Fantasy football waiver wire: Will Darren McFadden step forward in Dallas?
The injury to Aaron Rodgers and the impending suspension of Ezekiel Elliott will deprive fantasy owners of arguably the best quarterback and best running back in the league. Losing either one could potentially torpedo any hope of winning a fantasy title, but with more than half of the regular season remaining, there's still a glimmer of hope.
Making some savvy waiver wire pickups could help ease the pain.
The best pickup recommendations last week were wide receiver Nelson Agholor and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but this week we're more in the market for quarterbacks and running backs.
Recommended bids based on a free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) of $100 for the season.
BEST BETS
RB Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys ($20). We don't really know whether McFadden or Alfred Morris will end up getting more of Elliott's workload, but McFadden is likely to be more valuable in fantasy lineups. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield increases his worth in point-per-reception formats -- and don't forget, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2015 before the Cowboys drafted Elliott.
(Note: Elliott will have a hearing on his suspension Tuesday afternoon. If the ruling goes in his favor, fantasy owners can continue to ignore McFadden.)
RB Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants ($12). With most of the attention focused on rookie Wayne Gallman after his impressive performance in Week 5, Darkwa likely slipped under the radar. He won't this week after gashing the Denver Broncos for 117 yards and a touchdown. The relatively low bid here reflects a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 and a bye in Week 8.
RB Dion Lewis, New England Patriots ($11). No one knows how coach Bill Belichick will distribute playing time. When Mike Gillislee fumbled early in the game last week, Lewis took over as the Patriots' main back, ran for 52 yards and converted a short-yardage touchdown. Things could just as easily be reversed this week, but any member of this top-ranked offense has fantasy value.
RB Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars ($10). It's hard to get much playing time when you're backing up Leonard Fournette, but Ivory made the most of his snaps on Sunday. He caught nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams and reaffirmed his status as the back to own should Fournette get injured.
WR John Brown, Arizona Cardinals ($10). If Adrian Peterson can revitalize the Cards' running game, it could open things up a little more for the receivers. After missing two games with a quadriceps injury, "Smoke" has caught a touchdown pass in back-to-back weeks.
WR Kenny Stills, Miami Dolphins ($9). It's tough to feel good about anyone in the Dolphins offense, but Stills did find the end zone on Sunday on one of his four catches for 49 yards. With DeVante Parker questionable to play in Week 7 against the New York Jets, Stills could see even more targets. He had 10 of them when the two teams met in Week 3.
REPLACEMENTS
QB Josh McCown, New York Jets ($8). You shouldn't have to pay a lot to pick up someone to replace Rodgers (except in two-quarterback leagues). However, the pool of replacements probably doesn't have a ton of high-ceiling talent. McCown took advantage of the New England Patriots to rack up 354 passing yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. He's also completing passes at a 70% clip, good for second in the league behind Alex Smith.
QB Brett Hundley, Green Bay Packers ($6). He'll step into Rodgers' shoes in an offense that surprisingly ranks just 15th in passing yards per game. To be effective, Hundley will need to be productive in the red zone -- where Rodgers excelled -- and avoid turnovers, like the three interceptions he threw on Sunday. He has plenty of weapons at his disposal and the 26th-ranked Orleans Saints defense up next.
QB C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers ($5). The Niners' new starter is a lot more mobile than his predecessor, Brian Hoyer. He threw for 245 yards and a touchdown in almost completing a comeback vs. the Washington Redskins. At 0-6, San Francisco figures to be playing from behind a lot the rest of the way, so Beathard could see plenty of garbage-time opportunities.
WR Bennie Fowler, Denver Broncos ($5). Starting wideout Emmanuel Sanders has already been ruled out for Week 7 with an ankle injury. Demaryius Thomas finished Sunday's game with a noticeable limp. That leaves Fowler as the healthiest of the Denver receviers. He had two TD catches in the opener, but has done little since then. Perhaps that changes this week.
SPECULATIVE PICKUPS
WR Mike Williams, San Diego Chargers
WR Ted Ginn Jr., New Orleans Saints
WR DeAnthony Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs