The week six Wednesday morning waiver period is looming. The wire looks bare. What is a fantasy owner to do? Turn to Belly Up Sports, that’s what you do! This fantasy football waiver pickups week five edition will help complete a roster. All of the players below are less than 40% owned, and many below 25%. That is perfect for larger sized leagues. Without further ado, let’s jump into the deep end, shall we?

Running Backs

The running back position has been picked over pretty extensively over the past five weeks. That is not a surprise with all of the injuries to the position around the league. There still are some backs worth consideration, however. If there is a need, don’t wait too long before the cupboard is bare.

Damien Harris, New England Patriots, 23.1% owned

It is a known fact that running backs can’t be trusted in a Bill Belichick led offense. It is also a known fact that a back that rushes for 100 yards can’t be ignored, either. Such is the case with Damien Harris. Of course, not much went right for the Patriots in their 26-10 loss to K.C. One bright spot, though, was the play of Harris, who almost completely came out of nowhere.

Making his season debut, Harris had 17 carriers for exactly 100 yards. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry. That is a stat that can’t be sneezed at no matter who accomplishes it. New England figures to have a full load of backs and have some difficult defenses ahead in Denver, S.F. and Buffalo. Even so, as stated, a back who has 100 yards in a game can’t be ignored and if the shelves are empty, beggars can’t be choosers. That is why Harris leads off this fantasy football waiver pickups week six edition.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago Bears, 5.3% owned

When shopping the bargain bin, search for any advantage to help make a selection. Versatility is an attribute that is most found in fantasy baseball, but it occasionally pops up in football as well. Such is the case with Cordarrelle Patterson, as he qualifies at both running back and wide receiver.

Other than his versatility, Patterson has done little to get excited about. He has rushed 21 times for 69 yards and caught just seven catches for 58 yards on the season. That includes three rushes and three catches Thursday night against Tampa Bay.

However, with the season ending injury suffered by Tarik Cohen, Patterson is now RB2 for the Bears. Another advantage with Patterson is that Chicago’s bye isn’t until week 11. If he can get regular work, Patterson could be a key pickup for depth during the upcoming open weeks many teams will have.

J. D. McKissic, recommended for the week five waiver period, is still widely available. He caught six passes against the Rams and has the terrible Giants and Dallas defenses in the next two weeks.

Wide Receivers

There are quite a few wide receivers that have questionable designations each week that bear watching as we await final injury reports. If a player is suddenly ruled out, replacements are necessary. Check into these receivers to help survive the week.

Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars, 17.3% owned

Keelan Cole, recommended for week three, remains available in many leagues. Cole began the year very strong with 12 targets, 11 catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns. His production has fallen in the past three weeks with 10 catches for 114 yards,

Even so, with so many receivers hobbled or under producing, Cole could really help a roster. Additionally, Cole found the end zone against the Texans. His opponent this week is a Detroit team that has won just one game and has allowed 127 points. Through four games, that amounts to 31.75 PPG. If a fantasy owner has an open roster spot, or a receiver is out this week, jump onboard the Cole train.

Randall Cobb, Houston Texans, 17.1% owned

Even though they won their first game on Sunday, the Texans are a mess. Randall Cobb has been as streaky as anyone with two games with just two catches. However, he did catch all six of his targets for 47 yards against the Jaguars.

One has to almost be a psychic to figure the WR group of the Texans from one game to the next. However, anyone that has Deshaun Watson throwing them the ball has to be considered in fantasy. That is especially true when there isn’t a lot to choose from in the first place.

Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers, 8.8% owned

Any time a player scores four touchdowns in a game, attention must be paid. Of the players that could pull off such a feat, it’s certain Chase Claypool wouldn’t be the one picked to do it. Be that as it may, Claypool did just that against the Eagles. He caught seven of 11 targets for 110 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, Claypool rushed three times for six yards and another score.

It was by far his most productive day ever as a pro. He had scored a single TD in three previous games this season. Obviously, such production is unsustainable. With the Steelers’ bye week already behind them, however, an owner can set his lineup with Claypool and forget it. It also always helps to have Ben Roethlisberger throwing a receiver the football. With the waiver wire picked clean, Claypool is a worthy add this week.

Other considerations- Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles, caught 10 passes for 152 yards and a TD against Pittsburgh. If other Eagles receivers remain out, he is a quality add. Laviska Shenault, recommended in week four, has 30% ownership. He can help a team with WR needs.

Tight Ends

The tight end pool was deep when the season began. Of course, that is unusual as the position is the weakest in all of fantasy football. That statement can no longer be made, however, as the weeks have passed. Any owner that needs help at tight end has limited options at this point. There are options, though, so let’s see what is on the bottom shelf.

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0.8% owned

The tight end position really hasn’t gone the way that Tampa or fantasy owners thought it would. Rob Gronkowski hasn’t had anywhere near the impact most thought he would with only 12 catches and no TDs on the season. O.J. Howard is lost for the year with an Achilles injury. Stepping into the void is veteran TE Cameron Brate. Brate caught five of six targets for 44 yards in the loss to the Bears on Thursday.

No question, those numbers won’t thrill anyone, but the timing between him and QB Tom Brady should only get better. Best of all, Tampa Bay doesn’t have their bye until week 13. That means Brate will be available when a lot of players are not available due to byes or injuries. This is the low rent district and Brate is about as good as there is to be found. He is the top TE add on this waiver pickups week six edition.

Other considerations- Eric Ebron, recommended in week four, is owned in 30% of leagues. He has 10 catches in his last two games and is past his bye week. See if he is available if TE help is needed. Austin Hooper, recommended last week, is probably off the wire in most leagues. If he is still there, he can help a team.

Quarterbacks

Unlike tight end, there are some quality quarterbacks still to be found on most league’s wires. With bye weeks about to hit in earnest, owners need to assess when to pick up a QB to ensure top team performance. Below are the best options for this waiver pickups week six edition.

Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys, universally unowned

Owners in two quarterback or 12 or more team leagues don’t have any quality signal callers to choose from. That is, until now. With Dak Prescott suffering a season ending ankle injury, Andy Dalton is now the starter in Dallas. There are few, if any, teams that have the offensive skill players the Cowboys have and Dalton is now the beneficiary of that.

After the Prescott injury, Dalton completed nine of 11 passes for 111 yards. Most importantly, Dallas won the game. Without question, Dalton is an experienced quarterback, having played nine seasons in Cincinnati. He will put up numbers in this offense and in larger leagues, there isn’t one else to pick up. He is the priority add for such owners this week.

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders, 15.9 % owned

There was some talk earlier in the season of benching Derek Carr for Marcus Mariotta. How silly that talk is now after Carr led the Raiders to a surprising victory over the Chiefs. Carr has thrown for over 300 yards the past two weeks. Additionally, he has 10 touchdowns and only one interception in the last four games while completing over 70% of his passes.

What else could an owner want from their quarterback? Las Vegas has a bye this week so many owners will not be looking to make a move on Carr. Once he gets past this week, Carr will be available for the rest of the season. With quarterbacks also suffering injuries this year, that could be a huge advantage for a fantasy owner down the stretch.

Other recommendation: Ryan Fitzpatrick, recommended in week 4, is only owned in 19.9% of leagues. He threw for 350 yards and three TDs in a surprise performance against S.F. The Dolphins have the sorry Jets this week at home. Nothing more needs to be said, am I right?

Thanks for joining me for this fantasy football waiver pickups week six edition. As always, feel free to comment or make a suggestion on which players to add or remove from the list. I welcome all input. Have a great fantasy football week six! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Picks for all the latest NFL and sports news!