Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs (Week 6)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire running backs to target for the week below. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 6.

• More Waiver Wire Picks
• Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
• Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
• Fantasy Football Trade Tools

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Running Back

Running Backs

Written by Pat Fitzmaurice

Michael Carter (RB – ARI): 39% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @IND, GB, BYE
• True Value: $22
• Desperate Need: $36
• Budget-Minded: $14

Analysis: Going into Week 5, it was unclear how the Cardinals were going to divide the running back workload in the absence of Trey Benson, who was placed on injured reserve (IR) last week after sustaining a knee injury in Week 4. (Benson himself was starting in place of James Conner, who was lost to a season-ending foot injury.) Michael Carter, who began the season on Arizona’s practice squad, played 57.4% of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps in Week 5 and had a team-high 18 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. Carter also led the backfield in pass routes (18) and had five catches for 22 yards. As if the usage gap between Carter and Emari Demercado wasn’t big enough, Demercado did himself no favors by lollygagging at the end of what should have been a 72-yard touchdown run and then dropping the ball before he crossed the goal-line, blowing a chance to salt away a game that the Cardinals wound up losing 22-21. Carter figures to lead the Arizona backfield again in Week 6 and should be startable until Benson’s return — even in a tough matchup against the Packers in Week 7.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT): 36% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CLE, @CIN, GB
• True Value: $7
• Desperate Need: $12
• Budget-Minded: $4

Analysis: When Jaylen Warren was scratched with a knee injury before the Steelers’ Week 4 game against the Vikings in Ireland, Kenneth Gainwell stepped in as the starter and had 19-99-2 rushing and 6-35-0 receiving in the Steelers’ 24-21 win, finishing as the RB3 in half-PPR fantasy scoring for the week. Warren will reportedly be back when the Steelers return from their bye to host the Browns in Week 6. Still, Gainwell’s electric performance against Minnesota may have earned him a usage boost going forward. The Browns are a tough matchup this week, but Gainwell could be Flex-worthy in a soft Week 7 matchup against the Bengals. And if Warren’s knee issues linger, Gainwell could become immensely valuable.

Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL): 31% Rostered

• Next Opponents: BUF, @SF, MIA
• True Value: $5
• Desperate Need: $8
• Budget-Minded: $3

Analysis: One of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy, Tyler Allgeier would have immense value if Bijan Robinson were to miss time, but Allgeier is already providing something close to standalone value. Through their first four games, the Falcons were the sixth run-heaviest team in the league, running the ball on 48.1% of their offensive snaps. Allgeier has had double-digit carries in three of those games, including a 16-76-1 rushing performance against the Vikings in Week 2 and a 16-51-1 rushing day against the Commanders in Week 4.

Brashard Smith (RB – KC): 14% Rostered

• Next Opponents: DET, LV, WSH
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $7
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Heading into the Chiefs’ Monday-night game against the Jaguars, Isiah Pacheco is averaging four yards per carry, hasn’t broken off a run of more than 12 yards and hasn’t rushed for more than 45 yards in a game this season. His backfield platoon partner, Kareem Hunt, is averaging 3.2 yards per carry, with his longest run covering 11 yards. The Kansas City backfield could use more juice, and perhaps Brashard Smith can provide it. Smith has 4.39 speed and pass-catching ability. There’s been chatter about Smith getting more work in the weeks to come. There might not be many more chances to acquire him inexpensively.

Kendre Miller (RB – NO): 31% Rostered

• Next Opponents: NE, @CHI, TB
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $7
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: The Saints have ramped up Kendre Miller’s usage over the last two weeks. In Week 4, Miller played 31% of the offensive snaps and had 11-65-1 rushing in the Saints’ loss to the Bills. In Week 5, Miller played 39% of the snaps and had 10-41-0 rushing and 1-8-0 receiving in a win over the Giants. After being plagued by injuries during his first two years in the league, Miller is finally getting a foothold in the Saints’ offense. Miller doesn’t have standalone value yet, because Alvin Kamara is still the undisputed lead back in New Orleans, and the Saints don’t have enough offensive punch for two of their backs to be fantasy-viable. But Miller is at least flirting with Flex value, and he’d become quite valuable if anything happened to Kamara. One minor concern is that Taysom Hill‘s return to action after last season’s knee injury could put a dent in Miller’s rushing volume. Hill had six carries Sunday in his first game back.

Kareem Hunt (RB – KC): 39% Rostered

• Next Opponents: DET, LV, WSH
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: There’s not much of a case to be made that the 30-year-old Kareem Hunt could be a truly valuable fantasy asset this year. He’s averaging 3.2 yards per carry with a long run of 11 yards, and he has five catches in four games. But Hunt is averaging 10.3 touches a game and has been used in goal-line situations this season. A decent workload in a good offense has value during the bye weeks — if only a small degree of value.

Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC): 0% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @MIA, IND, MIN
• True Value: $0
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Chargers running back Omarion Hampton was reportedly in a walking boot after the team’s Week 5 loss to the Commanders. Initial reports suggest the injury isn’t serious, but in case those initial reports prove wrong, it’s good to start hatching a backup plan. Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins each played 14 snaps in Week 5. Vidal had 4-18-0 rushing and 1-1-0 receiving on one target. Haskins had 5-13-0 rushing and 1-2-0 receiving on one target. Haskins had out-snapped Vidal 14-2 before Week 5. Vidal, Troy University’s all-time rushing leader, is faster than Haskins and has better pass-catching chops.

Hassan Haskins (RB – LAC): 1% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @MIA, IND, MIN
• True Value: $0
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: As noted above in the Kimani Vidal report, Omarion Hampton sustained a foot injury in Week 5, and in case there’s any chance Hampton misses time, we need to discuss his backups. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Hassan Haskins is bigger than Vidal and would probably handle goal-line work for the Chargers if Hampton were out. In his final college season at Michigan in 2021, Haskins ran for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns. But Haskins is a plodder with minimal pass-catching ability.

Running Back Stash Candidates

• Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI)
• Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)
• Isaiah Davis (RB – NYJ)
• Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – SF)

Bears rookie Kyle Monangai runs like his life depends on it. It’s possible he soon makes a serious run at D’Andre Swift‘s starting job, and maybe Monangai’s role will expand now that the Bears are coming out of a Week 5 bye. Swift is averaging -0.39 rushing yards over expected per carry, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He was underwater in rushing yards over expected per carry last year, too, ranking dead last in that category among all qualifying backs. Monangai might constitute an upgrade.

Tyjae Spears came off the IR in Week 5. He played 17 snaps and had 4-14-0 rushing in the Titans’ upset of the Cardinals. Titans head coach Brian Callahan said during the offseason that he wanted to get Spears more involved. Now that Spears is healthy again and has had a ramp-up game, perhaps he’ll start to carve out a bigger role.

Isaiah Davis is the top backup to Breece Hall now that Braelon Allen is expected to miss two months or more with a knee injury. Davis doesn’t have standalone value, but he’s now a valuable handcuff who should probably be rostered in larger leagues.

Brian Robinson Jr. is a lottery ticket as the handcuff to the oft-injured Christian McCaffrey, who’s been carrying an enormous load for the 49ers early this season. Backup running backs have thrived when thrust into temporary starting roles in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.