3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Avoid (Week 6)

Let’s take a look at players who had strong weekly performances, but our fantasy football analysts aren’t buying it as they look ahead to this week and beyond. Here are a few players to avoid when making your fantasy football waiver wire pickups. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 6.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Avoid

Fool’s Gold

Xavier Hutchinson had two touchdowns in the Texans’ 44-10 destruction of the injury-plagued Ravens, but he was targeted only three times and had just 18 receiving yards. Although Hutchinson actually led Houston receivers in Week 5 snaps (47) and tied Nico Collins for the team lead in routes run (25), the Texans’ passing game hasn’t been productive enough to make any Houston pass-catcher other than Collins startable. Plus, Hutchinson may lose snaps to one or both of the Texans’ two rookie receivers, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, in the coming weeks.

A popular pickup after his eight-catch, 145-yard, three-touchdown game against the Commanders in Week 3, Tre Tucker has had 6-75-0 on eight targets in the two games since. Tucker might draw some interest after having a team-high 62 receiving yards in Week 5, but star tight end Brock Bowers was out on Sunday, and Tucker has had an unimpressive 14% target share the last two weeks. Tucker was among the league leaders in routes run in 2024 and produced only 47-539-3 receiving.

Ryan Flournoy was the Cowboys’ leading receiver in their win over the Jets on Sunday, catching six passes for 114 yards on nine targets. In 15 previous NFL games, Flournoy had 14 catches for 137 yards and no touchdowns. He may continue to contribute until CeeDee Lamb comes back from an ankle injury, or until KaVontae Turpin returns from a foot injury, but it would be difficult to trust Flournoy in your lineup this week.

Successful In-Season Fantasy Football Management

Once your fantasy football team is drafted, the work is not over. Successful in-season management is crucial to a winning fantasy football season. Here are some tips to help you manage your team effectively throughout the season:

Stay up to date on player news
Keep track of player injuries, suspensions, and other news that may impact their performance. This will help you make informed decisions about which players to start each week.

Monitor the waiver wire
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and be ready to pick up players who may be undervalued or overlooked by other teams. This can provide valuable depth to your roster. Use our waiver wire assistant to view optimal lineups, waiver and trade suggestions, and league analysis.

Analyze matchups
Analyze the upcoming matchups for your players and opponents to determine which players to start in your lineup each week. Look for favorable matchups and take into account the strength of the opposing team’s defense.

Stay active in trades
Be open to trading players with other teams if it will benefit your team. Analyze the potential impact of a trade before making a decision and negotiate with other teams to find a mutually beneficial agreement.

Be prepared for bye weeks
Plan ahead for bye weeks by having backup players ready to fill in for your starters. Avoid having too many players with the same bye week, which can leave your team short-handed.

Don’t overreact to one bad week
Avoid overreacting to one bad week of performance by a player. Take a long-term view of their performance and evaluate their potential moving forward.

Continuously evaluate your roster
Continuously evaluate your roster throughout the season and make adjustments as needed. Be willing to drop underperforming players or make changes to your lineup if necessary.