Another week of fantasy football action is in the books, as owners everywhere scour the waiver wire to find the best available running back pickups. Looking around the league shows that players like Chase Edmonds and Damien Harris offer the best chance of positive performance in the coming weeks.
Note that, in order to be eligible for this list, the player needed to be available in at least 50% of fantasy leagues. Obviously, there is some variation from league to league, so make sure to peruse all available players before making your claims. There could be a better option available in your specific league.
Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver – Defense
Chase Edmonds, Damien Harris Highlight Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups
Chase Edmonds
As predicted in my start-sit article, Kenyan Drake had a fine performance on Sunday. However, it’s becoming more and more obvious that Chase Edmonds is the best running back in Arizona. The running back finished his night with three carries for 36 yards and a touchdown while adding five receptions for 56 yards in the passing game. He’s already eliminated Drake’s role in the passing game and is starting to see more work as a runner.
Even if Drake and Edmonds continue this split for the rest of the season, Edmonds should be a solid flex play in PPR leagues. Targets are far more valuable than carries, and Edmonds is unquestionably the top receiving option in this backfield. However, if he ends up taking Drake’s job as the three-down back, Edmonds possesses legitimate RB1 upside. There is no such thing as too much running back depth – make sure to grab him while you can.
Damien Harris
Multiple positive COVID-19 tests forced the New England Patriots to push their Week 5 matchup back into Week 6. Because of this uncertainty, a sizable portion of fantasy football owners had to make the hard decision to release Damien Harris from their roster. After a breakout performance in Week 4, Harris saw his ownership dip just below the 50% threshold heading into Week 5.
Now is the time to capitalize on the mistakes of your league mates. With Sony Michel out of the picture, Harris has an unquestioned hold on all early-down work in this offense. In Week 4, Harris carried the ball 17 times for 100 yards. While he won’t see much work in the passing game, he has a good shot of reaching the 20-carry threshold. The Patriots have one of the best offensive lines in football, Cam Newton should be back, and this combination gives Harris high-end RB2 upside for the week.
Alexander Mattison
Minnesota Vikings superstar running back Dalvin Cook suffered a groin injury on Sunday Night Football. While he eventually returned to the field, this latest injury serves as a reminder of the value of Alexander Mattison. With Cook sidelined, Mattison became the clear three-down back in this offense.
Cook, of course, is no stranger to injuries. The former second-round pick has suffered a wide variety of ailments over his short time in the league, and this groin injury could linger. While he possesses no value in the short term, his massive ceiling is too much to be ignored.
J.D. McKissic
If you are desperate – and I mean truly desperate – you could turn to Washington Redskins running back J.D. McKissic in a pinch. The journeyman running back is anything but a special talent, but he’s actually receiving a surprising amount of opportunity in that offense. So far on the season, McKissic is fourth among running backs in targets, which is just ridiculous. Kyle Allen should be the starter in Week 6, and he loves checking down to the running back. Don’t expect efficiency, but volume alone could make J.D. McKissic a serviceable flex play in deep PPR leagues.
Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver – Defense
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