UPNXT: Best Week 6 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups and Trading Card Moves

Nobody, and The Rock means nobody, saw this one coming! Once Diontae Johnson was forced out of the game with an injury, it was all systems go for Chase Claypool. The rookie from Notre Dame took full advantage of the added opportunities by leading the team in targets with 11, receptions, with seven, yards, with 110, and both receiving, and total touchdowns, with four! We’ve seen glimpses of his dynamic, game-breaking ability back in Week 2 versus the Broncos, but this was on a whole other level. 

With Johnson battling various injuries during the first quarter of the season, Claypool is making his case for taking over as the number two receiver on this team, with number one receiver upside. If you’re in need of help at wide receiver, chase after Claypool on the waiver wire this week!

Fantasy Ownership: You would think that after what he did to Denver, that people would’ve been all over Claypool, but this doesn’t appear to be the case. His ownership comes in at just 13% when averaged between ESPN and Yahoo leagues. We think Claypool should be the top priority at receiver this week and expect his ownership to go through the roof after what he did in Week 5.

DFS: (DraftKings: $TBD, FanDuel: $TBD) vs. Browns Ah, nothing brings out the best in a team like a good ole fashioned divisional game. With an implied total of 51 and a 3.5-point spread, this has all the makings of a slobber knocker between the rival teams. Cleveland isn’t a defense we should avoid playing receivers against, as they rank near the bottom of the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. 

Monitor the health of Diontae Johnson, as this will impact Claypool’s DFS value this week. If Johnson is in, consider Claypool as a tournament play. If he’s out, Claypool moves to a cash or tournament worthy play. Pricing will also be important, so ask yourself if you can see Claypool returning 3-4x his price tag before clicking his name this week.

Card Market Rating: Buy. Chase Claypool has been an absolute monster so far and his card prices are up over 4x in the last two weeks, as illustrated by his Silver Mosaic above. The Steelers have a long history of developing stud wide receivers and Claypool seems to be on track to be the next great one. The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the biggest fanbases in the NFL and that bodes well for his collectibles market. 

For two years running, the Philadelphia Eagles have been decimated at wide receiver. With veterans like Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson spending more time on the sideline, than on the field, Philly has been forced to roll out a ragtag group of young unknowns at receiver. While Greg Ward has been the most reliable and consistent receiver over the last couple of years, it’s been Travis Fulgham who has emerged as the Eagles’ top producer over the last two weeks.

On Sunday, Fulgham hauled in a team-high ten receptions on 13 targets, for 152 yards and one touchdown. His big day was overshadowed by Chase Claypool, but we couldn’t let this Eagle fly under our radar without mention. True, Jeffery is set to return soon from offseason surgery, but he’s been hardly reliable in terms of health in recent years, so we’re not going to let that stop us from adding Fulgham this week, and you shouldn’t either.

Fantasy Ownership: This is the second week in a row that Fulgham has put up exceptional numbers, but despite that, he is less than 2% owned across fantasy leagues. I’d be surprised if that number doesn’t spike significantly after a huge breakout game against a stout Steelers defense in Week 5. If you can’t get Claypool, Fulgham makes for a nice backup plan.

DFS: (DraftKings: $TBD, FanDuel: $TBD) vs. Ravens It’s a battle of the birds, as the Ravens fly into Philly to take on the Eagles in Week 6. Before I get into the numbers, I can tell you that this isn’t my favorite matchup for Fulgham. Baltimore’s defense just finished destroying the Bengals, and I expect them to flock to quarterback Carson Wentz and his playmakers all day long.

This game carries an implied total of 46.5, with the Eagles as +7.5 underdogs, which sounds about right given how poorly the Eagles have played this season. The only way Fulgham has a chance of coming close to what he’s done in previous weeks is if Philly gets down big early and is forced to pass often. Fulgham has been the Eagles' best big-play receiver, so there’s always a chance he gets loose for a couple of splash plays downfield. Consider him strictly as a low-owned tournament play in DFS formats.

Card Market Rating: Buy. Fulgham is a complete lottery ticket. His card is starting to have some relevance in the market but there are plenty of instances of players having a big week or two and then crashing back down to earth. That said, the price to buy in on his cards is still so low that it's worth it to take a small flyer on a couple of his cards. Just don't go crazy. He was drafted in the 6th round in 2019 and is already on his third team. He is very much still a long shot to turn into one of the top WR in the NFL. 

