play (0.36).

Wheels up.

Fantasy Projections

• Median: 14.6
• Xfinity Best (Ceiling): 21.9
• Floor: 10.8

Golden is a high-end WR2 and is a must-start in Week 6.

Tucker Kraft (TE)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 TE Favorites (Scoring Upgrades):

Tucker Kraft (Packers) vs. Cowboys: The setup isn't perfect. The Packers could be without three OL starters: RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee, IR), RG Jacob Monk (quadriceps) and LG Aaron Banks (toe). Additionally, the Cowboys have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football. But also … it's the Cowboys, who have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf) and outdoors (vs. indoors). It's just a bonus that the Cowboys could be without LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring), SS Jalen Thompson (hamstring, IR) and No. 3 S P.J. Locke (foot, IR). Plus, they're No. 29 in defensive pass DVOA vs. TEs (34.0%). Since Week 3, Kraft without WR Jayden Reed (neck, IR) has been serviceable (9.1 fantasy points per game, 15-132-1 receiving, 20 targets, 72% route rate, 74 Utilization Score with 2-5-0 rushing).

Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Preview For Week 6

Dak Prescott (QB)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 QB Fades (Matchup Downgrades):

Dak Prescott (Cowboys) at Packers: On the one hand, the Cowboys have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football. On the other hand, they have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf), and outdoors (vs. indoors). And on the topic of outside division: That's where Prescott has struggled the most throughout his career (44-56-2 ATS, -14.6% ROI, per Action Network). Prescott has been good this year (19.4 fantasy points per game, 1,381 yards passing, 9 TDs, 3 INTs with 12-66-0 rushing), but the edge is against him this week, especially since the offense is dealing with injuries to WR CeeDee Lamb (quadriceps) and LT Tyler Guyton (back).

Javonte Williams (RB)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 RB Favorites (Defensive Injury Upgrades):

Javonte Williams (Cowboys) at Packers: As I noted above in the Lloyd blurb, the Cowboys have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles) and yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf), and outdoors (vs. indoors). Plus, QB Dak Prescott has struggled the most throughout his career outside division (44-56-2 ATS, -14.6% ROI). But the Cowboys also have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football, the Packers are No. 2 in most fantasy points allowed to RBs (26.4), and in their front seven they're without NT Javon Hargrave (Achilles), EDGE Micah Parsons (knee, PUP), and LB Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles, IR). Williams has the production (17.5 fantasy points per game, 370 yards, 7 TDs on 74 carries, 20 targets) and utilization (77% snap rate, 77% rush share, 100% goal-line rush share, 46% route rate, 84 Utilization Score) to exploit the matchup.

George Pickens (WR)

From Matthew Freedman's Week 6 WR Fades (Situational Downgrades):

George Pickens (Cowboys) at Packers: Last week I highlighted Pickens as one of my fantasy fades. Let's see how that did … looking … looking … aha, yes, well, he did just alright (23.5 fantasy points, 9-130-1 receiving, 13 targets, 99 Utilization Score). But to be fair to myself (and I'm always more than fair to myself), I should note that much of this production came with No. 1 WR CeeDee Lamb (quadriceps) out of the game, and I expect him to return to action in Week 6. That means that Pickens is one of my fantasy fades once again. While the Cowboys have three extra days off after Thursday Night Football, they have traveled more than any team over the past month (11,434 miles), and they also yield an amplified home-field advantage to the Packers because they're outside division, on grass (vs. turf), and outdoors (vs. indoors). And on the topic of outside of division: That's where Prescott has struggled the most throughout his career (44-56-2 ATS, -14.6% ROI, per Action Network). Finally, the Packers are No. 1 in defensive pass DVOA vs. No. 2 WRs (-64.1%), and the offense could be without LT Tyler Guyton (back).

Jake Ferguson (TE)

From Zain Dhanani's Week 6 Scheme Advantages & Disadvantages (Matchups That Are Tougher):

Jake Ferguson vs. Packers Coverage: I'd keep Ferguson in the TE2 range against Green Bay, even after he earned a season-high 6 targets against Tampa Bay. He's finished with 23 or fewer receiving yards in three straight games.

Green Bay has allowed just 0.69 YPRR to players aligned in the slot, second fewest in the NFL. Ferguson has run 52% of his routes from the slot this season.

The Packers play zone on 71.3% of dropbacks (4th most), a coverage type that has limited Ferguson to 0.67 YPRR on 109 routes.

As an aside, there's also a chance he gets a severe playing-time reduction given that he has cost the Cowboys two potential wins this season. Timely drops and fumbles without strong play on the other plays gets you to the bench fast.

Sources

• Matthew Freedman: Week 6 QB Favorites, QB Fades, RB Favorites, WR Favorites, WR Fades, TE Favorites (full series: Freedman's Favorites & Fades for Week 6)
• Dwain McFarland: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em For Week 6 Fantasy Football Lineups
• Zain Dhanani: Week 6 Scheme Advantages & Disadvantages For Fantasy Football

Back to the full Week 6 Game-By-Game Breakdown.