October 20, 2026
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
It's only a matter of time before Fernando Mendoza becomes QB1 for the Raiders – and viable in fantasy football.
There weren't the typical slew of major injuries in Week 6 that would force fantasy owners to scour the waiver wire for obvious replacements.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams will be out for a while with a hamstring injury, but after Puka Nacua the Rams' pass game is pass catcher-by-committee featuring a bunch of tight ends and deep bench wideouts.
Ladd McConkey, Rashod Batemen, Romeo Doubs and probably Terry McLaurin – who left Monday night's game with a knee injury that could be significant – were others who could be out for either a brief or extended time.
Some of the more intriguing names to target on the wire this week are players coming off prolonged injuries who are ready to get back into action and might have been discarded by their fantasy owners weeks ago.
Here are this week's best waiver wire additions:
J.J. McCarthy, Giants: For those in deep leagues who have QB issues, McCarthy could be a good bench stash – and nothing more. Forget the 241 passing yards in one quarter vs. a bad Saints defense and focus on the 26 rushing yards on two carries. That's his fantasy value if he becomes the Giants' starter.
Fernando Mendoza, Raiders: Another stash option, as the Raiders have come crashing back to earth on a three-game losing streak and will eventually move away from Kirk Cousins to their No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza is only worth the roster spot if you're a) doing really well and can afford to have him occupy a bench spot, or b) doing really badly in a dynasty league and need some hope for the future.
Jordan Mason, Vikings: He's ready to go after his IR stint and the Vikings sound excited to get him back into the mix. He remains unowned in 32 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He'll see plenty of action upon his return.
Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks: He's also owned in more than 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues and also primed to come off IR in Week 7 but he will be owned in 100 percent by this time next week. The Seahawks have struggled to move the ball on the ground and look forward to getting their best dual-threat RB back onto the field.
Christian Kirk, Niners: Mike Evans continues to get banged up, and the Niners are already without almost all of their wide receivers. Kirk opened the year on IR, was activated into the practice window last week and could be ready to go Week 7 vs. a bad Falcons defense. He's a great fit for their system and should see plenty of snaps when ready.
Antonio Williams, Commanders: The third-round rookie played the most snaps Monday night among all Commanders WRs, including Stefon Diggs, and went 3-50 on for targets. With McLaurin likely to be sidelined, Williams will become more prominently featured in Washington's pass game and a good target for Jayden Daniels. He's only owned in 6% of Yahoo! leagues. (You might also want to consider Treylon Burks).
DeMario "Pops" Douglas, Patriots: With Doubs on IR, Douglas becomes a bigger part of a Pats offense hitting its stride after a rough start. Douglas' eight targets were second to just A.J. Brown in Week 6 and he finished 7-86 and a TD. He's had three TD catches the past two weeks. Available in more than 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Omar Cooper Jr., Jets: The rookie first-rounder returned from IR and went 6-103 with a TD and his seven targets were most among Jets WRs. A.D. Mitchell out from finger surgery, Cooper capitalized on the snaps and made the most of them. The Jets will want their rookie to get more involved in the offense.
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