Top Players to Add in Week 6
A great draft can make a great team, but leagues are won on the waiver wire. Injuries happen, top draft picks become busts, and no names become household names. Successfully navigating the waiver wire will lead to a winning season.
As a reminder, I’ll be covering Waivers every Tuesday morning right here on QBList.com. You can also catch me and Brian Hartman (aka @TooMuch_Brian) on the Waiver podcast every Tuesday morning and the Start/Sit podcast every Thursday morning, wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like my work, give me a follow on Twitter @marioadamojr. With that out of the way, let’s dive into it.
Here are my top five targets, as well as some honorable mentions, to help you win through the wire this week.
An important thing to consider: this article focuses on players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of leagues. There could be players rostered in over 50% of leagues that are available in your league. Be vigilant; watch your league’s Free Agency pool and look for players who were given up on too early.
| Player | Position | Team | Roster % | Week 7 Opponent | |
| 1 | Woody Marks | RB | HOU | 52% | @ JAX |
| 2 | Kendre Miller | RB | NO | 8% | @ NYG |
| 3 | Kimani Vidal | RB | LAC | 3% | @ KC |
| 4 | Darius Cooper | WR | PHI | 6% | v CAR |
| 5 | Ryan Flournoy | WR | DAL | 7% | @ GB |
1. Woody Marks – Move over Buzz Lightyear, the future belongs to Woody. I mentioned it last week, but especially with David Montgomery now ‘week-to-week’ with a groin injury, Marks is a top target this week. Woody Marks has already taken over the Houston backfield, outscoring Monty since Week 2. With no competition, Marks will keep getting the volume. His 15 carries last week have him in the same breath as fellow bell-cows Jonathan Taylor and Jaylen Warren. If we combined Monty and Woody’s production Weeks 2-5, we’d get finishes of RB24, RB12, RB23, and RB19 (before Monday Night Football). Those aren’t Ollie Gordon numbers, but they are enough to get us by.
Marks is my top waiver target heading into Week 6.
2. Kendre Miller – The Saints as an offense had a tough day this week. Maybe none more than Alvin Kamara, whose 3 carries for 12 yards and 2 catches for -6 yards placed him at RB53 on the week (before Monday Night Football). CJ Donaldson outcarried him with 4 attempts for 13 yards. Kendre Miller had the best day; his 10 carries made him lead the team for the first time since Week 1. Miller could only muster 30 yards, but he did find the end zone. With Travis Etienne Jr. still on IR and the threat of Kamara diminishing, Miller has the most to gain. I think Miller will have a solid outing next week when the Saints travel to face the Giants.
Miller is my top target for immediate running back return.
3. Kimani Vidal – This Chargers backfield continues to be a mess. While Omarion Hampton continues to get the bulk of the work, his 2.4 yards per carry (YPC) are not getting the job done. If that couldn’t get any worse, Keaton Mitchell mixed in with an even worse 1.8 YPC. Enter Kimani Vidal, whose 7.1 YPC ranked third in Week 5 for players with at least 8 rushing attempts. Vidal’s 57 yards led this three-headed monster of a backfield. While this backfield could change on a dime, right now Vidal looks to be the back to roster for the Chargers.
Vidal is someone I’m targeting as a potential longer-term option at running back in case he emerges as the backfield leader.
4. Darius Cooper – Another repeat from last week’s article, but I can’t stop scooping up Darius Cooper everywhere. I’m clearly the only one, as Cooper is only rostered in ~6% of leagues. While the Eagles and their offense look repugnant at times, bad teams have fantasy players too. This is the second week of Cooper finishing in the top 20 (WR16 before Monday Night Football). I expect Cooper to be involved even when DeVonta Smith returns from injury. Cooper is criminally unrostered because the Eagles are football abominations.
Cooper continues to be my top wide receiver waiver target this week.
5. Ryan Flournoy – CeeDee Lamb followed up a 32.8-point half PPR game with a 1.9-point outing on Thursday night. In his defense, something the Cowboys severely lack, Lamb injured his quad early in the game. Because it was a Thursday night game, Lamb has had extra time to recover, but in case he ends up missing time, I’m looking to add Ryan Flournoy. Flournoy is the third-most targeted pass catcher on this team, only behind Lamb and George Pickens. Flournoy actually saw a season-low 4 targets on Thursday, but he managed to bring in 2 of those targets for a touchdown. Flournoy has the second most red-zone targets on the team, with only 1 fewer than Lamb.
