Dynasty Waiver Wire: Week Six
It’s a beautiful and crisp Thursday morning and you feel like you are ready to conquer the world. Your coworkers comment on how energetic and lively you are. So why are you so happy? Its September 5th and the first NFL game between the Packers and Bears is on later that night. You have waited six-plus months for NFL football to come back, you have done your research, you identified potential sleepers, you drafted a late-round rookie receiver who you think is going to be the real deal, and your team is full of hope and whimsy.
Fast forward six weeks and you are 2-4, your star running back is hurt, that rookie hasn’t sniffed the field, and you are wondering what all went so horribly wrong. The answer is… fantasy football.
It is a cruel game at times. The blood, sweat, and tears… let me rephrase that. The hours and hours of YouTube highlight videos, copious amounts of low-carb Monsters you have poured down your gullet, and real tears you have shed for leaving your high point scorer of the week on your bench, don’t seem to add up to wins. It has you questioning everything you know about fantasy football.
The greatest thing about dynasty is that you are never out of it. Yeah, maybe your chances of making the playoffs seem thin, but anything can happen. In dynasty, the grind never stops. Maybe you will hit the jackpot on the waiver wire… because you never know when you will find the next DJ Chark. So keep your head held high my fellow “fantasy-er”, it will get better (probably… hopefully).
Shallow (18-22 man rosters)
Cameron Brate, TE TB
OJ Howard was one of the big names in dynasty over the off-season and was largely considered a top-five player at his position. There were high hopes for him and it has not panned out accordingly. A forgotten man in dynasty, Cameron Brate has been lingering around, waiting for another chance. Brate and Jameis Winston have always had good chemistry, and it is starting to look like Brate could take some snaps and targets away from Howard.
Mark Walton, RB MIA
If you have had your head underground for the past six weeks, here’s some news… the Miami Dolphins are really bad. They did almost win a game though, granted it was against a team who had zero wins as well. They are now the proud owners of a 0-5 record, and are playing for next year. This means that the Dolphins will be trying out just about anything. Walton touched the ball 11 times on the day and turned those touches into 75 yards. He was one of the lone bright spots, and will garner more touches in the coming weeks.
Demaryius Thomas, WR NYJ
Sam Darnold is back, and the Jets look like a whole different team. Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder, Demaryius Thomas, and even Le’Veon Bell should all be thanking their lucky stars that he is back. Darnold showed that he can unleash it downfield, hit intermediate routes, and actually hit a man in stride… something we haven’t seen from a Jets QB since Darnold in week one. Thomas caught four passes for 62 yards and it looks like he is getting more involved in the passing game as the weeks go on.
Ty Montgomery, RB NYJ
This waiver add has nothing to do with Montgomery’s stats. He hardly sees the field. Adam Gase was adamant that the Jets would not use Bell as much as he was used in Pittsburgh. Well, so far through six weeks, the Jets are using him on more than 90% of snaps. If Bell’s body is not able to hold up to another huge workload, Montgomery would instantly move into a very valuable spot and gather 12-18 touches a game.
Albert Wilson, WR MIA
I would not have listed Wilson on this waiver wire article if the Dolphins would not have made the move of slotting Ryan Fitzpatrick back into the starting lineup. We have seen enough of Josh Rosen to know that he should not be a starting quarterback for a franchise unless that franchise wants the number one overall pick (2019 Dolphins???). With Fitzpatrick back behind center, the wide receivers in Miami receive a huge boost in value, and Wilson is always a threat to break a long play.
Wilson played in his first action since week one, and will surely see more touches in the future with Fitzmagic behind center.
Other “Shallow” roster players to keep an eye on:
- Ryan Izzo, TE NE
- Duke Williams, WR BUF
- Adam Humphries, WR TEN
Average (23-27 man rosters)
Jaron Brown, WR SEA
Brown hadn’t done much in the 2019 season until week six. With the unfortunate news of Will Dissly going down with an Achilles injury, Brown took full advantage of the opportunity. He received quite a few red zone targets after Dissly left the game, and the Seahawks could be looking his way more if Dissly is out for the year.
