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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire pickups and fantasy football sleepers for Week 6. His top free agent options for 14-team fantasy leagues or deeper.
Early in the NFL season, the waiver wire is all about jumping on the unexpected breakout players. Now, the process can be more geared toward identifying one-week streamers and picking up players who could help you at some point in the year. In deep leagues, the waiver wire is becoming ultra-thin, so most players with real season-long or weekly value are already rostered. There are still a few under-the-radar players who could provide season-long value, though.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 6 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk pickups like Rashee Rice or Roschon Johnson in this article.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 6, including Gardner Minshew, Tyjae Spears, K.J. Osborn, Josh Downs, Jeff Wilson Jr., and more.
Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.
Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Jeff Wilson Jr. could return in Week 6 after beginning the 2023 season on Injured Reserve. De'Von Achane (knee) is expected to miss multiple weeks, so Wilson could boom right away in the high-powered Dolphins' offense
Tyjae Spears has out snapped Derrick Henry in three of the Titans' first five games and produced 67 total yards and a touchdown in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. Henry has been inefficient this season, so it wouldn't be surprising if Spears' role continues to grow.
Zach Charbonnet saw a season-low snap share (24%) in Week 4 before the Seahawks went on a Week 5 bye. However, in a league where most teams are utilizing split backfields, could the second-round rookie see his role increase after the week off? It’s possible. If not, it should happen at some point down the stretch. At the very least, he’s a premier handcuff running back with pass-catching skills in a good offense.
D'Onta Foreman had splashes of success with the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers over the last two seasons but hasn’t been a factor for Chicago in 2023. Khalil Herbert (ankle) is expected to miss multiple weeks, so Foreman should be active and splitting touches with rookie Roschon Johnson.
Kareem Hunt’s bye week could not have come at a better time. He joined the squad in Week 3 and handled just 12 total touches in the absence of Nick Chubb (torn ACL). After a week off, he likely got more up to speed and the Browns will want to incorporate him as a change-of-pace back to Jerome Ford. Ford is still expected to be the starter, but Hunt has brought value as a “backup” in recent seasons.
Trayveon Williams has almost zero standalone value as Joe Mixon’s backup. However, he’s the clear RB2 in Cincinnati. If Mixon has to miss any time and the Bengals’ offense continues to fire after it finally looked good in Week 5, Williams could be a flex option at some point this season.
Ezekiel Elliott saw a season-high 46% snap share as a Patriot in Week 5 and has hauled in 15 passes on the season. The Patriots offense is horrific and Elliott has little juice left, but deep leaguers with a glaring need at running back can give him a look. Just don’t get too optimistic about his upside.
Kendre Miller put up 90 yards on 16 touches in the blowout win over the New England Patriots. The rookie from TCU isn’t likely to see that kind of workload in a close game, but he has big-play ability and is Alvin Kamara’s fantasy handcuff for now. Even when Jamaal Williams (hamstring) returns from IR, Miller could keep the RB2 role.
Rico Dowdle did not miss any game action after suffering a hip injury in Week 4. He remains Tony Pollard's direct backup, so he’s still on the fantasy radar.
Tank Bigsby is simply worth stashing because he'd likely see a full workhorse role if Travis Etienne has to miss any time this season.
Jordan Mason has averaged 5.9 yards per carry through his first 59 career rushing attempts. Are we sure he’s not better than Elijah Mitchell (knee) at this point? There’s a chance he could pass up Mitchell on the depth chart after yet another injury. Mason has juice and is in the right offense. He and Mitchell should be stashed in deep formats.
Ronnie Rivers turned 11 touches into 57 yards against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. He saw only one carry in Week 5, but he's the RB2 in a Los Angeles Rams offense that loves to feature the running back. For fantasy managers who like to stash handcuff RBs, he’s a candidate.
Antonio Gibson is probably a last-resort option after a tough start to his 2023 campaign. However, fantasy managers in deep PPR formats can view him as a desperation flex play. He’s been cut out of the backfield as a runner but flashed his receiving skills once again in Week 5 (four catches, 64 yards).
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
K.J. Osborn is a great waiver-wire target in deep leagues if he’s available. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is being placed on Injured Reserve, so Osborn is a must-start against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. Osborn was a WR1 late last season and could provide a mid-season spark to fantasy managers immediately.
