Week 5 is behind us. This week my teams went 0-3, leaving me 11-4 for the season so far. It wasn't for a lack of waiver moves. I picked up Joe Flacco (QB, Ind) in two of my leagues and started him in place of Jalen Hurts (QB, Phi) and was not disappointed. What got me this week was the usual, in-game injuries, some bad start decisions, unexpected dud performances and strength-of-schedule alignment.

For example, Deebo Samuel (WR, SF) had his season-worst performance scoring only 3 fantasy points. If he had scored a pedestrian 7.5 fantasy points I would have won in my dynasty league. Despite the loss, my dynasty team still holds 1st place in the league.

In one of my keeper leagues, Aaron Jones (RB, Min) suffered an injury and I started Tre Tucker (WR, LV) over Allen Lazard (WR, NYJ) against my better judgement because of consensus projections. With Lazard, Jalen Tolbert (WR, Dal) and Kirk Cousins (QB, Atl) on my bench, I easily had what I needed to win that match. This team is now in 5th place in the league.

In my other keeper league, my usual RB wrecking crew of Alvin Kamara (NO), Bijan Robinson (Atl) and Jerome Ford (Cle) was held to a total of 31.2 FPs, while Nico Collins (WR, Hou) was injured and Chris Olave (WR, NO) also gave a dud performance of 3 FPs. However, this team also remains in 1st place in the league.

Despite head wind against me, all my teams performed average or above average, so strength-of-schedule alignment was the final factor that lead to a winless Week 5.

Maybe for some of you, your Week 5 turned out well because some of the above events occurred on your opponent's team.

Oh well, I can't complain about two 1st place teams and one 5th place team. On to Week 6.

If you are familiar with my format of "Streamers for the Desperate" articles, then skip the following introduction.

This article is based on the principles I wrote about in How To Own Your League's Waiver Wire.

I name this article as such because it is generally for deeper roster leagues (18-to-24-man rosters) and as the season progresses, especially in the 24-man roster leagues, the pickings can get very thin. For example, you won't see Jalen Tolbert (WR, Dal) or Darnell Mooney (WR, Atl) in this article because they aren't available in my leagues. However, you will see them in Alex Cuilla's article, Week 6 Fantasy Football Waiver Adds because they are less than 50% owned in Yahoo leagues.

I list the players that are available on waivers in my three leagues and generally that scored more than 10 fantasy points (PPR). The players with an asterisks are available in my 24-man roster league. As we get deeper into the season, no matter how slim the options, I always list a couple available players for each position from my 24-man league.

I have loosely ranked the players but you need to decide which players are right for your team. Your criteria for deciding will be different depending on your need and if you are in a redraft, keeper or dynasty league.

The ranking in parenthesis after each player is the strength of this week's opponent against that position. So a "1st" indicates the most difficult opponent for that position, and a "32nd" indicates the weakest opponent against that position.

As much effort as it is, I make waiver requests every week for all of my teams. I don't just try to fill in obvious immediate needs, but look to make my team better to the last man on the roster. A deep roster creates resilience against injury. It also results in other teams having less good options, increasing the opportunity to trade to teams that truly are desperate and thereby build my draft pick arsenals.

For example, in my dynasty league I came in 2nd place last year, I had have the 3rd highest fantasy points in the league after Week 2, I have 10 rookies on my roster (two are on IR) and still I have arsenal of three 1sts, two 2nds, one 3rd picks for 2025 and three 1sts, three 2nds and five 3rds picks for 2026. Active waiver wire participation has been a big part of building that arsenal.

Quarterbacks

• Kirk Cousins, Atl @ Car (28th) - If there was ever a week to start Cousins, it was last week. Cousins completed 42 of 58 attempts for 509 yards, 4 TDs and 1 Int in the Falcons overtime win over the Buccaneers. We can't expect the same in Week 6, but he has a good match up against the Panthers.
• Joe Flacco, Ind @ Ten (10th) - Flacco picked up right where he left off in Week 4 after filing in for an in-game injured Anthony Richardson. He completed 33 of 44 passes for 359 yards, 3 TDs, no Ints and 1 lost fumble, adding 22 yards on 3 carries. Flacco brought the Colts to life. Watch for news on who will start Week 6. If Flacco will start, and you need help at QB, don't be afraid to put him in your lineup. 
• *Andy Dalton, Car @ Atl (26th) - Dalton completed 18 of 28 attempts for 136 yards and 1 Int, before being pulled from the lopsided game in the 4th quarter. We didn't expect a big game from Dalton in Week 5 against a tough Bears defense. He remains the starter going into Week 6, and should do better against a softer Falcons D.

• ^*Jacoby Brissett, NE v Hou (21st) - Brissett completed 18 of 34 attempts for 160 yards, and no TDs or Ints against one of the toughest pass defenses in the league behind a horrible Patriots o-line. He has an easier match-up in Week 6.

• Aidan O'Connell, LV v Pit (4th) - After Minshew Gardner threw his second interception against a tough Broncos D in Week 5, coach Antonio Pierce replaced him with 2023 4th round pick O'Connell and and has since announced O'Connell will be the Week 6 starter. He has a tough matchup against the Steelers in Week 6, and played a very average 11 games last year. It's hard to trust him for much this week, but could be worth a stash in dynasty leagues.

