Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 6

Every Monday during the season, theScore's Justin Boone runs down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

Quarterbacks

Daniel Jones, Giants

Jones and Derek Carr are the two best Week 6 streamers rostered in less than 50% of leagues.

While Jones might seem a surprising choice, he already has two top-12 weekly fantasy finishes this season and sits at QB11 for Week 5 - with just the Monday night game left to be played.

Next week, he'll get star wideout Malik Nabers back in the lineup for a matchup against a Bengals defense that's allowed QB1 fantasy finishes to the last three passers it faced.

Kirk Cousins is just over the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in all leagues.

Streaming options: Derek Carr vs. TB (33% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Justin Herbert at DEN (42% rostered), Bo Nix vs. LAC (10% rostered), Andy Dalton vs. ATL (15% rostered), Aaron Rodgers vs. BUF (48% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if starting): Joe Flacco at TEN (8% rostered)

Desperation streaming options: Will Levis vs. IND (9% rostered), Deshaun Watson at PHI (24% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if starting): Gardner Minshew/Aidan O'Connell vs. PIT (5%/0% rostered), Jacoby Brissett vs. HOU

Bye-week stashes: Matthew Stafford (44% rostered), Tyler Huntley (3% rostered)

High-upside stashes: Drake Maye (3% rostered), Jameis Winston (1% rostered)

Running backs

Tank Bigsby, Jaguars

Bigsby has outplayed Travis Etienne this season. Though Etienne is playing through a shoulder injury, Bigsby looks like the faster, more decisive runner, and the results back it up.

Despite seeing the field on less than 40% of the snaps each game, the sophomore back delivered 73 yards in the opener, 90 yards in Week 4, and 129 yards and two touchdowns in Week 5.

Meanwhile, Etienne's playing time has dropped four straight weeks, leading to a season-low 38% snap share Sunday.

Etienne seems to have a stranglehold on the pass-catching work, which limits Bigsby's fantasy ceiling. But don't be shocked when Bigsby is a low-end RB2 and ahead of Etienne in Week 6 rankings.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants

The Giants turned to Eric Gray early in Sunday's game with Devin Singletary dealing with a groin injury. When Gray fumbled, it opened the door for Tracy Jr.

The fifth-round rookie poured in 130 scrimmage yards on 19 touches, displaying excellent vision and generally having the appearance of a quality NFL running back.

The question is how much work will Tracy Jr. get once Singletary is healthy, which could be as early as this week. It seems impossible to send him back to the sidelines entirely, so expect a timeshare that turns Singletary and Tracy Jr. into fantasy RB3/flex options.

Bucky Irving, Rico Dowdle, Alexander Mattison, and Trey Sermon are just over the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in all leagues.

High-upside backups like Blake Corum (17% rostered), Trey Benson (24% rostered), and Ray Davis (8% rostered) should be rostered in most leagues.

RB2 options (if starter is out): Tyrone Tracy Jr. vs CIN (23% rostered), Antonio Gibson vs. HOU (38% rostered), Ty Chandler on Bye (28% rostered)

RB3/flex options: Tyler Allgeier at CAR (26% rostered), Braelon Allen vs. BUF (48% rostered), Roschon Johnson vs. JAX (20% rostered)

Flex options: Jaleel McLaughlin vs. LAC (20% rostered),

Flex options (if starter is out): Tyler Goodson at TEN (1% rostered), Cam Akers at NE (35% rostered), Dare Ogunbowale at NE (1% rostered)

Risky flex options: Justice Hill vs. WSH (31% rostered), Emanuel Wilson vs. ARI (13% rostered)

Risky flex options (if healthy): Cordarrelle Patterson at LV (2% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: Miles Sanders vs. ATL (4% rostered), Gus Edwards at DEN (33% rostered), D'Onta Foreman at PHI (2% rostered), Ameer Abdullah vs. PIT (0% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out): Eric Gray vs. CIN (0% rostered),

Other backups to roster: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (11% rostered), Isaac Guerendo (2% rostered), Kimani Vidal (2% rostered), Kenneth Gainwell (1% rostered), Jeremy McNichols (2% rostered)

Bye-week stashes: Jaylen Wright (8% rostered), Samaje Perine (18% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Kendre Miller (7% rostered), MarShawn Lloyd (5% rostered), Audric Estime (1% rostered), Keaton Mitchell (8% rostered)

Wide receivers

Josh Downs, Colts

Downs is showing no signs of being slowed by the ankle injury that cost him time early in the season. After a quieter game in his return to the lineup, the 23-year-old racked up eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Week 4, followed by nine receptions for 69 yards on a whopping 12 targets in Week 5.

