NFL Waiver Wire: Week 6 Deep Dive

The flow and pace of the NFL season is always interesting to monitor. It's a struggle some weeks to find players at certain positions to help off the waiver wire in deeper leagues. But even with relatively few standout options there's a lot of speculation to be done this week on the wire at basically every position. Let's jump in.

Quarterbacks

Andy Dalton vs. ATL – 8% ESPN, 23% FFPC

Dalton is the streaming option of the week. He crashed back in Week 5 against the Bears, though the Falcons are a more forgiving matchup. His performance against the Bengals (220 yards and two touchdowns) represents a decent baseline expectation.

Russell Wilson at LV – 2% ESPN, 64% FFPC

The Steelers lose two straight and suddenly Wilson (calf) is able to ramp up his activity in practice. Coincidence? Probably not. We'll likely see Justin Fields under center in Week 6, but this could be his last chance to hang onto the starting job in Pittsburgh.

Drake Maye vs. HOU - 2% ESPN, 74% FFPC

In another offensive context, the news of Maye starting would be very exciting thanks to his rushing upside. Given the current state of the Patriots' offense, that's less the case. We've seen how quickly QB play can raise the bar in Washington with Jayden Daniels. That seems farfetched for Maye to replicate, but it's worth finding out in deeper leagues.

Aidan O'Connell vs. PIT – 0% ESPN, 38% FFPC

There are only so many times coach Antonio Pierce can turn back to Gardner Minshew as the starter after pulling him last week. That happened for the second time in the team's last three games during the loss to the Broncos, so we should expect O'Connell to fill in soon – if not for the upcoming matchup against the Steelers.

Spencer Rattler vs. TB – 0% ESPN, 9% FFPC

The Saints haven't officially named a replacement for Derek Carr (oblique), though most reports seem to suggest Rattler will get the opportunity. The most likely scenario is that an already mediocre offense will only get worse and he won't be fantasy-relevant in most leagues, but he's deserving of a look for those in trouble in 2QB leagues.

Running Backs

Tank Bigsby at CHI - 34% ESPN

Bigsby shot up in roster rate to the degree that typically he wouldn't be mentioned in this article. However, both he and Tyrone Tracy offer the potential to be true difference makers at running back moving forward. Even in relatively shallow leagues, it's worth stashing him to see how the Jacksonville backfield situation shakes out. On top of Bigsby arguably being the more effective back, Travis Etienne (shoulder) is banged up.

Dare Ogunbowale at NE – 2% ESPN, 11% FFPC

Speaking of hurting, the Houston backfield remains very ambiguous. Both Joe Mixon (ankle) and Dameon Pierce (hamstring) remain on the injury report, and Ogunbowale clearly pushed ahead of Cam Akers for touches. This will be a situation to monitor based on practice participation for both Mixon and Pierce.

Ameer Abdullah vs. PIT – 0% ESPN, 0% FFPC

Zamir White (groin) was inactive in Week 5 after suffering an injury during practice. He didn't participate in any session before being ruled out, which creates an uncertain situation. Alexander Mattison looked less-than-inspiring as the lead back. Abdullah primarily played in garbage time during Sunday's loss, though that could change against the Steelers.

Tyler Goodson at TEN – 3% ESPN, 7% FFPC

Jonathan Taylor didn't practice all week leading up to the Colts' previous contest, making it far from a guarantee he'll be ready to go against Tennessee. Trey Sermon doubled Goodson in touches, yet the latter holds a role as a pass catcher and change-of-pace runner. With bye weeks and ongoing injuries, he could be a reasonable streaming option.

Trayveon Williams at NYG – 0% ESPN

Zack Moss (ankle) apparently suffered an minor ankle injury Sunday against Baltimore, but it will be worth confirming his practice status Wednesday. Chase Brown would presumably take over as the lead back, though he isn't trusted by the team in obvious passing situations and that would potentially get Williams onto the field for a decent amount of plays.

Isaac Guerendo at SEA – 1% ESPN, 63% FFPC

Jordan Mason remains the clear lead back for the 49ers, but Guerendo has shown a few limited signs of getting usage in the offense as he logged a season-high 14 percent of offensive snaps Sunday and picked up 22 yards on the ground. This isn't a run-to-the-waiver-wire situation, yet he's a decent option for those carrying open roster spots.

Jaylen Wright BYE – 9% ESPN

The Miami backfield has gone through enough injuries early in the season that I'd be motivated to hold Wright through his bye and add him in leagues where he becomes available. When given an opportunity against New England due to the De'Von Achane (concussion) injury, he responded by averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Wide Receivers

Ja'Lynn Polk vs. HOU – 12% ESPN

With Drake Maye under center in New England, there's some hope the offense finally shows a hint of explosiveness. DeMario Douglas seems like the best speculation play in that scenario, though he holds a fairly high roster rate. Polk is a decent pivot and could have a connection with Maye as highly-drafted rookies.

Michael Wilson at GB - 12% ESPN

Like the Arizona offense, Wilson has been inconsistent this season. He's played a strong complement to Marvin Harrison and has only logged11 fewer routes while showing relatively similar or better efficiency (Harrison - 1.86 YPRR, Wilson – 1.55 YPRR). Wilson is a particularly strong streaming selection against a Packers defense that's been pretty forgiving to opposing passing offenses.

Ray-Ray McCloud at CAR – 7% ESPN, 14% FFPC

McCloud has settled into a third-receiver role behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney, but he's seen at least seven targets in three of five games. There may not be much long-term appeal, though he's another decent streaming option with the Falcons' offense appearing to hit its stride and set to face the Panthers.

Xavier Hutchinson at NE  - 0% ESPN, 0% FFPC

All eyes are on Tank Dell to step up in the absence of Nico Collins (hamstring), yet Hutchinson is a potential sneaky add. He ran 27 routes as opposed to the 32 of Dell in Week 5, and the duo had comparably poor target per route run rates (12.5 to 11.1 percent) and yards per route run rates (1.19 vs. 1.15).

Tight End

Brenton Strange at Chicago – 8% ESPN, 18% FFPC

It appears Evan Engram (hamstring) has a good chance to return this weekend, which could make Strange irrelevant for fantasy purposes. However, he's remained widely available due to the lack of clarity about Engram's status, so he's there if things go poorly for the starter in his ramp-up.

Jonnu Smith BYE – 2% ESPN

Smith finally got involved in the Miami offense and delivered. Given the state of the position, that makes him worthy of some waiver wire attention. The downside is that he's on his bye, but he could be a streaming candidate once the team returns to action.

Theo Johnson vs. Cincinnati – 1% ESPN, 56% FFPC

It's no surprise Johnson posted his most significant involvement in the Giants' offense in the absence of Malik Nabers (concussion). Daniel Jones has led a more functional unit than was expected while Johnson ran 30 routes in Week 5 compared to one for Daniel Bellinger.