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Fantasy football Week 6 waiver wire adds: Chase Claypool leaps into our pickup plans

IMPORTANT: The waiver process in Yahoo leagues will be bumped back from Wednesday to Thursday morning in Week 6 to help fantasy managers account for the significant schedule changes impacting both the current week and next week (click here for full details). The decision to process waivers and transactions on Thursday mornings will apply to all future weeks with a Tuesday game. Admittedly, it's an unprecedented season, requiring unprecedented game and league maintenance.

ALSO IMPORTANT: You have roster needs and we have a fresh batch of recommended fantasy adds. Let's review...

Wide Receivers who demand attention

Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers (16% rostered)

Let the record show we urged you to add Claypool two weeks ago after he out-snapped every other Steelers receiver in the win against Houston. He was an easy pickup back then. This week, however, it's gonna be a fantasy bidding war.

Claypool went supernova against the Eagles on Sunday, catching seven balls for 110 yards and three spikes on 11 targets, also delivering an early 2-yard rushing score. He roasted Philadelphia DBs consistently and without mercy. Claypool needed just two steps to shed and shame Jalen Mills on his second TD ...

Diontae Johnson exited with a back injury on Sunday, which no doubt led to a bump in opportunities for Claypool. But the rookie has made wow plays every week so far this season. He's had at least one gain of 20-plus yards in every game and he's now averaging 20.1 yards per catch. Claypool has size (6-foot-4), speed (4.4) and silly leaping ability (40.5-inch vertical). He was a second-round pick, so expectations are plenty high.

We should also note that Claypool's social media skills are *ELITE* by any standard...

Bottom line: He needs to be rostered pretty much everywhere. Additional house-calls are coming. Claypool gets a friendly matchup next week against the Browns, a defense allowing the third most fantasy points and receiving yards to wide receivers.

Recommended waiver offer, assuming $100 budget: $24

Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders (44%)

Ruggs was mass-dropped by fantasy managers while sidelined by a hamstring injury, but he needs to be mass-added this week. If you need help visualizing 4.27-speed, here you go...

Ruggs is blisteringly fast, in keeping with Raiders tradition.

It was perfectly clear back in the season's opening week that Vegas had big plans for the draft's 12th overall pick. He hasn't actually seen more than five targets in any game to this point, so it's fair to say he's going to be a volatile fantasy option. But it's also apparent that his big performances have a chance to be week-winners. There's a multi-touchdown effort (or two) ahead this season. Vegas has a bye in Week 6, so Ruggs can't be your top priority if you're desperate for a Week 6 win. But if you're thinking long-term, he's a prime target.

Offer: $15

Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles (3%)

Fulgham has bounced from roster to roster in recent months, unable to stick with either Detroit or Green Bay. But it appears he may have found a home in Philly. He produced a highlight touchdown against the Niners in Week 4, then feasted against an excellent Pittsburgh defense on Sunday. Fulgham caught 10 balls for 152 yards in a game in which Carson Wentz completed 20 for 258. He was effective at all levels, no matter where he lined up.

"Kid is a baller," said Wentz, accurately.

The Eagles' receiving corps is an injured mess at the moment, which leaves plenty of targets up for grabs for Fulgham. He was never really a serious prospect at any level until he blew up in his senior season at Old Dominion. Today, he looks suspiciously like Philly's most dangerous receiving threat. Next week's matchup against Baltimore isn't ideal, but the schedule takes a nice turn thereafter: NYG, Dal, bye, at NYG, at Cle, Sea. After Sunday's explosion, Fulgham can't be left unattached.

Offer: $12

Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (34%)

Here's another rookie we continue to mention and you continue to not add. All Shenault has done over the past two weeks is catch 12 passes for 165 yards on 14 targets. He's topped 70 scrimmage yards in three of his last four games and he's played no less than 54 percent of the offensive snaps each week this season. Jacksonville has also fed him nine carries so far, resulting in another 53 yards (5.9 YPC). With five games in the books, he leads the Jaguars in catches (23) and receiving yards (270). What else do you need to see? Make the pickup, people.

D.J. Chark suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday's loss at Houston, we should note. If he's sidelined for next week's matchup with Detroit, Shenault could see an increase in usage against a user-friendly defense.

