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Another NFL Sunday is in the books with Week 6 rapidly coming to a close. The NFL closes out the week on Monday Night Football where the Green Bay Packers will host the Detroit Lions.
There are a host of fantasy options playing tonight, and of course plenty of folks are going to be playing DraftKings Showdown for MNF. But regardless of what you’re watching tonight, you’re also keeping an eye on the upcoming waiver wire in your traditional fantasy football leagues. If you’re anywhere in the mix in your leagues, there is always room to improve your roster. A key waiver addition can make a difference between playoffs or bust coming Week 14.
With that in mind, here are eight of the best players available in at least 50 percent of fantasy leagues, per ESPN ownership rates. We also include a look at three players that might show up on your waiver wire radar, but are likely fool’s gold and should be avoided.
Hunter Henry, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (48.7 percent)
Welcome back, Hunter Henry! Sidelined since Week 1 with a tibia fracture, Henry returned in Week 6 and put together the second best performance by any tight end this week. He finished the night with eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. Suffice to say, if you can grab him, he’s already one of the ten best fantasy tight ends after only one game back. Heck, he might be a top five option!
Mark Walton, RB, Miami Dolphins (0.7 percent)
Week 6 was an interesting bit of decision-making by the tanking Dolphins. Walton got the official start over Kenyan Drake, but both players got extensive work. Walton led him nine touches to eight in the first half, but Drake got more work in the second half. The game finished with Drake getting 16 touches while Walton had 11. Dolphins are not good fantasy options, but this could get interesting as the season progresses — especially if the Dolphins try to move Drake before the upcoming trade deadline.
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets (7.8 percent)
Apparently a healthy spleen could very well save the Jets season. Darnold returned to the Jets lineup and helped lead them to a 24-22 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He faces tough matchups against the Patriots and Jaguars the next two weeks, but if you need a quarterback for a bye week after that, he’s worth grabbing because someone else will make a claim on him.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals (17.7 percent)
If you have David Johnson, you would be foolish not to own Edmonds as his handcuff. But if you don’t have DJ, Edmonds still has some value. In Week 6, he had five rushes for 34 yards and two receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. He’s a bit of a roll of the dice each week, but he seems to be getting slightly more regular week in the offense. The next couple weeks he could be an intriguing flex option against the Giants and Saints if you’re running a little thin.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (26.6 percent)
Cousins has been inconsistent this season, but he appears to be moving in the right direction. After 7.3 fantasy points against the Bears, he had 20.5 against the Giants and then 31.3 against the Eagles. He remains a question mark against good pass defenses, but he has enough good matchups against awful defenses that he could be worth an add. For example, in Week 8 he faces Washington and in Week 9 he faces Kansas City. It’s hard not to like those matchups, and even Week 7 against Detroit has some upside.
Auden Tate, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (18.8 percent)
The Bengals are expecting A.J. Green back soon, so there is limited season-long value here, but for now Tate is intriguing. He had five receptions for 91 yards, his second straight week of double digit fantasy points in half and full PPR leagues. The Bengals face Jacksonville next week and if Jalen Ramsey plays this suggestion takes a bit of a hit. But for the time being, it’s a decent lottery ticket.
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants (42.5 percent)
This is a buy-low suggestion. Jones had an ugly Week 6, putting up 7.2 fantasy points against a stout Patriots defense. However, in Week 7 he gets to face a Cardinals defense that has given up the fourth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Some big questions remain with regard to the health of Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard, but if Barkley in particular is back, Jones has some solid upside.
Latavius Murray, RB, New Orleans Saints (46.9 percent)
Murray and Alvin Kamara fantasy owners waited with bated breath after the latter popped up on the injury report with an ankle issue. Kamara ended up playing Sunday and had a busy day of 11 rushes and seven receptions. Latavius Murray was also busy, rushing eight times and catching three passes. The workload likely comes due to Kamara not being 100 percent, but he’s a guy worth stashing. If he keeps this up he could earn a decent sized workload complementing Kamara. And he’s an invaluable handcuff.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots (1.0 percent)
The Patriots got off to a slow start, but eventually rolled over the Giants on Thursday Night Football. Meyers finished the game with four receptions for 54 yards. Phillip Dorsett did not play, while Josh Gordon left the game with a knee injury. If we do not have a significant update on the status of either player by the time waiver claims are needed, Meyers is worth a look.
Fool’s gold
WR Jaron Brown: The Seahawks pass catcher caught three passes for 29 yards and two touchdowns. He’s shown life the past few weeks with at least two receptions each week, but he’s never surpassed three and this week marked his first time in the end zone. Pass on him.
RB Brandon Bolden: He’s scored a touchdown in three straight games and put up double digit fantasy points the past two games. However, he’s getting limited touches and his opportunities are going to decrease when Rex Burkhead returns from his foot injury.
TE Ricky Seals-Jones: He’s found the end zone two of the past three weeks, and scored double digit points both weeks. However, the Browns are headed on a bye and then face the Patriots, Broncos, and Bills the next three weeks. He’s not a comfortable start in any of those.