Jakobi Meyers, WR NE
Meyers played a larger role on Thursday night when Josh Gordon was knocked out of the game. He caught four passes for 54 yards and caught the attention of Tom Brady. Gordon looks like he avoided a serious injury, but has made a minimal impact this year, even with Antonio Brown no longer on the team. Meyers could pencil into the number three wide receiver spot, and could start to push Gordon for more snaps.
Zay Jones, WR OAK
The Raiders shipped a 2021 fifth-round pick to the Bills for receiver Zay Jones. Jones had worn out his welcome in Buffalo, and had underperformed his round two draft capital. He had some off-field issues, and never made an impact on the field for the Bills. He moves into a spot where he could start seeing the field immediately. The Raiders are on a bye this week, which will give Jones the opportunity to figure out the playbook.
DeAndre Washington, RB OAK
Josh Jacobs is still the bell-cow RB for the Oakland Raiders, and has looked very impressive as a rookie. Washington provides insurance for a Jacobs owner, and has shown at times that he can make plays. In back to back weeks, Washington has received nine touches, and is clearly the backup to own over Jalen Richard.
Damiere Byrd, WR ARI
Byrd had been sidelined for the last two weeks with a hamstring injury and was eased back into the game plan in week six. With Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald mainly operating as slot receivers, Byrd will resume his role as the top outside wide receiver and a big-play threat for the passing game. He caught two passes for 60 yards in the return, and Kyler Murray may start to chuck it downfield more if Byrd can utilize his speed and get open.
Other “Average” roster players to keep an eye on:
- Zach Pascal, WR IND
- Ricky Seals-Jones, TE CLE
- Bilal Powell, RB NYJ
Deep (28+ man rosters)
Luke Willson, TE SEA
As I mentioned before, Will Dissly was knocked out of the game with an Achilles injury and will most likely be out for some time, if not the whole year. This opens up quite a few targets and snaps for Willson, who is the next tight end in line to step up and start. Willson was a part of the Seahawks teams that went to back to back super bowls in 2013 and 2014, and obviously already has chemistry with Russell Wilson.
Look for Jacob Hollister to get involved as well. He may be a better pass catcher that Willson, but I see Willson receiving the bulk of starting snaps.
Boston Scott, RB PHI
Boston Scott took the roster spot of Corey Clement, and will be the number three RB on the depth chart behind Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders. He showed good explosiveness on Sunday, running four times for 30 yards.
Sanders has struggled running the ball this year and is clearly behind Howard. Scott could possibly start to see more carries if Sanders continues to struggle running the ball.
Brandon Bolden, RB NE
On most weeks, Bolden seems to be the RB4 for the Patriots. When Rex Burkhead doesn’t play, Bolden gets to see a decent amount of playing time. As we all know, the Patriots will give the ball to whoever they see fit, regardless of the perceived depth chart.
Burkhead has already shown that he cannot stay healthy, and Sony Michel has continual knee problems. Bolden is only one injury away from seeing significant playing time.
Maxx Williams, TE ARI
Williams was supposed to be a top player at his position when he came into the league. He was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and was considered the top tight end in the draft. I, like many, was fooled, and drafted him with a second-round rookie pick.
But things never panned out for Williams in Baltimore. He still has a way to go and is low on the totem pole regarding targets in Arizona, but he is still only 25 years old and clearly the most athletic and best pass-catching tight end on the roster.
Isaiah Mckenzie, WR BUF
With the departure of Zay Jones, Isaiah Mckenzie takes over the deep ball threat for the Buffalo Bills. He will never be a high volume pass catcher, but can turn a short play into a big gain with his athleticism and speed. Josh Allen can throw the ball a country mile, and Mckenzie may get a deep ball look, once or twice a game, and it only takes one of those targets to convert in order to fulfill a productive fantasy day.
Other “Deep” roster players to keep an eye on:
- Jacob Hollister, TE SEA
- Ryan Griffin, TE NYJ
- Tavon Austin, WR DAL
- Levi Chappell: Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings Explained - February 24, 2023
- 2023 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Josh Downs, WR North Carolina - January 23, 2023
- 2023 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Quentin Johnston, WR TCU - January 14, 2023