Alexander Mattison. My name is Alexander Mattison, and there’s a million points I haven’t scored, but just you wait, just you wait! Okay, so maybe he doesn’t have an award-winning Broadway musical named after him, but Alexander Mattison didn’t throw away his shot on Sunday night!

Once starter Dalvin Cook left the game with a groin injury, Mattison rattled off 20 carries, for 112 yards, and added three receptions for another 24 yards on the day. This is nothing new, we’ve seen Mattison put up big numbers in the absence of Cook before. He’s been widely regarded as one of the best draft-and-stash handcuffs for a couple of years now, and now you know why. There have been so many injuries to star running backs this year, leaving the position very thin, so Alexander Mattison makes our list as the top running back add this week.

Fantasy Ownership: Mattison’s ownership numbers are quite a bit higher than our first two mentions, and rightfully so. Still, Mattison is available in over 50% of leagues and must be rostered if he isn’t yet. Reports are saying that Cook is likely to miss the Vikings’ next game vs the Falcons, so Mattison gives you RB1 upside this week. Which brings us to…

DFS: (DraftKings: $TBD, FanDuel: $TBD) vs. Falcons What a dream matchup we have here. The Atlanta Falcons are easily one of the worst teams in the NFL, and they just fired their head coach after starting the season 0-5. If you already have Mattison or are one of the lucky ones who picks him up this week, this is a prime spot to start him.

This game features a massive implied total of 54.5 points and is expected to say competitive throughout, which means the Vikings should be able to hand the ball off early and often. Atlanta’s run defense is a bit better than their pass defense, but we aren’t shying away from this matchup. If Mattison’s price is right, he makes for a cash game or tournament worthy play, and you don’t need to be Secretary of the Treasury to know that!

Card Market Rating: Sell. Dalvin Cook is an absolute beast and should be back from injury relatively soon. When he gets back, Mattison goes back to fantasy and sportscard irrelevance. 

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

THE LINE: Passing: 20/34, 264 YDS, 4 TD Rushing: 4 CAR, 8 YDS

THE SCOOP: Wow, does this kid continue to amaze! Herbert looks like a superstar in the making, posting another fantastic stat line on Monday Night Football. He made some jaw dropping throws against a respectable Saints defense, and it’s only a matter of time before his big numbers start to translate to wins. Once that happens, lookout! His stock is absolutely on the rise.

UPNXT vs. Jaguars: Herbert gets a juicy matchup against a Jaguars team that continues to bless winless teams with their first victories. I think Herbert makes for a great season-long fantasy league play if you need to stream a quarterback due to bye weeks. I also like him as a strong DFS play as well in both cash and tournament games.

Joshua Kelley/Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

THE LINE: 

• Joshua Kelley-Rushing: 11 CAR, 29 YDS Receiving: 1 TGT, 1 REC, 9 YDS.
• Justin Jackson-Rushing: 15 CAR, 71 YDS Receiving: 6 TGTS, 5 REC, 23 YDS

THE SCOOP: Coming into the game, things were a bit murky when determining which running back would lead this backfield in the Chargers’ first game since losing starter Austin Ekeler. As you can tell, Justin Jackson was the more efficient and involved runner in this game. Jackson looks to be the preferred pass-catching back, which is a big boon in PPR fantasy leagues. Kelley will likely be used as more of a short-yardage and goal-line back, which gives him some rushing touchdown upside.

UPNXT vs. Jaguars: While this is a great matchup on paper, we still suggest exercising caution when deciding to play either of these backs this week. This looks like a true time share, so I’d consider both guys to be RB3/FLEX worthy, and strictly tournament plays in DFS.

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

THE LINE: Receiving: 8 TGTS, 4 REC, 62 YDS

THE SCOOP: Facing a formidable Ravens pass defense, the Bengals receivers were held in check for most of the day. The silver lining? Higgins led all Bengals’ receivers with eight targets, in yards, with 62, and had the longest catch of the day, with a 26-yard grab. Rumors are swirling that A.J. Green may be on the trade block, and based on how disinterested he looked, it appears Green’s days with Cincinnati may be coming to an end.

UPNXT @ Colts: Week 6 sees Higgins facing off against one of the top defenses in the league when the Bengals visit the Colts. The oddsmakers in Vegas have Cincy as a huge underdog, so Joe Burrow should have to throw a lot in this one. I don’t mind Higgins as a WR3/FLEX option, as there should be plenty of volume to put in a solid effort this week.