Maxxcash Now that we have crossed the 25% mark of the season, it’s time to improve our rosters for Week 6 by using the waiver wire. Let’s take a look at the top waiver wire pickups to target for your fantasy football team in Week 6.
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Fantasy Waiver Wire Targets | Week 6
With bye weeks starting in Week 6 and injuries an ever-present factor in the NFL, the waiver wire will be where championships are won or lost for fantasy managers in 2021. Here are some of our recommendations for Week 6.
Quarterbacks
Here are the quarterbacks to target on the Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Fantasy managers expect rookie QBs to come in and immediately live up to their draft capital. But the guys who do that are the outliers. Justin Herbert is an outlier. Joe Burrow — for 11 weeks — was an outlier. Trevor Lawrence was always going to struggle no matter how glowingly he was discussed during the draft process. The Jaguars were (are) a bad team and have a coach trying to make the jump from college to the NFL. There will always be ups and downs.
But Lawrence is starting to show signs he could be getting more comfortable in the NFL. He just threw for 272 yards in Week 5 and, over the last two games, has started to use his legs more, rushing 21 times for 91 yards with TDs. Lawrence just needs to manage his turnovers. But that will come in due time as he learns how NFL teams disguise defenses.
In Week 6, Lawrence gets the Miami Dolphins, who field a bottom-tier defense. They are No. 27 in points allowed to QBs (22.03 per game) and are allowing over 300 yards per game. Lawrence is an intriguing waiver wire claim in Week 6.
Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
What you just saw in Week 5 was the floor for Trey Lance. That should excite you more than anything. In the pre-draft process, I said that while Lawrence has the highest floor among the first-round QBs, Lance might have the highest ceiling. Lance went 15-of-29 for 192 yards with an interception in his first start but rushed 16 times for 89 yards.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan will continue to alter San Francisco’s game plan to fit Lance’s skill set. In doing so, we should see Lance become a more efficient passer. Also, for as good as Lance is as a rusher, 16 carries in a game is not sustainable.
His rush attempts will be reduced, but that added running ability will significantly raise his floor as he learns the NFL game. When Lance is starting, he will be virtually a must-start in fantasy. With the 49ers on a bye in Week 6, use this time to add Lance to your team off the waiver wire in the hopes of future success at the QB position.
Running Backs
There are quite a few RBs you should scour the waiver wire for in Week 6.
Darrel Williams, Kansas City Chiefs
Darrel Williams needs to be the top waiver wire claim of Week 6. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire expected to miss several weeks after being placed on injured reserve, Williams is locked into the RB1 role on of the more potent offenses in the NFL.
In Week 5, Williams rushed 5 times for 27 yards while adding 3 receptions (5 targets) for 18 yards. He has seen 9 touches in three straight weeks, including 12 (and a TD) in Week 4. Williams saw reps even when Edwards-Helaire was healthy, which indicates Kansas City’s confidence in him.
Williams is an RB2 moving forward and should be a weekly starter in fantasy for what looks like the next month at minimum. Those rarely come around in fantasy — especially not on a team like the Chiefs. Even if you only need him as a depth piece, Williams needs to be a priority waiver wire add in Week 6.
Devontae Booker, New York Giants
Devontae Booker might very well go for the highest FAAB amount in Week 6. That would not surprise me. After replacing Saquon Barkley in Week 5, Booker rushed 16 times for 42 yards with 1 TD while adding 16 yards and another score on 3 receptions. His 20.8 PPR points were enough for the RB15 spot on the week.
However, I would caution anyone going out and blowing all their FAAB or using their highly coveted No. 1 claim on Booker. Odds are, we saw the high-water mark for him. Also, Barkley’s ankle injury is not as bad as we once feared, and he might only miss 1-2 games. Booker’s relevance may be only fleeting.
If you do manage to acquire him, check your league’s transaction history and see if you can tell who else put in claims on him. I would be willing to trade them the RB2 they think Booker is — not what he truly represents.
Week 6 Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups | Wide Receivers
Here are the wide receivers to target on the Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire.
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
It’s a war of attrition in East Rutherford, and the Giants’ WR corps looks more like a M.A.S.H unit than an NFL roster. The last man standing (partially) is Kadarius Toney. Forced into a prominent role with Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard already out (and Kenny Golladay injured mid-game), Toney showcased his skills.
Over the last two games, he has seen 28.2% of New York’s targets and 46.8% of the WR volume. After a 6-catch, 78-yard game in Week 5, Toney blew up in Week 6, recording 10 receptions on 13 targets for 189 yards.
Head coach Joe Judge did say Toney injured his ankle but stated he doesn’t “think it’s anything really significant.”
Toney did what you hope a highly-drafted WR would do — take advantage of an opportunity. But at some point — eventually — the Giants will get healthy. Toney will lose some targets, but I think he has done enough to remain, at worst, the Giants’ No. 3 option and push Slayton down the depth chart. At best, Toney is a weekly start and a plug-and-play WR3 for fantasy. Either way, he is worth taking a shot on in waivers in Week 6.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Is Amon-Ra St. Brown’s rookie breakout finally happening? It might very well be based on the last few games. St. Brown recorded 6 receptions on 8 targets against the Vikings for 65 yards. Over the previous two weeks, he has 13 receptions (16 targets) for 135 yards. Quintez Cephus is likely out for the rest of the season after breaking his collarbone, while Tyrell Williams is still on IR with a concussion.
The Lions are a team that will be playing from behind on the majority of their drives, which leads to a fantasy manager’s favorite thing — garbage time. St. Brown is a must-add off waivers in all leagues and has low-end WR3 upside should things go the right way.
Tight Ends
Which tight end should you target on the waiver wire in Week 6?
With Logan Thomas on IR, Ricky Seals-Jones was busy in his first game as Washington’s starting tight end. He played nearly all the offensive snaps (82-of-83) and finished second on the team in targets with 8, catching 5 for 41 yards. With Curtis Samuel suffering an all-too-expected setback, Seals-Jones could very well be the second option in the passing game going forward.
The upcoming schedule for Seals-Jones is intriguing. In Week 6, Washington takes on the Kansas City Chiefs, who are No. 28 vs. TEs (17.92 ppg) and surrender the most yards per game to the position (93.2). Then, in Week 7, it’s a matchup with the 20th-ranked Green Bay Packers (14.6 ppg to TEs). With tight end production hard to come by, Seals-Jones has high-end TE2 upside and should be a popular waiver wire claim in Week 6.
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Zach Ertz is still rostered in less than 50% of fantasy formats, but that should quickly change, especially now that Dallas Goedert has been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list.
Ertz has seen 6 or more targets in three straight games and has been the TE15 over that time. In Week 5, Ertz ran a route on 92% of his snaps. He should be a massive part of Philadelphia’s offense as they target TEs on 25.9% of their attempts. In Week 6, the Eagles take on the pass-funnel Buccaneers, who allow 17.2 ppg to TEs (No. 27). Ertz has top-eight fantasy upside in Week 6 and would be an instant starter for those who do not have an elite TE option.
