Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups Show from Fantasy Insiders
Big Performers – Pickup or Nah?
Robby Anderson
If Anderson was dropped in your league, he’s easily the top add this week. Part of this is due to a somewhat weak crop of players on the waiver wire, but the wide receiver tied for the team lead with five targets and caught a couple nice deep balls from Sam Darnold. With Jermaine Kearse pushing Terrelle Pryor to the bench, Anderson shouldn’t have much competition for downfield targets going forward.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The rookie had a strong game against Detroit, but will likely be relegated to fourth on the wide receiver depth chart with the returns of Geronimo Allison and Randall Cobb.
Donte Moncrief
The box score looks intriguing for Moncrief this week, with 15 targets and 186 air yards, though Jacksonville was in comeback mode for most of the game and Blake Bortles chucked it over 60 times. Moncrief turned those looks into just 6 catches for 76 yards making him hard to trust in an offense that typically spreads the ball around.
David Moore
Seattle only threw it 21 times on Sunday, but Moore came through with a pair of touchdowns on three catches. He’s clearly playing over Brandon Marshall and Jaron Brown, but sits squarely behind Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin. Moore is worth a look in deeper leagues, especially with head coach Pete Carroll talking him up the past two weeks and the potential to overtake a hobbled Baldwin.
D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel
Moore has been impressive with the ball in his hands, even though he hasn’t put up huge numbers so far. Carolina has gotten him touches in creative ways and Torrey Smith was hardly involved this week. Samuel continues to be efficient when given opportunities, ripping off a 25-yard touchdown on a short screen pass. He should earn more playing time as the year progresses, and both young receivers are intriguing additions.
Chester Rogers
T.Y. Hilton absence on Thursday led to 11 targets for Rogers, who brought in 8 catches for 66 yards, though he did have a couple crucial drops. Indianapolis has thrown the ball plenty so far, but Ryan Grant is also seeing plenty of looks and Hilton is likely to return soon. Rogers will retain a reasonable share of targets but probably doesn’t have the upside of a David Moore or Robby Anderson.
Austin Hooper
Julio Jones disappeared for the first half against Pittsburgh, leading to a bunch of targets for Hooper and Mohamed Sanu. Atlanta has a lot of playmakers on offense so Hooper is unlikely to see 12 targets again this year, but the dire tight end landscape makes him a worthy add.
Possible Injury Replacements
Josh Reynolds
With Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks leaving the Week 5 game with injury, Reynolds caught his first two balls of the season. Because the Los Angeles offense is so concentrated, Reynolds would probably need both wide receivers to miss time in order to be relevant, though Robert Woods and Todd Gurley would still earn the majority of targets. Reynolds is a viable deeper league addition.
Shallow/Deep Pickups
Jalen Richard
Technically the No.3 running back in Oakland, Richard is the primary receiving option out of the backfield and has had three games with six or more receptions. He won’t see many carries and the floor is low, but when the Raiders are expected to be losing Richard is worth sticking into lineups. He’s a deep league, speculative add.
D’Onta Foreman
Foreman is returning from an Achilles injury and will be eligible to come off the PUP list soon. Lamar Miller has struggled and Alfred Blue is more of a complimentary back, so Foreman is worth stashing if he’s still out there in leagues.
QB Streamers
Jameis Winston @ ATL
Winston will make his first start of the season in a road divisional matchup against one of the weakest secondaries in the league. He’s in an excellent spot to perform this week and is the top streaming option.
Andy Dalton vs. PIT
Dalton is a close second against another poor secondary, even though he’s historically struggled in divisional games. Dalton has thrown for multiple scores in all but one game, while the Steelers have allowed at least 300 passing yards in four of five contests.
Baker Mayfield vs. LAC
Mayfield comes in at third in this group due to Cleveland’s insistence on the run game, as well as the Los Angeles defense being the toughest of the three matchups. He was solid in an overtime win over Baltimore but volume will continue to be an issue.