Top 13 waiver-wire pickups for Week 6 of fantasy football
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, New Orleans Saints
ESPN fantasy ownership: 9.5%
Week 5 stats: 314 passing yards, four touchdowns, one interception — 27.3 fantasy points
One thing to know: Teddy Bridgewater appears to be getting a better feel for the Saints offense, and getting more opportunities to throw the ball in the process. Bridgewater made great use of the Saints' most effective offensive weapon on Sunday, connecting with wide receiver Michael Thomas on 11 throws for 182 yards and two scores. Drew Brees is still expected to be back in a few weeks, but until then, Bridgewater is a good placeholder for fantasy players.
Gardner Minshew, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN fantasy ownership: 18.1%
Week 5 stats: 374 passing yards, two touchdowns — 21.2 fantasy points
One thing to know: Minshew Mania may have taken much of NFL fandom by storm, but that love hasn't yet translated to fantasy players. Minshew is a top-12 fantasy quarterback so far and could be playing in a shootout next weekend against the Saints.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals
ESPN fantasy ownership: 2.8%
Week 5 stats: 68 rushing yards, three receptions, 18 receiving yards, one touchdown — 17.6 fantasy points
One thing to know: Chase Edmonds is the clear No. 2 running back in Arizona behind David Johnson. So don't expect breakout games like the one he had on Sunday to be a regular thing. But Johnson played through a back injury this week, leading to a few more opportunities for Edmonds — if that injury persists, he could have value.
Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons
ESPN fantasy ownership: 9.6%
Week 5 stats: 19 rushing yards, six receptions, 45 receiving yards — 12.4 fantasy points
One thing to know: Ito Smith has scored at least 11 fantasy points in two straight weeks out of the Falcons backfield. He's still probably not an every-week starter for your fantasy team. However, Smith looks like a solid bet to get some production for you at running back, especially in PPR leagues.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Houston Texans
ESPN fantasy ownership: 60.6%
Week 5 stats: 60 rushing yards, one touchdown — 12 fantasy points
One thing to know: Carlos Hyde got 21 touches on Sunday, and next week will get to face off against a Chiefs defense that just gave up 132 yards to Marlon Mack. If he's available in your league, he's a solid add.
DJ Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN fantasy ownership: 71.3%
Week 5 stats: Eight receptions, 164 receiving yards, two touchdowns — 36.4 fantasy points
One thing to know: Please pick up DJ Chark, as I am tired of having to include him in this column. Chark is one of the top-five fantasy receivers in all of football so far this season, up there with the likes of Michael Thomas and Cooper Kupp, and just ahead of Keenan Allen. If any of those three players were available in your league, you would scoop them up in a heartbeat. For nearly 30% of fantasy leagues, that's the case.
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Atlanta Falcons
ESPN fantasy ownership: 42.9%
Week 5 stats: Five receptions, 42 receiving yards, one touchdown — 15.3 fantasy points
One thing to know: Mohamed Sanu has averaged 15 points per week over the past three weeks, despite scoring just one touchdown over that stretch. The Falcons play the Cardinals and the Rams the next two weeks. Sanu is a guy you can pick up now and use to fill out your roster through the rest of the season as needed.
Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
ESPN fantasy ownership: 68.2%
Week 5 stats: Seven receptions, 113 receiving yards, one touchdown — 24.3 fantasy points
One thing to know: In the three games he's been healthy enough to play, Michael Gallup has averaged 20 fantasy points per game. He's already rostered in the majority of leagues, but it's worth checking to see if someone in your league dropped him earlier out of frustration with his injury.
Auden Tate, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN fantasy ownership: 10.3%
Week 5 stats: Three receptions, 26 receiving yards, one touchdown — 11.6 fantasy points
One thing to know: With the Cincinnati Bengals still missing wide receivers AJ Green and John Ross, Auden Tate has stepped into a starting role for the team. He's yet to have a real breakout performance, but the Bengals are trailing in enough games that his targets and receptions will trend up before they trend down.
Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
ESPN fantasy ownership: 0.0%
Week 5 stats: Six receptions, 103 receiving yards, one touchdown — 22.3 fantasy points
One thing to know: Another week, another previously unknown wide receiver becoming a fantasy stud thanks to the arm of Patrick Mahomes. Byron Pringle stepped into the role of an injured Sammy Watkins on Sunday and put on quite a performance. It's not yet clear how serious Watkins' injury is, but given his history with season-ending ailments, Pringle is worth a shot if you have room on your roster.
Will Dissly, TE, Seattle Seahawks
ESPN fantasy ownership: 76%
Week 5 stats: Four receptions, 84 receiving yards — 12.8 fantasy points
One thing to know: In addition to DJ Chark, I am also tired of having to include Will Dissly in this column. He's one of the five best tight ends in fantasy, and yet is still available in nearly a quarter of leagues. Unless you have one of the absolute top-tier fantasy tight ends, chances are Dissly would be an improvement to your lineup.
Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams
ESPN fantasy ownership: 3.3%
Week 5 stats: Seven receptions, 136 receiving yards — 20.6 fantasy points
One thing to know: After a slow start, Gerald Everett has been one of the top tight ends in fantasy for two straight weeks, and the Rams offense looks set for a few more big performances with games against the 49ers, Falcons, and Bengals over the next three weeks.
Baltimore Ravens Defense
ESPN fantasy ownership: 47%
Week 5 stats: One interception, one fumble recovery, one sack, 23 points allowed — 7 fantasy points
One thing to know: The Ravens defense has not been the ravenous unit we've seen out of Baltimore in the past, and has actually put up negative fantasy points in two of their five outings so far this season. Still, this Sunday they face off against the lowly Bengals, who have scored more than 20 points just once so far this season. If you're streaming defenses or need to fill in for the Bears on their bye week, the Ravens are a great option.
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