Waiver Wire Adds for Week 6

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Week 5 saw historic performances from D.J. Moore and Ja’Marr Chase, while running back and wide receiver injuries will shelve some lineup stalwarts for multiple weeks. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of quality options on the wire this week. Let’s plug some gaps and try to bounce back from fantasy injuries with our Week 6 Waiver Wire Targets.

Quarterbacks

We should caveat here: while these guys are often listed as viable pickups for multiple weeks, you can also view our QB recommendations as synonymous with streaming recommendations. 

Baker Mayfield, TB

Baker keeps being Baker, and we all love to see him have a bit of that swagger back. Pair that with a solid WR core and a tasty matchup against Detroit this week, Baker may have to throw a ton to keep up. We like high-volume passing offenses, and Mayfield will sustain solid production.

Gardner Minshew, IND

Minshew is fun to watch and a good locker room guy. Pair that with the ramp up of Jonathan Taylor and 3 solid receiving options, Minshew should step into plenty of work this week with Anthony Richardson out due to an AC joint sprain. 

Gardner threw 44 passes against the Ravens in Week 3. That volume alone presents a tasty streaming option, especially against the Jaguars who are coming off an extended stay across the pond. The divisional matchup narrative is always fun, and who doesn’t want to root for Gardner?

Matthew Stafford, LAR

Cooper Kupp is back. Puka Nacua is the real deal. The Rams are playing the Cardinals. If he’s available, you know what to do.

Running Backs

Roschon Johnson, CHI

Khalil Herbert suffered an ankle injury Thursday night against the Commanders, so that means it’s likely time for Roschon to have his time in the spotlight. Fantasy players can assume D’Onta Forman will start to see snaps in Week 6 as well, but this is Roschon’s job to lose

His Week 5 performance was less than inspiring, but he’s got the trust of the coaching staff. If the Bears are in a close game, or get down to the goal line, Johnson could see an uptick in work to keep Justin Fields healthy. He’s probably a wait-and-see option, but keep him close. 

Emari Demercado, ARI

Another injury fill in with upside. The Arizona backfield has been a solid contributor for fantasy points, with James Connor being a weekly staple in most lineups. Connor will be sidelined for an unspecified amount of time with a knee injury (words you never want to hear, especially for running backs). 

Demercado looks the part physically, and we love a UDFA turned Waiver Wire Hero story. With the surprising production from Arizona’s offense thus far, Demarcado will plug in as the preferred pass-catching option in the backfield, and only has the also oft-injured Keaontay Ingram ahead of him.

Tyjae Spears, TEN

The lone bright spot in Tennessee is the running game, and it looks like the Titans have found the lightening to Derrick Henry’s thunder (only took 7 years). Though the Titans’ bye week is coming up in Week 7, having Spears on your squad now for the stretch run of the season is advisable. While only contributing 69 total yards (nice) against the Colts, 5 catches and a rushing TD bode well for the RB out of Tulane.

Jeff Wilson, MIA

Next man up. Explosive rookie De’Von Achane is likely to be shelved for multiple weeks with a knee injury, and he could face an IR stint. While this is the best news for Mostert managers, Jeff Wilson is set to be the primary backup and see plenty of touches. 

Miami had this same setup last year, and Wilson performed very well in this backfield. Mike McDaniel knows how to use his personnel, and Jeff Wilson fits the scheme as well as the rest of the squad. Not to mention, Mostert also has an injury history, so having any part of the Miami offense is a good piece to have in case of a lineup emergency.

 

Wide Receivers

K.J. Osborn, MIN

The Vikings offense is good, even if their record doesn’t reflect it. Cousins will continue to throw the ball, and with Justin Jefferson looking at a minimum 4 week IR stint, Osborn is elevated to the de-facto WR 1 on the team. That’s more due to tenure and experience than athleticism, but the JJ injury means both Osborn and Jordan Addison are primed for more targets. 

Josh Downs, IND

Gardner Minshew doesn’t run like Anthony Richardson, but he has a great pocket presence and finds the open man. When AR missed time earlier this year, Josh Downs saw more love from Minshew. He’s not going to be a perfect floor option, but Downs has explosive upside and, in desperate situations, could be a fine plug-in option. 

Quentin Johnston/Josh Palmer, LAC

Coming off a bye, both players may have been dropped ahead of last week, especially after Palmer’s disappointing Week 4. Mike Williams is still out, and we don’t know how effective Austin Ekeler will be coming off his ankle injury. 

Rashee Rice, KC

I said it on the livestream a few weeks ago, but I’ll reiterate here: Rice is the lotto ticket I will take in the KC offense over any other WR. Somehow, he’s leading the Chiefs in every major wide receiver category (targets, catches, and touchdowns). He’s not popping off yet, but if Mahomes is zeroing in on Rice, you’ll want to hold the keys for that ride before it hits full throttle. 

Curtis Samuel, WAS

Here we go again. Every year, Samuel is the odd-man out in Washington during draft season, and every year he has a few boom weeks that make fantasy managers’ eyes pop out of their heads. He’s supposed to be a good real-life WR, but not a viable fantasy option…right? 

The targets are starting to tick up, and Samuel is making due with limited touches. He has only had less than 50 yards once this season, and we know Ron Rivera loves getting Curtis involved like a Great Value Deebo. He’s always risky, but Samuel could pop at any moment (assuming he remains healthy).

Tight Ends

Logan Thomas, WAS

Neal called this last week – Thomas is a beast when he’s healthy, and the 11 targets against Chicago proved it. Sure, the Commaders were down bad most of this game, but that could be the case in most games. Logan Thomas is the safety blanket for Sam Howell and now that he’s fully back in the lineup, Thomas could arguably be seen as the 2nd receiving option in D.C. If he’s still available, fix that this week.

Dalton Schultz, HOU

Schultz had a pulse in Week 4, and Week 5 saw him come roaring back with double-digit targets. 7 catches alone is plenty to justify the pickup, but the 60+ yards and touchdown prove that Stroud is going to spread the ball around plenty to keep the Houston offense fantasy viable across the board. 

Zach Ertz, ARI

Yes, it’s gross. You don’t want to do it. You want Trey McBride to be a thing. You think Ertz is washed. 

Unfortunately, McBride has yet to be a thing, and Ertz continues to prove he is not washed. While Week 5 was a bad performance, Ertz will see short passes and outlet throws from Josh Dobbs when the Cardinals are in negative game scripts. He’ll always live in that TE 10-14 range most weeks, but the position is top-heavy so you take what you can get. 

Anyone you think we missed? Who are you spending your top waiver priority on this week? Sound off on social media and let us know!

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