The fifth week of the 2016 regular season is just about coming to a close with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire wide receiver rankings, Week 6
1. Sammie Coates, Pittsburgh Steelers (35 percent owned)
The Pittsburgh offense has been one of the most explosive in the league for a few years now. With the suspension of Martavis Bryant and the ineffectiveness of Markus Wheaton, Coates has emerged as the second option at receiver behind Antonio Brown. The second-year receiver caught six passes for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Jets. Coates was targeted on both deep and short routes, and dropped a couple passes that would’ve been touchdowns. Coates would be worth an acquisition in any fantasy format.
2. Chris Hogan, New England Patriots (25 percent owned)
New England looked very good in Week 5 with the return of Tom Brady. Hogan in particular looked to benefit greatly from Brady’s return after performing well with him during the preseason. The New England wide receiver caught four passes for 114 yards and looks to be the second option at wide receiver behind Julian Edelman. Hogan should be able to fit into the Patriots’ arsenal of weapons as they continue with Brady under center.
3. Jeremy Kerley, San Francisco 49ers (eight percent owned)
San Francisco has struggled to generate offense thus far in 2016. However, the one consistent piece to the offensive production for San Francisco is Kerley. In Week 5, he caught eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Through Week 5, Kerley is the receiving yardage leader for the 49ers with more than double the receiving yards of any other player on the team. Look to Kerley to be a consistent wide receiver on an otherwise shaky offense.
4. Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears (two percent owned)
The Bears are now without Kevin White as he’s been placed on IR with a broken fibula. In addition, both Eddie Royal and Alshon Jeffery are currently dealing with lingering injuries of their own. Meredith emerged as Brian Hoyer’s top receiving option in Week 5 as the Bears receiver secured nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he led the Bears in targets in their loss to the Colts. If Royal and Jeffery continue to struggle with injuries, Meredith looks to benefit greatly.
5. Andrew Hawkins, Cleveland Browns (zero percent owned)
Hawkins had an opportunity to receive more targets and playing time with the sidelining of Corey Coleman due to a broken hand. In Week 5, it finally looks as if Hawkins will take advantage of his chance as he caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. If Cody Kessler’s injury causes him to miss any time, Terrelle Pryor will most likely spend some time playing quarterback, making Hawkins the top wide receiver target for the Browns.