Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 wide receivers to look at for Week 6

Fantasy football owners will welcome back some top receiver names from bye this week. Doug Baldwin, Allen Robinson, Brandin Cooks, and Jeremy Maclin, among others, can be plugged back into lineups after sitting out Week 5.

In Week 6, only two teams are on bye, so owners won’t be facing such a big crunch. The most notable names at wideout unavailable are Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, and Stefon Diggs. The bye is a blessing in disguise for Diggs owners -- he should be back in Week 7 after missing Sunday’s game with a groin injury. It also clouds the future fantasy value of Adam Thielen, who had a breakout game without Diggs on the field. Thielen might be worth adding in deeper leagues, but the one-week-wonder risk keeps him off my list below.

So which receivers should fantasy owners target on the waiver wire this week? Let’s take a look at the top five names, owned in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! standard leagues.

Beasley isn’t getting the same targets he was earlier in the year, which is a bit disappointing with Dez Bryant out the past two games. However, he’s still making the most of his opportunities, turning in 53 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Still a reliable slot weapon for Dak Prescott, Beasley will be on the WR3 radar if Bryant has to miss one more game.

Sunday was the best and worst of Coates. He showed off his immense upside, burning the New York Jets for a 72-yard touchdown sprint and finding the end zone a second time. He also showed off his worst, committing multiple baffling drops that cost the Steelers points. Either way, Coates is finally stepping up as the No. 2 receiver with Markus Wheaton fading. Coates’ future role is uncertain with Eli Rogers coming back soon, but he should continue putting up good fantasy numbers against the Miami Dolphins this week.

Adams has burned fantasy owners before, and he’s as streaky as they come. But with Jared Cook out several weeks, the Packers are running three-WR sets as their base offense, and Adams took advantage of the New York Giants blanketing Jordy Nelson, hauling in five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. And if Eddie Lacy misses a game with his ankle injury, the Packers would have to rely more on Aaron Rodgers and the passing game. Adams will be a boom-or-bust play against the Dallas Cowboys this week.

Meredith stepped up big-time with Kevin White out, grabbing nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. An undrafted free agent in 2015, Meredith has good measurable (6’3, 207 pounds, 4.49 40 time at his pro day) and seemingly won the trust of Brian Hoyer. The Jacksonville Jaguars likely won’t be as forgiving a defense as Indy’s, but Meredith will presumably fill White’s spot as the No. 2 receiver next to Alshon Jeffery. He’s someone to watch.

Steve Smith left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, which could potentially keep him out for at least one game. Perriman and Kamar Aiken got big boosts in their playing time with Smith out, and while Aiken might be the more popular add this week, Perriman carries more fantasy upside due to his big-play ability. He nearly scored the game-winning touchdown for Baltimore before it got overturned on replay. Perriman will be on the WR4 radar against the Giants this week.