October 11, 2017

Deeper PPR waiver wire sleepers and pickups to add for Week 6 of the NFL season. Frankie Soler finds lightly owned players for fantasy football owners to target.

Kudos to anyone who still has anything that even remotely resembles a healthy, usable lineup through five weeks. This is one of the most sporadic, soul-crushing fantasy football seasons I've ever been a part of, and I'm sure most long-time veterans would agree. It's ugly out there. Just need to keep on truckin' through the mud.

Considering the plethora of injuries and usage issues, this week's list will have a couple more names than usual. I think it'll be more beneficial to provide a "quick hit" list of names rather than diving into 3-4 in great detail. Some owners are in shambles so I'm assuming there are leagues where the waiver adds get gobbled up like mad. Hopefully you're able to snag at least one of the names listed.

Here are some deeper PPR-league sleepers for Week 6. Note: all ownership percentages are from Yahoo leagues.

Deeper PPR Sleepers For Week 6

Matt Breida - RB, San Francisco 49ers (7% Owned)

Completely independent of Carlos Hyde's health is the revelation that the 49ers will use more of a "hot hand" approach at running back. That breathes some more life into Matt Breida, a complementary piece that hasn't shown his true potential yet. Sunday was his best outing to date with 10 carries for 49 yards, but he's still behind Hyde in every meaningful category. Breida is worth a speculative add in the event him and Hyde turn out to be closer than initially thought.

Marlon Mack - RB, Indianapolis Colts (10% Owned)

For as much as I've loved Frank Gore throughout the years, the changing of the guard can be delayed no more. Gore hasn't been all that bad based on fantasy production, as he currently has more points in PPR than DeMarco Murray, Ameer Abdullah, and Mike Gillislee. But the recent breakout of Marlon Mack calls for our attention. Mack had 91 yards and a score on just nine attempts in week five, one of the better outings for a non-Gore Colts running back in quite a while. Mack should be in line for more work in an offense that will improve once a healthy Andrew Luck finally returns.

Zach Miller - TE, Chicago Bears (15% Owned)

Tight end Zach Miller led the Bears in targets in Mitch Trubisky's first career NFL start. He turned seven looks into three receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. The stat line doesn't jump off the page, but the targets are what matters here. If rookie Trubisky is going to look for Miller that frequently, that automatically puts Miller in the streaming conversation. Tight end can be a fluky position if you don't own a top-five guy, and those looking for a Charles Clay (or potentially Travis Kelce) replacement should consider Miller.

JuJu Smith-Schuster - WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (6% Owned)

A man with one of the best names in the NFL, JuJu Smith-Schuster has seen his yardage total increase in each of the last four games. He's gone 0-16-39-47-58 through five weeks so there's an argument to be made that he's trending up. It should be noted that Eli Rogers hasn't seen the field in the last two games, but Smith-Schuster has certainly earned his spot as the Steelers No. 3 receiver. Throw in a struggling Martavis Bryant, and this could be the beginning of an uptick in production for the rookie receiver.

Charcandrick West - RB, Kansas City Chiefs (6% Owned)

Cut to Kareem Hunt owners being like "What's wrong with my guy? Who cares about Charcandrick West?" Nothing is wrong with Kareem Hunt. Know what is wrong, though? Every Kansas City pass-catcher not named Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs were crushed by injuries in Sunday night's win over the Texans, and while the attention will be on which receiver will see more targets, I think the answer is actually a running back. The Chiefs have never really featured more than one wide receiver for fantasy purposes anyway, so I don't think the "replacement" at either WR or tight end matters. Look for West to see more usage than you'd think.

Taylor Gabriel - WR, Atlanta Falcons (17% Owned)

Anyone who is struggling at receiver needs to keep on eye on the health of Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. If either (or both) ends up missing at least one game, Taylor Gabriel becomes of immediate help. Sanu is less likely to play against the Dolphins, opening the door for Gabriel to see some added action. Gabriel hasn't exactly had a breakout season to date, but his opportunities have been limited. Injuries to Atlanta's top two receivers make him a savvy stash.

Mike Williams - WR, Los Angeles Chargers (8% Owned)

Certainly the most well-known name on this list, Mike Williams is set to make his NFL debut against the Raiders in week six. The combination of what is likely to be a limited role to start the year and a roller coaster offense makes it hard to trust Williams right away. Still, you'll need to grab him now before he actually takes the field. Williams is a deep stash for those who are willing to play the patient long game.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis