It’s Week 6, and we’re hitting the point in the season where jobs have begun to change hands, with young players beating out the aging or inferior incumbents.

Certain performances have incited riots among the fan clubs of trendy preseason backups, but not all should be taken as a signal; some remain noise. As always, I’ll be here every Tuesday with the waiver wire adds of the week. Player percentages are based on ESPN’s rostered player data.

Quarterbacks

Drake Maye, New England Patriots (1.7%)

Playing Drake Maye at all in 2024 is an act of malpractice by the Patriots. The dreadful offensive line and lackluster weapons threaten to derail Maye’s career before it gets off the ground. His entrance into the fold is worth throwing a flyer on, though. Maye possesses a talented arm, a willingness to air it out, and underrated legs. While disaster seems the most likely outcome, Maye provides an upside if he comes out hot.

Running Backs

Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jagaurs (9.7%)

There’s a fan club of Bigsby blowhards who’ve been waiting for a breakout game like the one he had Sunday, believing it will push him past Travis Etienne on the depth chart.

They’re going to have to wait a bit longer, though, because that day will never come. His 13/101/2 line on the ground would be an impressive feat if it came against anyone other than the porous Colts’ defense. Moreover, Bigsby recorded his first and only reception of the season on Sunday. Etienne remains the superior receiving threat, which makes it hard for Bigsby to replicate this type of fantasy performance as the early-down back, especially with the Jaguars often playing from behind. So, while Bigsby might see an uptick in rushing attempts, he’s still a game script-dependent timeshare back on a bad team. Yet, he’s worth an add in 12-team leagues in the event Bigsby has fooled the front office, too, and they ship Etienne at the deadline.

Tyrone Tracy, New York Giants (18.3%)

With Devin Singletary out with a groin injury, Tracy’s impressive day (18/129/0) against the Seahawks makes him a startable flex play in Week 6 if Singletary sits again. It’s unclear what level of opportunity Tracy will see once Singletary returns, but he’s ahead of Eric Gray in the short term.

Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (34.8%)

With Aaron Jones likely sidelined for multiple games, Chandler becomes the new lead back in Minnesota. The Vikings offense won’t be as strong without Jones, as it noticeably lost its balance without him on the field. The team has resisted giving Chandler opportunities in the past, so while he’s the lead back for now, it seems unlikely he’ll provide much more than flex value for fantasy teams in need of depth.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (9.1%)

Miller remains on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, but he should return in short order. He practiced last week, and he’ll serve as Alvin Kamara‘s backup when he’s back. Miller was a good prospect coming out of TCU, but we’ve yet to see much from him due to injuries sidetracking his career early on. Get ahead of next week’s wire by adding him now.

Wide Receivers

Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys (7.6%)

Tolbert’s role grew with Brandin Cooks missing Sunday’s game due to a knee injury, and Tolbert impressed with a line of 7/87/1. With Cooks set to miss at least the next four games on IR, Tolbert offers flex value as the No. 2 receiver on a pass-heavy Cowboys team.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs (4.4%)

Stepping into Rashee Rice‘s role, JuJu recorded seven receptions for 130 yards in a Chiefs offense that still looked good without Rice’s presence. A year ago, Smith-Schuster looked like he’d be out of the league soon, but it seems his stay will be extended thanks to his chemistry with Patrick Mahomes.

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