Top 3 Waiver Wire Adds: Week 6

By Chip Bayless (click Howie for more Chip)

 

1) Kenneth Walker III

Its no surprise that Kenneth Walker III tops the list here, as he does across many fantasy sites including ESPN and their competitors.

Unless you have literally zero healthy receivers on your bench, you should put in a claim for Kenneth Walker III this week.

Walker is primed to take on lead back duties in a Seattle offense that has prided itself on running the ball for over a decade now (yes schemes/coaches have changed, but you could track their run dependence all the way back to Shaun Alexander). This fact alone makes him the top waiver claim.

Combine Walker’s projected role with the Seahawks’ draft-day investment and the talent Walker already flashed last week while filling in for Penny, and you’ve got a potential RB2 to immediately slot in depending on your team.

Last week, Walker stepped in and went for 88 yards and a TD on just eight carries, averaging an absolutely demolishing 11 yards per carry (YPC).



Geno Smith has been balling, but traditionally Pete Carrol loves his dominant RBs, and according to reports it looks like that next back is slated to be Walker (per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic and others).

 

2) Alec Pierce

Oct 6, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) pulls in a pass under pressure from Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis (27) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Alec Pierce has emerged as the clear #2 in a Colts offense that has to throw incredibly frequently due to being down by an ungodly amount of points so much of the time.

While the Colts offense has been an overall disappointment so far in 2022 (yes – I had the #1 pick and drafted Taylor in a league), Pierce’s performance over the past few weeks has been one of the lone bright spots.

Over the last three weeks, Pierce has at least five targets, three catches, and nine fantasy points in every game.

Pierce is a crisp route-runner with sure hands, and he clearly catches the eye of Matt Ryan as the new Colts QB often looks Pierce’s way on key plays or third down.

Pierce has the ball skills and toughness to make contested, athletic catches in addition to the ability to turn up-field quickly and accumulate YAC.

Colts fans and beat reporters were aware Pierce was poised for a breakout year, as they were all screaming from the rooftops that this man was having a phenomenal camp and was clearly getting most of the WR2 reps across Pittman.

For the rest of us though, he’s a no name that has come out of nowhere and while it might take some guts dropping an underperforming receiver you liked on draft day like Elijah Moore for him, but rest assured that is the right decision.



Rostered in less than 10% of leagues, this is likely the last week you’ll be able to grab Pierce off the waiver-wire.

So scoop him up while you still can because one of your bench WRs could probably pack all of his stuff up neatly in a cardboard box rather than wasting space on your team and costing you games.

 

 

3) Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) passes the ball during the first quarter of an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

 

It is time to drop your underperforming, yet highly valued by you on draft day QB who’s been costing your team games with their putrid play.

For instance, last week I benched Matthew Stafford for Jacoby Brissett in a league and won that matchup as a result of their point difference.

I would have laughed at you on draft day had you told me I would wind up benching Stafford for Brissett ever, but it is truly time to forget about names and draft day convictions and accept the fact that the majority of QBs are who they are at this point in terms of their production.

Forget about names and offseason narratives: start a QB this week based on production. That is surprisingly the Daniel Jones argument as well: pure production.

Yes, the Giants have almost no receivers the average fan can name, but somehow Jones is getting it done game in and game out.

I said it last week about Brissett, you could do much worse in 2022 than slotting in a QB into your fantasy lineup who has at least scored double-digits in every single game.

Jones has scored at least 12 points in every game this season, and has thrown for over 180 yards and rushed for at least 30 yards in the majority of his contests so far.



Jones also ranks among eligible QBs (thrown more than 30 passes):

  • Tied for 9th in completion percentage (with Patrick Mahomes)
  • 14th in fantasy points and adjusted QBR (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in rushing yards
  • 6th in yards per carry

It hasn’t been pretty, but today Daniel Jones has more fantasy points than Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford.

Jones has above average mobility and arm talent, and he frequently makes impressive plays on the run that make you understand why the Giants believed in him enough to draft him.

Put your pride aside and pick up Jones if you have one of the aforementioned undeforming QBs or if you’ve been streaming, because he could wind up breaking into the top-10 ranks if his season continues.

 

 

 

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