Week 5 was another wild week with some fun finishes and surprising results. Every week, the fantasy football landscape shifts for a variety of reasons, and staying on top of the emerging waiver wire options is critical to your season-long success. Let’s take a look at some of the emerging options to watch for as you start looking at waiver wire pickups for Week 6.
Throughout the week, DK Network will have you covered with potential pickups and strong plays for Week 6 and the rest of the season. Be sure to stay tuned to the outstanding coverage from the whole team. This post is designed to be an early look at some of the names to keep an eye on coming out of Week 5.
Another key factor to keep a close eye on every week is new injuries which occurred — here are some new situations to keep a close eye on moving forward:
Players with new injuries from Week 5 to watch:
- QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
- QB Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings
- RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
- RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
- WR Darius Slayton, New York Giants
- TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
With those injuries in mind, here are some of my early names to watch if you’re shopping on the Week 6 waiver wire.
WR Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys
While Kendrick Bourne (24.2 FPTS) and Xavier Hutchinson (16.8 FPTS) had big weeks and are also interesting options to consider, Flournoy came out of nowhere and established himself as one of the top receivers available on the waiver wire Week 6.
Flournoy had to step up for the Cowboys with CeeDee Lamb (ankle) and KaVontae Turpin (ankle) out this week and George Pickens locked down by Sauce Gardner.
The second-year receiver only had 14 catches for 137 yards in 15 career games before this week, but he exploded for six catches on nine targets for 114 yards against the Jets.
No other wide receiver had more than two catches or four targets in the matchup, even though Pickens did get a touchdown and Jake Ferguson (23.9 FPTS) had another massive game with two scores.
Flournoy gained yards after the catch and showed great hands. Even if and when Lamb and Turpin return, he could continue to get enough work to be a solid option in the Cowboys’ pass-heavy attack.
No team in the NFL has as much volume passing as the Cowboys, and they’ll face the Panthers, Commanders, Broncos and Cardinals before their Week 10 bye week. If Lamb is out, Flournoy is worth considering at least next week against Carolina.
If Lamb returns and the 49ers’ receivers don’t, Bourne could be the better option next week, but I trust the Cowboys to keep throwing more than the 49ers moving forward.
RB Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle (32.4 FPTS) was definitely the waiver wire snag last week before his monster game filling in for Chuba Hubbard (calf). With Hubbard week-to-week, Dowdle could continue to carry the load going forward. If you can get Dowdle, he’s a great add. However, if you’re in a league where Dowdle was snagged, Michael Carter is a solid pickup as well.
The Cardinals lost James Conner (foot) for the season and Trey Benson (knee) to IR in the last two weeks, so Carter was signed from the practice squad and put right into a big role.
In the team’s narrow loss to the Titans, his backfield running mate Emari Demercado led the team in rushing with 81 yards but dropped the ball at the goal-line in a move that ultimately cost his team the game. Demercado had three carries, while Carter racked up 18 carries and five catches on five targets. He totaled 22 receiving yards and 51 rushing yards, while punching in this short run.
Next week, Carter and the Cardinals visit the Colts, looking to bounce back from their tough Week 4 loss. They have a Week 8 bye before a home game against the Packers. Those matchups are tough, but after the bye, the Cardinals face the Cowboys and Seahawks, which are much better running back matchups.
Eventually Benson could come back and steal some work, and even before he does, Carter will likely be in a timeshare. However, Carter does look to be the lead option, and he should be lined up for work near the goal line for the Cardinals, which has been enough to keep Conner a starting running back the last few seasons.
If you’re in a deep league, he’s a nice add if Dowdle, Rachaad White (23.1 FPTS), Nick Chubb (12.1 FPTS) and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (27 FPTS) are all picked up already.
If you’re in an even deeper league looking for help, Hassan Haskins (2.5 FPTS) and Kimani Vidal (2.9 FPTS) could be asked to step up if Omarion Hampton (ankle) misses any time. Vidal is a high-ceiling, high-risk flier, while Haskins has a lower ceiling but could be slightly safer.
QB Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Mac Jones (22 FPTS) led the 49ers to a big road win on Thursday Night Football against the Rams, and with Brock Purdy (toe) possibly missing multiple weeks, he could be a solid fill-in for the next few games.
Jones has made three starts for the 49ers this season, throwing for 279, 284 and 342 passing yards and racked up a total of six passing touchdowns to go with just one interception.
The 49ers have a good matchup in Week 6 against the Buccaneers in Tampa before a home game against the Falcons on Sunday Night Football in two weeks. Hopefully, Jones will be available despite a PCL injury that forced him to miss Week 4, when Purdy returned for a one-game cameo.
Jones could also benefit from getting George Kittle (hamstring), Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) all back in Week 6, or at least one or two of those stars. He did show that he can succeed, though, against a tough defense while working with Kendrick Bourne and Jake Tonges.
If Jones starts and gets more pass-catchers available against Tampa, he could continue to manage the offense effectively enough to be a potential bye-week fill-in or a strong second-QB option.
TE Theo Johnson, New York Giants
Tight end is loaded with fantasy football sleeper potential on the waiver wire Week 6. I highlighted Johnson, AJ Barner (24.3 FPTS) and Mason Taylor (17.7 FPTS) coming into Sunday, and all three delivered big games. Of the three, though, Johnson has the most staying power going forward.
Johnson caught the first career touchdown from new QB Jaxson Dart (15.6 FPTS) last week, and in Week 5 against the Saints, he caught two more scores from Dart.
Johnson was tied for the team lead in targets and catches, while totaling 33 yards on his six catches. He’s still not a dynamic field-stretcher, but he looks like he’ll have a large enough role to be a low-end TE1 or a fill-in on bye weeks.
The Giants’ offense will definitely be a work in progress with Dart under center, especially with Malik Nabers (knee) done for the season, but Johnson looks lined up for a large enough role to make him a strong pickup on the waiver wire for Week 6.
If he’s already snagged, his fellow crosstown rookie, Mason Taylor has gotten enough work for the Jets to be a solid addition as well.
Packers DST
The Packers went 2-1-1 before heading into their bye week, and they finished with back-to-back disappointments with a loss to the Browns and a 40-40 tie against the Cowboys, when the defense didn’t look good.
They should come back in an absolute smash spot in Week 6, though, at home against the struggling Cincinnati Bengals. They also have favorable matchups ahead against the Cardinals and Panthers, and they already have their bye week behind them.
With another week to get Micah Parsons healthy and incorporated, they could come off the bye flying around and making plays. They had 11 sacks and two takeaways in their four games before their bye, and they’ll face the Bengals, who have given up at least three sacks every game this season and a total of 11 turnovers in three weeks.
If someone held the Packers through their bye week, other solid streaming options to consider include the Raiders (vs. TEN), the Commanders (vs. CHI) and the Patriots (vs. NO).