If Lamb misses time, Flournoy becomes a priority target.
Others Receiving Votes
Dameon Pierce, PHI (2% Rostered) – Week 5 just wrapped up and the Philadelphia Eagles are on their fourth running back. While Dameon Pierce failed to impress this week (and who could fault him, as he was just elevated from the practice squad), he should have another crack at it next week when the Eagles host the Panthers. We’ll have to see how healthy Saquon Barkley is, but there’s an opportunity for Pierce to see double-digit touches in what was once considered an offense.
Raheim Sanders, CLE (3%) – With Quinshon Judkins day-to-day, I’m looking at Raheim Sanders. Sanders is the only other Browns running back to see any significant action. Jaleel McLaughlin could also be worth an add in deeper leagues.
Samaje Perine, CIN (5%) – The Bengals have a Bye this week, but Samaje Perine is coming off a season-high 14 carries and finished as RB11 before Monday Night Football. It will be interesting to see if Perine can build off of this, but he is worth a speculative add.
DeMario Douglas, NE (3%) – In the words of Magnitude from Community, ‘Pop, pop!’ While “there’s a chance” A.J. Brown will practice this week according to Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel, nothing appears certain. Douglas had the best day of all Patriots pass-catchers in Week 5, bringing in 4 of his 5 targets for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns. Douglas had 22 targets this year, the second most on the team and only one behind target leader, Romeo Doubs. Until Brown returns, someone needs to catch passes on this team; it could be Douglas’ time to shine.
Kendrick Bourne, ARI (3%) – With Marvin Harrison Jr. off to Houston, that opens up more opportunities for pass catchers in Arizona. One of the immediate beneficiaries was Kendrick Bourne, who brought in 5 of his 8 targets for 70 yards. Bourne is a fine add in deeper leagues.
Malik Washington, MIA (50%) – Another week, another mention of Malik Washington. Washington is coming off of his best finish of the season, WR25 before Monday Night Football. Among all wideouts, Washington’s 36 targets are the 19th most across the league. While Washington has yet to finish in the top 20, his targets make him a prime candidate for consistent production. The Dolphins have a Bye this week, but have positive matchups for wideouts in five of six afterwards: @NYJ (+), NE (-), DET (+), @IND (+), @BUF (+), NYJ (+).
Pat Freiermuth, PIT (17%) – Trying to figure out when Pat Freiermuth will have a solid game feels like trying to time the market. Freiermuth is coming off of his best game of the season, and wide receiver Roman Wilson is set to miss some time. I roll the dice with Freiermuth, and he’s available in most leagues.
Freiermuth is my top tight end waiver target.
Brenton Strange, JAX (38%) – Brenton Strange saw 8 targets this week, good for the sixth-most among tight ends. It’s Strange’s second straight week of 8 targets, 7 catches. Since Week 3, Strange leads all Jacksonville pass-catchers in targets. The volume continues to shine for Strange, making him a viable option.
Aaron Rodgers, PIT (28%) – Aaron Rodgers has three straight games with three touchdown passes and finishes of at least 22 points. If your quarterback is on bye this week or next, or you need a pivot, I like Rodgers as an option that should be available in most leagues. Week 6 is an unfavorable matchup at Tampa Bay before getting a favorable matchup at New Orleans.
Jordan Love, GB (62%) – At this point, we know the Dallas defense can’t stop a runny nose. The Packers host the Cowboys, and Jordan Love is coming off of his best game of the season.
Defense Wins Championships
With Miami on a Bye this week, we look elsewhere.
The Kansas City Chiefs (24%) host the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert has at least one turnover in every game this season and has yet to pass for more than one touchdown in a game. With the Chargers’ woes and the Chiefs fresh off a bye, this is my favorite matchup of the week.
The San Fransico 49ers (26%) host the Washington Commanders. While Jayden Daniels finished as a top QB this week, I still have concerns about his health and his ability to finish games. I think there’s a chance the Niners will get some snaps against a backup QB.
As an Eagles fan, this pains me, but the Carolina Panthers (4%) could be an option in deeper leagues. The Birds look broken on offense and have one of the most disheveled offensive lines in football.
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare