Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Andy Dalton should be one of the top waiver wire priorities this week in fantasy football after Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending injury in Week 5.
Dalton has the potential to be a Top 10 option going forward -- in good matchups -- due to the Cowboys depth of offensive skill position players. Prescott should be dropped in all redraft leagues.
Alexander Mattison and Chase Edmonds are my favorite running backs on this week's waiver wire. Chase Claypool, Darren Fells and the Miami Dolphins defense also are great Week 6 waiver wire additions.
Monitor the status for each of your players' games this week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the NFL schedule. Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders players should be removed from all starting lineups, as those teams have Week 6 byes.
I have added more of my favorite players to target on this week's waiver wire and separated them by priority and position. The players I have listed ahead of Wednesday's waiver period have low ownership percentages in standard size leagues.
Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 6:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Andy Dalton; RB | Alexander Mattison, Chase Edmonds; WR | Chase Claypool, Christian Kirk, Mecole Hardman; TE | Darren Fells; D/ST | Miami Dolphins; K | Matt Prater
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Ryan Fitzpatrick; RB | Jamaal Williams, J.D. McKissic; WR | Travis Fulgham, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones; TE | Trey Burton; D/ST | New York Giants
TOP DROPS
QB | Dak Prescott; RB | Jerick McKinnon, Brian Hill; WR | Russell Gage; TE | Logan Thomas
QUARTERBACK
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton should be a top waiver wire priority this week, regardless of your team's roster construction. Dalton slides in for Dak Prescott and should be a streaming starter down the stretch. The Cowboys have a ton of talented pass catchers and Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield. I expect Dalton to post several Top 10 weeks for the rest of the season.
He will be a spectacular bye-week fill in, especially this season when fantasy football starting lineups are fluid due to uncertain team schedules. The Cowboys current schedule features several great matchups for Dalton right out of the gate.
RUNNING BACK
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook leads the league with 489 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He also hasn't played more than 14 games in a season during his four-year NFL career.
Cook was banged up again in Week 5 and is in danger of missing a Week 6 clash against the Atlanta Falcons.
That leaves Mattison as an RB1 candidate this week and the foreseeable future. Mattison had 112 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards in Week 5. He should improve on those numbers in Week 6.
Chase Edmonds might be the backup running back for the Arizona Cardinals, but he also could be the most talented player in the team's backfield. Edmonds had 92 yards from scrimmage and a score on just eight touches in Week 5.
Cardinals starter Kenyan Drake had 62 yards from scrimmage and a score on 19 touches in Week 5. I expect Edmonds to get more work moving forward, despite Drake's presence.
Edmonds should be added in all leagues and is a great RB2/flex option in leagues with at least 12 teams. He would move into RB1 territory if Drake gets injured or heads to the bench.
Drake's lack of involvement in the Cardinals passing game is a big concern. You should try to trade him if he is on your roster.
WIDE RECEIVER
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Chase Claypool erupted for seven catches for 110 yards and four total touchdowns in Week 5. He should be added in all leagues, regardless of your team's roster construction or league format.
Claypool has five touchdowns in four games and is a great bye-week fill in for shallow leagues and a streaming WR3 in leagues with at least 12 teams. Claypool could have inconsistent play down the stretch, as the Steelers also have wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on their roster, but his explosive Week 5 performance cannot be ignored.
TIGHT END
Houston Texans tight end Darren Fells has scored in two of his last four games. He has also benefited from quarterback Deshaun Watson's rebound from a poor start in 2020. I expect that trend to continue in Week 6 when the Texans face a Tennessee Titans defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.
Fells should be a decent bye week fill in this week, but needs a touchdown to be productive. I expect Watson to throw at least three touchdown passes this week and one of them should end up in the hands of Fells.
