Week 5 of the NFL season was filled with some outstanding fantasy performances from guys like DJ Moore, Ja’Marr Chase, and Travis Etienne. It goes without saying that you won’t find any of those names on your fantasy waiver wire for Week 6.
So what about the low-rostered players that you can actually add to your fantasy team? We’ll run through several of those options along with their rostership rate in the following sections.
Week 6 Fantasy football waiver wire pickups
Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders
Rostership: 15%
Samuel came through with his second-straight solid performance, and maybe it’s time we start paying attention in deeper fantasy football leagues. Samuel caught 6-of-7 targets for 65 yards and a touchdown on Thursday Night Football in Week 5 vs. the Chicago Bears. In the previous game, he caught 7-of-8 targets for 51 yards while adding a rushing touchdown. The Commanders could be forced to take to the air once again while facing the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
Rostership: 8%
Thomas also delivered a standout performance against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football, securing nine catches on 11 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. It’s worth noting that Washington opted for a pass-heavy strategy as they were behind for the majority of the game, making the 11 targets somewhat atypical for Thomas. However, even taking that into account, he has been a slightly steady option this season, which makes him worth a potential waiver wire addition at a tight end position that doesn’t have much depth.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Detroit Lions
Rostership: 24%
Reynolds has had some solid performances for the Lions this season, and he came through with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers. Amon-Ra St. Brown was not active for that game while dealing with an abdominal injury so that likely had something to do with the spike in production. Keep an eye on St. Brown’s status, especially with Jameson Williams returning for Detroit, but Reynolds could be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Rostership: 25%
Spears came into this season as a fantasy handcuff for Titans RB Derrick Henry. However, the rookie from Tulane has been seeing more snaps as the season goes along, translating to seven carries for 34 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 35 yards. Spears is clearly the receiving back in Tennessee, giving him value in PPR leagues. There’s a chance he will continue to eat into Henry’s workload, especially if he keeps up his 6.1 yards per carry mark on the season.
Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Rostership: 0%
Cardinals RB James Conner has been a fantasy force this season, but he suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Demercado promptly took over with 10 carries for 45 yards while showing a nice combination of speed and strength to score an 11-yard touchdown. He also added one catch for 12 yards. If Conner misses time moving forward, Demercado could make for a fine waiver wire pickup.
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Rostership: 21%
Rice has shown flashes at times this season, catching a touchdown in the season opener vs. the Detroit Lions, and catching five passes for 59 yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 3. However, consistency has been elusive for the rookie, but he stepped up with four catches for 31 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 at the Minnesota Vikings. It’s worth noting that the touchdown came while Travis Kelce was sidelined with a foot injury, so there’s a chance Rice will step up if Kelce is forced to miss time in the future. However, adding the rookie could be a savvy move regardless, as he has the potential to emerge as the WR1 in this offense either way.