Subscribe
Follow Us
Bye weeks have started to pop up, making the roster decisions for your fantasy football roster get even more important moving forward. While there are plenty of depth pieces available to pick from, which ones make the most sense to target in your Week 6 waiver wire pickups?
The following list includes players that are rostered on fewer than 50 percent of all ESPN rosters making the chances you can pick them up pretty high. With the start of the 2024 NFL season here, try your best to button up some fringe concerns on your roster before the first week begins.
1. Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars – RB
9.5% Rostered
It has been a long time coming it has seemed, but Tank Bigsby put together the best game of his NFL career for the Jacksonville Jaguars. When Travis Etienne injured his shoulder again and missed some time in Week 5, Bigsby stepped in and took on a bigger workload.
Bigsby rushed for 101 yards on 13 carries, hauling in his lone target for 28 yards), and finding the end zone twice on the ground. Even if Etienne is deemed healthy for their Week 6 matchup, it’s fair to assume Bigsby has earned even more work, making him your top target in your Week 6 waiver wire pickups.
2. Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings – RB
34.9% Rostered
Even as the Minnesota Vikings head into their Week 6 bye, Ty Chandler should be near the top of your Week 6 waiver wire pickups. RB1 Aaron Jones left Sunday’s win over the New York Jets early with a hip injury, thrusting Chandler into the lead-back role.
Chandler racked up 16 touches (14 carries) but failed to eclipse 40 total yards, ultimately putting together a disappointing performance. But the sheer volume alone that Chandler earned puts him in a great position. With the extra week, it’s likely that Jones will be back, but Chandler still has carved out a consistent role in one of the better offenses in the league.
3. Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants – RB
18.4% Rostered
Stepping in for a spot start, rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. made some noise replacing Devin Singletary. The New York Giants, going on the road and upsetting the Seattle Seahawks, relied heavily on Tracy, who turned 18 carries into 129 yards.
Singletary was doubtful coming into the game, so the fact that he even had a shot at playing means that his injury isn’t considered a long-term issue. Tracy likely would go back into a complementary role, but Singletary likely isn’t far off from being replaced this year.
4. Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys – WR
7.6% Rostered
CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson are the options that garner the most attention in the Dallas Cowboys passing attack, but Jalen Tolbert has really taken a step in his third season. Filling in for the injured Brandin Cooks, Tolbert filled the role of hero in Dallas’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, connecting with Dak Prescott on the game-winning score.
Even when Cooks makes his return, Tolbert holds the keys to the valuable WR3 role in the Dallas offense, something that still will bring value. As the first wide receiver in our Week 6 waiver wire pickups, look to add Tolbert to your WR group for depth.
5. Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins – RB
8.0% Rostered
As the Miami Dolphins lost spark plug De’Von Achane early to a concussion in their Week 5 win, the tandem of Raheem Mostert and rookie Jaylen Wright stepped up. Mostert earned the larger workload, but Wright recorded the biggest workload of his career, racking up 13 carries for 86 yards.
A Week 6 bye awaits the Dolphins, giving Achane plenty of time to make his return. However, if Achane doesn’t clear concussion protocol, Wright should be your target for that backfield. Even if Achane does return, you should see Wright’s workload increase a bit, but he naturally would still be seen as third fiddle in that backfield.
6. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts – WR
34.9% Rostered
The first (of two) wide receivers from the Indianapolis Colts on this list, Josh Downs has enjoyed a strong couple of weeks catching passes from both Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco. Seeming to have more success when Flacco is leading the charge, Downs recorded his second-consecutive game of eight-plus receptions, hauling in nine passes for 69 yards on 12 targets.
Downs is fighting Alec Pierce (and to a lesser extent, Adonai Mitchell) for the WR2 role in the Colts offense. While Pierce brings a downfield threat to the table, Downs has found success in being an always-open safety valve for QBs, able to find the holes in the defense and act as a volume hog, perfect for your fantasy football roster.
7. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons – QB
45.1% Rostered
The only quarterback on our Week 6 waiver wire pickups is Kirk Cousins, who went nuclear on his way to throwing for over 500 yards in a Thursday night win. Coming out on top in an overtime battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cousins was on fire for the Atlanta Falcons, getting pretty much every piece not named Bijan Robinson involved.
Cousins gets matchups against the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and the Buccaneers again in their next three weeks, excellent opportunities for the former Vikings QB to continue his strong season.
8. Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears – RB
11.2% Rostered
It's been such an interesting season for the running backs for the Chicago Bears, especially involving D’Andre Swift’s usage. Having put together his second-straight week of popping off, Roschon Johnson is the man standing in Swift’s way of turning really good showings into overall RB1 performances.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (frustratingly) seems to prefer the bigger-bodied Johnson at the goal line instead of Swift, paving the way for Johnson to vulture scores from the Chicago starter. Finding the end zone twice in their win over Carolina, Johnson converted two short opportunities for scores. While his role doesn’t involve a ton of consistent work spelling Swift at this point, his goal-line work alone makes him a valuable addition for your Week 6 waiver wire pickups.
9. Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders – WR
17.2% Rostered
The impending departure of Davante Adams will give the Las Vegas Raiders offense a chance to reset itself, which allows players like Tre Tucker to redefine their roles. While behind Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers in the pecking order, Tucker is next in line and should fit into the WR2 role pretty easily.
Quarterback concerns will surround this offense for the rest of the season, but Tucker has been on the field for more than 80 percent of snaps three consecutive weeks. The workload and stats will come for Tucker, so get out ahead of a potential spark plug in an offense that will be throwing a ton.
10. Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts – WR
14.8% Rostered
The final player on our Week 6 waiver wire pickups currently finds himself as the WR21 on the season, a place not many people expected Pierce to be. His early-season start has been buoyed by scoring touchdowns in three of the first five weeks, and being the deep threat opens him up to a lot of boom-bust performances.
Both Flacco and Richardson have been able to connect with Pierce on deep balls, the area where Pierce lives. While a low-volume role isn’t always the best for your fantasy football roster, sometimes targeting high-upside is how to best round out your bench. If you need to take a flier on a player, Pierce provides more upside than most.
