Last week brought about the first four-team bye of the season. Although only two teams (Packers, Steelers) are off in Week 6, helping us maintain a strong pool of available players, injuries have created more viable fantasy performers and fill-ins -- and more potential waiver wire pickups to spend your FAAB budget on.
Justin Jefferson, Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, Khalil Herbert, James Conner, and Tank Dell were among the notable players getting hurt in Week 5. In addition, more tight ends emerged to help fantasy owners struggling at the position. And, yes, even more rookies have increased their values across the league. That means more players that can be added to boost your rosters for either short-term streaming or long-term depth.
If you need help determining how much of your free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) to allocate to acquire these players and other worthwhile pickups, we're here to help. Here's your FAAB spending guide ahead of Week 6:
WEEK 6 FANTASY: Top pickups | Trade advice
Week 6 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire QB pickups, streamers
1. Sam Howell, Commanders (Yahoo league availability: 67%). Howell has had one true clunker in five weeks of starting. He eventually came through with the necessary numbers vs. Chicago and gets a manageable spot vs. Atlanta in Week 6. Even if you're not streaming him or in superflex, he should be rostered as a backup in 12-team leagues. Projected FAAB bid: 1-2% of total budget
2. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (Yahoo league availability: 81%). Baker was balling before the bye, taking advantage of his top wideouts and great system. Detroit in Week 6 can be fruitful with volume at home. The upcoming schedule isn't great, but again, he provides a good floor during the byes. Projected FAAB bid: 1-2% of total budget
3. Josh Dobbs, Cardinals (Yahoo league availability: 79%). Dobbs keeps dealing well to his receivers and tight ends, and Arizona's offense has proved potent enough to produce often in consistent negative game scripts. The Rams have been game with their rebuilt defense around Aaron Donald, but Dobbs can get it done with volume opposite Matthew Stafford in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 1-2% of total budget
4. Gardner Minshew, Colts (Yahoo league availability: 99%). Minshew might be starting for a while with Anthony Richardson (right shoulder) suffering a new injury vs. the Titans. Now, he gets the ultimate revenge game back where Minshew Mania made its mark — Jacksonville. He will need to throw a lot against a tough run defense opposite his replacement, Trevor Lawrence. Projected FAAB bid: 0-1% of total budget
WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 6 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire RB pickups, streamers
1. Roschon Johnson, Bears (Yahoo league availability: 59%). Khalil Herbert looked great against the Commanders until he went down with a multi-week ankle injury. Johnson was concussed in the Thursday game but has extra time to be cleared for Week 6 ahead of some nice spots coming up against the Vikings, Raiders, Chargers. We've been telling you to land him as a high-upside stash for a while, but he becomes much higher priority as the lead back in a run-heavy offense starting to come alive in the air with Justin Fields. Projected FAAB bid: 12-16% of total budget
2. Emari Demarcado, Cardinals (Yahoo league availability: 99%). We'll see about the latest injury to James Conner (knee) that knocked him out of the Bengals game, but there's a good chance he misses time. Here's the answer for "who's his latest backup in Arizona." The undrafted rookie from TCU looked fine filling in, scoring a TD early. He's another Jaleel McLaughlin-level starter falling from the fantasy skies, just in time for a manageable matchup vs. the Rams. Projected FAAB bid: 10-15% of total budget
3. Tyjae Spears, Titans (Yahoo league availability: 74%). Derrick Henry looked like he was back in Week 4 against the Bengals until he disappeared against another good run defense in Indianapolis. He was bottled up and not used much in the passing game in relation to Spears, a rookie showing extra juice with each touch. Spears has been getting a chunk of good snaps along with Henry and should be used more as a dangerous open-field weapon going forward. He has some flex appeal during the byes and remains a potential league-winning handcuff should Henry miss time. Projected FAAB bid: 10-12% of total budget
4. Justice Hill, Ravens (Yahoo league availability: 72%). Hill got the paydirt again in a modest lead rushing performance by Gus Edwards against the Steelers. Edwards has underwhelmed as a power back and might open the door for more of Hill with regular touches. Projected FAAB bid: 8-10% of total budget
5. D'Onta Foreman, Bears (Yahoo league availability: 93%) Foreman has been a healthy scratch in favor of Herbert and Johnson, but now the Bears need him to be active to get touches behind Johnson. His inactive status means Chicago isn't high on suddenly giving him key work, but there's also a chance Johnson may not be cleared for Minnesota, opening the door for Foreman to start. Projected FAAB bid: 5-6% of total budget
6. Eric Gray, Giants (Yahoo league availability: 100%) We got some real touches of Gray ahead of Matt Breida in Miami with Saquon Barkley (ankle) missing another game. It didn't add up to much for the rookie from Oklahoma behind an offensive line mess, but it was interesting should Barkley stay out with his ankle injury against the Matt Milano-less Bills in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 3-5% of total budget
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 6 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire WR pickups, streamers
1. K.J. Osborn, Vikings (Yahoo league availability: 91%). Justin Jefferson hurt his hamstring and couldn't play down the stretch vs. the Chiefs in Week 5. It's unclear if he can be ready to go in Week 6 for the great matchup against the Bears' secondary. If not, Jordan Addison raises in value and Osborn becomes playable as a third target for pass-happy Kirk Cousins behind the rookie and T.J. Hockenson. Projected FAAB bid: 9-10% of total budget
