Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 6

So, who had the balls to pick up and start Aaron Jones this week?

I had him in my list last week more as just an injury handcuff rather than a “omg this guy is loaded with talent, you need to get him”. Welp, he’s loaded with talent as he ripped off 125 yards on the ground on 19 carries (6.6 yards per tout) and a touchdown. Yea the Cowboys defense may suck against the run, but that was one of the best performances on the ground I’ve seen out of a Green Bay Packer since Eddie Lacy was 50 pounds lighter.

Also, the reason he’s not on this list is because he’s already owned in 56 percent of Yahoo! leagues and I’m sure that number will only dramatically increase. But that doesn’t mean if you don’t get the opportunity to get him, you shouldn’t. Get him.

Speaking of Yahoo! percentages, before I get to my list, I wrote this Sunday night during the Texans vs Chiefs game so if come Monday morning, you go to check out any of these guys in your league and you see that they’re owned in a heck of a lot more leagues than the number I give, don’t come @-ing me. It’s simply a product of writing this piece 12 or so hours early since I’ll be spending Monday morning sitting on an airplane flying out to the northern parts of Minnesota. If you want to @ me, just be prepared to be hit with a pic of the gorgeous views I’ll be enjoying.

Here are the guys you should be instantly trying to add to your fantasy team (percent owned in Yahoo leagues).

Get ready for a lotta Giants...

RB Wayne Gallman/Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants (39/2 percent owned)

The Giants warned us of a running back committee and that’s exactly what we got this weekend against the Chargers. While Darkwa finished with fewer carries than Gallman—eight compared to 11—he made far more out of his opportunities, touting the rock for a nice 69 yards and a touchdown. Gallman finished still a very respectable 57 yards as well as five catches for 25 yards. Let it be noted that Darkwa did leave the game with a calf injury but it seems that that was nothing major. So between the two of them, who should you get? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (but if you’re actually looking for an answer, I’d lean towards Darkwa given that he’s been with the team longer though his injury history is worrisome.)

RB Elijah McGuire, New York Jets (17 percent owned)

Matt Forte seems to be fast tracking retirement while Bilal Powell was both far from stellar against the Browns—two carries for five yards and four catches for 28 yards—and hampered by a calf injury. Looks like Frodo McGuire is the guy to have in the Jets’ backfield. He wasn’t great against the Browns, only managing 20 yards on 11 carries, but if his past performance is any indication of what he can do, there’s plenty of fantasy potential bundled up in him. Plus, playing the Patriots in Week 6 helps since they clearly have a weird sadistic love of giving up points to opposing running backs.

RB Shane Vereen, New York Giants (14 percent owned)

Here’s a novel twist on the Giants backfield. Who has been the only consistent there since what’s felt like forever? Who has been the running back that, through thick and thin, has always been there to kinda mildly ball out every so often when New York has needed him? [sung to the New Girl theme song] Who’s that back? (Who’s that back?) It’s Shane! Vereen may not be the workhorse on the ground, but currently he’s the team’s second leading receiver with Odell Beckham, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard all leaving Sunday’s game with injuries (OBJ’s being season ending). Maybe he only has value in PPR, but I could easily see him quickly developing a significant and stable role in a new look, post-Odell Giants offense.

RB Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts (7 percent owned)

Well it’s about flippin time Mack made his presence known. I wrote about him all the way back in May as a potential name to keep in the back of your head and now finally I can play the “HA, NAILED IT” card just months and months and months afterwards. Mack had himself a game, rushing for 91 yards on nine carries—including a big-time 35 yard run in OT to set up the game winning field goal—and a touchdown. Frank Gore still is frustrating Father Time and fantasy owners alike (he had 14 carries for 48 yards), but if Mack starts building upon this performance, you can bet the Colts will be more than happy to turn the offense over to him.

WR Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles (30 percent owned)

I have been holding out on Nelson Agholor ever since he went ballzerko back in Week 1 against Washington, but he’s finally worn me down. In the Eagles’ offensive explosion, Agholor led the Eagles in receiving yards with 94, most of it coming from a 72 yard touchdown bomb. He’s a little hit or miss but he is third on the team in receptions and fourth in targets by just one. If Carson Wentz is truly taking that next step—which by the way, it certainly looks like he is—Agholor might be along for the ride.

WR Roger Lewis Jr., New York Giants (1 percent owned)

Final Giant on this list I swear. That being said, can you blame me for having a bunch of Giants here after their three starting receivers go down with injury and their star wideout is likely done for the season. Lewis is here because, shocker, he’s only warm body in the Giants’ receiving group. He only had one catch Sunday against the Chargers but it was for a 29 yard touchdown. That workload is for sure about to dramatically increase. I’m also putting Evan Engram on the list, even though he’s owned in a nice percentage of Yahoo! leagues.

TE Ed Dickson, Carolina Panthers (4 percent owned)

The time machine will either be invented by a genius scientist whose significant other just died in a freak accident that they could have totally prevented in an attempt to save their life, or by a connoisseur of fantasy football. Imagine how amazing you’d be at fantasy football if you could go back in time and set your lineup with all the information you have now. I wouldn’t have started Bilal Powell, that’s for sure. I also would have started Ed Dickson in every single league I was a part of as he put together a historic game against the Lions, going for 175 yards on only five catches. For those doing the math at home, that’s 35 yards per catch. That’s absurd! The Panthers offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders (guess all any struggling offense needs is to just face the Patriots defense to get back on track) and Dickson seems to be a big piece to the puzzle.