New on Sports Illustrated: Early Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 6

Before the NFL closes out Week 5, let's take an early peek at the fantasy football waiver wire for Week 6 which includes Devontae Booker and David Njoku.

Week 6 Waiver Wire Sneak Peek 

Another wild Sunday of NFL action; some great games, some devastating injuries and some under-the-radar players having breakout weeks. Here's an early look at the Week 6 Waiver Wire. Our complete Waiver Wire Pickups article comes out on

Tuesday morning. 

Quarerbacks

Geno Smith. Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett owners have to be heartbroken after losing their star quarterback for a minimum of three games. In his 10 years in the league, Wilson never missed a week. I’ve said this many times for fantasy baseball and football; the best short-term replacement for a starting player is the player taking over his job.

Geno Smith has been in the league since 2013. He knows the Seahawks’ system. If I lost Wilson on any team and have roster space, I would add him, but he has a tough matchup next week (at Pittsburgh). However, in short-roster formats, the free-agent pool should have better options.

QBs with favorable matchups in Week 6

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

He plays at home against the Dolphins. His value as a runner improved over his previous three starts (6/27, 8/36/1, and 7/28/1), helping Lawrence’s fantasy floor until his play improves in the passing game. A home date with Miami next week looks favorable.

Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team

A high-scoring matchup against the Chiefs invites a heavy passing day for Washington. The explosiveness of Terry McLaurin should be the drawing card to start Heinicke.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben has been kicked to the waiver wire curb in many leagues, but he does have wide receiver talent. The Seahawks’ defense can’t get offenses off the field, giving Roethlisberger a chance to find his passing rhythm. A floor of 250 passing yards with a pair of touchdowns should be well within reach. Against the Broncos, he finished with 253 passing yards and two scores.

Running Backs

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Damien Harris left Sunday’s game with a chest issue, creating a possible starting job for Stevenson. The Texans held him to 11 carries for 23 yards while Brandon Bolden handled the passing down snaps for the Patriots.

Devontae Booker, New York Giants

Saquon Barkley suffered an unfortunate ankle injury in the first quarter vs. the Cowboys when an opposing player somehow stepped under his foot as Barkley started to brace himself from contact. It appeared to be the “doomed high ankle sprain” if he didn’t suffer a break. Booker looks to be the next man up, while Gary Brightwell should see a bump in playing time. New York plays the Rams and Panthers over the next two weeks.

Wide Receivers

N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots

After missing the first three games with a shoulder injury, Harry saw minimal action in Week 4. A surprising chaser game vs. the Texans gave him a bump in playing time, but he finished Sunday’s game with only one catch for nine yards on two targets. Over the next two weeks, New England faces the Cowboys and Jets at home, giving Harry a chance at further improvement. Harry only makes sense in deep formats looking for a down-the-road cover for a bye week.

Donovan People-Jones, Cleveland Browns

The Browns start a three-game home game stretch (ARI, DEN, and PIT) next week. People-Jones continues to get WR2 snaps for the Browns with Jarvis Landry. He had his best game (5/70 on six targets) against the Chargers, which may signify a better opportunity going forward.

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Tight Ends

Ross Dwelley, San Francisco 49ers

The loss of George Kittle gives Dwelley starting snaps for a couple more games. His ceiling remains low based on his play over the past two seasons (15/91/2 and 19/245/1), but he may work as a matchup filler at tight end in deep formats. The 49ers have a bye in Week 6. Against the Cardinals, the 49ers backup tight end had two catches for 25 yards.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

In his sophomore season in 2018, Njoku delivered 56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns, putting him on a path to be perennial top 12 tight end. Unfortunately, an injury in 2019 and a trade for Austin Hooper pushed him to a back seat tight end option for Cleveland. However, his snap count continues to rise (52 percent in Week 4), and his talent flashed in a wide-open matchup against the Chargers, leading to an impact game (7/149/1). A 71-yard score highlighted Njoku’s success on Sunday. His name should shine through this week on the waiver wire for a fantasy team looking to improve their tight end depth. 

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