Fantasy Football Week 6: Chase Claypool and Other Top Waiver-Wire Targets
The 2020 NFL season has been unlike any in recent memory, but one factor remains the same: Injuries have played a major early role in both the real world and in fantasy football.
Fantasy stars like Saquon Barkley, Michael Thomas, Christian McCaffrey and Nick Chubb have all missed games. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for the season Sunday because of a gruesome ankle injury that required surgery.
With the NFL now in bye-week season—the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders are off in Week 6—many managers are now scrambling for both long-term options and short-term replacements.
We'll look at potential waiver-wire targets for both categories here, specifically examining players available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Chase Claypool fits into both the short- and long-term categories, and we'll examine him in-depth shortly. First, though, let's dig into a couple of potential replacements for Prescott.
Andy Dalton, QB, Dallas Cowboys (3 Percent Rostered)
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Prescott is done for the season with a broken and dislocated ankle. That doesn't necessarily mean the Cowboys are done, though. Dallas will turn to backup quarterback Andy Dalton for the remainder of the year, and as the three-time Pro Bowler has proved in the past, he can play.
"Dalton is a similar caliber player to the guy you just lost," one talent evaluator said, per The Athletic's Mike Sando.
Dalton might also be able to save the season of many a fantasy manager, and he's highly likely to be available. He's rostered in just 3 percent of Yahoo leagues and in fewer than 1 percent of ESPN leagues.
Does Dalton have the athletic upside of Prescott? No, but he is a starting-caliber quarterback who can take advantage of Dallas' impressive cadre of pass-catchers. With Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Dalton Schultz, Michael Gallup and Ezekiel Elliott at his disposal, he could regularly be a top-10 fantasy quarterback.
It helps that Dallas' defense is terrible and that head coach Mike McCarthy has shown a willingness to lean on the pass when behind. Dalton is a terrific replacement for Prescott and a player worth targeting for any manager with a second-tier set of streamers at the position.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (20 Percent Rostered)
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While Dalton is likely to be a must-start option moving forward, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is a quality week-to-week option for managers looking to replace Prescott and unable to land Dalton—or otherwise lacking at the position.
When good matchups present themselves, Fitzpatrick can shine. He did so against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, completing 22 of 28 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Fitzpatrick has another enticing matchup in Week 6 before the Dolphins hit their bye in Week 7.
The New York Jets rank just 25th in passing yards allowed this season.
Fitzpatrick has another favorable stretch beginning in Week 11 with the Denver Broncos and their 22nd-ranked pass defense, followed by a Jets rematch and the Cincinnati Bengals (23rd in total defense).
The 37-year-old is rostered in 20 percent of Yahoo leagues and 21 percent of ESPN leagues.
Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (16 Percent Rostered)
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Steelers wideout Chase Claypool is the waiver-wire target to know coming off his remarkable four-touchdown game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He caught seven passes for 110 yards and added six rushing yards while finding the end zone for a hat trick plus one.
Claypool's breakout performance was a surprise even to himself.
"I thought I was going have a smaller role for the game," Claypool said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "But when [Diontae Johnson] went down, I knew I had to step up for the time being, and luckily I was able to do that."
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, head coach Mike Tomlin believes Johnson will return in Week 6. However, Claypool's performance should lead to plenty of opportunities moving forward—and a heck of a lot of waiver claims.
Claypool is a terrific long-term option and also has a tremendous Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns and their 30th-ranked pass defense. He's rostered in just 16 percent of Yahoo leagues and 9 percent of ESPN leagues.
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Preston Williams, WR, Miami Dolphins (22 Percent Rostered)
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While Claypool has the potential to be a virtual must-start moving forward, Dolphins receiver Preston Williams is more of a matchup-dependent streamer—at least in the short term. He caught four passes on five targets for 106 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. However, he hasn't caught more than two passes in any other game this season.
The good news, as previously mentioned, is that Williams and the Dolphins have some favorable matchups coming in Week 6 and later in the year.
