What's up RotoBallers. Welcome to my deeper standard league sleepers column for Week 6 of the NFL season. In this weekly article we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for standard leagues, who could help out your team in this upcoming week.
For reference's sake, we are looking at standard scoring leagues and will be using ownership percentage data from Fleaflicker. In order to qualify as a deep sleeper, a player must be 20% owned or less.
Let's get to the picks!
Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about more Week 6 waiver wire recommendations, for all other positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
Quarterback
Colin Kaepernick (SF) @ Buffalo Bills
(Ownership: 11%)
Following yet another disappointing start from Blaine Gabbert, the 49ers are considering turning the starting job over to Kaepernick. Whether this will be an upgrade for the offense remains to be seen, but things can't get much worse for San Francisco's "air attack".
Kaepernick brings an entirely different skill set to the table from Gabbert. Kaepernick has a much stronger arm than Gabbert, but his accuracy leaves something to be desired. Either way, it's hard to forget the damage the athletic Kaepernick can do with his legs, which is the main reason to consider him in fantasy leagues. There's a chance that head coach Chip Kelly turns Kaepernick loose on the ground against the Bills defense in Week 6. Nothing is definitive as of now, but Kaepernick is worth picking up in deeper two-quarterback leagues in case he does earn the start.
Running Back
Bobby Rainey (NYG) vs. Baltimore Ravens
(Ownership: 8%)
Rainey has been busy since Shane Vereen was lost for the season, catching 13 passes for 95 yards and adding 44 yards on the ground over that span. While he is a better running back in PPR leagues and this is a standard league column, his role as the team's third-down back appears safe and he should be useful in all formats. Rainey has been busy enough (15 targets over the past two weeks) to trust to give you something in your lineups. The Giants will face a tough Ravens defense in Week 6, which may force the team to lean on Rainey in the passing game yet again if they want to keep the chains moving.
Wide Receiver
Brandon LaFell (CIN) @ New England Patriots
(Ownership: 20%)
LaFell had a huge game in Week 5 against Dallas, reeling in eight catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Granted, most of the damage came in the fourth quarter, but fantasy players aren't picky about when the scoring comes as long as it's there when the game ends. The Cowboys did a solid job limiting star wideout A.J. Green which resulted in LaFell leading the team in targets on Sunday. The same could happen this week against the Patriots.
Bill Belichick is known for taking away his opponent's top option on offense, meaning Green could be in for another slow performance. This additional attention paid to Green should leave LaFell open to attack the Patriots secondary in a #revengegame for the former Patriot.
Tight End
C.J. Fiedorowicz (HOU) vs. Indianapolis Colts
(Ownership: 2%)
Fiedorowicz has seen an uptick in usage over the past two weeks as he's drawn 13 targets over that span. He's turned those looks into eight catches for 109 yards and one touchdown, making him pretty useful at a tough position. While his recent success is promising, his Week 6 matchup gives even more reason to be bullish on Fiedorowicz. The Colts rank last in the league in DVOA against opposing tight ends (through Week 4) according to Football Outsiders. Young quarterback Brock Osweiler could lean on Fiedorowicz to move the chains yet again in Week 6.
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee Titans (TEN) vs. Cleveland Browns
(Ownership: 10%)
The Titans are next in line to take on a Browns offense that could be without quarterback Cody Kessler. Kessler wasn't lighting up the league, but he did a good job protecting the ball and avoiding sacks. If Kessler isn't ready to go, the Browns would have to turn to Charlie Whitehurst, Kevin Hogan, or Terrelle Pryor at quarterback. It is doubtful the Browns would turn to Pryor as a full-game starter, meaning it will come down to Whitehurst or Hogan, who has spent the year on the practice squad. Tennessee is coming off a strong performance which saw them hold the Dolphins to 17 points, seven of which came on a punt return. They also intercepted Ryan Tannehill twice and sacked him six times. Playing at home, Tennessee is a top streaming option this weekend.
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!