Offer: $9

Additional WR/TE options: Brandin Cooks (oh, hey, look who finally produced a useful fantasy line, days after he was dropped in tens of thousands of leagues), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (he's coming off an 8-target game and the bye is now behind him), Tim Patrick (still available in over 80 percent of leagues, due in part to his unplanned bye), Preston Williams (he topped 100 receiving yards for the first time this season, making another house call), Dallas Goedert (presumably returning soon from IR and now only 44 percent rostered), Jimmy Graham (the vet has spiked four times in five games and gets an appealing matchup at Carolina next week), Trey Burton (longtime fantasy tease has drawn 11 targets over the last two weeks), Gerald Everett (out-targeted Tyler Higbee on Sunday while producing 90 receiving yards).

Quarterbacks worth streaming

Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys (3% rostered)

First of all, here's hoping Dak Prescott is headed for a quick, complete and uneventful recovery following ankle surgery. He's an undeniably great QB who was on a historic passing pace over the first quarter of the season. His injury brought an abrupt end to one of the year's most compelling NFL stories.

While Prescott recovers, Dallas' schedule grinds on. The team is just 2-3, but somehow that record is good enough to position the Cowboys atop the hellscape that is the NFC East. For the remainder of the season, Andy Dalton is the guy at the controls of an offense that features a trio of stellar receivers and one of the league's most dominant running backs. So yes, Dalton is back in the fantasy conversation, without question. He averaged 10.1 yards per attempt in relief of Prescott in Sunday's narrow win, completing nine of 11 throws.

It should go without saying that Dalton has zero chance of matching the fantasy production a healthy Prescott would have delivered this year. There's no serious rushing element to Dalton's game and he's generally good for at least one or two regrettably risky attempts per week. But still, he now has Cooper, Lamb, Gallup and Elliott at his disposal, and his team's defense hasn't yet stopped anything. It's always nice to have playmakers like this...

Dalton's upcoming schedule is full of blow-up opportunities, beginning next week against Arizona. Considering his team context (and history of occasional competence), he deserves aggressive waiver offers this week. Again, he can't fully replace Dak's production, but he's certainly capable of a top-10 positional finish when the matchup is right. Dalton has a pair of 4,200-yard seasons on his resume, so he's already demonstrated that he can support multiple fantasy-relevant receiving threats.

Offer: $11

Other QBs to consider: Kirk Cousins (he gave us a serviceable-if-not-spectacular 249 yards and two TDs on Sunday night, and next week's matchup with Atlanta is another prime spot), Ryan Fitzpatrick (many of had hoped to see Tua by now, but Fitz just stubbornly keeps producing), Nick Foles (the Bears are surely the least likely/luckiest 4-1 team of all time, and they're headed to Carolina for yet another winnable game).

Running backs to add

Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings (37%)

Mattison is another name we've consistently pushed as a stashable option, much like Claypool and Shenault. This week, he's no longer simply a fantasy flier; he's unquestionably the top waiver target for any team in need of backfield assistance. Mattison of course should have already been rostered by managers who'd selected Dalvin Cook, for exactly the reason that's now an urgent concern.

Cook suffered what appeared to be a significant groin injury on Sunday night. In his absence, Mattison predictably ran wild, piling up 136 scrimmage yards on 23 touches. He out-snapped Mike Boone 43 to 5, so it's not as if the Vikings formed a backfield committee. Mattison has averaged 4.7 YPC over 18 career games while catching 18 of his 21 targets. There's little reason to doubt that he can deliver something like 90 percent of the production we'd expect from a healthy Cook. Minnesota's upcoming matchup with Atlanta is obviously an ideal spot.

Offer: $21

Various other RBs of interest: Justin Jackson (he out-touched and out-gained Joshua Kelley on Monday night and remains available in 56 percent of Yahoo leagues), Frank Gore and La’Mical Perine (obvious beneficiaries following the release of Le’Veon Bell), Rex Burkhead (dropped by many during his unplanned bye, he should continue to have a significant role in Sony Michel’s absence), J.D. McKissic (you probably aren’t looking to acquire shares of Washington’s offense, but he’s been a target magnet with potential PPR value), Jamaal Williams (widely available contributor to an offense that’s been a fantasy goldmine).

Stream-worthy defense

Miami Dolphins (2%)

When in doubt, add the defense that's preparing to face the Jets. (After various scheduling changes took place over the weekend, Jets-Dolphins was moved to Week 6.) Miami is obviously coming off an unexpected and thorough drubbing of the Niners on the road, generating three takeaways and five sacks. We can assume the Dolphins defense won't have much trouble with Adam Gase's carnival of despair.

Offer: $1

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