Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire
By Brandon Lane
QUARTERBACK
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
*Roster Percentage: 35%
While I have been plugging Geno as an add for weeks I did mention sitting him last week against the Saints. He once again proved me wrong and is now a top 6 fantasy quarterback through five weeks. In Week 5 Smith completed 16 of his 25 attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks are picking up the pace and playing a lot less conservatively than had been anticipated and their schedule gets easier moving forward too. It’s time to buy in on Geno and he should again have a solid shot at being a top 10 QB this week when Seattle takes on an Arizona defense that has been oozing fantasy goodness to QBs.
Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders
Roster Percentage: 46%
Carson Wentz continues to be a roller coaster ride for fantasy managers but as I said last week he can be a match-up based streamer. The Commanders continue to be a pass heavy team which is something we like for fantasy. Wentz went 25-of-38 for 359 yards and two touchdowns. This week the Commanders travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on TNF. Coming off a short week with two struggling teams this one could be a low scoring affair. I think you might be able to find stronger options this week but in a pinch Wentz could be worth a shot.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster Percentage: 17%
The Steelers struggles continued in Week 5 as expected against the Bills. But with more negative game scripts expected down the line the Steelers will have no option but to let Pickett air it out. In Week 5 he completed 34 of 52 passes for 327 yards. Much of his yardage came in garbage time but that still counts for fantasy. Expect another similar play from behind outcome as the Steelers take on the Buccaneers in Week 6.
Others to Consider:
Justin Fields (38% vs Washington), Jimmy Garoppolo (26% @ Atlanta)
RUNNING BACK
Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Roster Percentage: 47%
Seahawks starter Rashaad Penny broke his fibula in Week 5 and will miss the rest of the season. Ken Walker was the second running back selected in this years NFL draft and is someone I was very high on coming into the season. Walker missed much of the preseason with a hernia which contributed to his slow start. But with Penny’s injury it should unleash the beast and it’s time to break the bank making Walker the top waiver priority of the week. In Week 5 we saw a small sample of what Walker can do rushing eight times for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Saints top run defense. Walker has the potential to be a weekly high-end RB2 with some spike RB1 weeks mixed in.
Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 11%
The Cardinals have struggled with running back injuries this season and Week 5 was littered with them. James Conner was forced out with another rib injury quickly followed by a Darrel Williams knee injury. That left Eno Benjamin as the last man standing. He rushed eight times for 25 yards and a touchdown adding three receptions for an additional 28 yards. The status of Conner and Williams is TBD but if they are out Benjamin should be a rock solid RB2 against a Seahawks defense that has given up the most rush yards to RBs this season.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Roster Percentage: 14%
The Ravens backfield has been a messy one leaving the door open for Gus Edwards to see a sizable workload upon his return from his knee injury. The Ravens have designated Edwards to return from the reserve/PUP and now have three weeks to activate him. With the team looking to continue to conserve J.K. Dobbins workload Gus Bus could be a FLEX worthy play in the weeks to come.
Deon Jackson, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 2%
If Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are out Deon Jackson could be a plug-and-play for Week 6. Jackson filled in after Week 5 starter Hines was forced out on the first play of the game with a concussion. He went on to rush 13 times for 62 yards and grabbed four balls for an additional 29 yards. The Colts take on the Jags in Week 6 that have given up the 9th most points to fantasy running backs this season.
Others to Consider:
Mike Boone (36%), Rachaad White (34%), Latavius Murray (19%), Jaylen Warren (8%), Damien Williams (4%), Joshua Kelly (1%), Deejay Dallas (1%), Tevin Coleman (0%)
WIDE RECEIVER
If available: George Pickens (55%)
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
Roster Percentage: 49%
It’s not often you can get a teams WR1 at this point in the season and if you didn’t pick him up last week this is your last chance. After missing two weeks to a knee injury Meyers hauled in 8-of-11 targets (38% target share) for 111 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. The Patriots will likely continue to be a run first offense regardless of which QB is under center, so Meyers is more of a weekly WR3 with upside for more but he should be rostered in most leagues.
Isaiah McKenzie/ Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Roster Percentage: 48%/2%
Isaiah McKenzie missed week 5 due to a concussion and while he has yet to be cleared once he is he will immediately return to the starting lineup. If he is forced to sit out rookie Khalil Shakir could once again be a flier you should consider popping in your lineups. Shakir caught 3 of his 5 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. The Bills take on the Chiefs in what should be a shootout in Week 6.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 9%
Rookie Alec Pierce has really started to come on in the past 3 weeks going over 80 yards in the past two weeks. In Week 5 he caught 8 balls for 81 yards (25% target share). The rookie looks like he has taken a solid hold of the offense and become the Colts WR2.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 49%
While the passing attack has taken a dip with Zach Wilson under center Corey Davis has still shown chemistry with his young QB. And while Davis’s Week 5 performance of 2 catches for 38 yards isn’t what fantasy managers want in their lineups, he has previously provided us with three solid fantasy weeks this season.
Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions
Roster Percentage: 31%
Reynolds had another solid performance in Week 5 and although the Lions are on bye this week he might be someone you want to consider stashing. Reynolds caught 6-of-10 targets for 92 yards. After the Lions return from their week off it will be interesting to see exactly what sort of role Reynolds holds down, but what he has shown the past two weeks is enough to consider stashing him on fantasy benches.
Others to Consider:
Jahan Dotson (45%), Jameson Williams (31%), Nico Collins (21%), Rondale Moore (19%),
TIGHT END
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 30%
The Taysom Hill Week 5 explosion was a hard one to predict but if you had him in your lineups (thankfully I did) you likely won your week. Hill rushed nine times for 112 yards and three touchdowns while further adding to the fun by throwing for a 4th touchdown. Through five games Hill only has 22 touches. But after a game like that you have to expect the Saints to move his snap share above the 30% mark we saw this week.
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: 30%
Nothing flashy going on here but Hurst has been serviceable as of late scoring TDs in back-to-back games. In Week 5 he caught 6-of-7 targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. The Bengals take on the Saints in Week 6 making Hurst a questionable play but with the state of the TE position you could likely do worse.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Percentage: 2%
Otton was someone we had on the watch list last week and he showed why. Getting the start while veteran Cameron Brate was out he caught 6-of-7 targets for 43 yards. While that might not seem like a huge day, Tom Brady’s willingness to repeatedly go his way could mean bigger days are coming. If Brate does return that could temper expectations but this talented rookie has shown enough that he could likely over take Brate as the primary passing down TE in the Bucs offense.
Others to Consider:
Irv Smith Jr. (49%), Hunter Henry (38%), Evan Engram (24%), Daniel Bellinger (2%), Greg Dulcich (1%), John Bates (0%)
DEFENSE
New Orleans vs CIN
Chicago vs WAS
Washington @ CHI
New England @ CLE
Cleveland vs NE
*Roster percentages based on Yahoo
