It's already Week 6 of the fantasy football season. And four more teams are on a bye (Chiefs, Rams, Dolphins, Vikings). So, I can see the need -- especially for managers in deeper leagues -- to stream wide receivers this week. I have some emerging players to look at there.
The same at running back, where injuries and increased usage have created more opportunities. And I want to start at quarterback with a rookie who just recorded his best numbers of the season as he heads into a positive matchup this Sunday.
Players listed below are deeper-league targets, rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues entering this week's waiver period. Although you might notice overlap with Eric Moody's waiver wire column that publishes on Mondays, an important distinction is that the options mentioned in this column are solely for this week's matchups and not based on the players' values for the remainder of the season.
Roster percentages are updated each Friday, and players from Thursday's night game have been removed. All references to fantasy points are for PPR leagues.
Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (49.7% rostered; vs. Jaguars)
Williams played his best game as a pro in the Week 5 win over Carolina, posting a season-high 23.6 points. And he gets another positive matchup this Sunday versus the Jacksonville defense in London. Williams, who threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers, is targeting all three levels of the field from the pocket and using his legs -- when necessary -- to make plays outside of structure (34 yards rushing in Week 5). I'll take Williams this week as my top streamer at the quarterback position.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (25.3% rostered; vs. Bengals) Jones scored 22.1 points on the Seattle defense in Week 5 (without Malik Nabers on the field), and he has now posted 18 or more points in three of his past four games. Yes, Jones' overall level of play can be unstable at times, and we won't have injury reports on Nabers (concussion) until later in the week. But Jones did post 11 rushing attempts versus the Seahawks, and he has multiple touchdown throws in three of five games played this season. If you're in need of a deeper league streamer, then Jones fits here in a Week 6 game that could be high scoring versus the Bengals.
Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts (5.0% rostered; at Titans)
Flacco's Week 6 value is tied to the health of Anthony Richardson (hip), who practiced fully on Thursday and is trending toward returning on Sunday. However, if Richardson has to sit for another game, you can pivot to Flacco, who dropped 26.6 points on the Jaguars this past Sunday. We can all see that the Colts' pass game is operating at a higher rate with Flacco under center, as he's a more refined pocket thrower, plus he can still hammer the ball down the field. Flacco threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville, and he has now logged five touchdown passes over his past two games.
Wide receivers
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys (35.3% rostered; vs. Lions)
We wrote about Tolbert here last week, as he was projected to see more targets with Brandin Cooks (knee) moving to IR. And with those added opportunities, Tolbert caught seven of a team-high 10 targets for 87 yards in the Week 5 matchup versus the Steelers, including the winning touchdown on a fourth-down throw from Dak Prescott. Tolbert logged 21.7 points on the night, and he now has three games with double digit production this season. Let's get him in the lineup (again) for the Week 6 home matchup versus the Lions.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (48.3% rostered; at Titans)
Downs caught nine of a team-high 12 targets versus the Jaguars in Week 5, and he has caught 17 of 21 over his past two games. With the ability to get loose from slot alignments, Downs has been a consistent option for Flacco in the pass game. And while his numbers could take a slight hit if Richardson is back for this week's game, I still see enough here for Downs, given his ability to uncover on high-percentage concepts. If Downs is able to play on Sunday, he's a flex/WR3 against the Titans.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (24.0% rostered; at Titans)
If Michael Pittman Jr. (questionable, back) is unable to play on Sunday in Tennessee, Pierce would likely see an increase in perimeter snaps and targets. He has already logged two games with 20 more fantasy points, despite catching only 13 passes on the season. And with a bump in volume this week, Pierce could be played as a WR3 in deeper leagues.
Allen Lazard, New York Jets (38.8% rostered; at Bills)
We know Aaron Rodgers will continue to feed the ball to Garrett Wilson (22 targets in Week 5), but Lazard is seeing enough volume here to crack some lineups in deeper leagues. Lazard has 18 targets during his past two games, and he has scored 10 or more points in three straight. Plus, with the Jets really struggling to find run game efficiency heading into their Week 6 matchup at Buffalo, Lazard could be in line to produce again as the No. 2 target for Rodgers.
Ray-Ray McCloud III, Atlanta Falcons (14.6% rostered; at Panthers)
McCloud has posted back-to-back games with 11 or more points, and he saw six targets in each. In an Atlanta offense that has attempted 169 passes out of 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers), the second most in the league, McCloud will continue to see opportunities as the No. 3 wide receiver behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney. Plus, the Week 6 matchup versus the Panthers is just too good to pass up here. He's a solid play in deeper leagues.
Running backs
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (43.9% rostered; vs. Bears)
Bigsby saw a team-high 13 carries in the Week 5 win over the Colts, compared with only six for starter Travis Etienne Jr., and he finished with 101 yards rushing and two scores. Bigsby, who also added one catch for 28 yards, had a season-high 25.9 points in this one, while showing his explosive play ability again on a 65-yard rushing touchdown. Given his recent run on production (191 yards rushing over the past two games), Bigsby should continue to cut into Etienne's touches, especially in a matchup versus the Chicago defense in which the run game will be a priority for Jacksonville.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants (25.3% rostered; vs. Bengals)
Starting for injured Devin Singletary (groin), Tracy rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries in the Week 5 win over the Seahawks. I thought Tracy ran with really good ball carrier vision, pressing the hole to find second-level daylight, and he did have four rushes of 10 or more yards. I'd like to see Tracy used more in the pass game (one reception, 1 yard), because he has the skills to make plays there. However, the run game volume works if you are targeting Tracy in deeper leagues. And I think Tracy will still be involved in the game plan even if Singletary returns for Sunday night's matchup against the Bengals.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears (16.9% rostered; vs. Jaguars)
If you are looking for a deeper-league target with scoring upside, Johnson could be a fit. As the Bears' No. 2 behind D'Andre Swift, Johnson has developed a role as a short-yardage/goal-line back. Johnson has cashed-in on goal-line carries too, scoring on all three of his attempts inside the 5-yard line during the past two games, and he has posted 10 or more points in two of his past three.
Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts (2.5% rostered; at Titans)
If Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is still down for the Week 6 game at Tennessee, then Goodson works in deeper leagues as a change-of-pace back behind Trey Sermon. In the Week 5 loss to the Jaguars, Goodson had 8.7 points, rushing for 25 yards on five carries and adding three receptions for 31 yards. And it's the receiving traits that create some upside here. Goodson has the open-field ability to produce after the catch.
Tight end
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (41.7% rostered; at Bills)
I'll go with Conklin here simply because of the target volume and the Jets' West Coast route tree, which uses the tight end. Conklin has caught 15 of 23 targets from Rodgers during his past three games, scoring 11 or more points in two. And I expect the Jets to remain more pass-heavy versus the Bills this week.
D/ST
Houston Texans (68.1% rostered; at Patriots)
This is a matchup-based play, given the Patriots' offensive limitations. Through five games, the Patriots have allowed 19 sacks, the second most in the league, and they have averaged just 5.0 yards per pass attempt. This could be a big day for DeMeco Ryans' defense with schemed fronts that create pass rush production and pocket disruption. This unit's roster percentage has gone up 50% since this column originally published on Tuesday, so it's possible the Texans are no longer available in your league.
Los Angeles Chargers (35.5% rostered; at Broncos)
In four games played, this Los Angeles defense has recorded 11 sacks, while forcing at least one turnover in each game. That sells against a Denver offense that has scored a total of just seven touchdowns this season, which is tied for 28th in the league.