Week 6 is now in the books. There are numerous storylines to track, but perhaps the most significant is the players turning it on in time for the byes. There were a lot of defensive fireworks in Week 6, so there are more than a few intriguing names on the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes. Let’s take a look at some of the names that may be worth some of your free agent budget.
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Defensive Back
Ryan Neal (S – SEA): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Ryan Neal is catching fire. He recorded six solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defended, and one forced fumble in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals and is quickly becoming one of the better DB2 options. He could be in the DB1 discussion with another strong week or two, so fantasy managers need to act now to avoid disappointment. Neal has replaced Josh Jones in the Jamal Adams role in this defense and should be put in position to be one of the top options at the position going forward. Neal is a strong DB2 option for a neutral Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Make the add wherever available.
Kyle Dugger (S – NE): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Dugger is back to his regular role and responded with six solos, two assists, one interception, and two passes defended. Left on the wire after getting injured and being eased back into his role upon his return, this DB1 option is available in far too many leagues. Dugger is a DB1 option when he is seeing starters snaps and needs to be started universally. Start him as a DB2 with DB1 upside for a plus matchup against Justin Fields and a Chicago Bears offense allowing the 11th most fantasy points to the position.
Rayshawn Jenkins (S – JAC): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Rayshawn Jenkins is heating up. Jenkins followed up the seven solos and five assists he recorded in Week 5 with a seven solo, one assist, and one pass defended performance against the Indianapolis Colts. He is producing at a high-end DB2 level and should be counted as just that for a plus matchup against a New York Giants team surrendering the 9th most fantasy points to the safety position. Add Jenkins where needed as a potential impact starter during the byes.
Jaquan Brisker (S – CHI): 5% rostered on Yahoo
Jaquan was at it again in Week 6, tallying two solos, three assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Brisker has been producing at a DB1 level this season, checking in as the DB22/S14 through six weeks of play. Brisker now has two sacks in his last three games, displaying the versatility that has him pegged for the DB1 conversation for years to come. Treat him as a DB1 option for an excellent Week 7 matchup against a New England Patriots team surrendering the sixth most fantasy points to the position. Jaquan should be rostered in all competitive leagues.
Kamren Curl (S – WAS): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Curl was excellent in Week 6, recording five solos and one sack. Curl has been back in the lineup and producing for weeks, so it is time to start taking him seriously as a top-end DB2 option again. He is a DB1 option when he is at his best, and if this week is any indication, he should be able to get there within the next few weeks. Treat Curl as a borderline DB1 option for a tasty Week 7 matchup against a Green Bay Packers team, gifting the second most fantasy points per game to the safety position. Add the talented safety wherever still available.
Others to consider: Jaylinn Hawkins (S – ATL): 1%, Malik Hooker (S – DAL): 0%, Julian Love (S/CB – NYG): 14%, C.J. Gardner-Johnson (S – PHI): 4%, Geno Stone (S – BAL): 0%
Linebacker
Zaven Collins (LB – ARI): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Zaven Collins was a beast in Week 6, racking up an insane five solos, four assists, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and a pass defended. Unfortunately, Collins was listed as a limited participant on Monday’s estimated practice report, making him questionable at best for Thursday Night Football. Regardless of whether or not they give him rest on the short week or not, Zaven is someone who needs to be rostered and started universally. He oozes with LB1 upside but will stay relegated to the LB2 realm until he proves he can be more consistent. With that said, if the Cardinals continue to let him rush the passer (he already has more blitzes than last year), it will only be a matter of time until he bullies his way into the LB1 conversation. Start Collins as a strong LB2 option for a plus Week 7 matchup against a New Orleans Saints team allowing the fifth most fantasy points to the position.
Quincy Williams (LB – NYJ): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Quincy Williams was all over the field on Sunday, racking up eight solos and six assists in the upset win over the Green Bay Packers. Quincy returned from injury to play 81 percent of the snaps and should be back closer to 100 percent this weekend. Quincy was playing at a strong LB2 level before the injury and should be immediately reinserted back into that conversation after his strong showing in Week 6. Start him as a DB2 option for a neutral Week 7 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Rashaan Evans (LB – ATL): 15% rostered on Yahoo
Rashaan was excellent in Week 6, racking up seven solos, five assists, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. The former first round pick has had his peaks and valleys this season but has graded out as an LB2 option through six games. He has been producing with and without Mykal Walker in the lineup and is an elite LB3 with LB2 upside during the byes going forward. As his rostered percentage indicates, he is not available in many leagues, but the 15 percent mark suggests that he is still laying on the wire in some competitive IDP formats, at least on Yahoo. Make the add where available.
