Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire: Rashee Rice and More Top Free-Agent Pickups
The NFL has been going through a quiet stretch both in terms of injuries (fortunately) and breakout performances (unfortunately). As a result, the fantasy football waiver wire looks relatively barren for the second consecutive week.
Managers who have premium priority will likely want to hold onto it, and those in leagues with a FAB system will largely want to save their cash. With only the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers on bye this week, most managers will be playing with a full roster or close to it.
Although there aren't any elite options to pick up off waivers, there are still some players who can potentially start in a pinch or help pad your lineup with some depth. If you need a streaming option at a position like tight end or quarterback, a few players who now find themselves in elevated roles that would make sense to claim.
This is also good week to turn over the bottom of your roster, cutting the fat and making speculative claims on high-upside talent.
With that in mind, here are five of the best waiver claims you can make before Week 6 gets underway. All suggestions are rostered in 50 percent or fewer of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Fantasy points and rankings are based on FantasyPros' PPR data.
Gardner Minshew II, QB, Indianapolis Colts (1 Percent Rostered)
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The Indianapolis Colts have been starting one of the breakout stars at quarterback in Anthony Richardson, but the rookie exited Sunday's contest against the Tennessee Titans after suffering a shoulder injury. While it's unclear exactly how much time he'll miss, Dianna Russini and James Boyd of The Athletic reported he could be out for 4-6 weeks.
With Richardson likely sidelined for the next month or so, backup Gardner Minshew II immediately becomes a startable option.
Minshew has fared well in his appearances for the Colts thus far this season. In the three games that Richardson left early, Minshew went 57-of-83 for 553 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
While Minshew doesn't come close to providing the type of rushing stats that Richardson offers in spades—he has only four yards on his four carries this season—he is a competent passer who has a strong No. 1 wideout in Michael Pittman Jr. to rely on. He should also get plenty of support from the ground attack.
Managers who have either been relying on Richardson, have their QB1 going on bye in Week 6 or are unhappy with how their regular starter has been faring should consider putting a claim in on Minshew. You can deploy him with confidence as a low-end QB1 for as long as he remains in Indy's starting lineup.
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (39 Percent Rostered)
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DK DFS Value: $N/A
The Kansas City Chiefs have shown that they'll be successful with just about anyone in their receiving corps so long as Patrick Mahomes is slinging the rock. While Travis Kelce has been and will remain the top target in this offense, rookie Rashee Rice is quickly establishing himself as the team's main option at wide receiver.
Through five weeks, Rice is leading all of Kansas City's wideouts in targets (24), receptions (17), touchdowns (2) and trails only Justin Watson in yardage (173). While Rice didn't have a breakout game in Week 5—he caught four of his five targets for 33 yards and a touchdown—he has a respectable fantasy floor thanks to his volume (he's seen at least five targets in all but one game this year) and scoring upside.
Rice won't be more than a flex play until he gets more than seven targets or surpasses the 60-yard receiving mark in a contest, but it seems like it's only a matter of time before he's posting better stat lines. The first-year talent has come out of the gate hot and should see his numbers rise as he continues to build his rapport with Mahomes.
For now, consider Rice a high-end bench option who can be spot-started when needed. He's well worth picking up ahead of a prime-time Week 6 matchup with the Denver Broncos—a team that has allowed the most yardage and points in the league—and deploying if your top options are sidelined or out on bye.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Detroit Lions (41 Percent Rostered)
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DK DFS Value: $4,500
The high-octane Detroit Lions offense didn't skip a beat in Week 5 even though star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) missed the game. The team dropped 42 points on the hapless Carolina Panthers with quarterback Jared Goff passing for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Breakout rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was the recipient of two of those scoring throws, while wideout Josh Reynolds hauled in the other.
