The Week 6 waiver wire is very middling at the wide receiver position. It mostly consists of guys worth picking up to see what happens, but no one that projects to be an immediate starter for fantasy football managers. Here are a couple of potential WR targets on the wire this week.
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Top WR Waiver Wire Targets in Week 6
More Waiver Wire Targets: QBs | RBs | TEs
Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions (41% Rostered)
With Amon-Ra St. Brown out, Josh Reynolds served as the de facto WR1 for the Lions. It wasn’t exciting, but Reynolds did catch four of five targets for 76 yards and an impressive toe-tapper touchdown in the back of the end zone.
Reynolds is a desperation Flex play with St. Brown in the lineup. Without him, he’s a legitimate WR3.
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We have no idea how long ARSB might miss. He didn’t practice at all this week and did not appear particularly close to playing. Reynolds needs to be rostered.
FAAB Recommendation: 15-20%
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders (17% Rostered)
It’s been five weeks. We can now safely call Curtis Samuel the Washington Commanders’ WR2, well ahead of Jahan Dotson. The sophomore may have out-snapped Samuel, but Samuel continues to out-target him. Samuel caught six of seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown. That’s back-to-back 18-fantasy-point outings from Samuel.
The former Carolina Panther has talent and has a decent weekly floor. He is a very viable Flex play as an injury or bye-week fill-in.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-15%
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (9% Rostered)
Josh Downs is the WR3 on this team, but he looks very good. This week, he caught all six of his targets for 97 yards.
The Indianapolis Colts are better off with Richardson, but the WRs might be better off in fantasy with Gardner Minshew. AR’s injury did not look good, and it was to his right shoulder. We could be looking at an extended stretch of Minshew.
While Downs is currently the WR3, he’s better than Alec Pierce. I’ve seen enough to believe Downs can be a viable Flex option if things break right. I would stash him now.
FAAB Recommendation: 15-20%
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings (9% Rostered)
Justin Jefferson left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. It is unclear how severe it is, but if Jefferson has to miss any time, K.J. Osborn would play in two-receiver sets with Jordan Addison.
Given how prolific the Minnesota Vikings offense is, Kirk Cousins can make it work without Jefferson. It wouldn’t be ideal, but we’ve seen Osborn produce in the WR2 role before. He will be a Flex option during bye weeks.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-15%
Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers (8% Rostered)
This one is purely an upside play. Jonathan Mingo returned from a one-week absence and saw seven targets. Adam Thielen is still clearly the top receiver on this team, but Mingo is the rookie. He could still come on strong as the WR2 over the second half.
Mingo is nowhere near being startable, but if you have a spot, now is the time to stash him.
FAAB Recommendation: 3-8%
Trenton Irwin, Cincinnati Bengals (0% Rostered)
With Tee Higgins out, Trenton Irwin was the primary WR3 for the Cincinnati Bengals behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd. Higgins isn’t going to be out much longer, and the Bengals won’t face the Arizona Cardinals every week.
Irwin’s name is here because he caught eight of 10 targets for 60 yards. But I would not recommend adding him.
FAAB Recommendation: 0%
Which WRs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Josh Reynolds or Jahan Dotson?
One of these guys entered the season as a very trendy breakout candidate. The other entered the season as a journeyman rotational receiver who was never anything more than an occasional spot-starter in fantasy. After five weeks, it is time to react to new information.
Even with St. Brown healthy, Reynolds was the clear WR2 for the Lions. Meanwhile, Dotson is the one looking like a random rotational WR3/4.
Dotson hasn’t caught more than five passes in a game and hasn’t topped 30 receiving yards since Week 1. He’s being thoroughly outplayed and outproduced by Samuel.
Last Thursday night, Dotson was the fourth option in the passing game behind Terry McLaurin, Logan Thomas, and Samuel. He has yet even remotely to resemble someone worth starting for fantasy rosters.
Reynolds has been reasonably startable in four of his five games this season. He’s posted WR1 numbers twice. I would much rather have Reynolds going forward.
Should You Roster K.J. Osborn or Rashee Rice?
This is another situation where we have a veteran with a capped ceiling and a rookie with an unknown ceiling. We’ve seen Osborn have massive games before. But they are few and far between. Now in his fourth season, he’s never been a consistently reliable fantasy performer.
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Rashee Rice has yet to be a fantasy performer at all. But he’s a rookie playing with the most talented quarterback in NFL history.
The Chiefs run a four-man — sometimes five — rotation at wide receiver. No one sees a 70% snap share. Rice’s role looked to be increasing, but then he ran just 10 routes against the Vikings. That makes it difficult to trust him, even with the knowledge that no other wide receiver on the Chiefs is particularly talented.
Osborn is nothing special himself, but he’s more proven and has already been playing 90% of the snaps. Now, with Jefferson expected to miss time with his strained hamstring, Osborn is the most established receiver on the Vikings roster.
Jordan Addison will undoubtedly step into an every-down role (he was previously only playing in 11-personnel), but Osborn is always going to be on the field as well. Even though Rice may be the more talented player, Osborn is in a far better situation and far more likely to command targets. For that reason, I trust Osborn more.