Running Backs

• Tank Bigsby, Jac @ Chi (23rd) - Bigsby rushed 13 times for 101 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught his only target for 28 yards. Bigsby might be taking the lead back role from Travis Etienne, and is worth a spot on your roster if he is available in your league.
• Trey Sermon, Ind @ Ten (11th) - Sermon rushed 10 times for 38 yards and a TD, and caught all 6 of his targets for 25 yards. If Jonathan Taylor remains sidelined, Sermon makes for a decent streaming option in Week 6.
• Roschon Johnson, Chi v Jac (26th) - Johnson continues to see moderate volume playing behind D'Andre Swift. He rushed 10 times for 25 yards and 2 TDs in Week 5. Johnson is the Bears change of pace back and seemingly goal line vulture. He should continue to produce a moderate stream of fantasy points.
• ^*Jeremy McNichols, Wsh v Bal (3rd) - McNichols carried the ball 7 times for 44 yards and a TD in Week 5 even with a healthy Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler. It seems, McNichols has carved out a roll and can be expected to give a moderate fantasy performance. However, don't expect much against a tough Ravens run defense in Week 6.
• Dare Ogunbowale, Hou v Bills (18th) - With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce sidelined, Ogunbowale got 21 touches, with 15 carries for 30 yards and 6 catches for 57 yards. Cam Akers out-performed him on the ground with 9 carries for 42 yards and a TD. Going forward it seems Ogunbowale could give moderate output as a receiving back.
• Jaleel McLaughlin, Den v LAC (11th) - McLaughlin carried the ball 6 times for 22 yards and caught 3 of his 4 targets for 3 yards and a TD. McLaughlin is a change-of-pace back behind Javonte Williams, and is not a reliable fantasy option.
• Tyrone Tracy (R), NYG v Cin (21st) - With Devin Singletary inactive, Tracy carried the ball 18 times for 129 yards and caught 1 of his 2 targets for 1 yard. It's not likely that Tracy will take the starting role from Singletary any time soon, but he is definitely worth a spot on dynasty rosters.
• ^*Ameer Abdullah, LV v Pit (2nd) - Abdullah carried the ball 5 times for 42 yards and a TD filling in for Zamir White. Unless you have no other options and White is inactive in Week 6, Abdullah is not worth a spot on your roster.

Receivers

• Darius Slayton, NYG v Cin (12th) - Slayton caught 8 of his 11 targets for 122 yards and a TD with Malik Nabers sidelined. If Nabers returns for Week 6, expert Slayton's target share to drop. 
• Allen Lazard, NYJ v Buf (2nd) - Lazard caught 4 of his 10 targets for 34 yards and a TD, his 4th of the season. Up against a tough Bills D in Week 6, expect a mediocre fantasy performance.
• Andrei Iosivas Cin @ NYG (17th) - Iosivas's has only caught a single pass in each of the last two games behind Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. Only a sophomore receiver, expect Iosivas's target share to trend upward as the season progresses, but he is a risky fantasy option for Week 6.
• Rashod Bateman, Bal v Wsh (32nd) - Bateman caught 4 of 8 targets for 58 yards and a TD in Week 5 against an average Bengals D. With mostly steady volume it seems Bateman would be in the WR3/4 discussion for Week 6.
• Ray-Ray McCloud, Atl @ Car (21st) - McCloud caught 6 of his 9 targets for a career high 66 yards in a week in which Kirk Cousins threw 58 passes. McCloud has yet to score a TD this year and he will likely see less volume in Week 6 compared with Week 5.
• Demario Douglas, NE v Hou (22nd) - Sophomore Douglas caught 6 of 9 targets for 59 yards in Week 5. If the Patriots offense can get settled down behind Jacoby Brissett, its possible we could see Douglas's target share trend upwards throughout the season, but he is a risky fantasy start for Week 6.
• ^*Josh Reynolds, Den v LAC (4th) - Reynolds caught is lone target for 9 yards and a TD. Reynolds does not get enough volume to be worth a roster spot, unless you have no other options.
• ^*Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Den v LAC (4th) - Humphrey caught both his targets in Week 5 for 48 yards. Humphrey's volume is sporadic, and he has yet to score his first TD for the season.

Tight Ends

• Cade Otton, TB @ NO (22nd) - Otton saw significant volume in Weeks 3 and 4, averaging 6.5 receptions on 8.5 targets and 52 yards. He dropped back to only 3 receptions on 4 targets for 44 yards in Week 5. Even though he has no TDs this year, he is probably the best of a bad lot of TEs available on waivers because of his semi-consistent volume. Look for Otton to bounce back a bit in Week 6.
• Mike Gesicki, Cin @ NYG (16th) - Gesicki has averaged 3.5 receptions and 40 yards with no TDs over the last four weeks. He is a hit-or-miss streamer for Week 6.
• ^*Elijah Higgins, Ari @ GB (25th) - There just aren't any reliable TEs available on waivers in deep roster leagues. I have included Higgins here who has caught 5 of 6 targets for 43 yards and 2 TDs over the last four weeks because he is a developing sophomore and has a soft match up versus the Packers in Week 6.
• Brenton Strange (R), LV v Chi (8th) - Strange has been filling in nicely since Evan Engram was injured Week 1, catching all four of his targets for 24 yards and a TD in Week 5. However, Engram is due back Week 6, and Strange will likely fall back into fantasy irrelevance.

Kickers

• Younghoe Koo, Atl @ Car (27th)
• Austin Seibert, Wsh @ Bal (19th)
• Greg Joseph, NYG v Cin (22nd)
• Nick Folk, Ten v Ind (28th)

Defense / Special Teams

• Green Bay Packers v Ari (19th)
• New York Giants v Cin (14th)
• Seattle Seahawks v SF (10th)
• Los Angeles Chargers @ Den (19th)
• Atlanta Falcons @ Car (24th)

^*Available in my league with 24-player rosters