Week 6 Waiver Wire: 5 Quarterbacks You Should Consider

The ebbs and flows of the NFL season are like nothing else in sports. Team’s personalities change week to week as their performance on the field does too. It’s a season full of short memories.

In the span of one week, a team can go from being hot and on a roll to losing by four touchdowns. Just ask Tampa Bay. Critics and media alike will criticize a team for being old and having lost their “mojo” and then that team goes out and crushes their opponent. Check the Pittsburgh-Tennessee box score.

As crazy as the NFL season has been for everyone involved, fantasy football has been just as crazy and unpredictable. There haven’t been as many “sure things” this year and not as many guys perform greatly on a week in, week out basis.

Here are five quarterbacks worthy of a waiver wire pickup this week.

5. Alex Smith

Jim Harbough has the San Fransisco 49ers sitting at 4-1 in his first year as head coach. His team just knocked off the Eagles and the Buccaneers in back to back impressive wins. Harbough has been getting a lot of the praise, and often times quarterback Alex Smith is being left out.

Smith is ranked as the fifth worst fantasy quarterback according to ESPN but that is due to his teams conservative offensive style of play. His numbers cannot be denied. He has now completed 66 percent of his passes on the year with a 7.7 YPA mark and has a 7:1 touchdown to interception ratio.

This week he will go up against Detroit, who despite being 5-0 (yes they look like one of the best teams in the NFL) have only the 12th best rush defense in the league and through five games have only recorded 12 sacks.

Smith has a great opportunity this week to lead his team to another big win and get fantasy owners around 15 points. 

4. Matt Cassel

Cassel and the Chiefs are off this week, but he is still a great pick up if you can get him. He’s currently the 12th best fantasy quarterback according to ESPN.

In his last three starts, Cassel has thrown for an average of 231 yards, had a quarterback rating of 114.6, and thrown seven touchdowns to just one interception while completing 68 percent of his passes.

Four of the chiefs next five games come against teams in the bottom half of total pass defense. Denver, Oakland, Miami and Indianapolis. 

3. Andy Dalton

Dalton really is having a tremendous rookie season, unfortunately for him so is Cam Newton. Yet somehow Dalton has the young Cincinnati Bengals at 3-2.

He has played well in four of the five games thus far. His one poor performance came against the 49ers which, in retrospect, is forgivable considering how good Jim Harbough has the 49ers playing.

Dalton might be catching a break this week as he gets the Colts at home. The Colts are a middle of the pack team when it comes to defending the pass (19th overall), and they struggle getting to the quarterback. Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney have all eight of the team’s sacks.

With another week under his belt and another week spent in practice with rookie wide receiver stand out A.J. Green, Dalton is poised to have a solid performance and get you around 15 fantasy points. 

2. Colt McCoy

I couldn’t believe it when I crunched the numbers, but what you’re about to hear is true. McCoy on the year is throwing the ball an average of 43 times a game, and it’s resulted in an average of 246 yards per game. He’s got the ball into the end zone six times while only throwing three picks.

This Sunday McCoy leads the Browns into Oakland to face the fourth worst pass defense in the NFL. Oakland gives up an average of 300 yards passing per game and through five weeks only has 13 sacks.

The Peyton Hillis “I sat out a game because I was unhappy with my contract” drama will only further increase the number of attemps McCoy gets this week in Oakland.

McCoy will be good for about 250 yards, a couple touchdowns and in an overly optimistic prediction, no interceptions. 

1. Tim Tebow

Not enough can be said about Tebow and his legend. He is a captivating figure and a polarizing force on the field. His ability to keep plays alive with his legs and his head is almost unparalleled. So are his fantasy numbers.

ESPN fantasy guru Matthew Berry pointed out on The Scott Van Pelt radio show this morning that in the final three games of last season, he was a top three fantasy quarterback.  In one half this week he put up 16 fantasy points, more than Tom Brady put up in four quarters.

His ability to run the ball as a compliment to his passing makes him a fantasy beast. Pick him up immediately if you can and if you can’t, use Denver’s bye week in Week 6 to put a trade together.

Tebow is a must have.