The fifth week of the 2016 regular season is just about coming to a close with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Editor’s update: Colin Kaepernick has been named the 49ers Week 6 starter vs. the Buffalo Bills. He is owned in 1 percent of leagues, so there is an opportunity for some speculative value.
Waiver wire quarterback rankings, Week 6
1. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (47 percent owned)
The Tennessee quarterback looks to be putting his past two weeks of poor performance behind him. Although Mariota only threw for 163 yards, he had three passing touchdowns and added 60 additional yards and a score on the ground. If Mariota can continue to protect the ball and gain additional yards on the ground, he may be a serviceable fantasy starter as the season progresses.
2. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (38 percent owned)
Although Flacco struggled in Week 5 against Washington, he was without Steve Smith for the majority of the game. The Baltimore quarterback managed to throw for 210 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Washington. The one bright spot for Flacco owners is that he has attempted to throw the ball 40 or more times in each of the past four weeks. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to connect with his receivers. Flacco has a tougher matchup against the Giants’ defense in Week 6, but he still remains a more reliable quarterback than most who are available on the waiver wire.
3. Brian Hoyer, Chicago Bears (18 percent owned)
Hoyer has performed admirably in Jay Cutler’s absence, and all signs point to Hoyer continuing his stint as the starting quarterback for the Bears in Week 6. The Chicago quarterback threw for 397 yards and two touchdowns in Week 5, and has continued to protect the ball much better than Cutler in his time as starter. Barring any indication that the quarterback situation in Chicago is changing, Hoyer has a good matchup in Week 6 against Jacksonville.
4. Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings (14 percent owned)
The Vikings have been able to primarily rely on defense to win their games, but Bradford has done well for a quarterback who was traded to the Vikings slightly over a month ago. The Minnesota quarterback passed for 271 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s win over the Texans. Bradford has yet to turn the ball over in 2016 and would make for a higher floor quarterback who could fill in for a bye week or injury.
5. Case Keenum, Los Angeles Rams (three percent owned)
Keenum struggled in Week 5 against a resurgent Buffalo defense that has improved every week since its Week 2 blowout loss to the Jets. Keenum was on the receiving end of this defensive effort, passing for 271 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite the shaky stat line, Keenum will face an exploitable Lions defense in Week 6. The matchup alone is enough to warrant streaming consideration for the Rams’ quarterback.
