5 Waiver Wire Pickups For Your Fantasy Football Team in Week 6
Another week of the NFL season is in the books, which has seen several intriguing options emerge on the waiver wire for fantasy football. Here are a few available choices that could help your team’s quest to reach the playoffs.
QB Gardner Minshew
ESPN: 18.7% OWNED
At this point, it’s hard to imagine why more haven’t bought into Minshew Mania as he has proven to be a highly stable fantasy quarterback since taking over for Nick Foles in Week 1. In each of the first five weeks of the season, the Washington State product has tallied more than 15 points.
Minshew is coming off the best fantasy performance of his brief NFL career, completing 26-of-44 passes for 374 yards with two touchdowns along with seven rushes for 42 yards. Granted, he fumbled three times but generated a season-high 21.2 points. He may not be one of the top fantasy options at his position, but at the very least, he’s proven to be reliable.
TE Gerald Everett
ESPN: 3.3% OWNED
Over the last two weeks, the Rams’ third-year tight end has broken through to showcase the potential that made him the first-ever draft pick that head coach Sean McVay made. Everett has been highly productive in the past two games, hauling 12 catches on 19 targets for 180 receiving yards and a touchdown.
He’s coming off a career-best outing against the Seattle Seahawks, where he had seven catches on 11 targets for 136 receiving yards that produced 17.1 fantasy points. It could have been even greater had his 32-yard reception been challenged as he it looked like he had got into the end zone.
Nonetheless, Everett is undoubtedly a player you look to add on, but expectations should be tempered as he plays alongside three highly productive wide receivers in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Brandin Cooks.
RB Jonathan Hilliman
ESPN: 1.0% OWNED
The addition of Hilliman on this list is simply due to the Giants’ banged-up backfield with Wayne Gallman (concussion) and Saquon Barkley (ankle) both unlikely to play in Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots. The 23-year-old was sparsely used against the Minnesota Vikings after Gallman exited the game, putting up nine rushes for 20 yards along with a four-yard reception.
He will have the opportunity to start against the Patriots, but it’s hard to envision him putting up big numbers. But if you’re in a tight spot in the backfield, he’s at least worth a flyer this week.
WR Darius Slayton
ESPN: 0.5% OWNED
For the same reason that Hilliman is on the list, the Giants are also a bit shorthanded at the wide receiver position, with Sterling Shephard dealing with a concussion. It seems quite tricky for Shepard to be able to take the field in a short week.
Slayton has an opportunity to step up as the primary asset in the passing game for rookie Daniel Jones, especially if tight end Evan Engram is sidelined due to a sprained MCL in his knee. He displayed some strong chemistry with Jones against the Vikings, hooking up for a 35-yard touchdown as part of his solid outing with four catches on five targets for 62 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Cowboys D/ST
ESPN: 38.8% OWNED
Last week we told you to go pick up and start the Eagles defense/special team against the New York Jets, and they netted a season-high 35 points behind 10 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and two defensive touchdowns. The Jets’ next opponent is the Dallas Cowboys, who hold one of the league’s top defenses despite coming off being tagged for 31 points at home against the Green Bay Packers.
New York is expected to have second-year quarterback Sam Darnold back in the mix, but this could quickly shape up to be a bounce-back outing for the Cowboys. It could turn into a multiple-sack performance as the foundation for a double-digit fantasy point total. If you need a stop-gap defense, look no further than Dallas.