2. Josh Downs, Colts (Yahoo league availability: 91%). Downs, another rookie, has been the preferred target all over the field for Gardner Minshew, as he's been involved best the two times Richardson missed big parts of games. Downs had eight catches for 57 yards from Minshew in Baltimore and posted a 6-97 line on the Titans in Week 5. He should be busy away from Tyson Campbell (sorry, Michael Pittman Jr. owners) in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 9-10% of total budget
3. Curtis Samuel, Commanders (Yahoo league availability: 83%) Samuel somehow remains the key wideout for Sam Howell when he's not throwing to tight ends. He's not getting big targets or touches, but he's very efficient with high-leverage chances, having scored the past two weeks. Projected FAAB bid: 9-10% of total budget
4. Rashee Rice, Chiefs (Yahoo league availability: 61%) Rice was a popular breakout pick against the Vikings secondary in Week 5, but the Chiefs had Patrick Mahomes connect with 10 pass-catchers, including Justyn Ross and Justin Watson. At least Rice hauled in his end-zone target and looks like the best bet to catch a TD for KC not named Travis Kelce or Jerick McKinnon. The smash-y Broncos are up next, and there's a chance the rookie's regular role can still increase as the season wears on. Projected FAAB bid: 6-8% of total budget
5. Robert Woods, Texans (Yahoo league availability: 82%) He hasn't done much at all with Nico Collins and Tank Dell doing most of the receiving damage with rookie C.J. Stroud, but he's been solid when needed and would see a more expanded target role should Dell not be cleared from a concussion for Week 6 vs. the Saints. Projected FAAB bid: 3-5% of total budget
Week 6 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire TE pickups, streamers
1. Logan Thomas, Commanders (Yahoo league availability: 85%) Thomas is back healthy and is getting hooked up with Howell all over the field as his favored security blanket over the wideouts. The Falcons, Giants, Eagles, and Patriots are all playable spots for him, making him a virtual must-own in 12-team leagues. Projected FAAB bid: 8-10% of total budget
2. Dalton Schultz, Texans (Yahoo league availability: 64%) Schultz wasn't a hot back-end TE1 sleeper to draft, as many were down on him in the transition from Dallas to Houston. Then Stroud went nuts with wideouts and Schultz wasn't seeing the ball much. However, he's scored the past two games, including posting a 7-65 line on 10 targets in Atlanta. He is good enough to play often in 12-team leagues and has some more fine matchups coming up. Projected FAAB bid: 8-10% of total budget
3. Zach Ertz, Cardinals (Yahoo league availability: 50%) Ertz still has low ownership despite just scoring his first TD and coming through in a good matchup with the Bengals. He might have a lower ceiling than Thomas and Schultz, but he gets a Rams' defense his Eagles replacement Dallas Goedert nailed in Week 5. Projected FAAB bid: 8-10% of total budget
4. Noah Gray, Chiefs (Yahoo league availability: 99%). Travis Kelce battled through a scary ankle sprain he suffered late in the first half in Week 5 at the Vikings, so keep an eye on his availability for Thursday night's smash spot vs. the Broncos. If Kelce can't go again or the Chiefs think they can maybe rest him ahead of a mini-bye, Gray can perform much better than he did in Week 1 vs. the Lions. Projected FAAB bid: 3-5% of total budget
5. Tyler Conklin, Jets (Yahoo league availability: 94%) He's getting key looks from Zach Wilson. It hasn't added up to much and other tight ends are involved, but Conklin needs to be on your radar for the plum Eagles matchup in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 3-5% of total budget
6. Hayden Hurst, Panthers (Yahoo league availability: 87%). Hurst has seen exactly three targets in each of the past four games after a nice outing on seven targets in Week 1. However, Carolina faces in Week 6 faces Miami, who helped wake up Darren Waller, so stream him if you need him. Projected FAAB bid: 2-3% of total budget
7. Cade Otton, Buccaneers (Yahoo league availability: 98%). Otton scored in Week 4 against the Saints and had one other solid game in Week 2 vs. the Bears. The Lions provide a promising matchup for his usage in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 1-2% of total budget
8. Noah Fant, Seahawks (Yahoo league availability: 98%). Fant has had solid usage the past three games before the bye, and Seattle should get him more involved in the passing game with still strong 12 personnel usage. Fant sees a favorable matchup to exploit vs. the Bengals in Week 6. Projected FAAB bid: 1-2% of total budget
Week 6 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire D/ST pickups, streamers
(Note: Do not spend any of FAAB budget on D/ST! Get them for $0 after waivers run!)
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (Yahoo league availability: 84%). The Jaguars are making a ton of plays all over the field, with their secondary especially balling. They will try to make life rough on old friend Minshew in Week 6.
2. Minnesota Vikings (Yahoo league availability: 95%). The Bears blew up the Commanders in our face, so be wary of that, but the Vikings always have a shot to make a big play vs. a mistake-prone QB like Justin Fields.
3. Las Vegas Raiders (Yahoo league availability: 99%). Chandler Jones won't be on the field for this wacky rematch with the Patriots. Mac Jones sure is, though, and he has looked terrible the past two weeks. We're fine with Vegas if Bailey Zappe starts for a date with Maxx Crosby, too.
4. Houston Texans (Yahoo league availability: 72%). They have had three solid fantasy outings out of five games, and although they disappointed vs. the Falcons, they can put up some digits by denting David Carr's brother's team in Week 6.
5. Atlanta Falcons (Yahoo league availability: 91%). They had a good Week 1 vs. Carolina but have been otherwise useless with no pass rush. They might have some bargain appeal against a crumbling Washington offensive line and sloppy Howell, though.
