Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 6
I don’t want to jinx it, but it appears as though we made it through Week 5 of the NFL season relatively unscathed on the injury front. However, bye weeks are still bearing down on us and owners may need to look to the waiver wire for replacements. Here are a few guys who may be available in your league. The Footballers discuss waivers every Tuesday on the podcast.
Wide Receivers
Sammie Coates @ MIA (ESPN 40%, Yahoo 38%)
Coates is coming off a monster week with 6 catches for 139 yards and 2 TDs. He appears to have locked down the #2 role in Pittsburgh. If you add him, try to not watch his games, they aren’t pretty. He has dropped 12.9% of his targets which is the highest percentage in the league (>15 targets).
Chris Hogan vs CIN (ESPN 34%, Yahoo 25%)
Chris Hogan is the downfield threat in the Patriots offense. This is a role that has been filled by the likes of Randy Moss, but even lesser WRs like Brandon LaFell have succeeded in this spot.
Cameron Meredith vs JAX (ESPN 1.6%, Yahoo 5%)
Meredith is serving as the Kevin White replacement on the outside in this offense. Eddie Royal is not a threat to that role, so as long as Brian Hoyer is the QB in Chicago, Meredith is interesting.
Jeremy Kerley @ BUF (ESPN 8%, Yahoo 10%)
Colin Kaepernick has been named the starter for the 49ers this week. It is yet to be seen how this will affect the target distribution in Chip Kelly’s offense.
Michael Thomas vs CAR (ESPN 50%, Yahoo 53%)
Allen Hurns @ CHI (ESPN 78%, Yahoo 80%)
Coming off a bye, these are two players who may have been dropped in your league. Go check your waiver wire.
Running Backs
James Starks vs DAL (ESPN 24%, Yahoo 10%)
I feel like we know who Starks is at this point in his career, but if you’re looking for a volume play should Lacy miss time, Starks is your guy.
Jacquizz Rodgers – Bye (ESPN 27%, Yahoo 20%)
He is on bye and it appears as though Doug Martin will return in Week 7, but he may be worth a stash as Dirk Koetter clearly trusts him.
Bilal Powell @ AZ (ESPN 45%, Yahoo 35%)
Powell has continued his streak of out-producing Matt Forte in PPR scoring. He has 3 straight games with 6 receptions. Powell has high upside should anything happen to Forte.
James White vs CIN (ESPN 39%, Yahoo 46%)
Dion Lewis is not close to a return, so James White will hold onto that 3rd down back role with Brady at the helm.
Darren Sproles @ WAS (ESPN 67%, Yahoo 58%)
Sproles tends to score in bunches, so if you need a homerun threat in your lineup the diminutive veteran can be your guy,
Jay Ajayi vs PIT (ESPN 48%, Yahoo 32%)
Finally, HC Adam Gase has heard the pleas of the fantasy community and has scrapped his 4-headed backfield approach in Miami. Ajayi will hold value for as long as Arian Foster is sidelined.
Bobby Rainey vs BAL (ESPN 4%, Yahoo 5%)
Rainey has added value in PPR, but this backfield and offense are still a mess.
Dion Lewis vs CIN (ESPN 18%, Yahoo 19%)
Lewis is still a speculative add, it looks like a Week 10 return may be optimistic at this point.
Derrick Henry vs CLE (ESPN 59.8%, Yahoo 54%)
Henry is a premiere handcuff (Hayaund-Cuff). The Titans lean on DeMarco Murray heavily. Should he go down, Henry will be a beast.
Jonathan Stewart @ NO (ESPN 77%, Yahoo 78%)
T.J. Yeldon @ CHI (ESPN 77%, Yahoo 65%)
Two more guys who may have been dropped due to their injury situation/bye week.
Tight Ends
Cameron Brate – Bye (ESPN 33.1%, Yahoo 40%)
A young TE with high upside due to his role in the offense, but you will have to live with some inconsistency.
Eric Ebron vs LA (ESPN 46.3%, Yahoo 55%)
Nagging injuries have suppressed his value in the minds of fantasy owners, but when he is on the field he has been involved in the offense.
Hunter Henry vs DEN (ESPN 22.8%, Yahoo 28%)
If there was ever a handcuff at the TE position, Henry is that guy. However, that isn’t entirely true because Henry out-snapped Gates by a wide margin on Sunday and managed to log 74 yards and a TD even with Gates active.
Charles Clay vs SF (ESPN 13.8%, Yahoo 12%)
Basically a veteran version of Cameron Brate, Clay is interesting because of the opportunity, but there will be highs and lows along the way.
Jesse James @ MIA (ESPN 21%, Yahoo 24%)
He will continue to have a share of the Steelers offense until Ladarius Green returns (if he returns).
Ladarius Green @ MIA (ESPN 3.1%, Yahoo 7%)
Eligible to return in Week 7. This injury is shrouded in mystery. I err on the side that thinks he may never play again, but he is an interesting stash if you have a spot to burn.
Coby Fleener vs CAR (ESPN 74.7%, Yahoo 77%)
Gary Barnidge @ TEN (ESPN 74%, Yahoo 74%)
Again we have two guys that have a slight chance of being available and may be able to help TE needy owners.
Quarterbacks
Blake Bortles @ CHI (ESPN 77.1%, Yahoo 83%)
QB is one of the toughest positions to justify holding onto through a bye week, check your waivers and see if a desperate owner dropped him.
Defense/Special Teams
Detroit Lions vs LA
I mean, it’s the Rams.
Tennessee Titans vs CLE
Cody Kessler may be able to make the start this week, and that’s probably the best-case scenario for the Browns, so the Titans are looking pretty good at home.
Buffalo Bills vs SF
Colin Kaepernick has been named the starter this week so we aren’t sure what the 49ers offense will look like, but it probably won’t be good.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ MIA
Tannehill has had a rough couple weeks and the Steelers defense is opportunistic and can take advantage of a struggling QB.