Week 6 Waiver Wire: Top Fantasy Pickups After Latest Injuries
Injuries to key contributors often leave fantasy managers scurrying to find a replacement to fill in and help lead their rosters to victory and in Week 6, that is no different.
With injuries to Christian Watson, Joe Mixon, Rhamondre Stevenson, Derek Carr, and Jonathan Taylor affecting managers there are several quality players to be had on any given league's waiver wire.
Who are they and why are they worth grabbing up before opposing managers can?
Find out with this preview of Week 6 action.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
With running back Devin Singletary out of action in Week 5, and his status for Week 6 in question after missing practice all week, Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a worthwhile waiver wire pickup and starter.
The first-year player out of Purdue rushed 18 times for 129 yards and caught one ball for two yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks last Sunday.
This week against a Cincinnati Bengals defense ranked 19th against opposing running backs, Tracy will have the opportunity to compile more stats and help improve upon his RB14 finish from last week.
The AFC North basement dwellers are giving up 23.10 points per game to the position so if Tracy has the chance to build momentum like he did against Seattle, he should be able to have a similar, if not better, performance against the Bengals and potentially wrest more playing time away from Singletary moving forward.
Tracy is available in 64 percent of Yahoo and 74 percent of ESPN leagues.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cade Otton has had a rather miserable season from a fantasy perspective in 2024 and definitively is not a player you want to pick up on the waiver wire and stash. He is likely a pickup-and-plug option with a great match-up against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.
The Saints are 21st in the league against opposing tight ends and giving up 12.22 points per game to the position. They have conceded an average of 7.3 catches, 91.3 receiving yards, and 12.8 points per game this season.
In the last three weeks, Otton has seen his targets and catches increase, and he has finished in the top 12 at his position during that stretch.
If Baker Mayfield can avoid the pass rush and find Otton as a safety blanket, not only is there a potential for the tight end to have a big day and potentially score his first touchdown of the season, but he could also finish as a top 10 tight end.
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Anyone who tuned into the Week 1 debacle that was Daniel Jones' performance against the Minnesota Vikings likely tuned out with no intention of watching that quarterback play again.
Since then, he has finished in the top 11 quarterbacks in three of the four weeks and is coming off his best performance of the season against the Seattle Seahawks. Next up for the Duke product?
A date with a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has been smoked by opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks.
Jones scored 22.1 points against the Seahawks on 23 completions, 257 yards, and two touchdowns while adding 11 rushes for 38 yards.
A similar performance, if not better, is possible against a Bengals squad allowing 19.63 points to the position.
He will not score the nearly 30 points that Lamar Jackson did a week ago, especially with the emergence of Tracy in the backfield, but Jones is a legitimate starting option this one and, potentially, a top 5 finisher at his position.
A far cry from the player we saw at the inception of the 2024 season.
Jones is available in 81 percent of Yahoo and 74 percent of ESPN leagues.
All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise noted.