Week 6 Running Back Waiver Wire & Free Agent Pickups To Replace Omarion Hampton
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Week 5 is now behind us, and it's time to focus on Week 6. That starts with the waiver wire. One of the key positions to hit on is the running backs. With all the injuries (particularly to Omarion Hampton) and bye weeks, fantasy owners need to find running backs that they can potentially use in their lineups.
With the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans idle this week, fantasy managers will need to find replacements for Jordan Mason and Woody Marks or Nick Chubb. These are the top running back waiver wire pickups for Week 6.
Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
There is a chance that Dowdle is owned in your league, but if he's available in your league, he should be a top priority this week. He's an immediate plug-and-play if Chuba Hubbard misses another game in Week 6. In Week 5, he destroyed the Miami Dolphins' defense, rushing for 206 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also saw some work in the passing game, catching three of his four targets for 28 yards. It's unlikely we know anything more about Hubbard before waivers run, but we'd expect him to miss another game, being that he's dealing with a calf injury.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
With Trey Benson out in Week 5, Carter saw 18 carries and five targets. He rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown, and added five receptions for 22 yards. Emari Demercado carried the ball just three times but went for 81 yards. However, on what should have been a 70-plus-yard TD run, he dropped the ball just before he crossed the goal line. We saw Adonai Mitchell do the same thing in Week 4, and the Indianapolis Colts benched him in Week 5. It's not clear how the Cardinals will react to this blunder, but it could boost Carter's value even higher. Bam Knight could also be in the mix after rushing for 11 yards and a TD on four carries on Sunday. Carter is definitely the back to own in Arizona until Benson returns from injured reserve.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints
After seeing an increased workload last week and being more efficient than Alvin Kamara, Miller handled more carries than Kamara in Week 5. He was once again more efficient, carrying the ball 10 times for 41 yards at 4.1 yards per carry. Kamara rushed for 27 yards on eight carries at 3.4 yards per carry. This backfield is going to end up with Miller being the clear lead rusher and Kamara handling passing-downs in the coming weeks.
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
In Week 4, prior to the Steelers' bye week, running back Jaylen Warren was a surprise inactive with a knee injury he suffered in practice. Gainwell got the start and had a monster week. He rushed 19 times for 99 yards and two TDs, while catching all six of his targets for 35 yards. If Warren is out again, Gainwell will once again be a great start; however, that is a big if, and Warren does have a good chance of returning this week. Even if he does, Gainwell is still worth stashing if you have room on your bench.
Kimani Vidal/Hassan Haskins, Los Angeles Chargers
Omarion Hampton suffered a lower-leg injury on Sunday, and it looks like he could miss some time after being spotted in a walking boot after the game. The next running backs up would be Vidal or Haskins. It's not clear who the starter would be or if there will be a full time-split, which is what we suspect. In Week 5, Haskins saw five carries and Vidal four, and both of them saw one target. This backfield will probably be a mess, but these backs are worth an add if you're desperate.
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-0e06b43c57ceb063781f337e307e72d4.png "Mark Morales-Smith")
Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
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