This is Waiver Wire Week 6!
Week 6 is here and this is a fun list of Waiver Wire additions. We have a lot of short term help- just what the doctor needed with the upcoming bye weeks. There are also some players with growing roles that could be long term stashes that pay off big time later in the season.
Upcoming Bye Weeks
Week 6
Green Bay
Pittsburgh
Week 7
Carolina
Cincinnati
Dallas
Houston
NY Jets
Tennessee
NOTE: All players listed are available in 75% of Yahoo Leagues or more unless listed as a SHALLOW LEAGUE ADDITION.
Quarterbacks
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Sam Howell | Washington (34%)
Howell had another impressive fantasy performance in Week 5’s loss to Chicago. He passed for a career-high 388 passing yards and equaled a season-high with two TD passes. Howell is a high-end QB2. If you have been struggling at QB, add him.
Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay (19%)
Mayfield and Tampa Bay enjoyed a well-deserved Bye Week. The 3-1 Buccaneers have back-to-back home games against Detroit and Atlanta, and Mayfield will have a chance to build off his recent strong play.
Mayfield passed for a season-high three TD passes in Week 4’s win over New Orleans. Consider Mayfield if you need QB depth or a starter during bye weeks. He has put up high-end QB2 numbers.
Gardner Minshew | Indianapolis (1%)
Minshew Magic in a revenge game against Jacksonville? Anthony Richardson suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of Indianapolis’ Week 5 win over Tennessee. Minshew showed chemistry with Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, passing for 155 yards in relief. He has seen action in three games this season, and the Colts won all of them. Minshew makes for an exciting streamer this week against his former team. Monitor Minshew’s availability.
Tyrod Taylor | New York Giants (0%)
Daniel Jones suffered a neck injury. The extent of Jones’ injury is not known, but he should miss some time. Taylor has had some experience and fantasy success throughout his career. He took over in the 4th quarter of New York’s loss to Miami and passed for 86 yards and had three rushing attempts.
We want to see the rushing yards when making a bull case for Taylor. The comparison would be Joshua Dobbs early season production. Taylor should be good for 35+ rushing yards per game in every game he starts. He may simply outproduce the inconsistent Jones over the next few weeks and create some interesting narratives in the New York media. Like Minshew, Taylor has a revenge game this week against Buffalo.
Running Backs
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Roschon Johnson | Chicago (41%)
Check your league to see if he is available. If Johnson is somehow still out there, he is a 50%+(and more likely a 75%+) addition. It is happening.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Jeff Wilson | Miami (26%)
I have written about Wilson for the past few weeks as a luxury addition in case something happened to all-world Rookie De’Von Achane or Raheem Mostert. Wilson goes from luxury to priority this week as Achane looks to have suffered a knee injury. There is a lack of clarity on the severity of the injury, but fantasy managers should be concerned- very concerned.
If Achane were to miss time, Wilson would receive weekly touches in the most explosive offense in football. Wilson had nine weeks of RB25 or better production in 2022. Even if Achane is okay, we want to roster as many Dolphins as possible. They are on a historic pace and shredding opposing defenses.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Justice Hill | Baltimore (28%)
Gus Edwards led Baltimore in carries, but Hill found the end zone and out snapped him. Hill finished with seven carries for 32 yards and a TD. He also had a season-high in receptions, catching all four targets. Until another RB emerges, Hill has a weekly role alongside Edwards. With Baltimore’s struggles at WR, Hill could emerge as more of a receiving threat than some may predict.
Kendre Miller | New Orleans (12%)
Alvin Kamara has been a volume monster since he returned from suspension. Kamara has had 49 touches in two games played. But even with Kamara fostering a bell-cow like load, Miller had his most productive game as a pro. He finished with career highs of 16 touches and 90 combined yards. He should be treated as a high-end handcuff with the potential to be a weekly handcuff plus. The third-round pick would be a top 20 weekly play if Kamara missed time. Prioritize him if he is available in your league.
Emari Demercado | Arizona (2%)
James Conner exited Arizona’s loss to Cincinnati with a knee injury. Conner has struggled at times throughout his career to stay on the field. DeMercado, a 24-year-old UDFA out of TCU, beat out Keaontay Ingram, among others, for the Arizona backup job. He played well in relief with ten carries for 45 yards and a TD. Demercado also drew three targets a week after a four-target game against San Francisco.
