Week 6 Waiver Wire: Examining Top Fantasy Football Targets

Some players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles will be popular on the fantasy football waiver wire heading into Week 6 of the NFL season.

The Bucs face the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed 121 points in their past three games. Atlanta has been short-handed and played without four injured defensive starters on Sunday.

The Eagles have to navigate the rest of the season without running back Jay Ajayi, who suffered a torn ACL. Now Philadelphia needs to figure out a backfield plan, which involves some players currently available in fantasy leagues.

Here's a look at some of the most popular adds in Yahoo fantasy football leagues. They are grouped into three distinct categories below.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Popular for Week 6

Quarterback Jameis Winston, running back Ronald Jones and tight end Cameron Brate all made their ways onto the top-12 add list for Sunday.

Winston has been named the team's starter for Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons. He missed the season's first three games due to a suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Winston lost his job to Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 4 against the Bears, but Winston was inserted into the game midway through a 48-10 blowout and is now the team's signal-caller again.

Jones was inactive for the team's first three games but got the call-up for the Bears contest. Like the rest of his team, he didn't do much, rushing for 29 yards on 10 carries. Still, Jones may continue to get opportunities as the Bucs' running attack has been dormant all season (3.1 yards per carry).

Brate has caught three passes and scored touchdowns in consecutive games after going catchless in his first two outings. The fourth-year tight end had 105 catches and 14 touchdowns over his past two seasons, so he's capable of more substantial production.

Of the three, Winston seems like the safest bet (he is the quarterback after all). Jones is a risky play given the Bucs' rushing woes. Brate is in between the two as he should get more looks with fellow tight end O.J. Howard out with an MCL sprain.

Philadelphia Eagles Running Backs Stepping Up

With the aforementioned Ajayi out, Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood should be prominently featured in the backfield.

Clement started the season with 186 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown through three weeks, but he's been out with a quad injury for his team's past two games. However, he practiced in full Monday.

Smallwood has been efficient with his touches so far, amassing 246 yards and two scores. Of note, he's stepped up as a pass-catcher out of the backfield with 10 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Smallwood could therefore be a huge boost to a team in point-per-reception leagues.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld praised Smallwood in a Monday tweet:

The Eagles face the host New York Giants on Thursday. Big Blue has struggled against the run, allowing 4.6 yards per carry this season. They allowed three touchdowns against New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara but held Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey largely in check (95 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches).

This isn't a tough matchup for the Eagles runners, and it's worth placing waiver claims for both players. If you had to choose one, take Smallwood given his 2018 success. 

Can Week 4 and 5 Wideout Stars Bring Success for Week 6?

Chicago Bears wideout Taylor Gabriel, New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson and New Orleans Saints rookie pass-catcher Tre'Quan Smith are all coming off monstrous performances.

Gabriel caught seven passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Bucs. Anderson snared three passes for 123 yards and a pair of scores, and Smith broke out with three catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

It's hard to discern all three players' fantasy futures, but Anderson may have the best outlook. He had 63 catches for 941 yards last season but got off to a slow start this year as he and rookie quarterback Sam Darnold weren't really on the same page. But that changed Sunday as Darnold hit Anderson for two long scores.

Anderson is an excellent deep threat, and if he and Darnold's chemistry has improved, then he could be in line for a few more games of 100 yards or more. A Week 6 home date with the Indianapolis Colts is a plus matchup given Indy's numerous defensive injuries.

Gabriel took advantage of a Bucs defense that might be the worst in football. He was undoubtedly impressive, but the Bears won't get a matchup that easy again. Still, Gabriel should see his fair share of targets (he's had 29 through five games), and that could make him a solid bench option in point-per-reception leagues. On Sunday, he gets the host Miami Dolphins, who have allowed just six passing touchdowns through five games.

Smith's performance against the Washington Redskins on Monday might be an outlier. He replaced wideout Ted Ginn, who missed the matchup with a knee injury. There's no official word on Ginn's return timetable, but if he gets his job back when healthy, then Smith's opportunities will be limited.

The return of running back Mark Ingram may also hurt Smith's outlook long term, as quarterback Drew Brees has close to 10 weapons he can count on. New Orleans has a lot of mouths to feed.

The Saints are off for Week 6 but return against the Baltimore Ravens for Week 7. Baltimore has one of the best defenses in the league, and if Ginn is back and returns to the starting lineup, then Smith should not be rostered despite his excellent potential.