Getty New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Need a Matt Breida replacement? Lacking in depth at wide receiver? Looking for a spot start at tight end? Look no further. Check out our list of the hottest players to scoop off the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 6.
Quarterbacks
If you’re in need of a spot starter and he’s on the waiver wire, consider Andy Dalton, owned in 56.6 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues and 66 percent of Yahoo leagues. He’s got a matchup with a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that’s already surrendered big fantasy days to lackluster quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Joe Flacco.
Coming off a relief appearance followed by a bye week, Jameis Winston (12.5 percent; 20 percent) will be a popular pickup this week. His matchup with the Atlanta Falcons’ struggling pass defense makes him a decent spot start option, and the team’s impressive passing attack without him earlier this season gives him long-term upside.
Running Backs
First, make sure Isaiah Crowell isn’t available. He got dropped in roughly six percent of ESPN and Yahoo fantasy leagues following a Week 4 performance that yielded three total yards and no scores, rendering him owned in 81.3 percent of ESPN leagues and 77 percent of Yahoo leagues. He set a Jets record with 219 rushing yards in Week 5, becoming the first player to post multiple rushes of 50 yards or more in the same game since he did it in 2015.
Crowell’s teammate Bilal Powell (62.7 percent; 56 percent) out-touched him 20-16 in the win over the Denver Broncos. Each have the potential for a big day against the Indianapolis Colts, who surrendered 187 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns to running backs in a Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots.
Breida went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 5, so the San Francisco 49ers running back’s backup Alfred Morris (49.7 percent; 42 percent) should be a hot add this week.
Nyheim Hines (46.9 percent; 59 percent) of the Colts followed up a breakout performance with a solid one, amassing 90 yards from scrimmage in a loss to the New England Patriots. He touched the ball a promising 22 times: 15 carries, seven catches.
Wide Receivers
New York Giants wideout Sterling Shepard (79 percent; 74 percent) has been a solid option since tight end Evan Engram went down early in Week 3. With opponents selling out to stop Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley, Shepard’s amassed 75 or more receiving yards in three straight contests. He has a pair of touchdowns, 20 catches, and 27 targets in that span.
Jordy Nelson (75.5 percent; 75 percent) of the Oakland Raiders has a streak of his own after a slow start. He’s caught one touchdown pass in three consecutive games, totaling 264 yards in the process.
Randall Cobb’s found himself off a lot of teams since going down with a hamstring injury (74.5 percent; 58 percent). If you’ve got the room for him and some patience, he could pay off later this season in a depleted Green Bay Packers receiving corps.
Mohamed Sanu (53 percent; 32 percent) has 220 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and a two-point conversion over his last three, and a juicy matchup with a horrendous Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary in Week 6.
Tight Ends
David Njoku (69.8 percent; 73 percent) is a new man with Baker Mayfield under center. In the rookie quarterback’s first career start back in Week 4, Njoku set a career high with five catches; his seven targets tied his career high. The second-year Cleveland Browns tight end surpassed both marks in Week 5, hauling in six catches on 11 targets for 69 yards, the second-highest mark of his career.
Austin Hooper (49 percent; 57 percent) also posted career highs in targets and catches in Week 5, snagging nine of 12 passes thrown his way for 77 yards. The Falcons tight end has a juicy matchup against a Buccaneers defense that’s been torched by opposing tight ends this season, surrendering 27 catches and a ridiculous 415 yards in four games this season.