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Assisting our famous waiver wire pickups list, and our weekly waiver wire columns by position, this column focuses on suggested waiver wire bidding percentages for fantasy football owners in leagues using a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).
As a caveat, these prices do not by any means indicate how much these free agent players will go for. Each league values players differently and will continue to do so. These values are here to provide a baseline to understand roughly how much you should be targeting to spend on a particular player. You only have so much FAAB money, spend it as wisely as possible.
We're four weeks deep into the 2019 season and reality is setting in. We're starting to figure out the identity of each team but there are still surprises and new faces popping up on our radars. Without further ado, here are our FAAB auction bidding recommendations for Week 6 below.
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FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold (QB, NYJ) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
16% owned
Crazy what a real quarterback could do for an offense. Sam Darnold's return made the Jets competent again and provided solid fantasy days for the likes of Le'Veon Bell, Robby Anderson, and Jamison Crowder. Darnold is not much of a fantasy stud due to the overall state of the Jets' offense, but after this coming matchup against New England, he gets to face one of the leagues easiest schedules, with no above-average defense to play until Week 17. The Jets as a whole are a buy right now.
Cam Newton (QB, CAR) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
46% owned
Cam Newton is reportedly healthy enough to return to practice before the Panthers' next game. They are currently on a bye, giving him ample time to continue his recovery, and unless they opt to keep Kyle Allen in at QB, there is no reason to suspect that Newton should not recoup some value moving forward. He is one of the premier QBs in the game and has a medley of weapons at his disposal. If he has regained 75 percent of his mobility to allow for his patented scrambles, Newton should be fantasy relevant this season and worth rostering/starting.
Kirk Cousins (QB, MIN) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
47% owned
Cousins is not the best quarterback in the world, but he can get the job done for fantasy every now and then. He has one of the best WR duos in the league and a world-class RB that can make plays in the passing game. In games where Minnesota is not ahead by a significant amount or incapable of moving the chains on the ground, Cousins will have to throw the ball. Over the past two weeks, we have seen him put up quality performances (albeit against weak pass defenses). Throughout the rest of the season, he hardly faces many tough defenses while
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Running Backs
Chase Edmonds (RB, ARI) - FAAB Bid: 15-20%
34% owned
The Cardinals are not shying away from utilizing David Johnson, even while he is healthy. Edmonds is more than just a handcuff, he is a complementary back. Edmonds is playing something of a Tarik Cohen role in this offense with his current usage in the passing and running game. He has successfully found the end zone over the past two weeks and looks to carry a significantly larger load if anything were to happen to DJ. As of now, he is a standalone FLEX in deeper leagues and could be a fill-in RB2 in positive matchups. The Cardinals are running a progressive offense and Edmonds fits the bill of what Kingsbury wants in a back perfectly.
Darrell Henderson Jr. (RB, LAR) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
28% owned
Todd Gurley is still tending to a "quad" injury in the same leg as his arthritic knee and Malcolm Brown is now dealing with an ankle injury. The next man up is Henderson Jr. who was fairly efficient in the few touches he earned this past Sunday. He was selected in the third round by the Rams after they traded up for that pick, clearly, they liked him and his lack of snaps early on could be due to his integration into the system. In an expanded role, he could be a monster if the Rams choose to give him real volume due to his explosive play style.
Benny Snell Jr. (RB, PIT) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
2% owned
This is just James Conner insurance. Just in case his quad injury is more serious than the team has let on, owners should grab Snell who looked quite capable this past weekend, albeit against a weak Chargers run defense. Snell is a slower, plodding back, but he could be utilized at the goal-line and with high volume if Conner is out next week. With Jaylen Samuels out for the next month, Snell may even have value with Conner active. He is not worth much of a bid unless you own Conner.
Mark Walton (RB, MIA) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
4% owned
No one needs a Dolphins running back, but if you are inclined to add one, Walton looks to be the next man up if Kenyan Drake is moved. Ballage has looked horrible throughout the year and is hardly utilized. Walton is not a bad runner and has solid enough hands to be utilized in the passing game (as evidenced by his seven catches over the past two games).
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Wide Receivers
Jamison Crowder (WR, NYJ) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
42% owned
Crowder is a target hog in the Jets' offense. Through two games with a real quarterback thus far, Crowder has 26 targets. Although these targets do not travel far, those receptions he gets are just as valuable as anything in PPR leagues. Crowder is playing like Miami Jarvis Landry when Sam Darnold is active. He is a lot less appealing in standard leagues but still may be worth holding at the end of your bench.
Auden Tate (WR, CIN) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
23% owned
Auden Tate is not very good, however, that does not matter when he is getting targeted at least six times per game (12 this past week) and in the endzone consistently. He's a slower, big body receiver who needs volume to thrive because there is not much that occurs after the catch. He's played almost every snap over the past two weeks and will be heavily involved until A.J Green returns. Temporarily, he is a fine flex/WR3 in deeper PPR leagues.
Dante Pettis (WR, SF) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
8% owned
Pettis is still waiting for that breakout game in 2019. His snaps have gone up over the past three games and he was targeted at a season-high (six) against the Rams on Sunday. With Deebo Samuel currently nursing an injured quad along with the loss of Kyle Juszcyk, some targets may be available in this upcoming matchup against the Washington football team. They are conceding an exorbitant amount of points to wide receivers and if SF opts to pass a bit in this game that should be a blow-out, Pettis can finally wake up fantasy-wise.
N'Keal Harry (WR, NE) - FAAB Bid: 0-3%
6% owned
Harry is finally back at practice and eligible to return in Week 9. The Patriots are desperate for playmakers. The offense is dull and predictable. This team would not be undefeated if their defense was even a tick below historically great. Harry was their first-round pick for a reason. They clearly believed in him enough to select him with that draft capital and once he is cleared to return from IR, there is not much in his way from finding a role. Harry's ability to make plays with the ball in his hands opens up a brand new facet for Brady and Co. and could unleash a potential sleeping giant. He is a worthwhile IR stash right now if your roster is not decimated by injuries.
A.J. Brown (WR, TEN) - FAAB Bid: 2-5%
19% owned
He definitely has struggled over the past two weeks, but that can be attributed to a lack of targets and Marcus Mariota's inconsistent play. If Ryan Tannehill takes over this week, there is a chance that Brown is targeted more often, allowing him to produce on volume alone. Tannehill is also capable of the occasional deep ball and may have a better connection with Brown from practice. AJB is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He is not great at creating separation before the catch but is one of the better receivers afterward. He just needs the targets. Thus far, he has not seen more than five in a game and has nine total over the past three weeks. The opponents have been rough since his blow up against Atlanta. Hopefully, he can find his footing again soon.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Tight Ends
Dawson Knox (TE, BUF) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
16% owned
Knox's snaps have risen since the start of the season to a point where he hit a career-high of 72 percent in Week 5. He is becoming a solid receiving option for Josh Allen and will have the benefit of the Bills' weak upcoming schedule to boost some value.
Darren Fells (TE, NYJ) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
29% owned
Darren Fells is a lower end TE from a talent perspective, however, with Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins on his team, the coverage he draws is extremely light. Fells is often open with a lot of room to operate and that creates a mid-field dump-off option for Deshaun Watson. He is not going to set the world on fire, but in PPR leagues, he has some value.
Noah Fant (TE, DEN) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
10% owned
Noah Fant has not looked that good this year but this matchup against the Chiefs is a possible jumpstart for him. The Chiefs bleed points to tight ends (as evidenced by their recent game against Darren Fells) and Fant could be in a position to draw more targets than usual if the Broncos are outscored early.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Defense/Special Teams
Titans Defense - FAAB Bid: 2-3%
50% owned
The Chargers' offensive line is a dumpster fire. Philip Rivers is not mobile enough to navigate this sort of situation and will be sacked a handful of times. The Titans are talented in all phases of their defense and will make it difficult for the Chargers to run and pass all game. It is likely we see a few takeaways as well as a result of the pressure they can create.
Lions Defense - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
3% owned
The Lions defense is actually good this year and they get a home matchup against Kirk Cousins. The Minnesota OL is very shoddy when it comes to pass protection and if they can take the lead or stymie Dalvin Cook just enough to keep this a close game, Cousins will be under duress and making mistakes.
