Week 6 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

The Houston Texans gave fantasy football enthusiasts something to talk about Sunday, scoring 53 points against the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Will Fuller V finished with video game numbers.

Watson (41.74) and Fuller (39.70) led their respective positions in points for Week 5. The former threw for 426 yards and five touchdowns, while the latter racked up 14 receptions for 217 yards and three scores.

In recent seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars garnered leaguewide buzz because of their defense. This year, the club's offense has exceeded expectations after quarterback Nick Foles broke his collarbone in Week 1. Fantasy owners should pay close attention to the Jaguars' rookie signal-caller and one of his top wide receivers.

Let's take a look at potential breakout targets and hot pickups for Week 6. Each player below is owned in fewer than 75 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday 7:30 p.m. ET.

Week 6 Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

QB Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars (23 percent owned)

RB Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans (66 percent owned)

RB Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins (54 percent owned)

WR DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (73 percent owned)

WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (67 percent owned)

WR DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks (57 percent owned)

TE Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers (67 percent owned)

TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams (8 percent owned)

Week 6 Waiver-Wire Pickups

QB Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints

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Despite a loss and three fumbles, quarterback Gardner Minshew II made enough plays to keep the Jacksonville Jaguars in the game through four quarters. He's built a strong rapport with wideout DJ Chark Jr., which gives him a go-to option as well.

Minshew may have come up short in pulling off a victory, but he posted big fantasy numbers, 374 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Carolina Panthers came into Sunday's game with the top-ranked pass defense that allowed just four touchdowns through the air.

Minshew has thrown at least two touchdown passes in four out of five outings. Coming off a career high in passing yards (374) and completions (26), he'll face the New Orleans Saints at home.

Although Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore has played well over the last two games, clamping down on Amari Cooper and Mike Evans, Minshew should have opportunities to rack up yards and points with Chark and Dede Westbrook as his primary pass-catching options.

RB Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins

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The Washington Redskins didn't have much going on against the New England Patriots on Sunday, but fantasy managers can hang their hats on running back Chris Thompson's involvement in the offense.

Thompson logged a mere 38 yards from scrimmage but still netted 10 fantasy points in points-per-reception leagues. He caught five passes to make up for a rough outing. The 28-year-old also tied with wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the most targets (seven).

Going into Week 6, the pass-catching running back will have a favorable matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Through four weeks, Thompson led the Redskins in targets (28), and his high volume didn't change with quarterback Colt McCoy under center. He's locked into a decent role until we see rookie signal-caller Dwayne Haskins take over the huddle—if that happens this season.

WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

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Back from injury, Michael Gallup recorded seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. He scored late in the third quarter with the Dallas Cowboys trailing 31-3. On a brighter note, the second-year wideout seems fully recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Before the procedure, Gallup had an impressive two-game stretch, hauling in 13 receptions for 226 yards on 15 targets. If he can stay healthy, the Colorado State product could experience significant growth through his sophomore campaign.

Despite the Cowboys' offensive struggles, quarterback Dak Prescott has a solid one-two punch at wide receiver in Cooper and Gallup. The former isn't available in any Yahoo leagues, so managers should set their sights on the latter.

Although the Cowboys struggled Sunday, they'll face the New York Jets in Week 6—that's a potential bounce-back matchup for the passing attack. Gang Green ranked 28th against aerial attacks going into Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Gallup projects as a WR3 or flex option in the next outing.

WR DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints

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Piggybacking off Minshew's performance, we can't overlook Chark, who recorded eight catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers in Week 5. He ranked fourth in points (28.40) among wide receivers.

Along with the production, Chark saw a double-digit number of targets (11) for the first time this season. Even more impressive, he averaged 20.5 yards per reception. The 23-year-old served as a top receiving target and big-play option in the aerial attack, which is an ideal combination for fantasy managers.

Chark doesn't need 10 or 11 targets to make an impact, but he's clearly earned Minshew's trust. After Sunday's performance, his percentage owned should rise above 85 percent as managers look to bolster their wide receiver groups. He's scored in four out of five games.

With Minshew playing well under center, Chark remains a WR2 going forward. Owners can use the quarterback-wide receiver duo as an effective stack option.

Fantasy point totals courtesy of FantasyPros.