The better news is that Williams' big day may be a sign of more consistent things to come. The second-year undrafted free agent is still working his way back from a torn ACL and appears to be getting close to 100 percent.
"I'm just getting my football feet back under me," Williams said, per Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Value Williams as a high-end streamer for now with the upside to become a reliable flex or WR2 option later in the year. He is available in more than 75 percent of Yahoo leagues and 60 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (17 Percent Rostered)
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Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is another standout who is done for the season with a torn ACL. While rookie first-rounder Jerry Jeudy is a strong candidate to replace him as Denver's top receiver, third-year man Tim Patrick is making his claim.
Managers should put in a claim for Patrick now since he is rostered in 17 percent of Yahoo leagues and 21 percent of ESPN leagues.
Patrick had an outstanding game against the Jets in Week 4, catching six of seven targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. He's been targeted 11 times over the past two weeks and has scored in each of his last two games. He has been targeted a minimum of four times in every game this season.
Week 6 isn't an ideal time to play Patrick as he'll be facing the New England Patriots and their 12th-ranked pass defense. However, he should see the volume of targets needed to be serviceable in point-per-reception leagues and could see a significant jump in future production as quarterback Drew Lock makes his way back from a shoulder injury.
Travis Fulgham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (3 Percent Rostered)
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The other breakout receiver from the Steelers-Eagles game was Philadelphia wideout Travis Fulgham. In his second game on the active roster, the Old Dominion product caught 10 of 13 targets for 152 yards and a touchdown.
This marked the second consecutive week in which Fulgham has caught a touchdown pass from Carson Wentz. He hauled in two passes for 57 yards and a score in his Eagles debut in Week 4, and he's quickly earning the respect and trust of his quarterback.
"I mean, he showed up today and showed really last week that the two big plays he had, they weren't a fluke. Kid's a baller," Wentz told reporters. "He made a lot of big plays. I was really proud of him and pumped for him."
Expect Fulgham to remain one of Wentz's favorite targets moving forward, allowing him to be a quality WR3 or flex option at a minimum. If he continues to perform as he did Sunday, he'll soon become a weekly must-start.
Put in a claim for Fulgham now, though, as he isn't going to remain this available for long. He's currently rostered in just 3 percent of Yahoo leagues and fewer than 1 percent of ESPN leagues.
Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (40 Percent Rostered)
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Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison is one of the top handcuffs in fantasy, which is why he's rostered in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues and 42 percent of ESPN leagues despite playing behind Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook.
However, now is a good time to scoop up Mattison if he's available. Cook suffered a groin injury Sunday night, and while he briefly returned to the game, he was largely on the sideline afterward. There's a chance he may be able to play in Week 6.
"We'll see how he does this week," head coach Mike Zimmer said, per Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune.
Even if Cook doesn't miss time, the Vikings would be smart to limit his usage by playing Mattison. That could lead to some big-time production for managers who have landed him.
Mattison saw 23 touches, caught three passes and totaled 136 scrimmage yards Sunday. While it would be foolish to expect that sort of production weekly, Mattison is worth claiming and stashing at the very least. He can continue to be valuable even if he's seeing close to an even split with Cook in the backfield.
J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington Football Team (6 Percent Rostered)
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With Dwayne Haskins Jr. no longer the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team, it's time to pay attention to the fantasy value of running back J.D. McKissic. Washington should see more consistency out of Kyle Allen or Alex Smith, and the 27-year-old back is becoming one of the team's top targets.
Over the last two weeks, McKissic has been targeted 16 times, receiving eight in each contest. He caught six passes in Week 5 and had 49 scrimmage yards. In Week 4, he caught seven and had 46 scrimmage yards.
While McKissic certainly isn't going to be an elite running back on a weekly basis, he should be a solid flex option in PPR formats. He's likely to have a half-dozen receptions and 40-50 yards in each game from here on out, and at some point, he'll presumably find the end zone.
For managers in dire need of flex depth, that production could be more than enough to warrant an occasional start. McKissic is rostered in just 6 percent of Yahoo leagues and 11 percent of ESPN leagues.
Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantasyPros. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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