Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver-Wire Must-Adds

When rolling the dice on waiver-wire pickups, managers should acquire players one week too early rather than wait for their names to bubble to the top of the acquisitions list. With a bench spot to spare on a budding performer, an owner can save some of their budget and avoid large bidding competitions.

During the offseason, the knee and workload of Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley II became a popular talking point in fantasy football discussions. While he has still been effective, the two-time All-Pro's rushing attempts have dropped from 18.3 per game last year to 12.8 through the first five weeks. 

Tailback Malcolm Brown hasn't reaped the benefits of Gurley's limited touches, though. Head coach Sean McVay has put more pressure on the aerial attack. One pass-catcher saw a recent spike in targets, and he deserves an early look on the waiver wire.

Because of Leonard Fournette's profile as a workhorse running back, many couldn't foresee that the Jacksonville Jaguars would be lighting up defenses through the air, especially after quarterback Nick Foles broke his collarbone in Week 1. Yet managers can take their pick of three viable fantasy assets other than the lead ball-carrier.

Take a look at Week 6's must-add acquisitions who are owned in less than 70 percent of Yahoo pools as of Monday at 4 a.m. ET. The free-agent acquisition budget bids are based on 12-team leagues.

QB Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars (23 Percent Owned)

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Following Sunday's games, fantasy managers may be taking a look at New Orleans Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater after he threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns with only one interception in a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, with Drew Brees already tossing around a football after thumb surgery, owners should target an asset who has a starting spot with more shelf life.

Since taking over for Foles, who's on injured reserve with a broken collarbone, rookie Gardner Minshew II continues to exceed expectations as a sixth-rounder out of Washington State. He's recorded nine touchdowns passes and an interception in five contests.

Although the Jaguars lost 34-27 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Minshew threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns against the league's top pass defense going into Week 5. His three fumbles are a blemish on a productive day, but the 23-year-old has a high floor in fantasy relevance. He's scored at least 16.1 points every week, per FantasyPros.

In his next outing, Minshew will face the Saints, who gave up two passing touchdowns to Jameis Winston in Week 5.

Free-Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB): $5

RB Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans (66 Percent Owned)

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Carlos Hyde isn't the hottest name on the waiver wire or a fresh face, but he could come in handy next week.

The Houston Texans will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to square off against the Kansas City Chiefs. They'll have to outscore the AFC West club or copy the Indianapolis Colts' blueprint to beat them, which involves running the ball 20-plus times to keep reigning MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the sideline. 

The Texans have already shown their willingness to feed Hyde the ball. He logged 21 carries for 60 yards against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday—that's the second time the sixth-year veteran has had at least 20 rushing attempts this season.

Whether the Texans choose to copycat the Colts or engage in a scoring shootout, Hyde should have enough opportunities to score a touchdown. He's clearly the lead ball-carrier, having logged more carries than Duke Johnson in all five contests. The 29-year-old is a solid streamer option for Week 6 with long-term appeal. 

FAAB amount: $5

RB Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins (64 Percent Owned)

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The Washington Redskins remained constant in two aspects of their offense. There's good and bad news. Overall, the group continued to struggle in a loss to the New England Patriots, but Chris Thompson didn't see a drop-off in his touches.

In an interim role, Bill Callahan will take over for head coach Jay Gruden, who was fired Monday. He's been on staff since 2015, so the promotion shouldn't dramatically affect Thompson's role.

Last week, Washington benched starting quarterback Case Keenum, and on Sunday, Colt McCoy took the reins. The 33-year-old relied on wideout Terry McLaurin and Thompson to move the ball through the air, targeting both of them seven times.

The Patriots only allowed 220 total yards, but Thompson's steady workload, specifically in the passing game, bodes well for his long-term outlook. In Week 6, he'll face the Miami Dolphins, who ranked last in yards and points allowed going into Week 5. 

With Thompson locked into a solid pass-catching role and handling a smattering of carries (four attempts for 21 yards Sunday), he's someone to target in points-per-reception leagues. The 28-year-old leads Redskins running backs in offensive snap percentage (53.82), which further indicates his steady workload.

FAAB amount: $7

WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (67 Percent Owned)

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Quarterback Dak Prescott struggled against the Green Bay Packers' revamped defense in Week 5, tossing three interceptions. On the positive side, he reconnected with Michael Gallup, who had a strong start to the season (13 receptions for 226 yards) before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

The wide receiver secured seven receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in his first game back. Clearly, he and Prescott have an established rapport that went unfazed through two weeks of inactivity.

Amari Cooper had a career day, recording 11 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown, so his performance may have overshadowed Gallup's solid return. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should scoop Gallup off the waiver wire now. He's a much better No. 2 option than Randall Cobb, who only registered five catches for 64 yards in Gallup's absence. 

The Cowboys' passing attack should fare well in a road battle against the winless Jets next week. Gang Green's pass defense ranks 21st leaguewide (260.2 yards allowed per game). You can expect a big game for Gallup and plug him into the WR3 or flex slot for the remainder of the year. 

FAAB amount: $7

WR Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars (58 Percent Owned)

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If you missed out on DJ Chark Jr. two weeks ago, you can still benefit from the offensive firepower in Jacksonville.

With Chark owned in 73 percent of Yahoo leagues, managers can target Dede Westbrook, the No. 2 target in the Jaguars' passing attack. After a quiet start, he's logged at least five catches and 46 yards in each of the last three outings. His production in the latter category has steadily increased in that stretch. 

Although Chark seems like Minshew's primary weapon, Westbrook matched the second-year wideout's target volume (11) in Sunday's game against the Panthers. 

Westbrook hasn't reached paydirt since Week 1, but with his target share, he's likely to snap that streak in the coming games. 

In a Week 6 matchup against the Saints, Chark may see cornerback Marshon Lattimore in coverage on the perimeter. He's blanketed Amari Cooper and Mike Evans in the last two games. Out of the slot, Westbrook should have an opportunity to rack up yardage and score a touchdown.

FAAB amount: $5

TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams (8 Percent Owned)

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Here's a waiver-wire sleeper for managers who want to beat the masses to a potential breakout performer.

Jared Goff has three solid options at wide receiver—Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks—but he's increased his looks toward Gerald Everett. Over the last two outings, the Rams signal-caller targeted him 19 times.

To Everett's credit, he's turned those opportunities into 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. In Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, he logged a career-high 136 yards. Cooks went down with a concussion, so the 6'3", 240-pound tight end may continue to see a bump in his target volume.

Everett provides managers a potential sleeper alternative in case they'd like to move on from inconsistent or disappointing players at the position like Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton or Eric Ebron.

In PPR leagues, Everett ranked second among all tight ends in scoring (20.60) for Week 5. That may not become the norm, but he's in the mix for more opportunities in an offense that's no longer centered around Gurley. 

FAAB amount: $5

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Fantasy point totals provided by FantasyPros.