- When diving into the top tier of wide receivers there are two names that we need to dive into further: DJ Moore and Malik Nabers. Moore has been the focal point of the Bears’ passing attack all season long. That has not always been a fruitful role but as Caleb Williams continues to improve each week, Moore has also started to pay off for his fantasy managers. Moore is coming off of a two-touchdown performance against his former team and his second game in a row finding pay dirt. He is averaging over eight targets per game this season. In Week 6, Moore faces a Jaguars team allowing the most points to opposing wide receivers. He should be a locked and loaded WR1.
- Now to the rookie phenom Malik Nabers. Nabers missed last week due to still being in the concussion protocol. It is a situation to monitor although I expect him to make his return this week against the Bengals. It’s difficult to comprehend just how good Nabers has been this season. He has played only four games and leads the league in receptions, is second in the league in targets, eighth in yards, and 17th in touchdowns. The former LSU Tiger has been as advertised. He is my WR6 on the week assuming he does get in a full practice this week. He is a WR1 as long as he is healthy.
- Looking at the next tier of wide receivers we need to talk briefly about the Texans wide receivers and Darnell Mooney. We still need clarity on Nico Collins but I am projecting him to miss this week as he is currently labeled as week to week. In his absence, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell should both step into larger roles. They face a tough Patriots secondary led by Christian Gonzalez in Week 6 which may limit their upside. Both pass catchers land in my Tier 2 of wide receivers (Diggs WR13. Dell WR32).
- Darnell Mooney is the Falcons’ new favorite weapon, which is both infuriating and something every fantasy manager should have seen coming. We play a dumb game wipes away a single tear. Mooney has seen 37 targets across his last four games. Not only that, but Kirk Cousins continues to look better and better. To the detriment of Kyle Pitts, Mooney has established himself as a 20+% target share player in Atlanta’s offense, surpassing 25% each of the last four games. He is a buy-high player in fantasy football, and any manager who is rostering him right now may still think that this is a flash in the pan.
- Ja’Lynn Polk is only rostered in 8% of Yahoo fantasy football leagues right now. It makes sense. The rookie has been scarcely used, and his production has been minimal throughout the first five weeks of the season. All of these things make the Patriot a great ADD NOW candidate because you can do it for free or even after waivers have run. His snap share has increased every week of this season, hitting 83% two weeks ago and 100% last week. The Patriots are transitioning to Drake Maye at quarterback this week. It’s a move that will not fix this offense, but it makes young players like Polk significantly more interesting, especially as we approach the heart of bye weeks. Polk has seen 6.5 targets per game over the last two weeks, and his ceiling will be limited, but he could have some FLEX viability shortly. Polk was one of my favorite off-the-radar wide receivers in this draft cycle, with solid route running and vice grips for hands.
WR Rankings: Week 6