The Waiver Wire Week 6 is here, and the dreaded B word is back in the mix for fantasy managers. Bye Week season creeps up on us every year and piecing together a strong lineup can be challenging. It is crucial to get ahead of the situation and plan for the coming weeks. Being a week ahead can save you Faab money AND help you avoid an imbalanced roster.
Detroit, Las Vegas, Tennessee, and Houston are this week’s bye-week teams.
Here are the teams on a bye week for the next few weeks:
Week 7
Buffalo
Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia
Minnesota
Week 8
Kansas City
Los Angeles Chargers
Week 9
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
New York Giants
Pittsburgh
San Francisco
Most managers will enter this week’s waivers knowing they will be without Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, and Dameon Pierce. But there will be many managers who will not be planning for the Week 7 byes. If you have Josh Allen, try and figure out QB this week instead of next week. If you have Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown, or Justin Jefferson, check your roster and make sure you have a fill-in, and if not, consider adding one this week. Stay a step ahead of your competition and never have to scramble to fill a need.
Quarterbacks
Note: Last week, I recommended adding Geno Smith – check and see if he is still available in your league (he is available in 65 percent of Yahoo Leagues). Check on Jameis Winston– he passed for 353 yards in his last start.
Kenny Pickett- Pittsburgh Steelers
Buffalo beat down Pittsburgh 38-3 which could have been even worse. But lost in the shuffle was Pickett passing for 327 yards. Last week we saw him rush for two scores. There will be ugly mistakes along the way, but Pickett can have some fantasy success this season. For now, treat him as a speculative stash.
Daniel Jones- New York Giants
The Brian Daboll effect is on full display, and the Giants are now 4-1 after Sunday’s big win over Green Bay in London. Jones is a low-end streaming option. His next three games are promising as he plays against Baltimore and then away games at Jacksonville and Seattle.
There’s a lack of weapons in New York, but Jones managed a season-high 217 yards passing this past weekend. What’s appealing is his ability to run. Despite an ankle issue, Jones had ten rushing attempts against Green Bay and 15 rushing attempts in the previous two games. If you are in a bind, consider Jones.
Running Backs
Deon Jackson- Indianapolis
I wrote about Jackson last week, and he was quickly thrust into a full-time role in Week 5. Nyheim Hines exited the game with a concussion, and Jackson outrushed Phillip Lindsay 62-40, adding four catches for 29 yards as a receiver. Jonathan Taylor and Hines’ status is up in the air for this week, and Jackson would be a high-end RB3 if both were to miss. Even if one is back, Jackson showed enough that he should be rostered in deeper formats.
Gus Edwards- Baltimore
J.K. Dobbins was limited to eight rush attempts this weekend, and Justice Hill is out with an injury. Edwards will return from I.R. to an instant opportunity for carries. He is a productive player and has familiarity with the Harbaugh-Jackson offense. If Dobbins were to go down with an injury, Edwards would be an RB2.
Eno Benjamin- Arizona
The Arizona Cardinals’ entire RB room is banged up, and Benjamin looks to be the biggest beneficiary. James Conner suffered a rib injury, and Darrell Williams is dealing with a knee injury. Benjamin had eight carries for 25 yards and found the end zone. He added three catches for 28 yards.
Eno Benjamin Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Benjamin is a capable two-way back and should see a career-high in touches this week if both backs were to miss. Treat him as a low-end RB2 for this week and prioritize him if you need a bye-week fill-in, an injury replacement, or are an RB needy.
Damien Williams- Atlanta
Much like Edwards, Williams should step into a primary role in Atlanta. Last week I wrote about him as an add, and we are only one week away from his return. Tyler Allgeier paced all Falcons RBs with 13 carries but saw zero targets in the passing game. Williams should at least leapfrog Caleb Huntley and Avery Williams. He has a chance to see double-digit touches every week. Williams is a great stash if you have room on your roster.
Tevin Coleman- San Francisco
It is 2022, and I am writing about Tevin Coleman in a waiver wire article. Incredible times. Coleman is back in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan and had an eye-opening performance this past week. Operating as the No. 2 RB behind Jeff Wilson, Coleman found the end zone twice- once on the ground and once in the air, and he finished with a combined 67 yards rushing and receiving. Do not overspend on Coleman, but he is an interesting player this week. He played only 19 snaps to Wilson’s 38, but Shanahan has continually mentioned his “hot hand” approach with the RB position. For now, consider Coleman the 49ers’ handcuff RB at least for the short term.
