Week six is upon us and I’ve got all your waiver wire needs right here! The draft is the most exciting part of fantasy but gaining the in-season edge on your opponents by carefully combing the waiver wire each week is what can really win you a championship. If you’ve got someone on bye or have been plagued by injuries and need to pick someone up, look no further! We’ve got some good players returning from their bye weeks and some players who are getting an opportunity due to injury that you won’t want to miss out on.
Quarterbacks
Jameis Winston
Jameis comes back for his first start after replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick in week four. A bye week to get back on the same page as the rest of the offense should have helped Winston tremendously. Playing against a weak Atlanta defense should provide many scoring opportunities for the returning Winston. It’s not often a player of this caliber can be found on the waiver wire, so if Winston is on yours claim him!
Derek Carr
The Oakland offense has been very hot and cold to start the 2018 season. Carr has thrown 8 interceptions in only 5 games which puts him on pace for 25 on the season. Not good. Carr is not a quarterback I would roster in fantasy, but as an occasional streamer, you can get away with using him in the right circumstances. The Seattle secondary is no longer the legion of boom, and I expect them to give up some down the field throws if Carr is willing to take the chances.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield has earned the starting job in Cleveland and earned the franchise its first win since “Johnny Football” was running that offense. While Baker hasn’t been spectacular yet, he’s shown great poise and accuracy throwing the ball.
He’s about to enter a five-week stretch of very exploitable defenses. While the Chargers are formidable this week, he gets Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Atlanta before the bye in week 11. Pick up Mayfield if you believe in playing the match-ups.
Mitchell Trubisky
Trubisky may be available on your waiver wire since he’s not quite yet the kind of guy owners hold on to during his bye week. He just had a six-touchdown performance in his last game and while that certainly won’t be the norm, it was a nice glimpse into his possible ceiling.
Running Back
Wendell Smallwood
Jay Ajayi is out for the year with an ACL tear. I’ve heard this story before. Ajayi can’t seem to stay on the field, which is unfortunate for him, but it benefits the remainder of the Eagles backfield. Smallwood was the first name out of coach Doug Peterson’s mouth when asked about how the Eagles will address their backfield woes.
While I still expect the backfield to be a committee, Smallwood is my bet to lead that committee. He had 71 yards and a touchdown in week 5 when Ajayi was healthy, and in an explosive Eagle’s offense could easily replicate those numbers weekly.
Corey Clement
Clement shares similar upside as Smallwood with Ajayi out, however, Clement has some injury woes himself. It’s likely Clement is already owned as he’s been used off and on throughout the season already. I would prioritize Smallwood first then Clement if they’re both on the waiver wire, as Smallwood should lead the committee.
Alfred Morris
“Alf” took advantage of Matt Breida leaving in week 5 with an ankle injury and will serve as the lead back while Breida is out. While Morris is not the most exciting guy out there, he won’t be sharing significant touches with anyone else so if you’re in need of volume then Morris is your guy.
D’Onta Foreman
Foreman is a stash candidate as he is eligible to return in week 7. Lamar Miller has been somewhat of a disappointment and Foreman has the opportunity to take the job upon his return. He will be on the waiver wire in smaller leagues and if he’s owned in deeper leagues go trade for him now!
Wide Receiver
Keke Coutee
Coutee has come on surprisingly strong in his first two NFL games. After setting an NFL record with 11 catches in his first game as a rookie, he followed it up with 6 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown in his second game.
The Houston receiving corps is already somewhat crowded with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, but Coutee plays in the slot and there’s no reason to think they can’t all co-exist. Deshaun Watson has been electric ever since his week one disappointment and as long as that continues, Coutee could become an every week start.
Chris Godwin
Godwin should be available in most leagues since he is coming off his bye. As the emerging second option in the Tampa Bay offense, Godwin has seen 22 targets in four games. That puts Godwin on pace for 88 targets on the season which is a respectable number for a receiver claimed from the waiver wire.
Courtland Sutton
Sutton scored his first touchdown in week 5 against the Jets and his role in the offense appears to be growing. The rookie has been targeted 26 times in 5 weeks and should see those numbers grow if his red zone play continues to be on point.
The only issue to watch out for is that the Denver offense may not be in the red zone all that often and should really be concentrating more on their dynamic duo of running backs when they are. Add Sutton for speculation purposes.
Christian Kirk
Welcome to the NFL Christian Kirk! Outside of dynasty leagues, there has been little buzz about Kirk since the NFL draft. He seems to have a good relationship with Josh Rosen and demonstrated his long-ball ability on a spectacular 75-yard touchdown against San Francisco. Keep an eye on the chemistry between Rosen and Kirk as those two will be linked for many years to come.
Tight End
Cameron Brate
O.J. Howard is out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained MCL and Brate should benefit from that greatly. Howard was starting to emerge as the better option at tight end, despite the team’s commitment to Brate in the off-season. Jameis has always had a good connection with Brate and I expect that to continue.
Geoff Swain
Swaim is not quite a household name, but he could become one. The Cowboys don’t have many options at receiver and Swaim has caught one touchdown already this year. If Dak Prescott starts to look his way more often then Swaim could be a matchup-based starter going forward. With the state of tight end what it is right now, why not take a chance on Swaim?
Defense/Special Teams
Minnesota
Minnesota had a poor start to the season but looked to get back on track last week against the Eagles. They play the Cardinals in week 6 and should return to form as a top defensive unit this week.
Texans
The Texans play the Bills this week. Pick them up if anyone dropped them and celebrate.