Welcome back, waiver wire early birds!
In this weekly piece I’ll be walking you through some players who are set up to be prime waiver wire targets come Tuesday.
The only caveat, of course, is the players I’ll be mentioning have all played in Sunday’s 1:00 P.M. slate or before. Let’s dive in and navigate Tuesday’s waiver wire madness ahead of time!
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early Week 6 Pickups to Add
Tank Bigsby (RB – JAX)
Rostered: 9.5%
Bigsby led all running backs with 26.9 PPR points after today’s early slate concluded. Bigsby carried the ball 13 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a 28-yard catch. It appears he’s earned a timeshare with Travis Etienne (RB – JAX). However, Bigsby isn’t yet a shoe-in fantasy starter until he sustains this workload and performance – Etienne took almost all the passing work, catching six passes.
Jaylen Wright (RB – MIA)
Rostered: 8.0%
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA) left the game early with an injury, allowing for Wright to work in with Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA). Wright, the rookie fourth-round pick, had 86 yards on 13 carries. Mostert took 19 carries for 80 yards. Despite the Miami offense looking sluggish with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley (QB – MIA) the team still averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Wright is a must-add and immediately in flex consideration if Achane misses time.
Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)
Rostered: 35.0%
Aaron Jones (RB – MIN) limped off the field with a hip injury and didn’t return to the game, making Chandler the Vikings RB1. Chandler took 14 carries for 30 yards. It’s an unimpressive line but should Jones miss time, the Vikings RB1 spot is one worth monitoring.
Chandler isn’t startable if Jones plays, but certainly could be without Jones active.
Ray-Ray McCloud (WR – ATL)
Rostered: 6.9%
Be careful not to chase past performance here. Kirk Cousins (QB – ATL) won’t be throwing for 500 yards every game. However, McCloud has seven or more targets in three of his five games. He’s averaging 9.2 PPR points per game. I like McCloud more if you have a decent team that includes a Falcons pass-catcher such as Drake London or Darnell Mooney. If one of them were to miss a game for any reason, McCloud becomes an immediate flex consideration in most formats.
Alec Pierce (WR – IND)
Rostered: 14.9%
Pierce caught three passes for 134 yards and a touchdown today with Joe Flacco (QB – IND) under center for the Colts. Don’t think that his value is entirely dependent on Flacco, though, because Pierce had a similar line (3/125/1) in week one when Anthony Richardson (QB – IND) was playing.
If you’re in a spot where you’re looking at players in the sub-15-percent rostership for starts, Pierce is a solid option because of his massive ceiling. He’ll likely have another couple more of these games, but good luck predicting when they’ll happen.
Allen Lazard (WR – NYJ)
Rostered: 38.1%
Aaron Rodgers (QB – NYJ) has quite a few options in New York (or Jersey…) but Lazard will always get looks. His rapport with Rodgers is well-documented. Lazard is averaging nearly seven targets and 14 PPR points per game, making him a viable flex option going forward. He will certainly have his down games though as long as Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ) is on the field.
Josh Downs (WR – IND)
Rostered: 34.8%
I have to put Downs here – he’s rostered in fewer than 40% of leagues and in three active games he’s accrued 173 yards and a touchdown on 20 catches and 26 targets. Most of those numbers, though, have come with Joe Flacco under center. Downs’ case is simple at the moment – if Flacco’s starting, trot Downs out confidently in PPR formats. I’ll need to see an inspiring performance with Anthony Richardson before I start Downs with Richardson active.
Tyler Conklin (TE – NYJ)
Rostered: 37.2%
Conklin should be rostered and started in most formats. Given how dismal the TE position is this year, Conklin’s 23 targets over the last three weeks are worthy of much higher rostership. Given the plethora of receiving options for Aaron Rodgers, Conklin’s ceiling isn’t massive, but in this TE landscape he’s a solid option.
Houston Texans D/ST
Rostered: 22.1%
They faced the Bills today, which certainly helped lower their rostership, but the Texans take on the New England Patriots next weekend. That’s a favorable matchup for what is, on paper, a good defense.
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST
Rostered: 17.4%
As a rule of thumb, I love starting defenses coming off a bye week. They get an extra week of rest and preparation. The Chargers are on a bye this week and get the lowly Denver Broncos next weekend.
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