Week 5’s waiver wire picks were a bit of a mixed bag. Woody Marks’ low usage left thousands of fantasy managers in a mess, the Cardinals’ defense melted down against the Titans, and Wan’Dale Robinson’s numbers weren’t as flashy as expected with the Giants’ turnover woes.
Still, Dalton Schultz had a solid game for the Texans, and here are plenty of intriguing waiver options heading into Week 6.
Matthew Stafford
Puka Nacua and Davante Adams have garnered most of the Rams’ fantasy attention so far this season. It’s time Matthew Stafford gets some love as he is surprisingly available in over 40% of NFL Fantasy leagues. This despite being the 12th-best QB in PPR leagues and having scored 52.96 points over the last two weeks.
Week 6 is set up perfectly for Stafford, too. He’s facing a depleted Ravens defense, which just gave up 44 points to the Texans. CJ Stroud, who had four passing touchdowns, was the highest-scoring fantasy QB in Week 5.
His last two games have produced 375 and 389 passing yards. The Rams throw the ball as frequently as any team in the NFL and it is quite possible to see Stafford as QB1 in Week 6.
Evan Engram
A first receiving touchdown of the year helped Evan Engram amass 13.30 points in Denver’s win over Philadelphia. Engram was targeted six times, taking him to 13 targets over the last two weeks.
Rostered in almost half of NFL fantasy leagues but left on the bench by most managers, he could be a trade target if he’s not on the waiver wire in your league.
Week 6 sees the Broncos face the Jets. Jake Ferguson just had seven receptions against the same opponent on Sunday.
Week 7 gives Engram a chance against the Giants. It’s an opportune time to pick up the Broncos’ tight end if you don’t have one of the elite players at the position.
Rico Dowdle
No fantasy player scored more points than Rico Dowdle in Week 5. With the Panthers pulling off a spectacular comeback over the Dolphins, Dowdle had 206 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and three receptions for 23 yards.
It’s unclear what Chuba Hubbard’s outlook is for Week 6, but even if he returns, Dowdle’s showing was surely enough to warrant a role in the offense against a Cowboys team that has been battered on the ground so far this year.
Rostered in under 38% of leagues, there’s real upside for Dowdle if Hubbard remains sidelined. He’s unlikely to repeat his Week 5 exploits, but he could be a top-12 RB.
Calvin Ridley
Twelve wide receivers scored more points than Calvin Ridley in Week 5. Ridley is similar to Engram as he’s rostered in 64.4% of leagues but was only started by 10% of managers amid the Titans’ offensive woes.
His 10 targets and five receptions were both season-highs. The tally of 131 receiving yards is more than double what he achieved in any other game this season.
Next up, it’s the Raiders, Patriots, and Colts. All three teams are in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points conceded to wide receivers.
Steelers Defense
Mike Tomlin’s record off a bye is phenomenal. His Steelers are already the fifth-ranked defense. Only rostered in 45.4% of NFL fantasy leagues, Pittsburgh is a brilliant streaming option for Week 6.
The Steelers are facing the Dillon Gabriel-led Browns. Gabriel had a solid debut in London on Sunday, but he’s facing a much sterner task against this Pittsburgh pass rush and will most likely struggle.
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