Waiver Wire Watch: Week 6 Targets

Oct 07, 2019

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Week 5 was an odd one in fantasy football, as several players put up absolutely monster performances, stealing the shine from their teammates in the process. We’re also hitting the heavier bye weeks starting in Week 6, so managing the waiver wire and bench space becomes even more critical at this point in the season. Stashing players for a week or two can be a savvy move to help plug in roster holes or lock down key backups. That’s a common thread through many of this week’s recommended adds, as you’ll see below.

Before we get into the meat of the article, there are a few house-keeping items to clear up. Recommendations are based on a PPR-scoring, four-point passing touchdown, 12-team league, with ownership percentages coming from Yahoo. I try to mention when a player is a better streaming play (short-term/one-week starter) versus a long-term addition. Free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestions are based on a $100 season-long budget. Lastly, the great John Paulsen will edit this article every week and adjust rankings and prices if necessary. Essentially, you’re getting two minds collaborating on this piece instead of one, so lucky you.

Now, with that out of the way, here are some players to target heading into Week 6.

BYE WEEKS: Bears, Raiders, Colts, Bills

Quarterbacks

1. Kirk Cousins

2. Gardner Minshew II

3. Teddy Bridgewater

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, 41% owned ($7)

One of the squeaky wheels got the grease for Minnesota this week, as Kirk Cousins fed Adam Thielen eight targets, and the star receiver finished the game with seven catches, 130 yards and two touchdowns. While this isn’t the type of football Mike Zimmer wants to play, it could be the type the team needs to play when it faces the Philadelphia Eagles next week. The Eagles passing defense has allowed three top-10 fantasy finishes at quarterback in five games, and one of the quarterbacks to not hit that mark was Luke Falk. Cousins was dropped in many leagues last week given the Vikings’ offensive struggles, and he’s an excellent streamer for next week.

Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars, 23% owned ($5)

While Minshew’s mustache has received many of the headlines, his play on the field should garner more attention from fantasy managers. He’s averaged 17.9 fantasy points per game in his five appearances, with a season-low of 16.1 points. That’s a fantastic floor in standard leagues. Minshew has thrown two touchdowns in four of his five appearances, and looks comfortable in his new role. He has a tough draw next week against the Saints, but after that faces the Bengals, Jets, and Texans. Minshew is a solid streamer with weekly-starter upside.

Teddy Bridgewater, New Orleans Saints, 9% owned ($1)

Bridgewater put together one of the finest games of his career on Sunday, throwing for 314 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Saints to a win over the Buccaneers. This was Bridgewater’s second multi-touchdown game of the season, and first with over 200 passing yards. With four teams on bye, Bridgewater is a decent streaming option against the Jaguars for Week 6. The Jaguars defense has been up and down this year, giving up three 300-plus yard quarterback performances and two sub-200 yard performances with seven passing touchdowns allowed versus just one interception.