Jaylen Warren- Pittsburgh
This is my weekly PSA to roster Warren. Not only is he the direct backup to Najee Harris in Pittsburgh, but there have been multiple times this season that Warren simply looks better and more explosive. This past week he had more rushing and receiving yards than Harris. Sure there was the blowout to factor in, but the production was there, nevertheless. Dynasty managers who have Harris also need to be aggressive in acquiring Warren. He is available in 92 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Josh Kelley- Los Angeles Chargers
Kelley had his best game of the season with 82 combined yards and a rushing TD. He is the clear No. 2 RB in Los Angeles and should be considered Austin Ekeler‘s handcuff moving forward. Kelley out-snapped Sony Michel 27-2.
Wide Receivers
Alec Pierce- Indianapolis
Many waiver wire articles will tell you to pick up Kenneth Walker and Rachaad White. But you read Player Profiler, so there is about a 99 percent chance those players are not available. But one exciting rookie who may be there is Alec Pierce. I recommended him as an addition in my previous two waiver wire articles, and hopefully, you scooped him up. If you didn’t, he is still available in 92(!) percent of Yahoo leagues. Pierce had career highs in catches (8) and targets (9), while also seeing a season-high in snaps and routes run. He also simply looks the part as he fights for everything and adjusts on bad balls. Pierce has gone over 60 yards in three straight games AND outscored Michael Pittman Jr. in the last two games. He is a must-add in all formats.
Khalil Shakir- Buffalo
Another rookie WR who broke out this past weekend was Shakir who caught three passes for 75 yards and a TD. Unlike Pierce, Shakir’s increased playing time could be short-lived although I would not bet on it. Isaiah McKenzie has now missed two games this season, Gabe Davis missed one game this season, and Dawson Knox missed a game. At the very least, Shakir showed he could be a plug-and-play option for the Bills, and there is a chance he earned more playing time moving forward.
Skyy Moore- Kansas City
I am writing this article before Monday Night Football, but Moore has seen his snaps increase for three straight weeks. He is a player that I want to stash wherever possible.
Skyy Moore Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
The second-round pick is an explosive player who can also be used on manufactured rushing attempts. It may not happen for a few weeks, but this season, Moore will be fantasy-viable at some point.
Darius Slayton- New York Giants
Slayton is now in a waiver wire article for what feels like ten straight NFL seasons. This past weekend, he had one of the best Giants WR performances of the entire season with six catches for 79 yards on seven targets. The Giants WRs are completely banged up, and Slayton could concede his increased snaps immediately. However, consider a low FAAB bid in case his strong play earned him a new role.
Wan’Dale Robinson- New York Giants
Robinson is getting closer to returning from injury. He should immediately be the slot receiver and have manufactured touches in an offense desperate for consistent playmakers. The Giants drafted Robinson ahead of George Pickens, Moore, and Pierce. They will look to get their money’s worth.
Tight Ends
Taysom Hill-New Orleans
Per Adam Levitan, Hill played 11 snaps at QB, six at RB, four at TE, and two in the slot. But throw all of that out the window- he is TE-eligible in most formats. After yesterday’s four TD explosion, expect Hill to be a popular waiver wire add.
Skyy Moore Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
If you use him as your TE, there will be some dud performances with a potential zero, but as he displayed yesterday, on any particular week he can go off. In PPR formats, Hill is now TE7 overall. He is TE3 overall in fantasy points per game ahead of every player except Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. Fantasy insanity has a name, and it is Taysom Hill.
Cade Otton-Tampa Bay
Cameron Brate was out with an injury, and Otton made the most of his opportunity as he caught six passes for 43 yards a week. He also caught three passes last week, and his trajectory seems to be pointing up. Brate could be back this week, but if he is out, Otton will be a TE2. His role could grow as the season moves along.
Greg Dulcich- Denver
The Broncos are a trainwreck of an offense, but some help is on the way with Dulcich. Expect him to step into an every week role as a pass-catching TE. He should be on the field a lot and has a chance to be fantasy relevant. Now if only Dulcich could take over as head coach……
