• Romeo Doubs scores twice: Doubs returned to the Packers after a week away and had his best game of the season.
• Chaos at running back: Six different running backs available on the waiver wire could be starting this week, depending on the health of starters.
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Estimated Reading Time: 36 minutes
With Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season nearly complete, here are the key players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. Here, we'll cover options for smaller and deeper leagues and also highlight the players to avoid.
Jump to a position group:
QB | RB | WR | TE
Quarterback
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (Rostered in 46.2% of leagues on ESPN)
Goff had an ADP of QB15 and averaged 16.3 points per game over the first five weeks, tying for 16th among quarterbacks. It’s a little surprising that he’s been dropped in so many leagues, but the Lions did have their bye in Week 5. Goff dominated Week 6, completing 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He also averaged a massive 12.6 yards per attempt.
Goff barely qualified for this article based on how many leagues he’s available in, but just in case, he should be the clear top option.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (32.4%)
While the Jaguars were blown out by the Chicago Bears, Lawrence still managed 234 passing yards and two touchdowns. He has averaged 22.2 fantasy points per game over the past two weeks. Brian Thomas Jr. and Christian Kirk accounted for all of the Jaguars' receiving production in Week 5, and this week it was Evan Engram and Gabe Davis.
Jacksonville's schedule is fairly neutral each week. The offense could start playing better, in which case Lawrence has weekly fantasy starter potential. If that doesn’t happen, he can still be a relatively safe option whenever your current starting quarterback has a bye week.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (27.1%)
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2 that has caused him to miss the past three games. He is reportedly symptom-free. The Dolphins had their bye this week and Tagovailoa must spend one more week on injured reserve, but he can return to the lineup in Week 8.
Tagovailoa was a top-10 quarterback in Week 1 and scored the ninth-most fantasy points among quarterbacks last season. His schedule from Week 8 on is better than average, and he won’t face a team in the top quarter of the league at preventing fantasy points until Week 14. He could go right back to being a fantasy starter upon his return.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (3.7%)
Maye made his NFL debut in Week 6, and while he got off to a slow start with one completion to a Patriot and one to the Houston Texans in the first quarter, he completed 19 of 30 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns over the following three quarters. He also ran the ball five times for 38 yards. He scored the ninth-most PPR points — a great debut showing.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, New England's Week 7 opponent, allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the first five weeks, and the gap between them and second became even larger this week after the defense let up 29.6 fantasy points to Caleb Williams. It would be risky, but there is a chance Maye could pay off in a big way this week. He could also just simply live up to expectations and become a borderline fantasy starter over the rest of the year.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (4.2%)
Levis is off to a shaky start to 2024. He averaged 12.3 fantasy points per game over the first three weeks and then missed most of Week 4 due to injury. In his defense, he has played the three teams who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, plus a fourth above-average defense. He also has a new head coach with a new offensive system and two new wide receivers.
He wasn’t much better against the Colts, who have typically allowed a lot of fantasy points to quarterbacks. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 95 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The main reasons to pick up Levis are his likelihood to improve and the Titans’ schedule over the final third of the season.
From Weeks 12-17, the Titans face the Jacksonville Jaguars twice, the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Commanders, the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals. That is four games against teams that have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, along with the seventh- and 13th-most. That is a dream six-week stretch. If Levis hits his stride, he could be a fantasy starter during that period.
Running Back
This is a bizarre week for running backs on the waiver wire. Several starters are dealing with injuries, a few young running backs who had their biggest roles yet and other backups simply enjoyed big weeks. The best running back to target largely depends on the health of these starters and what you are looking for.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (44.1%)
Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a hamstring injury this week and didn’t return.
Etienne was limited in practice for the past two weeks due to a shoulder injury. He played around 70% of offensive snaps in each of the first three weeks, dropping to 52% in Week 4 and 38% in Week 5. Over the first five weeks, his primary backup, Bigsby, earned the third-highest PFF grade among running backs, making it hard to tell how much a shift in playing time and touches has to do with Etienne not being 100% compared to Bigsby just playing better when both have been healthy.
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