Fantasy Football Week 6: Rankings, Projections and Waiver-Wire Tips

Week 5 of the 2017 NFL season may not have officially concluded, but fantasy football owners should already be looking ahead to how they'll strengthen their rosters ahead of Week 6.

The longer the season goes, the more difficult it can be to find upgrades on the waiver wire. The secret will already be out for this year's breakout fantasy stars, and teams have generally established their offensive hierarchies. 

There's still value to be had right now, though, for owners who need to supplement their squads, whether to compensate for a bye week or replace a struggling member of the roster. The four players below could prove to be impactful additions ahead of Week 6. (Note: Ownership percentages are among Yahoo fantasy leagues, courtesy of Fantasy Pros)

Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts (11 percent)

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CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Andrew Luck is likely to be out for all of October, so Jacoby Brissett's starting job looks to be safe for the time being.

Through his first five appearances, Brissett has thrown for 997 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He went 22-of-34 for 314 yards and an interception in Indianapolis' 26-23 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Brissett doesn't have a high ceiling, but he showed against San Francisco and the Cleveland Browns (259 yards, one touchdown) that he can take advantage of a favorable matchup.

The Colts play the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. The Titans entered this week allowing 274.3 yards per game (28th) and ranking 29th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), according to Football Outsiders.

Brissett should be considered a low-end QB1 for owners looking to add a quarterback.

Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals (55 percent)

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One wouldn't expect Andre Ellington to offer much value in standard leagues considering he has rushed for 49 yards. Ellington's contributions to the Arizona Cardinals passing game have more than made up for his lack of running yards. He has caught 28 passes for 257 yards.

It would be easy to write off one or two good games as an outlier for Ellington in terms of his receiving numbers. But he's clearly the best pass-catcher out of Arizona's backfield, and his continued role in the offense illustrates his importance to the team.

Let's not forget Ellington had 85 receptions and 766 receiving yards through his first two years in the NFL as well.

As long as Ellington remains a second or third option in Arizona's passing game, he doesn't need to run for a high volume of yards to be a flex option in standard leagues. His value is even higher in point-per-reception leagues.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (30 percent)

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It's too bad fantasy leagues don't factor in style points, because Nelson Agholor could've doubled his point total this week with his spin move and fall backward into the end zone on his 72-yard touchdown reception against the Cardinals.

The NFL shared a replay of the catch:

One game doesn't erase the two underwhelming seasons to start Agholor's NFL career, and the touchdown represented a little over 77 percent of his total yardage output Sunday (93 yards).

Former NFL wideout Chad Johnson saw the Eagles' 34-7 win as vindication for those who remained optimistic about Agholor's potential:

Agholor is averaging 49.0 yards per game through the first five weeks, compared to 23.1 yards per game combined in 2015 and 2016.

Agholor's lack of week-to-week consistency makes him a more volatile fantasy proposition than somebody like Jermaine Kearse or J.J. Nelson, but Agholor arguably has a higher ceiling based on how good the Eagles passing game has been.

Ed Dickson, TE, Carolina Panthers (Two percent)

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The Carolina Panthers placed Greg Olsen on injured reserve last month, and Nov. 26 will be the earliest he's eligible to play again. That opened the door for Ed Dickson to become a big part of the Carolina Panthers offense, and he capitalized Sunday.

Dickson had a team-high 175 receiving yards on five receptions. That represented more yards than he had finished with in each of his first three years with the team.

Olsen took notice of Dickson's big day:

After a slow start to 2017, Cam Newton appears to be back to his best after throwing for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns in each of the last two weeks. That's good news for the Panthers and even better news for his receivers.

Beyond a small group of elite players, tight ends are often interchangeable from week to week. With that in mind, owners would be smart to take a chance on Dickson possibly breaking out in 2017 before Olsen is back on the field.

Week 6 Rankings and Projected Points (Standard Leagues)

1. Aaron Rodgers (20)

2. Julio Jones (20)

3. DeAndre Hopkins (20)

4. Kareem Hunt (19)

5. T.Y. Hilton (18)

6. Tom Brady (18)

7. Le'Veon Bell (18)

8. Todd Gurley (17)

9. C.J. Anderson (17)

10. Antonio Brown (16)

11. Matt Stafford (16)

12. Kirk Cousins (16)

13. Leonard Fournette (15)

14. Tyreek Hill (15)

15. Devonta Freeman (15)

16. Cam Newton (15)

17. Deshaun Watson (14)

18. Chris Thompson (14)

19. Jordan Howard (14)

20. Brandin Cooks (14)

21. Drew Brees (14)

22. Stefon Diggs (14)

23. Melvin Gordon (13)

24. Devin Funchess (13)

25. Alvin Kamara (13)

26. Matt Ryan (13)

27. Chris Hogan (13)

28. Alex Smith (13)

29. Sterling Shepard (12)

30. Alshon Jeffery (12

31. Carson Wentz (12)

32. Lamar Miller (12)

33. Jermaine Kearse (12)

34. Tarik Cohen (12)

35. Davante Adams (12)

36. Jameis Winston (11)

37. Jacoby Brissett (11)

38. Michael Crabtree (11)

39. Andre Ellington (11)

40. Wayne Gallman (11)

41. Carlos Hyde (10)

42. Pierre Garcon (10)

43. Nelson Agholor (10)

44. Josh McCown (10)

45. Jared Goff (10)

46. Tevin Coleman (9)

47. Larry Fitzgerald (9)

48. Christian McCaffrey (9)

49. Javorius Allen (9)

50. Orleans Darkwa (9)