Week 6 Fantasy Football Projections: Streaming Options Likely on the Waiver Wire

The waiver wire is one of the most important in-season tools that a fantasy football manager can utilize. This is especially true in a 2020 season that has been marred by key injuries and now in the midst of its bye-week stretch.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott joined the ranks of the injured on Sunday, while the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders are all on bye. This means that many managers will be searching for alternatives for the week.

Here, we'll run down some of the top potential waiver-wire targets for Week 6, both those worth streaming for the week and those with long-term potential.

Top Waiver-Wire Options, Week 6

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Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Andy Dalton, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins

Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Travis Fulgham. WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Keelan Cole Sr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Andy Dalton, QB, Dallas Cowboys

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With Prescott done for the year, the Cowboys are likely to rely on veteran Andy Dalton for the remainder of the season. While he might not have the same upside as Prescott, Dalton can be a high-end fantasy streamer moving forward.

Let's not forget that Dalton is a three-time Pro Bowler who helped the Cincinnati Bengals reach the postseason five consecutive times. He also has a plethora of pass-catching weapons at his disposal, including CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott.

Dalton showed that he can maximize those weapons too, going 9-of-11 for 111 yards during Sunday's comeback win over the New York Giants.

Don't be shocked if Dalton produces numbers similar to Prescott's moving forward, perhaps just a step below. He's worth picking up for Prescott managers or anyone with question marks at the quarterback position. He has a somewhat tough matchup in Week 6, though, going against the Arizona Cardinals and their fifth-ranked pass defense.

Dalton is rostered in just 3 percent of Yahoo leagues and in fewer than 1 percent of ESPN leagues.

Projection: 250 passing yards, 2 TDs, 25 rushing yards

Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Chase Claypool jumped into the fantasy spotlight in Week 5 with a four-touchdown performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. He caught seven passes for 110 yards and three scores, while adding six yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Expect Claypool to remain a significant piece of the passing attack moving forward.

"He's big, fast and strong, and he's very, very smart. So we're able to do those things like move him around and do some things with him," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Claypool is worth scooping up for the remainder of the fantasy season, but he has a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. Cleveland ranks just 30th in passing yards allowed and has traditionally struggled in Pittsburgh.

Claypool is rostered in just 16 percent of Yahoo leagues and 9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Projection:6 receptions, 116 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings

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Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook suffered a groin injury in Week 5. While the injury doesn't appear to be serious, there's a chance that Minnesota rests Cook against the Atlanta Falcons this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. If so, then backup Alexander Mattison becomes a must-start.

Mattison performed well after taking over for Cook against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished with three receptions and 136 scrimmage yards. This is the sort of production Mattison could have against the Falcons this week.

Atlanta ranks 14th in run defense but 30th in points allowed.

Minnesota is likely to use Mattison in a dual-threat role just as it does Cook. This gives him plenty of potential. It's worth targeting Mattison on the wire, playing him if Cook is out and stashing him on the bench afterward.

Mattison is rostered 40 percent of Yahoo leagues and 42 percent of ESPN leagues. After Sunday's performance and Cook's injury, those percentages are likely to take a significant jump.

Projection: 95 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 27 receiving yards, 1 TD

Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantasyPros.