Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 6

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Every Monday during the season, theScore's Justin Boone runs down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues. Free Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

Week 6 byes

• Lions
• Raiders
• Titans
• Texans

Quarterbacks

Geno Smith, Seahawks

With bye weeks starting, the demand for streaming options increases. Unfortunately, there aren't many strong candidates this week other than Smith.

The Seahawks quarterback has already posted three top-seven fantasy finishes on the season and looks comfortable executing Seattle's offense.

Next up is a softer matchup with the Cardinals, who've given up big fantasy days to three of the five passers they've faced.

Smith is currently a fantasy QB1 on the season, and he'll likely occupy that spot for at least another month before Seattle's schedule gets tougher down the stretch.

Risky streaming options: Jimmy Garoppolo at ATL (26% rostered), Carson Wentz at CHI (46% rostered), Justin Fields vs. WAS (38% rostered), Daniel Jones vs. BAL (22% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if healthy): Teddy Bridgewater vs. MIN (16% rostered), Jameis Winston vs. CIN (32% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options: Zach Wilson at GB (14% rostered), Kenny Pickett vs. TB (17% rostered), Jacoby Brissett vs. NE (6% rostered), Matt Ryan vs. JAX (30% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options (if healthy): Mac Jones at CLE (18% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options (if starter is out): Andy Dalton vs. CIN (1% rostered)

2QB/Superflex considerations only: Cooper Rush at PHI (6% rostered), P.J. Walker at LAR (0% rostered)

2QB/Superflex considerations only (if starter is out): Bailey Zappe at CLE (1% rostered), Skylar Thompson vs. MIN (0% rostered)

Long-shot stash: Desmond Ridder (1% rostered)

Running backs

Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks

With Rashaad Penny out for the season due to a broken leg, the Seahawks are turning their backfield over to the man they selected 41st overall in April's draft.

After a hernia delayed his debut, Walker has slowly carved out a bigger role while flashing on his limited touches. When Penny went down Sunday, Walker erupted for 88 yards on eight carries thanks to a 69-yard touchdown run.

Now the 21-year-old will be counted on as the lead back in an attack that's been more fantasy-friendly than most expected.

The Seahawks took advantage of an easy matchup with the Lions two weeks ago, racking up 235 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. That's a great sign for Walker, since Seattle's next four opponents rank inside the top 15 for fantasy points allowed to running backs.

Walker will be in the fantasy RB2 conversation each week and is worth a massive bid as the first real waiver-wire pickup with league-winning potential in 2022.

Eno Benjamin, Cardinals

James Conner, who has been playing through a knee injury, was forced out of Sunday's game with a rib issue. The Cardinals also lost one of their backup runners, Darrel Williams, to a knee ailment in the same game.

If neither player is able to get healthy for Week 6, it would pave the way for Benjamin to handle a starter's workload in a beautiful matchup with the Seahawks.

Seattle has permitted a back to go over 100 yards from scrimmage in each of its five outings so far.

However, the problem with Benjamin's fantasy outlook is that he needs both Conner and Williams to be sidelined to really pay off as a top 24 fantasy RB. If either back is active, Benjamin will only be a flex option. Be mindful of that when you make your waiver bid.

High-upside backups like Rachaad White (34% rostered), Isiah Pacheco (35% rostered), and Jaylen Warren (8% rostered) should be rostered in most leagues.

Risky flex options: Damien Williams vs. SF (4% rostered), Mike Boone at LAC (36% rostered), Joshua Kelley vs. DEN (1% rostered), Tevin Coleman at ATL (0% rostered), J.D. McKissic at CHI (27% rostered)

Risky flex options (if starter is out): Deon Jackson vs. JAX (1% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: Mark Ingram vs. CIN (29% rostered), Samaje Perine at NO (8% rostered), Kenneth Gainwell vs. DAL (30% rostered), DeeJay Dallas vs. ARI (0% rostered), James Cook at KC (29% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy): Gus Edwards at NYG (14% rostered)

Other backups to consider: Latavius Murray at LAC (19% rostered), Jerick McKinnon vs. BUF (10% rostered), Zack Moss at KC (9% rostered), D'Onta Foreman at LAR (6% rostered), Kenyan Drake at NYG (2% rostered), Matt Breida vs. BAL (1% rostered), Caleb Huntley vs. SF (14% rostered), Phillip Lindsay vs. JAX (2% rostered)

Bye-week stashes: Dontrell Hilliard (14% rostered), Rex Burkhead (21% rostered)

Long-shot stashes: Zamir White (5% rostered)

Wide receivers

Alec Pierce, Colts

It's not a great week for fantasy receivers on the waiver wire. Several young talents are earning more targets and they're worth acquiring as flex options with WR3 potential if they continue their trajectory.

