NFL Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 6: Best Picks & Sleepers

Following a fantasy football week in which a team with Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney and Darius Slayton would have blown out one anchored by Josh Allen, Breece Hall and Deebo Samuel, it’s time to ask yourself: 

Am I really so stubborn as to believe the best team on draft night—mine, of course—is still going to be the best team when it really matters in December?

Let me give you three reasons why the answer is “no.”

Baker Mayfield, Jordan Mason and Jauan Jennings. They weren’t drafted in many (most?) fantasy leagues, yet—in the ESPN scoring system—they rank third among quarterbacks, sixth among running backs and 12th among wide receivers, respectively.

And three more: Geno Smith, Chuba Hubbard and Wan’Dale Robinson. If you snatched them sometime in the last four weeks, chances are you’ve captured the attention of your rivals. On the other hand, if you’ve stuck with Aaron Rodgers, De’Von Achane and George Pickens… well, I’m sorry.

And…

Well, you catch my drift. Fantasy leagues usually aren’t won on draft night. They are won in roster-building—or, in some cases, roster-destroying.

Five weeks into the season, you’re a little late to the rehabilitation party. But good news: The waiver wire is as stacked this week as any previous edition, which means, unlike the real-life Bengals or Rams, your 1-4 start isn’t necessarily season-ending. 

It is, after all, called fantasy. 

It’s time to make your charge. Here are four things to do on Week 6 waiver day…

Check on the availability of Caleb Williams, Raheem Mostert, Jonathon Brooks, Darnell Mooney, Brian Thomas, Tank Dell and Brock Bowers. If your competition is sloppy enough to have left ANY of them unclaimed, make sure to say thank you as you snatch up even just one of them. 

Don’t be tempted by one-week-wonder types like Tank Bigsby, Tyrone Tracy, Dare Ogunbowale, Josh Downs and Tucker Kraft. Each benefitted in Week 5 by circumstances that will soon change. (Keep this strategy to yourself. You’ll want your competition focused on those guys rather than your wish list.)

Take out the trash. If you have a backup quarterback, tight end, kicker or defense/special teams, drop him/it. And be honest—if you have a backup running back or wide receiver who you now can never envision playing, drop him. Five-week disappointments are much more easily forgettable than 10-week disappointments.

The goal here is to create at least three roster spots for:

Rico Dowdle. Like it or not, the Cowboys remain an elite team. Elite teams grab leads and milk them, usually with a strong running game. The Dallas ground attack remains a work in progress, but progress definitely described Dowdle’s opportunity and performance against the Steelers. He is trending upward. 

Ty Chandler. There’s a short-team reason to give Chandler a shot and a long-term reason to give Chandler a shot. Both involve oft-injured Aaron Jones. When Jones is hurt, as he is now with an injured hip, the door swings open for his backup to swoop in and steal the fantasy spotlight. In Minnesota, that backup is Chandler.

Jalen Tolbert. The book on him says he drops a lot of balls and can’t be trusted. But last play of the game, do or die, his quarterback targets him with a tough catch in the end zone? Wow. I don’t think there’s a trust issue anymore… and just in time with Brandin Cooks on injured reserve. 

Jalen Coker. It’s easier to get an opportunity on a team like the Panthers, and Coker made the most of his in Week 5 against the Bears after Xavier Legette got injured. It could be the start of something big on a team whose offense at least has a pulse. He is worth a look-see for a couple of weeks.

Tyler Conklin. You knew going in that Aaron Rodgers would be brittle. You knew he would be looking to unload the ball as fast as possible. And you knew he would quickly trust some guys and not others. Conklin has become his friend. More and more so each week. Rodgers even risked his body to throw a couple deep ones to his tight end in England. Now that’s a good friend. 

And lastly: Plan ahead. Anticipate NFL trades and put in a claim too early instead of too late on someone who stands to benefit.

Here is my magic hat trick:

Darius Slayton. The Giants hit the jackpot Sunday in Seattle when Slayton came up big as Malik Nabers’ injury replacement. Nabers was out with a concussion, and he likely will return this week, but that’s OK. The Giants got exactly what they needed from Slayton: a showcase. You gotta know the Chiefs were watching what could be a bargain in the trade market. Put him with Patrick Mahomes and… Rashee who? Put him on your gotta-get list immediately.

Cedric Tillman. The more the Browns lose, the more likely it is Amari Cooper is gone. Being that most of Deshaun Watson’s passes tend to go to Cooper, that would create a tremendous opportunity for someone to shine in the second half of the season. This is a longshot, but Tillman once caught 10 passes for 200 yards for the University of Tennessee against a Georgia defense that was better than half those in the NFL. He just needs a chance. Do yourself a favor and stash him until the Cooper dust settles.

DJ Turner. The same goes for the Raiders, who appear a virtual certainty to deal Davante Adams as their season disintegrates. Maybe by the time Adams is dealt, they will have switched over to Aidan O’Connell at quarterback and actually put an NFL-level passing game on the field. Once again, we’re looking several weeks down the line. But stashing a potential difference-maker for the second half of the fantasy season sure beats rostering Dawson Knox, doesn’t it?