Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defenses (Week 6)

We will have you covered throughout the 2023 fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top waiver wire targets for the week below. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 6.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

DEFENSES

Written by Pat Fitzmaurice

Minnesota Vikings: 5% rostered

Next Opponents: @CHI, SF, @GB
True value: $2
Desperate need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: The Vikings’ defense has scored five or fewer fantasy points in 3-of-4 games this season, the exception being a 17-point outburst against the Panthers in Week 4 featuring five sacks and a fumble return for a touchdown. But Minnesota gets a juicy matchup this week against the Bears. The Chicago offense found its footing last week in a 40-20 Thursday-night win over Washington. But Bears QB Justin Fields is still sack-prone and turnover-prone. After taking a league-high 55 sacks last year, Fields has been sacked 20 times in his first five games. He’s thrown five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Fields has also fumbled four times, with one of those cough-ups returned for a touchdown. Successfully streaming defenses is often more about picking on an error-prone offense than on finding a high-quality defense, and that’s the case here. Play the Vikings this week, then dump them before a tough Week 6 matchup against the 49ers.

Cleveland Browns: 29% rostered

Next Opponents: SF, @IND, @SEA
True value: $2
Desperate need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: The Browns are an interesting proposition for fantasy managers looking for a defense to stream in Week 6. The Cleveland defense is widely available because the Browns are coming off a bye. The Browns were No. 3 in defensive DVOA going into Week 4, allowing 196.8 yards per game and recording 12 sacks. It’s one of the best defenses in the league. You can probably get the Browns off waivers for a buck or two this week. The catch is that Cleveland has a bad Week 6 matchup against San Francisco, which entered Week 5 giving up 0.5 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. If you’re willing to deal with the bad matchup this week, you could ride with the Browns for a month or more and feel pretty good about your team defense.

Las Vegas Raiders: 1% rostered

Next Opponents: NE, @CHI, @DET
True value: $1
Desperate need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Las Vegas defense entered Week 5 ranked 31st in fantasy scoring, but the appeal here is a Week 6 matchup against a broken New England offense that was just shut out at home by New Orleans. The Patriots committed three turnovers against the Saints and gave up a pair of sacks. New England is averaging just 11 points per game this season. This is purely a matchup play, but the Raiders are worth a buck if you’re trying to find a cheap streamable defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars: 16% rostered

Next Opponents: IND, @NO, @PIT
True value: $1
Desperate need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The Jaguars entered Week 5 ranked 11th in defensive DVOA, then limited a potent Bills offense to 20 points in London, forcing a pair of turnovers. The Jaguars will likely be facing backup Colts QB Gardner Minshew this week after rookie starter Anthony Richardson sustained a shoulder injury on Sunday. Jacksonville also has playable matchups in Weeks 7-8.

Los Angeles Rams: 2% rostered

Next Opponents: ARI, PIT, @DAL
True value: $1
Desperate need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Although the Rams’ defense hasn’t been producing a lot of fantasy points, it has been a respectable unit this season, led by stalwart DT Aaron Donald. The Rams have a Week 6 matchup against the Cardinals, who have been better than advertised but are still very offensively limited. The LAR defense is a decent budget option that you might be able to sneak through with a zero-dollar bid.

Stash Candidates: None.