Heading into Week 6, bye weeks and a major wave of injuries only add to the usual obsessing over fantasy football lineups. Fantasy leaguers repeatedly review the free agent list until lineups lock on Sundays.
Every week, after waiver wire sprints, I give you a rundown of widely available players for use in flex slots or as fill-ins at skill positions.
Points per reception (PPR) scoring and roster percentages referenced from CBS Sports provide the basis for my analysis.
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Jalen Tolbert, WR, DAL (62%): With Brandin Cooks out, Tolbert has already shown he can step forward and produce, like when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Pittsburgh last week. In Week 5, he finished with seven receptions on 10 targets for 87 yards. Dallas remains among the most pass-heavy teams in the NFL, and the Lions allow the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers among NFC teams.
Michael Wilson, WR, ARI (34%): In each of the last three games, Wilson was targeted six or more times; last week, he had a season-high 78 receiving yards. Pro Football Focus gives Wilson the third-best WR vs. CB matchup grade (88.4, qualifying as “excellent”) for Week 6 against Green Bay.
Alec Pierce, WR, IND (61%): This downfield playmaker is a boom-or-bust option with more than three catches in only one game this season. But injuries may mean he has a larger role this week, and it’s hard to overlook a guy who has long receptions of 44-plus yards in three games this year. Tennessee allows the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, so Pierce’s matchup is a concern, at least from a statistical standpoint.
Darius Slayton, WR, NYG (48%): Slayton put on a show as the Malik Nabers understudy last week, catching eight passes for 122 yards and a TD. If the top rookie WR sits again, Slayton can be considered for lineups, although his history of unreliability keeps him from being a surefire starting option.
Roschon Johnson, RB CHI (54%): D’Andre Swift is still clearly the lead RB for the Bears, but Johnson rushed for three TDs in his last two games while emerging as a pure goal-line vulture. All three of the scoring runs have been one-yarders. Jacksonville ranks 30th in the NFL in points allowed per game (28.6), so Johnson may have another TD run or two this week. If the Bears get out to a big lead, extra rushing work is possible, too.
Adonai Mitchell, WR IND (14%): While Pierce is the upside play among Colts receivers who might need to step up in Week 6, Mitchell models as a safer floor play. He checks in at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and is likely a better high-percentage throw and contested-catch target. Mitchell only has six receptions this season, so he needs to prove that opportunity can lead to quality production against the Tennessee pass defense.
Dalton Schultz, TE, HOU (49%): The Nico Collins absence puts Schultz back on the fantasy radar at the thinnest position in the game. He drew a season-high six targets last week while totaling 11 in the previous two games.
Allen Lazard, WR, NYJ (54%): In the last four games, Lazard’s receptions have topped four only once. However, his season total of four TDs indicates he’s still Aaron Rodgers’ favorite end zone target, with New York’s highest red zone TD rate (12.1%). The Jets need to win badly against Buffalo, and coaching changes can ignite a team to better performances.
Ty Johnson, RB, BUF (4%): The availability of James Cook (foot) for the Bills Monday night game against the Jets must be monitored. If he is out or limited, fantasy players may naturally gravitate to Ray Davis as the perceived next man up, but Johnson could take on a more significant role than expected. He took 35.6 percent of the snaps last week to Davis’ 3.4 percent, and Johnson has outsnapped the rookie in four of five games this season. The ex-Jet has six career starts to his name and flashes speed and elusiveness when given the occasional chance to carry the ball.
Rashod Bateman, WR, BAL (9%): By now, it’s apparent that the Ravens 2021 first-round pick has failed to meet expectations. He does have two TD catches this season, though, and was targeted eight times last week. Bateman is worth consideration against Washington, a team that ranks 26th in fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Quentin Johnston, WR, LAC (54%): After a forgettable first season, Johnston is showing real signs of improvement. I would rather not start him against a stiff Denver secondary, but you may have to overlook the matchup and hope for the best if other options are scarce.
Xavier Hutchinson, WR, HOU (3%): Collins is on injured reserve, so the general assumption is that Tank Dell will see a boost in production again. While that is possible, Hutchinson can be a viable target for C.J. Stroud on higher percentage passes. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder played on a season-high 48 snaps last week.
Tyler Conklin, TE, NYJ (43%):= Over the past two games, Conklin totaled 17 targets, and he finished with 93 receiving yards in Week 3. According to PFF, he has a top-10 TE matchup advantage grade for Week 6.
Tyler Goodson, RB, IND (4%): Goodson played on 41 percent of the snaps last week to complement an inefficient Trey Sermon. Goodson averaged 5.2 yards per carry and caught three passes for 31 yards. It is conceivable that the second-year man could see more work against the Titans if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) misses another game.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, DEN (39%): In the preseason, some fantasy analysts pointed to McLaughlin as a sleeper. While we haven’t seen enough of his versatility, McLaughlin has registered scrimmage TDs in two of the last three games. There is also potential for him to contribute to the receiving game. The Broncos-Chargers matchup will be a low-scoring affair, and McLaughlin is primarily a deep league option this week.
Week 6 Ranks updated with Projections LINK
⤵️⤵️https://t.co/qJ2HCkbmoX— Jake Ciely (@allinkid) October 10, 2024
KaVontae Turpin, WR, DAL (2%): As we descend further into the bottom depths of streamers, Turpin comes to mind after catching a 34-yard pass last week. Turpin could be good for another downfield shot or potential TD catch in what’s likely to be a high-scoring game against the Lions.
Ameer Abdullah, RB. LV (5%): The Raiders’ 10th-year running back has never been much of a fantasy factor and is a desperation option. He had 52 scrimmage yards, a TD and three receptions last week. Las Vegas is eager for any contribution out of the backfield and might be better off getting the ball to Abdullah in space rather than running behind Alexander Mattison when Las Vegas takes on Pittsburgh.
Highly Uncertain Role: Houston RB Dare Ogunbowale (15%) totaled 87 yards on 21 touches from scrimmage last week. But the Texans are apparently getting Dameon Pierce back for Week 6, which complicates the backfield even more. The players featured in this article can all be viewed as dicey plays, but it’s hard to forecast a role for Ogunbowale this week.
Watch List: Raiders WR Tre Tucker (38%) may be featured even more this week, as Jakobi Meyers is dealing with an ankle injury. Let’s see how he fares with Aidan O’Connell taking over at quarterback Add Tucker in anticipation of a Davante Adams trade while observing his Week 6 performance results.
(Photo of Jalen Tolbert: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
