Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 6 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low-we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.
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Quarterbacks
Josh McCown, Browns (17% Owned): Talent-wise, McCown isn’t really a great choice for your fantasy QB, but the Browns’ situation is surprisingly conducive to production. Their receiving corps was mocked in the preseason, but Travis Benjamin has proven he’s legit, and guys like Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and TE Gary Barnidge are all showing they can step up. Cleveland’s offensive line keeps McCown clean as well, and that led to a three-week stretch where he averaged 385 yards and two touchdowns.
He has a tough matchup this week vs. the Rams, but he was able to pile up 239 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, so if you’re in need he’s a great pickup.
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DEEP OPTION: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets (12% Owned): The Fitzmagic effect is real. The Jets are 4-1 with the bearded one under center, and even though he’s been picked off at least once in every game this year, he has limited the turnovers in each game. His three-INT effort vs. Philadelphia notwithstanding, Fitzpatrick is consistently between 200 and 250 yards with two touchdown passes. In a week with both Andy Dalton and Aaron Rodgers on bye, Fitz vs. the Patriots secondary is a nifty little matchup.
Running Backs
James Starks, Packers (18% Owned): Remember that time James Starks out-touched Eddie Lacy? 2015 hasn’t been fun for owners who spent a top-5 pick on Lacy, and last week might’ve been a tipping point of frustration. Starks rushed 10 times for 112 yards and a touchdowns, and actually started the game. Lacy’s production has been putrid, but it’s more likely his ankle is the cause for his limited playing time. The Packers have a bye this week, so it may be that Lacy heals up with the extra rest and resumes playing like an RB1.
Or, this is now a platoon, and you can pick up Starks for nothing because he has a bye in Week 7.
Matt Jones, Redskins (37%): Jones missed Week 6 with a bum ankle, and against a stout Jets defense, nobody made much of a move to bump Jones down in the pecking order. If he can suit up next week, Jones will be Washington’s lead back, and he’ll be up against a much friendlier Buccaneers defense.
Darren McFadden, Cowboys (31% Owned): McFadden’s ownership percentage really hasn’t changed, likely because they were off this week. McFadden is Dallas’ new receiving back, and that launched Lance Dunbar into relevance. McFadden’s not quite as nifty as Dunbar, and Dez Bryant will be back soon, but it’s still a consistent, fruitful role. He’ll be startable every week, regardless of matchup.
DEEP OPTION: Chris Thompson, Redskins (7% Owned): I guess what I’m trying to say is dump Alfred Morris. Thompson isn’t going to be a season-saving pickup, but if you’re stuck with multiple bye weeks or injuries, he has an iron-clad role within Washington’s offense and has scoring upside.
DEEP OPTION: Dexter McCluster, Titans (2% Owned): This is more speculation than anything, but the Titans eventually will get sick of watching Antonio Andrews and Bishop Sankey do absolutely nothing right? He got nine touches this week, and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He’s also their best option as a receiver out of the backfield, so it’s only a matter of time before he takes the majority of the work.
Wide Receivers
Marvin Jones, Bengals (35% Owned): Jones has been targeted 20 times in the last two games, and done well with that work. The Bengals are off in Week 7, so he’ll fly under the radar. He’s an excellent bye week fill-in/matchup play vs. subpar pass defenses.
Tavon Austin, Rams (44% Owned): It seems like St. Louis is finally starting to figure out how to deploy Austin’s speed and get him the ball. Much like Percy Harvin in previous years, Austin is too often used in gadget-play situations, when he can just run normal routes and get open like any other talented WR. After a bye week, the Rams will be even more prepared to let their top playmaker in the passing game succeed.
Leonard Hankerson, Falcons (47% Owned): Hank Time is still Atlanta’s No. 2 receiver, even though Roddy White found the end zone Thursday. Hankerson caught four of his six targets, and put up low-yardage, but that’s to be expected some weeks. He’s cemented as Matt Ryan’s No. 2 read, so he’ll have more big weeks.
DEEP OPTION: Lance Moore, Lions (0% Owned): Moore has been targeted 14 times in the last two weeks, and scored in back-to-back games. Time to start paying attention.
Tight Ends
Ladarius Green, Chargers (27% Owned): The Green bandwagon got much lighter once Antonio Gates returned last week, but Green is still seeing enough targets to stay relevant. San Diego QB Philip Rivers spreads the wealth, so in a pinch owners can do much worse.
DEEP OPTION: Benjamin Watson, Saints (10% Owned): Watson certainly did the most he could with his 12 targets on Thursday night. Drew Brees was electric, and this will definitely be the high point of Watson’s season. That being said, he’s consistent, and makes for a perfectly fine TE in any given week.
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