Waiver Wire Rankings and FAAB Advice: Week 6 (2020 Fantasy Football)

Week 5 was another exciting and unpredictable week of action in the NFL, and we were treated to some entertaining matchups and forced to deal with another rash of injuries.

As approach the mid-point of the fantasy regular season, it’s as important as ever to utilize the waiver wire in preparation for bye weeks and unexpected postponements. Need a hand in making your waiver wire selections? No problem. We’ve got you covered!

Here are Dan Harris, Mike Tagliere, and Kyle Yates with their waiver wire rankings and FAAB recommendations for Week 6:

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Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?

If Alexander Mattison is available, he’s certainly the No. 1 priority. The Vikings are 1-4 on the year and are headed nowhere fast, so rushing back their recently-extended high-paid running back makes little sense. If he’s rostered, the next best solution is Chase Claypool, though you need to understand the player you’re picking up. If Diontae Johnson turns out to be okay, Claypool will go back to splitting reps with James Washington as the No. 3 receiver. Not many realize, but once Johnson went down last week, Claypool played most of his routes in the slot, which is the role that JuJu Smith-Schuster typically plays. Still, Claypool offers handcuff value to both Smith-Schuster and Johnson, so he should be rostered. *Update* After watching that Monday night game where Mike Williams looked as healthy as you could ask for, and combine that with the Keenan Allen injury, you have yourself the new top pickup off the waiver wire. 
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)

If you are in the 20% of leagues or so where Alexander Mattison is available, then it’s him, but otherwise, it’s Chase Claypool. If Diontae Johnson is healthy, it’s hard to see Claypool being an absolute, rock-solid starter for your fantasy team . . . immediately. But don’t kid yourself, this is the exact player you not only add to your fantasy team, but who you should be willing to risk a significant amount of FAAB on.  Claypool is an elite athlete with the size and speed to be a difference-maker at the wide receiver position. Given the Steelers’ creativity in using him, his target share yesterday, and the fact that he has run more than a third of his routes out of the slot without Johnson, Claypool would be a must-start option with Johnson out, which he may be next week. If Johnson does return, Claypool will likely be only a borderline starter for fantasy teams for now, but he has the potential to end up as the top wide receiver in Pittsburgh. He’s the clear-cut top option other than Mattison.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Alexander Mattison is the clear answer here, but it’s likely that he’s rostered in your league. If Mattison isn’t available, Chase Claypool is next on the list. While Claypool’s production came on the heels of Diontae Johnson exiting the contest, there’s no denying the game that he just had. If Johnson is going to miss some time, Claypool becomes an intriguing high-end WR3 in this offense. If Johnson is able to come back next week though, Claypool would drop to a FLEX option that always has the potential to find the end zone.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Q2. Which high-end waiver wire option for Week 6 was the most difficult to rank?

It’s got to be Travis Fulgham, who popped off against the Steelers last week for 10 catches, 150 yards, and a touchdown. That’s all great but it doesn’t eliminate the dozens of questions surrounding his role and production moving forward. With DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery nearing a return this week, then Jalen Reagor in a few weeks, I don’t see where Fulgham fits in. He was a player that’s floated around three practice squads, and kudos to him for making the most of his opportunity, but I don’t think he’ll have that much opportunity without injury. On top of that, let’s not pretend that Carson Wentz is playing very well. Oh, and they have a matchup against the Ravens this week.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)

Travis Fulgham. If DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery were out for the rest of the season, Fulgham would be a top priority. And given the constant delays with Jeffery and the frequent setbacks with Jackson, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that Fulgham is a reliable option all year, in light of his connection with Carson Wentz. But it’s equally easy to see him being completely off the fantasy radar when both Jackson and Jeffery return, and even moreso when Dallas Goedert comes off IR.  There’s a wide range of outcomes for Fulgham, so determining his waiver priority was a challenge.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Travis Fulgham has emerged as a reliable receiving weapon for Carson Wentz and he should be rostered based on his recent performances. However, there’s a possibility that he doesn’t even start for this team next week. Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson should be back next week, while Greg Ward will continue to occupy the slot. Additionally, Jalen Reagor will return to the lineup in a couple of weeks. Fulgham could be pushed back down to 5th on this depth chart, but I believe that he still deserves to be rostered. It’s unlikely that I’ll spend up to acquire him though.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Q3. For managers renting a D/ST in Week 6, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?

The scheduling change resulted in the Dolphins getting to face the Jets in Week 6, and so there should be minimal debate about the top target for D/STs this week. The Dolphins can get to the quarterback – they had five sacks yesterday and multiple sacks in four of their five games. The Jets offense is abysmal right now regardless of who is under center, and legitimately any D/ST facing them is a viable option right now. Miami is no exception.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Washington got Chase Young back into the lineup last week, which is great news. More great news is that they play the Giants in Week 6. Through five weeks, they’ve sacked the opposing quarterback on 8.8 percent of dropbacks, which ranks as the fourth-highest mark in the league behind only the Steelers, Rams, and Eagles. Meanwhile, the Giants have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing DSTs, as Daniel Jones has been sacked 16 times, thrown five interceptions, and fumbled four times, all while scoring just 75 points.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)

Notable Week 6 FAAB Recommendations (in %)

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Q4. Which Week 6 waiver wire option carries the biggest risk of being a waste of FAAB dollars?

As mentioned above, I won’t be winding up with Travis Fulgham on any of my teams because I’m unwilling to spend the required funds to get him.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)

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