Pierce is first on the list after posting stat lines of 3-61-0, 4-80-0, and 8-81-0 over the last three weeks.

The Colts' second-round pick and contested-catch specialist is emerging as a weapon in all areas of the offense.

While we have concerns that Matt Ryan won't be able to support multiple fantasy starters in the passing game at this phase of his career, Pierce has shown us enough to warrant being rostered in most leagues.

Rondale Moore, Cardinals

Following a quiet return to the lineup in Week 4, Moore delivered a seven-catch, 68-yard performance against a tough Eagles defense on Sunday.

Hopefully, this begins to unlock him as a more consistent weapon in the Cardinals' offense and a flex option in the fantasy world - especially in a possible shootout with the Seahawks this week.

The only question is how his targets will be affected when DeAndre Hopkins returns in Week 7 from a suspension.

That uncertainty makes Moore a short-term fantasy starter until we see how Kliff Kingsbury plans to deploy him when Arizona has its full complement of skill position players available.

George Pickens, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Gallup, Jahan Dotson, and Isaiah McKenzie are at or just above the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.

Flex options: Zay Jones at IND (26% rostered)

Flex options (if starter out): Khalil Shakir at KC (2% rostered)

Risky flex options: Chase Claypool vs. TB (46% rostered), Josh Palmer vs. DEN (30% rostered), Russell Gage at PIT (36% rostered), Corey Davis at GB (49% rostered), Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. BUF (37% rostered), Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. NE (10% rostered)

Risky flex options (if starter out): Dyami Brown at CHI (0% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: KJ Osborn at MIA (6% rostered), Marvin Jones at IND (5% rostered), Randall Cobb vs. NYJ (3% rostered), Darius Slayton vs. BAL (0% rostered), Olamide Zaccheaus vs. SF (0% rostered)

Bye-week stashes: Nico Collins (22% rostered), Josh Reynolds (31% rostered)

Long-term rookie stashes: Wan'Dale Robinson vs. BAL (6% rostered), Skyy Moore vs. BUF (12% rostered), Tyquan Thornton at CLE (1% rostered)

Long-shot stashes: Kadarius Toney vs. BAL (23% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Jameson Williams (31% rostered), Treylon Burks (26% rostered), Odell Beckham Jr. (18% rostered)

Tight ends

Taysom Hill, Saints

Hill is the ultimate boom-or-bust fantasy play, and while we would normally advise against taking that kind of risk at a one-off position, the current state of tight ends makes him more enticing.

Unless you have a fantasy tight end you feel confident starting each week, the position can be a recurring source of frustration as you chase yards and touchdowns from players who don't produce consistently.

Though Hill barely touches the ball in some games, he can also tilt the slate the way we saw in Week 5. It's unprecedented for a gadget player to rack up 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns on nine carries while throwing for another score as well. And that's not his only big fantasy outing this year.

The 32-year-old turned five touches into 81 yards and a score in Week 1 and provided 21 yards and a TD in Week 4.

If you're playing tight end roulette and rolling the dice on the latest streaming option anyway, why not take an all-or-nothing approach and play Hill - who at least has the ceiling to match the likes of Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce some weeks.

Streamer options: Hayden Hurst at NO (29% rostered)

Risky streamer options: Robert Tonyan vs. NYJ (38% rostered), Irv Smith Jr. at MIA (49% rostered), Evan Engram at IND (24% rostered)

Dart-throw streamer options: Cole Kmet vs. WAS (32% rostered), Daniel Bellinger vs. BAL (1% rostered), Zach Gentry vs. TB (0% rostered)

Dart-throw streamer options (if healthy): Cameron Brate at PIT (4% rostered)

Dart-throw streamer options (if starter is out): Cade Otton at PIT (2% rostered)

Long-term rookie stashes: Greg Dulcich (1% rostered), Isaiah Likely (3% rostered)

Defenses

Week 6 streamers

Favorable upcoming schedules: Bengals (28% rostered), Patriots (41% rostered), Raiders (3% rostered), Titans (26% rostered)