With just Monday Night Football still to happen, now is that glorious time of the week when we turn our attention to Week 6 and attack the fantasy football waiver wire.
To be as helpful as possible to you dear readers, I’ve highlighted two players at each position, plus a handful of other names to target ranging from a little over 50% rostered in Sleeper leagues to well under the 30% mark. I’ve also included a few players to be cautious of to further help give you the edge over your leaguemates. No matter your league size, there’s someone in here for you.
Let’s begin!
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (40% rostered)
I don’t know how or when it happened, but it has been officially Geno Time for quite some time. Smith is coming off back-to-back games in which he’s scores three touchdowns, and has only thrown fewer than two once this season. He’s currently the QB5 in fantasy and is averaging almost 20 points per game. He also happens to be the best quarterback of the 2022 season so far. Seems like a good waiver target.
Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (47% rostered)
Three quarterbacks this season have thrown for at least 1,390 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season: Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and Wentz. What is football anymore? I don’t know. You’re going to get classic Wentz games from week-to-week but his highs have proven to be the QB1 level. Let Geno Smith and Carson Wentz being top-10 fantasy quarterbacks five weeks into the season be a reminder that fantasy football is weird so best to just accept it and steer into it.
Other Targets: Jimmy Garoppolo (30%), Zach Wilson (26%), Jacoby Brissett (13%)
Running Backs
Kenneth Walker, Seahawks (60% rostered)
Rashaad Penny sadly left Sunday’s game with a fractured tibia which seems like it could end his season. With Penny out, Walker became the Seahawks’ bellcow back on early downs. He saw over 85% of early down work and finished the game with 88 yards and a touchdown. It is worth noting that DeeJay Dallas dominated the third-down and two minute drill touches against the Saints. Still, that shouldn’t dissuade managers for going hard for Walker on waivers as he has weekly high-end RB2 upside.
Mike Boone, Denver Broncos (45% rostered)
Boone was a top waiver target last week and he’s back on the list this week. Against the Colts, Boone carried the ball 7 times for 38 yards and added 47 yards through the air. While Boone was clearly behind Melvin Gordon on the depth chart, he’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry through the last two games. If he keeps playing at this level while Gordon struggles—averaging 3.4 YPC over last two games—I wouldn’t be surprised to see Boone’s playtime increase.
Caution: Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals (16% rostered)
Benjamin put up good numbers filling in for an injured James Conner and Darrel Williams. Against a great Eagles’ defense, Benjamin managed 53 total yards and a score. However, his fantasy value moving forward is directly tied to the health of Conner and Williams. Consider Benjamin just a streaming option for Week 6 if one or both of Conner and Williams can’t suit up. Benjamin doesn’t offer much rest of season value if both backs don’t miss significant time.
Other Targets: Raheem Mostert (69%), Tyler Allgeier (68%), Damien Williams (8%)
Wide Receivers
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots (62% rostered)
I don’t know if you know this, but Jakobi Meyers is a damn good wide receiver. After missing two games, Meyers came back Sunday and torched the Lions’ secondary for 111 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches. And that was with third-string quarterback Bailey Zappe under center. Meyers hasn’t seen less that six targets when on the field this season and is clearly the Patriots’ top receiver. This is your last chance to roster him.
Rondale Moore, Cardinals (38% rostered)
In just his second game back, Moore played in 91% of the Cardinals’ snaps, ran the second-most routes on the team (t-41), and saw 8 targets, catching 7 for 68 yards. He also played almost entirely from the slot, which is great news for Moore’s season-long fantasy value. He’ll likely retain that work even when DeAndre Hopkins returns as Hopkins and Marquise Brown primarily operate on the outside. Greg Dortch’s dalliance with fantasy fame just goes to show how productive the slot role in Arizona can be.
Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions (47% rostered)
Normally I just include two blurbs per position, but I have to say something about Reynolds. Reynolds has seen at least eight targets in each of the last three weeks and has emerged as a go-to for Jared Goff with the Lions dealing with injuries. He ranks top-20 among WRs in NECC consistency rating and top-15 in PER rating, averaging 1.87 points per target (through Week 4, stats not updated through Week 5 yet). While his role might change as the Lions get healthier, his play over the last three weeks should cement a larger role for him moving forward.
Caution: Dyami Brown, Commanders (0% rostered)
Brown saw more playing time with rookie Jahan Dotson sidelined and he made the most of his opportunities Sunday. Brown only caught two balls, but both were for big touchdowns. Obviously that level of production is not sustainable nor reliable, hence the caution tag. Still, Brown isn’t a bad name to take a flier on especially in deep leagues. Just don’t go burning your FAAB trying to get him.
Other Targets: Alec Pierce (20%), Marvin Jones (13%)
Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals (38% rostered)
Hurst has been a frequent name on this list and it was only a matter of time before he had a breakout game. Against the Ravens, Hurst caught 6-of-7 targets for 53 yards and a touchdown. He’s now scored a touchdown in back-to-back weeks and has seen at least seven targets in three-of-five games.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (24% rostered)
I can promise you Hill is going to break our NECC consistency rating this week. After doing very little so far this season, Hill erupted for four total touchdowns against the Seahawks. He ran three in and threw for another. Hill is going to frustrate fantasy managers to no end but his goal line work gives him an enormous ceiling, one that’s too good to pass on.
Other Targets: Irv Smith Jr. (45%), Evan Engram (26%), Daniel Bellinger (5%)