Five Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 6

If anything, the last few weeks in the NFL have reminded fantasy football players of the importance of the waiver wire. And that's coming from me, the guy who writes about the waiver wire every week. We all need contingency plans this season, and Week 6 will be no different. Here are the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 6.

(Note: With Titans-Bills playing on Tuesday night, waiver claims will not go through until overnight Wednesday in ESPN leagues this week. All stats via ESPN PPR leagues.)

Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (Available in 91 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Duh. Claypool was a fantasy superstar this week in the process of scoring four touchdowns, three through the air and one on the ground, for a total of 42.6 fantasy points. Will he do it again next week? Almost certainly not. But this Steelers offense is turning into more of an equal-opportunity machine than originally anticipated before the season. Claypool has the talent. He's s worth a pickup and he'll almost definitely be available, but be warned: everyone else wants him, too.

Travis Fulgham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (Available in 99 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Some pass-catcher from the Eagles was eventually going to have to step up as injuries and the regression of Zach Ertz plagued Philly's receiving core. Or so the thinking went. It seems like Fulgham could be that man. He was Carson Wentz's favorite target on Sunday against a good Pittsburgh defense, hauling in 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown to post 31.2 points. Next week's game against Baltimore won't be easy, but it appears likely he'll be the only real option for Wentz out of all the receivers again, so the quantity will be there if not the quality. Fulgham is a risky FLEX play but with some substantial upside.

Preston Williams, WR, Miami Dolphins (Available in 63 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Williams was a big contributor to a very surprising beatdown of the San Franciscoy 49ers by the Dolphins this week, garnering 20 fantasy points off the strength of four catches for 106 yards through the air and a touchdown. It has taken Williams a few games to get back up to speed after tearing his ACL last year, but he looked just fine on Sunday. Betting on Miami's offense is risky business, but they are playing the Jets next week, a fantasy boon for just about everybody (see: Chase Edmunds last week). Williams is worth a look if you need some options for receiver.

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams (Available in 99 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Everett had his first productive outing of the season this past week with 90 yards on four catches for a grand total of 13 fantasy points. That isn't a big number by any means, but Everett is extremely available and most of us are scrounging for whatever we can find at tight end this year. Pair that with the fact that the Rams are going up against the Niners next week (who got embarrassed by Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 5) and it could be a windfall for all members of the L.A. offense. Everett is your guy if you need a body at TE in your lineup.

J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington Football Team (Available in 85 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

McKissic is really only worth a pickup if you're in a PPR league. If that is the case, then he represents a low-end FLEX option that will do in a pinch. He's been pretty involved in the pass game over the last two weeks, and caught six passes for 40 yards against the Rams last Sunday, which gave him 10 fantasy points on the day. Washington's offense will presumably be a bit better with Dwayne Haskins on the bench, and they're playing the equally-terrible Giants this week. If you find yourself in a deep league with few reliable RBs available, McKissic seems to be in line to get you another 10 points this week, which could make all the difference.