D’Onta Foreman | Chicago (7%)
Khalil Herbert‘s injury and Johnson’s potentially not clearing the concussion protocol create opportunities and paths for Foreman. Foreman rushed for 914 yards and five TDs last season in Carolina- both career highs. The 27-year-old Foreman is more than capable of handling significant volume. If Johnson plays, Foreman should handle ten or so carries.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Tyjae Spears | Tennessee (26%)
I know, I know, I know. I write about Spears in every single offense. But at only 26% rostered, I will do it again. He is one of the better handcuffs in football, and his usage is trending towards handcuff plus status. Spears finished with 69 combined yards on 11 touches to Derrick Henry‘s 16. His five targets were a season-high, and he finished with four receptions for 45 yards.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Keaton Mitchell | Baltimore (26%)
Mitchell made my top 10 last week and will be there again. Baltimore’s offense was stuck in the mud in their 17-10 loss to Pittsburgh. The speedy Mitchell will have a chance to make an immediate impact. With 4.37 speed and two-way ability, the Ravens will at least give him an opportunity. The Edwards-Hill combination is about as vanilla as it gets. Mitchell is not Achane but could be the next Jaleel McLaughlin. That sounds like music to the ears of fantasy managers searching for production in the Baltimore backfield.
Jordan Mason | San Francisco (1%)
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD: Elijah Mitchell | San Francisco (33%)
Mason is the current handcuff in San Francisco, with Mitchell sidelined with a knee injury. Mitchell was playing ahead of Mason out touching him 14-3 in Week 3’s win over the New York Giants. With Mitchell sidelined, Mason has done well with his recent opportunity. Mason rushed for a career-high 69 yards and a TD in San Francisco’s huge win over Dallas.
There is a chance that Mason could take away the job. Either way, fantasy gamers should prioritize rostering one of them. If anything were to happen to Christian McCaffrey, Mason would see an immediate opportunity. Long term, it would be a little more up in the air, with Mitchell having more fantasy success. This offense is rolling.
Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville (20%)
Travis Etienne had a career day on Sunday as Jacksonville defeated the Buffalo Bills 25-22 in London. Etienne had 184 combined yards on 30 touches. Bigsby was the only Jaguars RB to receive a touch.
Tank Bigsby Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
The Jaguars are a strong offense relying on their RB1, Etienne, as both a runner and receiver. If anything were to happen to Etienne, Bigsby would be an every-week RB2.
Pierre Strong | Cleveland (1%)
I added some Strong during Cleveland’s bye week. Strong led Cleveland in rushing – largely due to a strong 4th Quarter in the Browns Week 4 loss to Baltimore. This is a speculative addition for me. I liked Strong as a prospect, and I wonder if the Browns find him more work after some self-scouting this week. He is a free add just about anywhere.
Ronnie Rivers | LA Rams (6%)
Zamir White | Las Vegas (5%)
Rico Dowdle | Dallas (6%)
All three players are low-volume handcuffs that would see a major increase in touches if the starter ahead of them were to go down. It is tricky to roster too many lottery tickets during bye weeks,
Wide Receivers
Josh Downs | Indianapolis (9%)
Downs has been a constant presence in my weekly columns. Last week, he made the Waiver Wire and my Sleepers article (drops Fridays). My persistence paid off, as Downs had a season-high 97 receiving yards in Indianapolis’ win over Tennessee. Downs has thrived in games with Gardner Minshew.
He drew a season-high 12 targets in Week 3 and caught eight passes with Minshew at the helm. Anthony Richardson is set to miss significant time with a shoulder injury. Downs should put up WR3 production in any game Minshew starts. Prioritize him this week. Rookie production like this cannot be ignored. These are the type of Waiver Wire adds that can pay off big in the fantasy playoffs.
Curtis Samuel | Washington (17%)
Samuel was No. 3 in routes run (40) to Terry McLaurin (58) and Jahan Dotson (56) but led all Washington WRs with seven targets. Samuel found the end zone for the second straight week, with 13 catches for 116 yards combined. He has 18+ PPR points for two straight weeks. Samuel is neck and neck with McLaurin in yardage and catches on the season. I will be bidding for Samuel in multiple leagues this week, as should you. He makes his Top 10 debut this week.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Treylon Burks | Tennessee (33%)
This is a reminder to check and see if anyone dropped Burks in your leagues. He should return from injury this week against Baltimore in London. He should resume his usual role as the Titans WR2 opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Tennessee has their bye on Week 7, but after that Burks should see his weekly role increase.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Rashee Rice | Kansas City (39%)
Rice found the end zone in Week 5’s win over Minnesota. I am bullish on him gaining more and more snaps as the season progresses. He is a player I will continue to stash.
K.J. Osborn | Minnesota (9%)
Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury and could miss some time (Man that hurts to write- get well soon KING). Osborn drew a season-high nine targets, catching five and finishing with 45 receiving yards. He finished with 60 catches in 2022, including five weekly finishes of WR15 or better.
Expect Osborn to play third fiddle to Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, but will have some advantageous matchups. He has big-play ability. Let’s hope this is just a short-term fill-in role for all of fantasy football’s sake.
Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants (24%)
The Giants offense is depressing, but Robinson is worth a look in deep leagues. He has had six touches in back-to-back games and three straight games with five targets or more. With Tyrod Taylor taking over at QB, Robinson could see a few more manufactured touches.
Robert Woods | Houston (18%)
Tank Dell is in the concussion protocol, and Woods makes for an intriguing one-week fill-in. Woods has had six targets or more in every game this season, including nine in Week 5. His 40 targets lead all Houston pass catchers. He could draw double-digit looks as Houston hosts New Orleans in a winnable game.
Trey Palmer | Tampa Bay (0%)
Palmer is back on this list for the second week in a row. Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury, and if he misses time, look for the speedy rookie to see a major increase in playing time. Palmer has wheels with a 4.33 40 time at the NFL combine. He has two TD catches already this season.
Rondale Moore | Arizona (7%)
Moore returns to this article after his second game with 50+ rushing yards. He needs to get the necessary targets to make enough of an impact to be fantasy-viable, but he is a fun role player. Moore may see an opportunity for more touches if Conner is going to miss significant time.
Trenton Irwin | Cincinnati (0%)
Deep league managers should take a look at Irwin. The fifth-year wideout saw a major increase in usage with Tee Higgins out. Irwin drew 10 targets and finished with eight catches for 60 yards. He out-snapped Tyler Boyd 62-60.
Nelson Agholor | Baltimore (1%)
Agholor drew more targets than Odell Beckham or Rashod Bateman, and he had the second-most WR snaps on the team behind Zay Flowers.
He has twice gone over 60 receiving yards, and his inclusion on this list is more of an indictment on Beckham/Bateman than anything else. Agholor looks like the second-best WR in Baltimore right now. Whether that leads to a larger role or not remains to be seen.
Cedrick Wilson | Miami (0%)
Deep leaguers should monitor Wilson and see if Week 5’s usage bump was significant or just a one-week blip. Wilson caught all four of his targets and finished with 52 receiving yards. He out-snapped Braxton Berrios 29-20.
Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave | Green Bay (25%)
Musgrave is still out there in 75% of Yahoo Leagues. He is an almost every down player with elite athleticism. In Week 3, Musgrave had six catches on eight targets. In Week 4, Musgrave exited early with a head injury. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs make up a promising WR corps in Green Bay but expect Musgrave to have his moments. There is some unknown upside to having him on your roster.
Logan Thomas | Washington (15%)
Thomas had his best game of the season and evoked memories of his breakout 2020 season. He finished with nine catches on 11 targets, 77 receiving yards and a TD. He was the preferred target of Howell’s all game long. Thomas has another strong matchup this week at Atlanta. He is a high-end TE2 moving forward.
Tyler Conklin | New York Jets (6%)
Conklin has quietly had a very consistent season. He has had at least five targets in four straight games and went over 50 receiving yards in three of those contests.
In New York’s win over Denver, Conklin led the Jets with 67 receiving yards- a season high for him. Conklin now faces off against Philadelphia- one of the most fantasy-friendly defenses against opposing TEs all season long. Conklin is a floor play, but in this game, he has a chance to see a few extra looks.
Jonnu Smith | Atlanta (16%)
Even with Kyle Pitts having his best game of the season, Smith continues to put up fantasy-relevant numbers. Smith finished with six catches for the second consecutive week while adding 67 receiving yards. He has had at least six targets for four straight weeks. Cole Kmet just put up 15.2 PPR points against Washington. Look for Smith to continue his hot streak in Week 6.
Gerald Everett | Los Angeles (25%)
Everett may have been cut during LA’s bye week. He had six targets in Week 3 but has done little else this season. His usage could see a significant increase if Donald Parham misses extended time with a wrist injury.
Greg Dulcich | Denver (12%)
Dulcich is set to return from the IR soon. Denver is searching for answers, and he has a chance to see immediate work. The Broncos offense could certainly use some help. Including Dulcich’s two Week 1 catches, Denver TEs have combined 11 catches all season.
Noah Gray | Kansas City (0%)
Gray could be an appealing one week streamer if Travis Kelce is unable to go with an ankle injury. Kansas City play’s Thursday, and it may be wise for KC to be cautious with Kelce.
TOP 10 Waiver Wire Adds
(Roschon Johnson would be No. 1 if available)
1- Tyjae Spears RB | Tennessee
2- Curtis Samuel WR | Washington
3- Jeff Wilson RB | Miami
4- Josh Downs WR | Indianapolis
5- Sam Howell QB | Washington
6- D’Onta Foreman RB | Chicago
7- Emari DeMercado RB | Arizona
8- KJ Osborn WR | Minnesota
9- Logan Thomas TE | Washington
10- Justice Hill RB | Baltimore
Tie Keaton Mitchell RB | Baltimore
10- Kendre Miller RB | New Orleans
