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.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco has long been the strong-armed muse of fantasy owners everywhere. Flacco is the man with the most beautiful deep ball in the league, and the speedy receiver (Torrey Smith) to catch it. Yet, he always lets owners down. Well on Sunday he exploded for five first half touchdowns against a hapless Buccaneers defense.
Quarterback is deep, so there may not be a mad rush to pick him up, but he'll absolutely be at the top of the QB list even if he's just getting added by owners trying to find bye week replacements. My advice? Be careful.
Flacco threw seven touchdowns combined in the previous five games, and the Bucs are showing a penchant for getting gashed by opposing passing games. Going forward, Flacco should only be used in the cushiest of matchups, and even if your regular starter is not an elite he should be trusted over this fickle add.
DEEP OPTION: Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns
Hoyer was not spectacular fantasy-wise on Sunday, completing just 8-of-17 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. The running game dominated for Cleveland, but the key number is zero. Hoyer threw zero interceptions for the fourth time in five games, and has tight end Jordan Cameron healthy again as a No. 1 target.
Hoyer won't light it up for you, but as a second quarterback or bye week fill in, he actually might have more upside than Flacco does. You can most likely wait until waivers pass to go grab him, and in leagues using FAAB he won't be more than a few dollars.
Running Backs
Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots
Stevan Ridley tore his ACL this Sunday, opening the door for Bolden to become fantasy relevant. Bolden hasn't done much of anything this season, totaling 25 yards on 15 carries so far, but his role is set to increase.
Shane Vereen receives the biggest bump from Ridley's injury. He is now New England's featured back, but he is still a better option in the passing game than on the ground. He'll see more snaps, but rather than having Bolden assume Ridley's role completely, expect the Patriots to become more pass-happy.
Peyton Hillis, New York Giants
Hillis saw some action in Sunday night's blowout loss to the Eagles, and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Hillis may have seen the field because the game was lost, but rookie Andre Williams wasn't impressive in his first go-round as the lead back.
Williams showed little elusiveness in gaining 58 yards on 16 carries, and continued to average pedestrian yardage. Hillis was targeted five times in the passing game, and the Giants could lean on him as the more versatile option and use Williams as a short-yardage hammer.
DEEP OPTION: James White, New England Patriots
This rookie had some buzz in the preseason that proved to be misplaced excitement. White may be talented, but he was behind several veteran players. Now that Ridley's out of the picture, White could be a nice speculative add for those who don't believe Bolden is a viable option long-term.
White has just three rushing attempts on the season, in Week 4 against the Chiefs. He gained 21 yards on those rushes, and caught all three targets that came his was for 15 yards. He will require patience, but he may be the higher-upside in-house replacement.
Wide Receivers
Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
So Beckham Jr. was added quite a bit last week after an explosive debut in which he found the end zone. His role is set to increase now with Victor Cruz's torn patella tendon ending his 2014 campaign. Beckham Jr. passes the eye test with flying colors, showing quick feet that allow him to blow past corners covering him one-on-one. He's still a rookie though, so expect inconsistency. If owners are adding him in the hopes that they've found a true WR2 they may end up disappointed.
Malcom Floyd, San Diego Chargers
Floyd's injury history is scary, but right now Chargers QB Philip Rivers is playing arguably the best football of his career and Floyd is his biggest target. The six-foot-five inch receiver has scored twice in the past three games, and averaged over 20 yards per reception in the last two contests. If you have receivers on bye, just lost Cruz, or simply want to add a nice player who can be plugged in vs. bad pass defenses Floyd is your guy.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans' performance was easily overshadowed by the Bucs' blowout loss to the Ravens, but for the second straight game he's been in Evans has made his mark. He caught four passes for 55 yards and a score, which was nearly identical to his line in Week 4 against the Eagles.
Evans is settling into a 7-9 target guy in the Bucs' offense, and his size makes him an ideal red zone threat. QB Mike Glennon is making sure he gets the ball to Evans, who hasn't supplanted Vincent Jackson in targets, but is out-producing him.
DEEP OPTION: Robert Woods, Buffalo Bills
Mike Williams wasn't active last week and Woods saw 10 targets as a result. He caught seven passes for 78 yards and a score, showing good rapport with QB Kyle Orton. If Williams has fallen out of favor, Woods should see plenty of action as secondaries focus on stopping Sammy Watkins; the touchdowns could be few and far between though.
Tight Ends
Jace Amaro, New York Jets
Amaro saw a season-high 12 targets in Sunday's loss to the Broncos, reeling in 10 of them for 68 yards and a score. The number seems fluky compared to previous weeks, but the game plan for the Jets was extremely conservative in light of QB Geno Smith's struggles.
With short, low-risk passes becoming prominent for Gang Green, Amaro should be in for plenty more games with this kind of usage. He's an underrated TE2 add right now.
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