Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Priority Pickups to Target (Week 6)

Our analysts combine to provide rankings for weekly fantasy football waiver wire targets. We’ll help you prioritize your bids for the week ahead. Check out our full expert consensus fantasy football waiver wire rankings and all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week. Here are our latest fantasy football waiver wire rankings and top fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings & Top Targets: Week 6

Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Target

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.

Mason Taylor (TE – NYJ): 13% Rostered

• Next Opponents: DEN, CAR, @CIN
• True Value: $11
• Desperate Need: $15
• Budget-Minded: $6

Analysis: Mason Taylor finally had the breakout game I’d been waiting for in Week 4. He followed it up with a monster outing in Week 5. In Week 4, Taylor was the TE11 in fantasy, soaking up a 25.9% target share with 65 receiving yards (2.50 yards per route run) and a 33.3% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 5 against Dallas, he had a 26% target share with nine receptions and 67 receiving yards. He led the Jets in targets, cementing his status as the team’s clear No. 2 option in the passing game behind Garrett Wilson. Taylor offers TE1 plug-and-play value. Yes, this week’s matchup against Denver is tough, but he follows that up with cakewalks against Carolina and Cincinnati before the Jets’ bye week. If you are dealing with some frustrating veteran such as T.J. Hockenson or Mark Andrews at tight end, you should be rostering Taylor. He could be a more consistent volume earner and producer moving forward.

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.

Troy Franklin (WR – DEN): 30% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @NYJ, NYG, DAL
• True Value: $3
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Troy Franklin has two top-36 wide receiver finishes this season (WR7, WR36). He entered Week 5 with a 72.8% route share, a 19.7% target share, a 30.6% air-yard share, 1.78 yards per route run (49 receiving yards per game) and a 21.3% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. Franklin walked away from Week 5 with a strong 79% route share, but he only had a 12.8% target share and 35 receiving yards, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). Franklin should provide solid Flex value this week against a Jets secondary that, aside from cornerback Sauce Gardner, scares no one. Franklin follows that up with plus matchups against the Giants and Cowboys, who entered Week 5 having given up the most and fifth-most fantasy points per game to perimeter wide receivers, respectively.