Waiver Wire Weekly: Clement, Coutee are top options

As the NFL season marches onto Week 6, most fantasy owners probably feel as though their rosters are pretty set for the rest of the year. But picking up hidden gems at this point in the season can give you a leg up on the rest of your fantasy league and may even pave the way for a fantasy football championship.

*The %OWN statistic is based on ESPN standard leagues from Oct. 8.

Quarterbacks

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears, %OWN: 26.6%

Before having his bye week in Week 5, Trubisky exploded in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 354 yards and six touchdowns. Trubisky is among a group of emerging young quarterbacks taking the league by storm. Expect him to do even more damage in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. The new Bears head coach, Matt Nagy, was the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator last season — and if he learned anything from Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, it’s how to win coming off of the bye week.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals, %OWN: 56.6%

Dalton had a pretty unimpressive game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. Dalton had 248 passing yards and only one touchdown for just above 12 fantasy points. While most fantasy owners would be discouraged enough to bench Dalton because of this performance, one must keep in mind the importance of starting players based on their weekly matchups. This week, Dalton is facing a weak Pittsburgh Steeler secondary, poising him for a comeback week. And let’s not forget also the weapons Dalton possesses in A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and versatile back Joe Mixon.

Running Backs

Corey Clement, Philadelphia Eagles, %OWN: 28.2%

Clement’s status on this list directly results from fellow Eagles back Jay Ajayi, who was placed on the injured reserve list because of a torn ACL. While Clement has been dealing with an injury of his own, he should be back in full health in Week 6 against the New York Giants. If Clement does indeed return for Week 6, he should fill in as the Eagles’ top option in the backfield as he offers value in the ground game, passing game and change-of-pace game. Although Clement’s role in the return game will likely diminish, this will only increase his workload as the Eagles’ top rushing option.

Mike Davis, Seattle Seahawks, %OWN: 14.5%

Davis burst onto the fantasy scene in Week 4 as he started in place of the injured Chris Carson. Many fantasy owners were worried about how Davis’ workload would be affected once Carson returned in Week 5, but Davis silenced the growing uncertainty with another great performance. Davis rushed 12 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. This is not to say Davis has taken over the Seahawks’ feature back role, but at the very least he has made Seattle’s backfield a runner by committee and should see a similar usage rate in Week 6.

Wide Receivers

Robby Anderson, New York Jets, %OWN: 41.9%

Someone involved with the Jets who has not been excited about the change in the quarterback position from Josh McCown to Sam Darnold is Robby Anderson. Last season with McCown under center, Anderson enjoyed a breakout season, exciting many fantasy owners with what he could accomplish with highly touted rookie Sam Darnold. However, through the first five weeks of the season, this excitement has not matched up with the results. Before last week, the most yards Anderson had in a game this year was 41. Finally establishing a connection with Darnold, Anderson tripled that total Sunday as he had more than 120 yards receiving — plus a touchdown.

Keke Coutee, Houston Texans, %OWN: 19.6%

The door opened for Coutee in Week 4 when Texans receiver Bruce Ellington went down with an injury. Coutee capitalized on his opportunity, catching 11 passes for 109 yards. The door remained opened for him in Week 5 as Ellington remained injured and other Texans receiver Will Fuller also started nursing a hamstring injury. Coutee once again pounced on this opportunity, catching six passes for 51 yards and his first career touchdown. With two weeks of solid production under his belt, he figures to have an impact once again in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills.

Tight Ends

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, %OWN: 16.6%

Featured in last week’s edition, Brate had his bye week in Week 5. He has re-emerged on the fantasy scene, catching two touchdowns in his last two games after a very slow start to the year — which was due in large part to the Bucs’ other tight end O.J. Howard being utilized more often on the field. But with Howard now sidelined with a sprained MCL, Brate is primed to become one of the more relevant tight ends in the fantasy scene.

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals, %OWN: 10.2%

Uzomah emerged as the next man up for the Bengals when normal starter Tyler Eifert was placed on reserve after an injury sustained in Week 4. There was uncertainty regarding who would become the weekly starter tight end following Eifert’s injury, with both Uzomah and veteran Tyler Kroft on the roster. Not only did Uzomah outplay Kroft, but Kroft was also injured during the Bengals Week 5 matchup against the Dolphins. Expect Uzomah to start making an impact as the only healthy tight end on the Bengals depth chart.