Week 6 Waiver Wire: Who's Worth Picking Up This Week?

In order to keep up with your fantasy football team throughout the year—and with the competition—it's always a good idea to keep an eye out for possible free agent prospects and players on the waiver wire.

As the season progresses, players get injured. Others, who were expected to be fantasy superstars (i.e. Rashard Mendenhall and Roddy White), disappoint. Meanwhile, young players and sleeping veterans emerge (i.e. Fred Jackson and Victor Cruz). 

In the event of disappointment or injury, your team could benefit immediately if you can snag an emerging player off the waiver wire before someone else.  

Unfortunately, Fred Jackson is no longer available in most leagues. However, leading into Week 6 of the NFL season, here are five players who may be worth picking up off of the waiver wire.

Kevin Walter: Wide Receiver, Houston Texans

Houston wide receiver Kevin Walter is available in most fantasy leagues as of right now, but he may not be for long. With Texans star Andre Johnson expected to be out for at least a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, Walter has the potential to shine.  

During Week 5, with Johnson out, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw to Walter on five occasions for 81 yards and a touchdown in their loss to the Raiders.  

If your team is in need of a productive wide receiver, Walter could be your guy for at least a couple of weeks.  The upside is that Houston does not face their bye week until Week 11.

Tim Tebow: Quarterback, Denver Broncos

At halftime of Sunday's game, the Denver Broncos trailed the San Diego Chargers by a score of 23-10. Quarterback Kyle Orton had thrown for a measley 34 yards.

Once again, Bronco fans called for quarterback Tim Tebow.  

This time, head coach John Fox obliged.

At the start of the third quarter, and to giant cheers from the fans, Tebow took the field for the Broncos in an effort to lead the team to victory. What's more, the 24-year-old nearly pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback win as he led Denver back from a 16-point deficit.

Unfortunately, the former Florida star fell just short when his last pass of the game hit the grass in the end zone on the the final play. The Chargers ended up victorious by a score of 29-24.

Sure, Tebow wasn't perfect on Sunday, but he gave Denver a nice spark that hasn't been seen in Mile High in some time.  

Throwing for 79 yards and a touchdown and running for 38 yards and another touchdown, Tebow's dynamic attack is what makes him a good fantasy prospect in the event that he is named Denver's starter. However, with Denver on a bye week next week, it may be a wise idea to hold off on this particular prospect as we get a chance to see this quarterback battle play out over the coming days.

Ryan Torain: Running Back, Washington Redskins

In Week 6, the Washington Redskins will be coming off a bye week. This means that running back Ryan Torain will be coming off his 135-yard, one-touchdown welcome-back party, which he threw during Week 4 against the St. Louis Rams.

In his first game action after missing the beginning of the season with a broken hand, Torain put on an impressive performance and likely stole the starting job from Tim Hightower and knocked backup Roy Helu out of the mix.

Neither Hightower nor Helu have rushed for over 100 yards in a game this season. Between the two of them, they have just one rushing touchdown on the year.

If you are in need of a running back and Torain hasn't already been claimed off the waiver in your leagues, he could be a good snag.

Darrius Heyward-Bey: Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders

In the past two weeks, Oakland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey has managed to string together a couple of good games. The former first-round pick grabbed four catches for 115 yards in Week 4, following that up with 99 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. 

Heyward-Bey has always possessed the potential to be a quality receiver, but has unfortunately been a little inconsistent throughout his young career.

His recent production may make him a good addition to fantasy rosters, if you're looking to pick up another receiver. However, you may want to keep him on the bench as a just-in-case.

Between Heyward-Bey and Oakland's rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore, the two seem to be trading off games, which makes neither a guaranteed start.

Victor Cruz: Wide Receiver, New York Giants

Over the past three weeks, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz has emerged as one of Eli Manning's favorite targets.

In the Giants' last three games, Cruz has accumulated 369 receiving yards to go along with three touchdowns. Lucky for fantasy owners, he's still available in many leagues, but probably not for long.

The 24-year-old's tipped pass in the fourth quarter of the Giants' game against the Seahawks on Sunday, which resulted in an interception return for a touchdown, is what will leave a lasting impression in Giants fans' minds. However, his 161-yard, one-touchdown performance still solidified him as a quality fantasy starter.

Get Cruz on your roster while he is still available, but be aware that the Giants face a bye week in Week 7.