Marvin Mims Jr. led the Broncos in receiving yards (242) heading into Week 5, despite ranking fifth in total targets. How much longer can Sean Payton keep him in a limited role? He could be a league-winning asset as soon as he's given the full-time nod.
Michael Gallup is outpacing Brandin Cooks in targets this year. Assuming Dallas can get its offense back on track, he could have startable weeks moving forward.
Allen Lazard has six catches for 94 yards and a score over the last two weeks. His quarterback Zach Wilson has looked vastly improved over the last two weeks, so there's a chance there's room for fantasy production among Jets' pass-catchers aside from Garrett Wilson.
Robert Woods saw nine targets in Week 5 and now leads the impressive Texans offense in total targets (40.) In deep PPR formats, there's no reason he should be a free agent. He could have a few big games in favorable matchups, and Tank Dell (concussion protocol) might miss Week 6.
Josh Downs delivered a breakout game against the struggling Titans' secondary, catching all six of his targets for 96 yards. It's possible Gardner Minshew will be an upgrade for secondary Colt's pass-catchers during Anthony Richardson's (shoulder) absence. He's been on this list for weeks, and now he'll be a top waiver add.
Michael Wilson is likely to be dropped after catching just one pass on two targets for 18 yards in the Week 5 loss to the Bengals. However, that shouldn’t cancel out his 218 yards and two touchdowns from the previous three weeks. He’s clearly not a must-start now, but he’s still worth rostering in an offense that has exceeded expectations to begin the year.
Rondale Moore turned just eight touches into 76 yards in Week 5. You’ll never know when to start him if you pick him up, so he’s likely most valuable as a bench stash who we hope sees more consistent usage.
Trenton Irwin saw ten targets in the absence of Tee Higgins (ribs) in Week 5. He hauled in eight of them for 60 yards. If Higgins misses the contest against the Seattle Seahawks next week, Irwin can be considered in starting lineups. Seattle allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts through the first four weeks of the season before getting a week off.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Gerald Everett only saw two targets in the first game without Mike Williams (torn ACL). However, the tight end position is always scarce in fantasy football, so rostering one on a great offense is a good idea. The Chargers are back in Week 6 after a Week 5 bye, so it could be time to pick him up if you are desperate for tight end production.
Cade Otton will face the Detroit Lions next, who have struggled mightily against the likes of Blake Bell, Noah Fant, Tommy Tremble, and Kyle Pitts. Otton scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4, and the Baker Mayfield-led offense is looking good a month into the season.
Irv Smith Jr. has failed to deliver in his first three games as a Bengal. However, Joe Burrow looked as healthy as he has all season in Week 5. If the Bengals' offense gets rolling, Smith could have deep league value.
Jonnu Smith leads the Falcons with 246 receiving yards through five games. Tight end production is hard to find, so Smith's start to the season makes him worth picking up.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues/2-QB Leagues
Joshua Dobbs delivered another multi-touchdown performance in Week 5. He's not quite a must-start, but he should be rostered in all leagues of 14 teams or more.
Gardner Minshew will have the starting QB job in Indianapolis as long as Anthony Richardson (shoulder) remains out. The 27-year-old has a career passing touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46 to 15, so he could be a solid temporary fill-in for Superflex and two-QB leagues.
Tyrod Taylor will have limited upside as the Giants’ starter if Daniel Jones (neck) has to miss a game or two. However, all starting quarterbacks are variable options in Superflex/two-QB leagues.
Jacoby Brissett is worth stashing simply because we've seen him be an effective NFL quarterback before, and Sam Howell could be yanked at some point this year if Washington's season goes south quickly.
Bailey Zappe could be the starter in New England sooner than later if Mac Jones (five touchdowns, six interceptions) continues to disappoint.
Mike White would be given the keys to the Dolphins' explosive offense if the oft-injured Tua Tagovailoa gets banged up this year. That makes him worth stashing in Superflex and two-QB leagues.
Malik Willis or Will Levis could start at quarterback after Tennessee’s Week 7 bye. If the Titans lose to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in London – will they begin to look toward the future?
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