We've put a bow on Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season and are on to Week 5 — now it's time to gaze into the crystal ball and see which players we should target on the waiver wire now for a big payoff later.
Reminder: The Lions, Texans, Raiders and Titans each have Week 6 byes, meaning you will need to find one-week replacements for stars such as Jamaal Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, T.J. Hockenson, Davante Adams, Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Brandin Cooks and Dameon Pierce.
Week 6 Early Waiver Wire Targets
Geno Smith, Seahawks (29% rostered)
Smith has been shockingly good through four starts. He is coming off of his best game to date against a hapless Lions defense, completing 23-of-30 attempts for 320 yards and two touchdowns. He also tacked on seven rushes for 49 yards and a touchdown and was the QB2 for the week behind only Jared Goff — just as we all predicted.
I was very close to putting Smith in my start-sit column, but shied away from what could be a lower scoring matchup against New Orleans. Assuming he doesn't completely implode, Smith will be a viable streamer for Goff or Derek Carr managers in need of a one-week fill in. In Week 6, the Seahawks face the Cardinals, whose defense ranks bottom five in pass DVOA according to Football Outsiders.
Michael Gallup and Noah Brown, Cowboys (49% and 15%)
Gallup made his season debut in the Cowboys’ 25-10 win over the Commanders. I was moderately concerned he would be more of a decoy in his first game back, but he immediately found the end zone and caught 2-of-3 targets for 24 yards.
Even with Gallup on the field, Brown remained involved and caught 3-of-6 targets for 61 yards. Both took a backseat to CeeDee Lamb, however, who looked brilliant and may thrive more while sharing the field with better receivers.
All three receivers could end up having varying degrees of fantasy relevance, especially once Dak Prescott returns (which could be as soon as Week 6 against the Eagles). Gallup and Brown could be in for even bigger roles this week with news that Lamb missed practice on Thursday with a groin injury. I'm not panicking yet, though concern is warranted any time a star wideout is a late addition to the injury report.
Jameson Williams, Lions (31%)
Williams is now eligible to come off of the non-football injury list, though it's more likely to happen after Detroit's Week 6 bye. Once activated, Williams is definitely worth an add on this sudden an offensive juggernaut helmed by Jared Goff.
The Lions have scored the most offensive points this season (140) and the addition of this first-round rookie would be another boost. Williams is coming off of a breakout season in which he tallied 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns for Alabama. He suffered a torn ACL in the CFP National Championship game against Georgia and has been rehabbing since.
Due to the injury, Williams did not participate in the NFL Combine, though he is estimated to have 4.3-speed. He has an ideal build, standing at 6-foot-1 1/2 and 179 pounds, and will stack up nicely against NFL secondaries.
Until activated, you can stash Williams in an IR spot in many leagues, depending on your settings, which makes him a low-cost investment with sky-high potential returns.
Rachaad White, Buccaneers (33%)
It seems odd to be recommending a running back on a team that totaled just six attempts for three yards and a touchdown in Sunday night’s 41-31 loss to the Chiefs.
That one touchdown belonged to White, who saw three carries for six yards and five catches for 50 yards. Star running back Leonard Fournette was even less effective on the ground. He logged three carries for -3 yards though he caught 7-of-7 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown.
I was actually surprised to see the rookie as much as we did in light of an early fumble that led to a Chiefs touchdown. He is an extremely valuable insurance policy should Fournette get hurt, and could end up having standalone value in the right matchups.
That could come as early as this week with the Falcons, whose defense hasn't done much well this season and ranks seventh-worst in rush DVOA according to Football Outsiders. Grab White before it's too late.
Gus Edwards, Ravens (13%)
Edwards has been activated from the PUP list as of this week. He had been rehabbing a knee injury suffered before the 2021 season, which has kept him sidelined since. Hey may not be active this week against the Bengals, which could be a good thing as he would only cost you an IR spot, but I think he could be worth a stash.
J.K. Dobbins appears to have taken the reigns of the Baltimore backfield, though that could be more of an indicator of lack of depth; next up are Justice Hill, Mike Davis and Kenyan Drake, none of which spark joy.
Behind Dobbins, I expect Edwards to be a RB2 who could vulture some goal-line carries. He and Dobbins formed a committee back in 2020 and each tallied similar yardage. Edwards scored six touchdowns to Dobbins' nine that year — the two could be headed toward a powerful committee.
Robert Tonyan, Packers (33%)
Tonyan found the end zone for the first time this season in Week 4 against the Patriots. He caught both of his targets for 22 yards and a touchdown, which was his best game and first top-12 finish this year.
Tonyan's target share is less than impressive, but he has undeniable upside catching passes from four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. He has a nice three-game stretch coming up against the Giants, Jets and Commanders and could be a worthwhile streaming option for T.J. Hockenson or Darren Waller managers in Week 6 when the Packers take on Gang Green, whose defense ranks bottom four in pass DVOA.
Hayden Hurst, Bengals (25%)
I have been singing Hurst’s praises as a sleeper candidate since the preseason. Unfortunately, the former first-round pick has been mostly unremarkable for fantasy, save last week against the Dolphins when he reeled in 3-of-4 targets for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Hurst is highly talented and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he pops against an exploitable Ravens pass defense. He's another streaming option for Hockenson or Waller managers.
