We mentioned last week that the waiver wire list would shorten as the season gets longer. Three of the seven players on this list do not even play in Week 6 and should be considered for long-term potential. The three quarterbacks listed are likely the hottest names on this week’s waiver wire. Joe included quite a few fringe names to consider in his Week 5 Notes & Observations piece, but here are a few of the obvious names we pulled form his list.
QUARTERBACKS
Layne Hatcher, QB-Arkansas State
Any fantasy owner that had Logan Bonner on their roster should have scooped up Hatcher after it was announced that Bonner would miss the remainder of the season with a thumb injury. In a 50-43 road win at Troy, Hatcher completed 25-of-35 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns. Playing in the Red Wolves offense and having receivers like Omar Bayless and Kirk Merritt, Hatcher should immediately be given QB1 consideration.
Next 3 weeks: at Georgia State, OFF, Louisiana
Kaleb Barker, QB-Troy
In Saturday’s 50-43 home loss to Arkansas State, Kaleb Barker completed 34-of-57 passes for 367 yards and four touchdowns. Barker now has accounted for four touchdowns in three consecutive games, which shows that his numbers have staying power as the Trojans head into conference play.
Next 3 weeks: at Missouri, OFF, South Alabama
Clayton Tune, QB-Houston
After Houston’s loss at Tulane last week, quarterback D’Eriq King and receiver Keith Corbin both announced they would sit out the remainder of the 2019 season and redshirt. As a result, we were worried about team chemistry and recommended staying away from the Cougars’ offense. After their performance Saturday night at North Texas, those concerns have been shelved. In a 46-25 win, Tune completed 16-of 20 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers won’t have owners flocking to the waiver wire to claim him, but we all know the fantasy potential of a quarterback under Dana Holgosen.
Next 3 weeks: OFF, Cincinnati, SMU
RUNNING BACKS
Emmanuel Esukpa, RB-BYU
Esukpa may not be top priority on your waiver wire, especially since BYU doesn’t play this upcoming weekend, but he sits atop the Cougars’ depth chart now that Ty’Son Williams is out for the year. In Saturday’s 28-21 loss at Toledo, Esukpa carried the ball 12 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Next 3 weeks: OFF, at South Florida, Boise State
Drake Anderson, RB-Northwetsern
If you have kept tabs on the Isaiah Bowser injury situation, then you already know about Drake Anderson. Fantasy owners have been waiting for Bowser to return to full health, but at the same time, teammate Drake Anderson has been a legitimate fantasy option. While filling in for Bowser three weeks ago, Anderson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown against UNLV. Over the past two weeks, he has carried the ball 33 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while Bowser has 19 carries for 49 yards. Anderson has been the shining light in an offense that has struggled over the past two games, so we would not expect to see less of him moving forward, especially if Bowser isn’t playing at 100%.
Next 3 weeks: at Nebraska, OFF, Ohio State
RECEIVERS
Michael Lawrence, WR-North Texas
There aren’t any must-have names at receiver on the waiver wire this week, but Lawrence is a serviceable option. The Mean Green lost leading receiver Rico Bussey to a season-ending knee injury a couple of weeks ago and Lawrence has caught 14 passes for 178 yards in his absence.
Next 3 weeks: OFF, at Southern Miss, Middle Tennessee
Ronnie Bell, WR-Michigan
We wanted to get another Power-5 name on the list so we decide on Ronnie Bell. The sophomore receiver leads the Wolverines in receptions and receiving yards and has at least 80 yards receiving in three consecutive games.
Next 3 weeks: Iowa, at Illinois, at Penn State