Waiver Wire Pickups Week 6

Should I start Rob Gronkowski? Should I start Julian Edelman? These are questions that you (hopefully) won’t have to ask yourself for the remainder of the season. Sure, it was Martellus Bennett hogging all the glory in Tom Brady’s return, but did anyone really expect the Patriots offense to be predictable? It’s time to invest in everyone that gets passes from Brady. Go and get yourself a Chris Hogan off the waiver wire. James White? Sure, why not! Heck, add Danny Amendola if you’re feeling wild – okay, let’s tone it down a bit.

Bye Week Six: Minnesota, Tampa Bay

QB

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Marcus Mariota (47%)

Mariota played an efficient game, albeit against the Miami defense. He was coming off a couple of very poor outings against the Raiders and Texans in which he threw a combined zero touchdowns and three interceptions. His strong showing against the Dolphins could mean his struggles are behind him, and don’t forget he played fairly well for fantasy in week one against a Vikings defense that has embarrassed quarterbacks. He has an incredible schedule over the next seven weeks: Browns, Colts, Jaguars, @ Chargers, Green Bay, @ Colts, @ Bears. That’s a lot of home games combined with good matchups.

Brian Hoyer (18%)

Ever since Hoyer became the starting quarterback for the Bears in week three, the offense has looked a lot better. Some of that has to do with Jordan Howard running the ball effectively, but look at what Brian “I’m not Jay Cutler” Hoyer has done. He’s thrown for over 300 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in each of his three games. Hopefully some of those touchdowns start going to Alshon Jeffery.

Guys to add who are over the 50% mark: Dak Prescott (56%), Tyrod Taylor (62%), and Jameis Winston (78%). If the Winston owner drops him due to a poor showing against the Panthers and his bye week coming up, you should snag him. Tampa Bay has put both Doug Martin and Charles Sims on the IR, so the offense is fully dependent on Winston’s arm and Mike Evans hands. They also have a nice schedule, including two games against the Saints in weeks 14 and 16, when the fantasy playoffs are going on in most leagues.

RB

Kenneth Dixon (38%)

You can’t start him just yet, but he is worth a spot on your bench if you are looking for upside. Terrance West is likely to screw up and lose his starting job at some point in the near future, maybe even this week if he struggles against the Giants. That should pave the path for Dixon to start, providing the rookie is fully healthy.

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Devontae Booker (9%)

Speaking of rookies, Booker’s usage in the Broncos offense is slowly on the rise. C.J. Anderson hasn’t done much to continue to be used as the workhorse, and Booker looked like the better RB on Sunday. He can’t be trusted as a start in week six, but he’s worth a stash similar to Dixon, as the Broncos running back situation may be headed for a time share.

Jacquizz Rodgers (20%)

Tampa Bay announced that they would be placing Doug Martin on the IR, which means that both he and backup running back, Charles Sims, will both be missing multiple weeks. Rodgers is the next man up, and he was running with determination against the Panthers on Monday night.

Other notable adds: James Starks, Peyton Barber, Bobby Rainy, Matt Asiata

WR

Sammie Coates (37%)

It seems like we have been waiting for a second Steelers receiver to emerge behind Antonio Brown. We know this offense throws enough to support two receivers along with LeVeon Bell, but no one was getting consistent attention from the man they call Big Ben. Now it appears Sammie Coats may have separated himself from Eli Rogers (who is suffering from a toe injury), Markus Wheaton, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Coates caught six passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted 11 times to go with his eight targets from last week. He’s been getting heavy usage with Rogers out and should continue to do so in a nice week six matchup against the Dolphins. He is worth a flex consideration.

Cameron Meredith (4%)

“Kevin White is out, so finally Alshon Jeffery will have a big day” is what most owners of Jeffery said in week five. Unfortunately for those folks, they were introduced to Meredith, who went nine for 130 yards and a touchdown while Jeffery caught five passes for 77 yards and no touchdowns. At this point, you have to wonder how long Jeffery will play through his knee injury, and how ineffective he will be. Until then, this is a good opportunity for the second-year-wideout to take advantage of, along with Eddie Royal, Zach Miller, and Jordan Howard.

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Chris Hogan (25%)

Like I said in the beginning of this article, invest in the Patriots. Hogan has been highly involved in the offense, despite not doing much with the opportunity. But those were the pre-Brady games, and we know how things can change when one of the greatest passers in the game is throwing the ball to you. Even without scoring a touchdown, he was productive in Brady’s return, even more so than Edelman. He’s an excellent option to stash or even start in the flex.

Other notable adds: Jamison Crowder (33%) Michael Thomas (53%).

TE

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Hunter Henry (28%)

Even with Antonio Gates in the lineup, Henry is still getting used. That’s because the Chargers are depleted on offense and need weapons, and the rookie tight end is one of their best options to keep defenses guessing.

Jesse James (23%)

He doesn’t have the same type of upside as a Hunter Henry, but if you are in need of a streaming tight end, James is good to go. He caught a TD pass this past week and has been consistently involved in the Steelers passing attack. He gets a vulnerable Miami defense in week six.

Charles Clay (12%)

The Bills offense is missing Sammy Watkins, which means all other starters on offense get an uptick in value. Clay has been getting targets, but he’s yet to find the end zone in 2016. Clay is worth a start in a PPR league, but if you need a tight end in a standard league, he could be worth the risk in a good matchup against the 49ers.

Deep Adds: Richard Rodgers (19%), Will Tye (4%) Crockett Gillmore (1%).

DEF

Tennessee (6%)

The Titans get the luxury of facing the Browns who will be playing with either Charlie Whitehurst, Terrelle Pryor, a combination of both, or maybe even some random guy off the street as their starting quarterback.

New York Giants (10%)

They play the Ravens at home, and Joe Flacco has had a tendency to perform poorly throughout his career on the road.