Waiver Wire Wizardry: Pickups for Week 6

Quarterback:

Mike Glennon (6% Y!): At the beginning of the season, there was little doubt that Josh McCown was the starting QB in Tampa. However, injury and inconsistent play have given Mike Glennon a 2nd shot to prove to the new coaching staff that he deserves to lead the Buccaneer offense. Through 3 games, Glennon has a solid 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. He gets Baltimore in week 6 and they have a very beatable secondary, which could lead to another decent game by Glennon for those who may need someone to replace Drew Brees on a bye. Plus, with Tampa’s defense not living up to expectations for the most part, you can expect Tampa to be playing from behind a lot, which means more Glennon drop-backs. You could do worse this week.

Brian Hoyer (5% Y!): Prior to the season, I predicted not only that would Brian Hoyer hold off Johnny Manziel for the starting QB job, but that he would also be a usable fantasy option. Well, through four games the former Tom Brady understudy has over 1,000 yards passing and a cool 6 touchdowns to only one pick. Despite being without Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron for significant (so far) portions of the season, Hoyer has made the most of an otherwise mediocre situation. PPR dynamo Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin and a sprinkle of Miles Austin have been the key components to Hoyer’s success to date. Hoyer is someone to keep in mind in deeper leagues and someone who’s value could go up in the coming weeks as the Browns get some key players back into the fold.

Running Back:

Branden Oliver (14% Y!): Oliver is the top running back right now in San Diego due to a plethora of injuries. When he was thrust into the lead role on Sunday after Donald Brown went down with a concussion, Oliver impressed tremendously. He had 19 carries for 114 yards and a TD, along with 4 catches for 68 yards and another score. Even more impressive was that this performance was against a stout Jets run defense. The talent is very much there for Oliver, and even if Brown does get cleared from his concussion for week 6, expect Oliver to remain the lead back. He is most definitely a must add this week.

Andre Williams
Rookie Andre Williams is in line to take over the lead job in the Giants backfield.

Andre Williams (26% Y!): Williams took over for an injured Rashad Jennings in week 5, playing well. He carried the ball 20 times for 65 yards and a score. He also provided key plays late to keep New York on top. Jennings has a sprained MCL and will be out for a few weeks, which will leave Williams as the unquestioned starter for the Giants. With favorable matchups along with his tough running style, Williams immediately warrants being thrust into a lot of fantasy owners’ starting lineups. The Eli Manning-led offense suddenly looks formidable and has blocked well in recent weeks, making Williams a borderline RB1 for this week’s game. Williams warrants a hefty FAAB bid or waiver claim this week.

Justin Forsett (65% Y!): Last call on Forsett! He’s been a fixture in this article since the Ray Rice debacle. Forsett is the clear head of the committee in Baltimore and has done nothing to suggest that should change, as he has produced well in both the running and receiving game. Bernard Pierce will continue to be the #3 option in that committee with Lorenzo Taliaferro being a distant #2 option. As long as Forsett keeps putting up the impressive stats he has so far, he will continue to be the definitive must-own tailback for the Ravens.

Wide Receiver:

Brian Quick (54% Y!): A Rams wide receiver is finally ownable, huzzah! Despite the turmoil at quarterback, Quick has been a consistent threat each week for an otherwise underwhelming Rams squad. He and quarterback Austin Davis have an obvious connection with Quick being the clear go-to guy. Quick is averaging more than 7 targets per game and has 3 scores over the last 2 weeks. WR needy teams should use a sizable amount of their FAAB to acquire the pass-catcher.

Odell Beckham Jr. (11% Y!): Beckham posted a very solid 4/44/1 line in his NFL debut, garnering some hype amongst industry gamers. A top 15 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Beckham certainly looked like a receiver with big-play ability. The expectation is that he will move ahead of incumbent #2 Rueben Randle before long, making him an attractive add in most formats. Beckham has the chance to become a weekly performer opposite Victor Cruz moving ahead in an offense that should display his skills well. Add Beckham as a WR4 with upside this week.

Justin Hunter (46% Y!): The Justin Hunter bandwagon was rather full entering the season, but was derailed by lackluster performance early on. However, with Charlie Whitehurst at the helm, Hunter broke out with a 3/99/1 line. Hunter may once again be relavent in fantasy leagues, but time will tell. The Titans QB situation is in flux, but Hunter’s talent cannot be denied and his big play ability will come through at some point this season. Hunter is again on the fantasy radar as a boom-or-bust WR4, but with a lot of byes coming up, he may be worth tossing into your lineup.

Tight End:

Dwayne Allen (46% Y!): The prodigal son returns! Back in this article for the third (and final) time, I have said that Allen is no doubt the superior talent to Coby Fleener in Indy. Besides the outlier (week 2, 1 target), Allen has had at least 3 catches for 38 yards and a TD each week. He isn’t garnering a ton of targets because the Colts love him as a blocker, which keeps him under the radar. However, the targets he is getting matter, as they are around the goal line. With arguably the best QB in football right now in Andrew Luck and the high-powered Colt offense, Allen is worth using as a TE2. He should continue to grow as the season progresses. For those who are without Jimmy Graham this week, Allen is worth using.

Heath Miller (76% Y!): Miller needs to be owned in all leagues! The Steeler offense is churning on all cylinders and Miller has always been and will continue to be Big Ben’s check-down option. He is arguably the safest tight end in fantasy outside of Graham, Gronk and Thomas. Miller has seen at least 4 targets per game this season while hauling in at least 3 catches in each. He doesn’t have to put up monster numbers every week, but offers some stability to a position that is hard to predict in fantasy football. If he’s available, grab him.

Photo cred: http://goo.gl/guCOhn

Doug Moore is a fantasy football contributor at The Sports Script. Follow him on Twitter @DMM0822!

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