The only caveat is that his recent production has mostly come with veteran Joe Flacco under center. We don't know when Anthony Richardson will be back, but the signal-caller's return will impact Downs' volume.

For now, consider Downs a fantasy WR3 who might drop into the WR4 range once Richardson returns. Regardless, Downs needs to be rostered everywhere.

Ladd McConkey, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jakobi Meyers, Darnell Mooney , DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Lockett are near or just over the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in all leagues.

WR3/flex options: Jalen Tolbert vs. DET (7% rostered)

WR3/flex options (if healthy): Xavier Legette vs. ATL (30% rostered)

WR4/flex options: Romeo Doubs vs. ARI (33% rostered), Allen Lazard vs. BUF (36% rostered), Quentin Johnston at DEN (28% rostered)

Flex options: Keon Coleman at NYJ (20% rostered), Michael Wilson at GB (13% rostered),

Risky flex options: Alec Pierce at TEN (20% rostered), Adonai Mitchell at TEN (9% rostered), Jerry Jeudy at PHI (49% rostered), Rashod Bateman vs. WSH (9% rostered)

Risky flex options (if starter is out): Darius Slayton vs. CIN (3% rostered),

Dart-throw flex options: Ja'Lynn Polk vs. HOU (8% rostered), Mike Williams vs. BUF (20% rostered), Tre Tucker vs. PIT (19% rostered), Joshua Palmer at DEN (17% rostered), DeMario Douglas vs. HOU (6% rostered), Ray-Ray McCloud at CAR (7% rostered), Greg Dortch at GB (8% rostered), KaVontae Turpin vs. DET (1% rostered), Lil'Jordan Humphrey vs. LAC (0% rostered), Dyami Brown at BAL (0% rostered), Jonathan Mingo vs. ATL (1% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy): Noah Brown at BAL (0% rostered), Jalen McMillan at NO (2% rostered)

Other receivers to roster: Bo Melton (1% rostered), Luke McCaffrey (2% rostered), Jalen Coker (0% rostered), Xavier Hutchinson (0% rostered), Ricky Pearsall (8% rostered)

Bye-week stashes: Tutu Atwell (19% rostered), Jordan Whittington (15% rostered), Demarcus Robinson (17% rostered), Justin Watson (2% rostered), JuJu Smith--Schuster (5% rostered)

Tight ends

Cade Otton, Buccaneers

After coming away with just one catch in the first two games, Otton has erupted with stat lines of 7-47-0, 8-52-0, and 3-44-0 over the last three weeks.

Otton's jump in production has coincided with rookie wideout Jalen McMillan's injury and absence. Whether Otton can continue to put up these totals when McMillan returns remains to be seen.

However, the waiver wire doesn't offer a slam-dunk option like last week's featured tight end, Tucker Kraft. That means fantasy managers will need to pick their poison between guys like Otton, Tyler Conklin, or Taysom Hill (if he's healthy).

Streaming options: Tyler Conklin vs. BUF (30% rostered

Streaming options (if healthy): Taysom Hill vs. TB (38% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Theo Johnson vs. CIN (1% rostered), Hunter Henry vs. HOU (30% rostered), Zach Ertz at BAL (31% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if starter is out): Brenton Strange at CHI (7% rostered), Jordan Akins at PHI (1% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options: Noah Fant vs. SF (31% rostered), Mike Gesicki at NYG (26% rostered), Erick All Jr. at NYG (3% rostered), Juwan Johnson vs. TB (4% rostered), Ja'Tavion Sanders vs. ATL (1% rostered),

High-upside stashes: Ben Sinnott (2% rostered), Charlie Kolar (0% rostered)

Bye-week stashes: Colby Parkinson (28% rostered), Jonnu Smith (5% rostered), Noah Gray (1% rostered)

Defenses

Week 6 streamers

Favorable upcoming schedules: Saints DEF (37% rostered), Eagles DEF (34% rostered), Colts DEF (17% rostered), Commanders DEF (19% rostered)

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