Last week was a strange one, significant injuries, upsets, and many busts. I am here this week to attempt to carry you out of this mess. I will provide my top three bye week fillers for each position with a justification. These players are mostly under 50% owned in Yahoo leagues and should be available for waiver pickup.
To begin, here are the teams on bye: Seattle, Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Dallas.
Fantasy impact players* on bye:
| Seattle | Buffalo | Cincinnati | Dallas |
| R Wilson (QB4) | T. Taylor (QB16) | A. Dalton (QB10) | D. Prescott (QB5) |
| D. Baldwin (WR10) | J. Kearse (WR46) | A. Green (WR5) | D. Bryant (WR7) |
| E. Lacy (RB27) | L. McCoy (RB8) | J. Mixon (RB19) | E. Elliott (RB3) |
| T. Rawls (RB33) | C. Clay (TE5) | G. Bernard (RB34) | J. Witten (TE11) |
| J. Graham (TE6) | Defense (D/ST8) | Defense (D/ST11) | D. Bailey (K3) |
| Defense (D/ST3) |
* Based on SI ranking week 5
Trevor Siemian could be worth a flier if your QB is on a bye week.
QB Suggestions
Trevor Siemian (vs NYG): Siemian was electric weeks one and two then cooled down for the next two. However, after his bye, he now has the New York Giants, the tenth worst defense against QBs (96.4 QB rating against). To add on, this game is at home, where Siemian seems to play better. Currently, 31% owned and my favorite streaming option this week.
Brian Hoyer (@ WAS): A very boom or bust prospect for this week. Hoyer either scores less than 5 or more than 25 so far. If you need a dart throw, he is the definition. A thing to remember is that Washington is without star cornerback Josh Norman. With him out, I expect another high scoring loss for Hoyer and the Niners. At 9% owned, Hoyer is definitely on the streaming radar this week.
Jacoby Brissett (@ TEN): Brissett has been slowly gaining chemistry with T.Y. Hilton and it showed last week when they connected for 177 yards. Against the second-worst defense in the Titans, I expect Brissett to continue his rise and score a ton of points this week. 12% owned, so he is there for you.
WR Suggestions
John Brown (vs TB): After last week’s recommendation of Jaron Brown, I am hesitant to put another Arizona receiver on this list. However, they are playing Tampa Bay this week (last against opposing WRs) and this matchup is too good to pass up. This may be one of the last matches that Brown is a viable option, as Arizona’s WR schedule becomes brutal after this week. Decent flex play and is owned in 37% of Yahoo leagues.
Cooper Kupp (@ JAC): Kupp is one of the bigger surprises of the draft this year, quickly becoming one of Goff’s favorite targets. Although the matchup is almost as bad as last week’s, Kupp is utilized in that offense and I believe in the Rams this year. Again, he is a flex play at the moment but could be a starter in later weeks. 47% owned, so it is higher, but he should be there in half of leagues.
Juju Smith-Schuster (@ KC): Schuster is getting his name called more often than Bryant’s in the past three weeks and I believe that this trend continues against the surprisingly bad KC passing defense (3rd worst against WRs). He has yet to have his “break-out” game, but this could be the week after Roethlisberger and the Steelers got embarrassed by the Jaguars. Still, 6% owned, so get him before he explodes.
RB Suggestions
Elijah McGuire (vs NE): With both Matt Forte and Bilal Powell out, McGuire is the next man up. He couldn’t get much last week, but next up is the porous Pats defense. This is his chance to show the Jets that he is ready to be the bell-cow on that team. Will he take advantage of this opportunity? Who knows, but he is worth an add and is only owned in 18% of Yahoo leagues.
Marlon Mack (@ TEN): Mack has shown a couple times that he is more explosive and agile than Frank Gore, and now even Chuck Pagano has realized that it is time to get him more touches. After a great game last week, I expect Mack to continue to impress against the Titans and hop Gore on the depth chart by the time Andrew Luck gets back. He is only 10% owned right now, but he will be a hot commodity in the coming weeks.
Jerick McKinnon (vs GB): I was clearly very wrong about my assessment about Murray last week, so I am hopping on the McKinnon train. Mckinnon received 22(!) touches last week without Dalvin Cook in. He was utilized last year and did a decent job as the feature back and I expect him to progress further this week against the Packers. He is owned in 31% of Yahoo leagues, a number that is sure to skyrocket before the games.
TE Suggestions
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (vs NE): Another Jet on the list, what has the world come to? With no real receiving threats on the Jets, ASJ got 8 targets, 6 receptions, 29 yards, and a touchdown last week. Against the 4th worst defense against tight ends (New England), I expect to see him involved even more this week.
Zach Miller (@ BAL): With Trubisky at the helm, Miller received 7 targets and a touchdown last week. If the Bears offense continues to improve, I can see Miller being used as a safety blanket for Trubisky in a Mariota-Walker way. He is worth a chance against the 9th worst TE defense in Baltimore. 15% owned, should be more.
Tyler Higbee (@ JAC): Hype-train addition for sure, but a possibly worth-while add. After posting almost 100 yards against the Seahawks, Goff may have found a reliable catcher in Higbee. He is still a flier and should be treated as one.
K Suggestions
Dustin Hopkins ( vs SF): Consistency is key with kickers, and Hopkins has been just that, averaging 8.25 points per game this year. He is facing a kicker’s dream in the 49ers this week and he is only 11% owned. I expect him to be one of the top streamers this week.
Wil Lutz (vs DET): He may have missed 3 field goals in three games, but he is still on one of the best offenses with the Saints. They are at home, in a dome, and where Brees seems to do better. 26% owned, see if he was dropped for his bye week last week, worth a stream this week.
Ryan Succop (vs IND): Succop is a hopeful add this week. After averaging 14.3 points the first 3 weeks, he returned to earth the past 2 weeks averaging just 3.5 points. His fate depends on the Titans regaining their dominant offense, which they will have a great chance to do against the Colts this week. 49% owned at the moment, could be a good pickup.
D/ST Suggestions
Baltimore Ravens (vs CHI): At home against a rookie QB, what more could you ask for? The Ravens have slipped the past few weeks, but this could be the week they get their mojo back. Perhaps they could return to the dominant performers they were in weeks 1 and 2.
Atlanta Falcons (vs MIA): Considerably average, but they get to face the Dolphins who have struggled to get anything going on offense this year. I expect them to hold tight and give Jay Cutler a hard time in Atlanta. 25% owned and a great streaming option this week.
Tennessee Titans (vs IND): If you need a solid floor, nothing special, the Titans are your defense. Against the Colts, they can’t be too bad of an option this week and I am going to hold them to this. This is their week to explode, a divisional rival and a forgettable offense.
To add on to these picks, the injured players must have people to take over, here they are:
- Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall: Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis Jr., and Evan Engram. The Giants are a sad, sad team after everything that transpired this week. I don’t expect any of these guys to light up the world like Odell can, but they may be worth a look.
- Carlos Hyde: Matt Brieda. Hyde’s hip was still bothering him last week, so this may be a bit late for this advice, but Breida played well in Hyde’s wake. At the moment, the reports say that they will go with the hot hand at running back, so these two are going to be fighting for the starting spot, not great for fantasy.
- Orleans Darkwa: Wayne Gallman. Questionable with a calf injury, Darkwa may not play this Sunday, making Gallman a potential add. However, they play at the Broncos, making him a hopeful add.
This is all I have for week 6! Thank you for stopping by and good luck!
For any fantasy questions or anything else, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter: @smithdev002 Instagram: @devyn5mith