Jacob Phillips (LB – CLE): 2% rostered on Yahoo
Jacob Phillips continues to impress, this time racking up four solos and six assists against the New England Patriots. Phillips has been excellent for IDP managers since taking over the every down role in the wake of the Anthony Walker injury, and it looks like he will be the one insulated from Deion Jones eventually factoring into the rotation. Phillips is a strong LB2 option going forward and will be just that for a Week 7 matchup against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Phillips should be rostered in all competitive leagues. Add him where available.
Troy Andersen (LB – ATL): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Troy Andersen has been rolling with Mykal Walker sidelined and should be a top target for those in deep leagues. The FAAB spend should not be too large as Walker could return as soon as this week, but Andersen proved with his seven solos and six assists that he can be an impact IDP asset with a heavy snap role. Consider Andersen an LB3 with LB2 upside while Walker is sidelined.
Others to consider: Shaq Thompson (LB – CAR): 7%, Elandon Roberts (LB – MIA): 0%, Patrick Queen (LB – BAL): 15%, Ernest Jones (LB – LAR): 4%, Nicholas Morrow (LB – CHI): 6%
Defensive Line
Rashan Gary (DE/LB – GB): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Tied for second in the league with six sacks, Rashan Gary is in the midst of a career season. He was excellent again in Week 6, recording four solos, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Rostered universally on other providers, Rashan still carries the LB-only designation at Yahoo. With that being said, it is well past time that fantasy managers add him to their Yahoo rosters as an LB2 option. Gary is going to hit double digits in sacks if he makes it through the season healthy and at his current pace, he should continue to push to be the NFL sack leader and a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. You don’t leave this type of talent and production on waivers in competitive leagues. For reference, Alex Highsmith, who leads the NFL with 6.5 sacks and is also LB only on Yahoo, is rostered in 21 percent of leagues. This disparity should be addressed, especially since Rashan is the more talented player and the more likely one to keep up this level of production. Rashan has a terrific Week 7 matchup against a Washington Commanders team surrendering the second most fantasy points to opposing edge rushers. Start him with confidence as a DL1/LB1 option for this weekend.
Samson Ebukam (DE/LB – SF): 3% rostered on Yahoo
Samson was excellent in Week 6, recording five solos, three assists, and two tackles for loss against the Atlanta Falcons. Up to 3.5 sacks, Ebukam is in the midst of a career season and is seeing extra snaps with Arik Armstead on IR. He will still see around 70-80 percent of the snaps when Nick Bosa is healthy, so Ebukam is someone you want on your rosters during the byes. He has 2.5 sacks in his last three games and is peaking at the right time for the banged-up 49ers defensive front. Samson is a DL3 with DL2 upside for a plus Week 7 matchup against a Kansas City Chiefs team surrendering the 14th most fantasy points to opposing edge rushers. Make the add where still available.
Uchenna Nwosu (DE/LB – SEA): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Uchenna continues to lead the Seahawks edge rushers in snaps week to week, and it is time to start taking him seriously. Up to three sacks on the season after recording three solos, one sack, and one tackle for loss in Week 6, Nwosu makes for an excellent bye-week filler option. He has played 80 percent of the snaps in four of six weeks while seeing over 70 percent the other two weeks, putting him well ahead of Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe, who are both sub-60 percent many weeks. Nwosu has DL3 value during the byes, and with two sacks in his last three games, he is getting hot at the perfect time for fantasy managers. Nwosu is a borderline DL2 option in a revenge game against a Los Angeles Chargers team surrendering the 11th most fantasy points to the position.
Montez Sweat (DE – WAS): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Sweat stayed hot in Week 6, tallying three solos, three assists, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Sweat, who had zero sacks coming into Week 5, now has three sacks in his last two games. Sweat is a DL1 option when he is clicking, and it looks like he is finally doing just that. It should go without saying that he should be rostered universally now that he is finally playing like the Montez that established himself as one of the league’s premier pass rushers again. He is more DL2 than DL1 for Week 7, as the Commanders defensive front has a tough on-paper matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE/LB – NYG): 7% rostered on Yahoo
Kayvon recorded his first career sack against Lamar Jackson, finishing Week 6 with three solos, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Dogged with effort concerns throughout the pre-draft process, Kayvon showed he has a high motor and can give second efforts on his strip sack in the closing moments of the Giants win. Kayvon is the most toolsy of this year’s pass rushers and should start to show why he was in the mix to be the first player off the board this spring on a more consistent basis now that he has the first sack under his arm. Treat him as an upside DL2 option in what amounts to a revenge game against the Jaguars in Week 7. You can bet Kayvon will be going just a little harder to prove to the Jags that they made the wrong decision by passing him up with the number one overall pick.
Others to consider: Za’Darius Smith (DE/LB – MIN): 1%, Markus Golden (DE/LB – ARI): 0%, Patrick Jones (DE/LB – MIN): 0%, Drake Jackson (DE – SF): 0%, Darrell Taylor (DE/LB – SEA): 1%
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.