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Andy's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver wire sleepers ahead of Week 6 (2024). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your fantasy teams.
Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship.
As the season progresses, injuries occur or rookies begin to break out. Many of these NFL players are often drafted but dropped after the first handful of weeks due to impatient league managers. This article will pinpoint which players we’d want to stash on our bench as fantasy football waiver-wire pickups to power us down the stretch.
Earlier in the season, we examined some must-have handcuffs and upside players who already showcased their upside in the opening weeks, such as Tyrone Tracy Jr., Isaiah Likely, and Braelon Allen. This week, we will discuss some more rookies and a few veteran players who could eventually grow into starting roles and who you should consider stashing before Week 6 kicks off. All players will be below a 25% Yahoo! roster percentage.
Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
15% rostered
In a surprising move, Ronnie Rivers was only deployed in special teams situations last weekend, which allowed rookie Blake Corum to log a season-high in snaps.
While Kyren Williams was still the clear lead back, it was a great sign to see the rookie surpass Rivers on the depth chart (at least for now).
Blake Corum's first run of the day for the Rams.
Can immediately see the burst/speed that he brings.
Really good blocking from Beaux Limmer and Alaric Jackson. Both do a great job getting to their blocks at the second level. pic.twitter.com/k3Bl9aqGNm
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) October 8, 2024
Last weekend, the Michigan product tallied 25 yards on five carries and caught his lone target for eight yards. In addition, he saw three carries in the red zone and two of them within the five-yard line.
Given how much Williams touches the ball, if he were to miss time, Corum is shaping up to be a league winner. If any frustrated managers dropped him over the past two weeks, grab him now, as he is a must-stash going forward.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
1% rostered
Vidal has not taken the field during the regular season, but that could change after their bye week.
Before Week 5, Gus Edwards was slowly losing opportunities to J.K. Dobbins as he saw just nine carries combined during Weeks 3 and 4. He saw 29 carries over Weeks 1 and 2.
Dobbins is the No. 1 option in the backfield but has struggled with injuries in the past.
Vidal is a name to watch closely. Given Edwards' decline, he could soon be deployed as the No. 2 back behind Dobbins.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
16% rostered
With all the talk of a looming Davante Adams trade, tight end Brock Bowers and wideout Jakobi Meyers have had a lot of positive fantasy discourse. However, do not forget about Tre Tucker.
Tucker has seen an increase in targets with Adams sidelined but has only enjoyed one breakout game in Week 3.
Tre Tucker TD! @Raiders
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/SNJ0td1Ivx— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
In Weeks 4 and 5, Tucker has logged the second-most wide receiver snaps on the team and seen at least five targets his way in each game (11 targets total). However, he has caught only seven for just 59 yards in this span.
With how often he is on the field, he is worth stashing in deeper 3WR formats, but his ceiling could continue to be limited by the poor quarterback play in Las Vegas.
Noah Brown, WR, Washington Commanders
1% rostered
Noah Brown's breakout campaign was paused last weekend as he battled a groin injury and could not suit up. However, facing the Baltimore defense this coming week makes Brown a high-upside stash option.
Before the injury, Brown logged a season-high 45 snaps in Week 4, only one less than Terry McLaurin.
Since Week 2, Brown has caught at least three passes every game and has seen his route participation increase weekly. In Week 4, he ran a new high of 26 routes.
NOAH. BROWN.
📺 #NYGvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/qg4YQAluXC
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 15, 2024
Jayden Daniels looks like an MVP candidate, and once Brown takes the next step in this offense, he could be a viable flex option going forward.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
1% rostered
The Oregon product could have had a fantasy stat line that would grab some attention last weekend but could not haul in a potential 45-yard TD pass. Instead, he caught just one pass for 20 yards.
However, after having little to no involvement in Weeks 1 and 2, Franklin has averaged 3.7 targets per game since Week 3.
It’s a promising sign to see his former college QB continue to look his way, especially downfield.
With how little the wide receiver room outside of Courtland Sutton has produced this season, Franklin could be in store for a second-half breakout.
Other WR stashes (Justin Watson KC, Ricky Pearsall SF)
Erick All Jr., TE, Cincinnati Bengals
5% rostered
After catching at least four passes in each game during Weeks 2 through 4, the rookie took a step back last weekend as he caught just two passes for ten yards.
Despite the disappointing performance, he once again led all Cincinnati tight ends in total snaps, suggesting that the breakout performance could be just around the corner.
The Bengals offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and it could only be a matter of time before All gets consistent targets.
Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns
1% rostered
Deshaun Watson got a vote of confidence from head coach Kevin Stefanski after another horrific showing in Week 5.
Facing the Washington Commanders' defense, one of the worst in football, Watson threw for a mere 125 yards and was sacked seven times.
He has only thrown more than one touchdown pass in one game this season and has averaged 170 yards passing per game.
The Browns offense has been nothing short of a disaster this season. Sooner or later, Stefanski has to turn to Jameis Winston to keep this team afloat in the Wild Card race (and perhaps his job going forward). Their defense is too talented not to compete in 2024.
When Winston does take the field, he will have a solid amount of upside with Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy.
Other QB stashes (Spencer Rattler NO)
Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers
2% rostered
The final running back to stash this week is Isaac Guerendo.
The fourth-round pick tallied a season-high 22 yards and matched a previous high of five carries. Like Corum, Guerendo has established himself as the No. 2 back but has limited opportunities.
Jordan Mason surpassed 40 snaps for the fifth straight week, giving Guerendo no standalone value.
However, if Mason were to miss any time, Guerendo would immediately become a high-end RB2 with upside.
Note: Mason left Thursday's game early with an apparent shoulder injury. Guerendo is a priority stash going forward.
Other RB stashes: (Trey Benson ARI, Kendre Miller NO)
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