Reynolds' outing solidified his status as a reliable fantasy option, a rather surprising development in his seventh NFL season. Through five weeks, the 28-year-old has reeled in 16 of his 24 targets for 291 yards and three touchdowns. While he posted a goose egg in Week 3, Reynolds has seen at least five targets and notched at least three catches and 66 yards in every other contest this year.
The veteran wideout is now on pace to exceed his career-best marks and doesn't seem to be impeded by Jameson Williams' return to the lineup. Williams made his first appearance of the 2023 campaign on Sunday but finished the day with just two yards on his two receptions. Meanwhile, Reynolds racked up 76 yards after catching four of his five targets.
Although fantasy managers who started Reynolds this past week may be slightly disappointed that he didn't assume additional volume during St. Brown's absence, he's at least shown his role in this offense will be consistent. As long as Reynolds keeps turning his six or so targets each week into a handful of catches and 70-plus yards with a chance for touchdowns, he'll be a flex option.
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D'Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears (7 Percent Rostered)
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DK DFS Value: $4,400
The Chicago Bears benched D'Onta Foreman after the season opener, but they will likely have to turn back to him in Week 6 after a rash of injuries decimated their backfield.
Starting running back Khalil Herbert exited Week 5's win over the Washington Commanders and is now expected to miss "multiple weeks" with an ankle injury, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Rookie fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson suffered a concussion in the same game and could be sidelined for a stretch as well. Travis Homer, who almost exclusively played special teams since joining the Bears this offseason, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Fullback Khari Blasingame was the sole member of the backfield healthy by the end of the the Bears' Thursday Night Football appearance last week. As a result, Foreman should be active this Sunday and see plenty of run while the rest of his teammates are recovering.
Foreman started the year poorly, rushing for 16 yards on five carries and catching two passes for eight yards in Week 1. However, he's only a year removed from a breakout campaign with the Carolina Panthers. Foreman posted career highs in rushing yardage (914), carries (203) and touchdowns (five) after taking over as the RB1 following Carolina's decision to trade away Christian McCaffrey.
The 27-year-old journeyman will look to capitalize on his current situation with a career-revitalizing performance. The Bears are facing the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 and will likely lean on Foreman to carry the rushing load if Johnson can't suit up. Even if Johnson is active, Foreman figures to log a sizable number of carries while working in a timeshare with the first-year back.
While Foreman doesn't have a great long-term fantasy outlook, he could be just what managers need to get through these next few weeks as a bye-week or injury replacement in their starting lineup.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans (36 Percent Rostered)
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DK DFS Value: $3,600
The Houston Texans offense has been one of more surprising revelations of the 2023 season. What was originally expected to be a fantasy wasteland has become a gold mine, with players like Nico Collins, Tank Dell and C.J. Stroud all emerging as viable starters.
One of the few disappointments amongst Houston's crop of skill-position talent has been tight end Dalton Schultz, whom many expected to play a large role after signing there as a free agent this past offseason.
Schultz started his Texans tenure quietly, tallying only 10 catches on 17 targets for 89 yards and one touchdown over his first four games. However, the veteran finally had a breakout performance against the Atlanta Falcons on a Sunday. While it didn't result in a win, Schultz was prominently involved in the passing game and finished the day with seven catches on 10 targets for 65 yards and a score.
That was the type of stat line Schultz was expected to put up after he did so regularly with the Dallas Cowboys between 2020 and 2022. The 27-year-old averaged 66 receptions for 667 yards and six touchdowns during that span, but his contributions dropped off over the first month of the 2023 campaign.
It remains to be seen if Schultz will remain a big part of the Houston offense or if Sunday's showing will be an outlier. Given the dearth of reliable tight end options in fantasy, it's certainly worth betting on him remaining more involved.
While Stroud had fewer pass-catchers to target after Dell exited with a concussion in the first half, Schultz finished the day having accounted for around one-third of the quarterback's targets and completions. That makes Schultz a great streaming addition for Week 6, especially if Dell can't clear the concussion protocol in time to face the New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday.
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