Week 6 Waiver Wire: Branden Oliver, Ronnie Hillman Highlight Pickups to Know

When it comes to the waiver wire, there's really only one rule—don't waver.

If you have a gut feeling about a certain player, add him. If you think your team is in need of improvement but you can't decide which player to add, just choose one and see what happens. Remember, folks, you can't uncover a waiver-wire MVP you never added to your roster in the first place.

So don't waver! Be bold! Be successful! And if you need a bit of help making a decision this week on who to add, let me help you as I go through some of the players I'll potentially be adding to my team this week. 

All ownership statistics, point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos

Ownership: 0.9 percent

Analysis: Ronnie Hillman probably doesn't seem like he should be atop your waiver priority this week, since the Denver Broncos face a New York Jets defense that until this week was pretty stingy against the run. You'd guess the Broncos would rely on their excellent passing game against New York's suspect secondary.

But here's the thing—with Hillman, you're playing the long game, not the short one, because all indications are that Montee Ball's groin injury could be pretty serious.

On Sunday, Mike Klis of The Denver Post reported that "Broncos starting running back Montee Ball will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his strained groin Monday morning. The initial belief is Ball will be 'out for a while,' according to an NFL source."

Jeff Legwold of ESPN has more:

"

Following Sunday’s game there was some concern among Ball’s teammates and others in the organization that the running back's injury could cause him to miss significant time. 

'My prayers are with Montee,’ said quarterback Peyton Manning. 'He just looked like he was in a lot of pain down there on the field, so I hope he’s OK.’'

For Ball, an avulsion fracture would be one of the worst case scenarios in what appeared to be an injury to his right groin. An avulsion fracture occurs when the muscle is pulled with such force that the tendon or ligament it’s connected to tears a chip away from the bone as well.

For the Broncos any missed time from Ball would move Ronnie Hillman into the lead role at running back. 

"

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also reported that the Broncos are expecting the worst in this case:

Hillman was indeed sharp on Sunday, rushing 15 times for 64 yards. Juwan Thompson did score a touchdown for Denver, but he only carried the ball three times for 15 yards. This would appear to be Hillman's job so long as Ball is unavailable. 

In fantasy terms, the Denver offense is a rising tide that elevates all ships. No, matchups against the Jets and San Francisco 49ers in the next two weeks aren't favorable, but if Ball's injury is indeed severe you have to think about what Hillman could bring you over the next two months, not two weeks.

Pay attention to Ball's status carefully but know that if he's out for a long period of time, Hillman absolutely should be your priority on waivers. C.J. Anderson or Thompson might steal some carries, but all indications at this time are that Hillman is next in line.

Branden Oliver, RB, San Diego Chargers

Ownership: 0.4 percent

Analysis: America, meet Branden Oliver.

The diminutive fourth-string running back exploded on Sunday against the Jets, rushing 19 times for 114 yards and a score while adding four receptions for 68 yards and another touchdown on four targets. His heavy usage came after Donald Brown left the game with a concussion. 

That's now the third running back the team has seen miss action due to injury, as both Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead are currently out. 

It's hard to imagine that Oliver hasn't earned himself a larger chunk of the carries with San Diego after this performance, even if Brown isn't forced to miss any action. And the Chargers face an Oakland Raiders team next week allowing 21.3 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, a truly tasty matchup.

If Brown can't play, Oliver is an RB1 candidate. If Brown can go, Oliver still has flex appeal, though one would imagine some sort of timeshare between the pair. Oliver is simply the more explosive player. Monitor this situation carefully.

Antone Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Elsa/Getty Images

Ownership: 1.9 percent

Analysis: When are the Atlanta Falcons going to acknowledge that Antone Smith is a home-run hitter and get him more touches?

Smith now has four touchdowns on the season and has proven to be a big play waiting to happen. He has nine or more fantasy points in four of five weeks. And he's gotten a total of 17 touches on the season. Given that he has 47 fantasy points on the season, he's averaging an absurd 2.7 fantasy points per touch.

At some point, the Falcons are going to make him a bigger part of the game plan, and when they do, aren't you going to be glad you have him on the bench? And with a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears coming up, this could be the week the Falcons finally join Team Antone.

Andre Williams, RB, New York Giants

Ownership: 36.4 percent

Analysis: Rashad Jennings owners absolutely should be rostering Andre Williams. That's a given. But for everyone else, Williams could have a week or two of serious fantasy relevance depending on the severity of the injury that forced Jennings out of Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News has more on that front:

"

Early word last night was RB Rashad Jennings' left knee was "sprained." Obviously that was pre-MRI. Still could keep him out a week or two.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) October 6, 2014"

The Giants have a great matchup forthcoming against Philly's suspect defense, so Williams should be a priority pickup if Jennings is out of action. Even if he isn't, Williams has made himself one of the better handcuffs in fantasy with consecutive double-digit fantasy performances.

Benny Cunningham, RB, St. Louis Rams

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Ownership: 1.4 percent

Analysis: Are you sensing a theme here?

With Zac Stacy leaving the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Benny Cunningham was able to finish with seven rushes for 47 yards and a score while also snagging three passes for 24 yards. If Stacy's calf injury keeps him out of action for a few weeks then Cunningham instantly enters the flex conversation.

Otherwise, Cunningham is nothing more than a decent handcuff to own, as Stacy is clearly the top dog when he's healthy. Monitor Stacy's status closely, obviously.

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Ownership: 6.8 percent

Analysis: Very quietly, Mohamed Sanu has notched eight or more fantasy points in three of Cincy's four games, and not just because he has a touchdown pass on the season. What's better is that his production seems sustainable, seeing as he has 26 targets after four games and is clearly Andy Dalton's second-best option in the passing game behind A.J. Green.

Perhaps his value will diminish somewhat when Marvin Jones returns from injury, but for the moment, Sanu is a pretty nice guy to have around, especially in deeper leagues with byes to consider. He seems a safe bet to give you at least five points if you find yourself in a pinch at your flex.

Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants

Ownership: 50.1 percent

Analysis: Rueben Randle has been targeted 40 times this season, a neat and tidy eight per game. He has eight or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Eli Manning and the New York Giants' passing game has awoken. The Giants play the miserable Philly secondary this upcoming week. 

See where this is going?

In a game that could quickly become a shootout, Randle has carved out a nice niche for himself in New York's offense. With teams keying on Victor Cruz most of the time and Larry Donnell in the red zone, Randle should continue to get favorable matchups on the outside. 

Yes, Odell Beckham Jr. making his season debut on Sunday and playing well could impact Randle's usage going forward, but there should be plenty of targets to go around this week. Randle is a sneaky flex play this week and a nice guy to roster if you are hurting at wide receiver.

Louis Murphy, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Ownership: 0.3 percent

Analysis: Well, you probably didn't think you'd be seeing Louis Murphy on a list like this, huh? I mean, he just signed with the team a few weeks ago, after all. 

But here's the thing—Murray now has nine fantasy points in each of his last two games, and with Mike Evans sidelined for at least another week more than likely, a third solid performance could be on the horizon. Plus, it's clear that Mike Glennon and Murphy have developed a rapport.

Murphy's fantasy relevance is tenuous at best, of course. Josh McCown returning as the starter could sink his value. Evans returning from injury could do the same. But if things go Murphy's way heading into this week, he's a sneaky flex play for owners in deep leagues.

Tim Wright, TE, New England Patriots

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Ownership: 2.4 percent

Analysis: Hey, remember when people were talking about Tim Wright potentially filling in the role Aaron Hernandez once held for this offense? How the Pats might be returning to a two-tight-end attack? 

Well, it took four weeks but it finally came to fruition.

Tim Wright torched the Bengals for five catches, 85 yards and a score on Sunday night. Finally, it seemed the Pats had found another weapon in the passing game they so desperately needed. 

But here's the thing. Tight end has been surprisingly deep this year, so you might be hesitant to add Wright at the expense of solidifying a different position. And according to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston, despite his big night, Wright still only played on 19 of a possible 84 snaps, which seems crazy given how productive he was on the evening.

So a major role still isn't guaranteed for Wright. Still, in deeper leagues or two-TE formats, he's worth rostering as a TE2 with TE1 upside if his role continues to expand.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than fumbling drills with Philly Brown.