Waiver Worthy: Week 6 Fallout: Jay Ajayi, Kenny Britt, Ty Montgomery & More

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Looking to hit the waiver wire?  Who isn’t looking to improve, though making any hasty decisions off one game could ultimately prove more costly than helpful.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few players who may be available and if they are worth targeting or not:

Jay Ajayi – Running Back – Miami Dolphins
Arian Foster returns to the lineup and, almost on que, Ajayi explodes to the tune of 25 carries, 204 yards and 2 TD (8.2 YPC).  Did anyone really see that one coming against a Steelers defense that had been more prone to running backs who can catch the football?

We’ve said all along that Ajayi could fall into the early done role, even when Foster was healthy, and maybe he has finally earned the opportunity to prove that he can do the job.  Miami will likely utilize a hot hand approach, and that makes sense given the slew of options, but for now Ajayi should get the first shot at showing he deserves the touches.  That makes him well worth buying in all formats.

Verdict – Must buy

Kenny Britt – Wide Receiver – Los Angeles Rams
After racking up 75+ yards in back-to-back games (and three of four weeks), Britt truly broke out yesterday by turning 8 targets into 7 receptions, 136 yards and 2 TD (his first two scores of the season).  We’ve long waited for Britt to finally live up to the hype, so it makes sense that fantasy owners have been slow to buy into his success, but it’s possible the he’s finally emerged.

Britt is now up to 30 receptions and 592 yards over the first six games, meaning he’s averaging 5 catches and nearly 100 yards per game.  Obviously the lack of TD has been a concern, but at 6’3” it’s very possible that his role in the red zone starts to grow quickly.

Verdict – Worth buying in all three-receiver formats

Ty Montgomery – Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers
Last week it was Davante Adams and this week it was Montgomery, who had 10 receptions for 98 yards.  Of course how many times do we really expect him to be targeted 12 times?  He was ahead of both Randall Cobb (11) and Jordy Nelson (7), while Adams seemingly disappeared from the game plan (3 targets).  Montgomery also fumbled twice, losing one, which isn’t going to help his cause and get him more opportunities.

Could there be more big days in his future?  Possibly, but there are too many alternatives to bank on it.

Verdict – Too much uncertainty in his usage

Kendall Wright – Wide Receiver – Tennessee Titans
It came against the Browns, so we do need to keep that in mind, but it was still an impressive day for Wright as he posted 8 catches, 133 yards and 1 TD.  How exciting can we get considering that he had totaled 3 catches for 23 yards in two games to open the season?  This is going to remain a run first offense and when they do throw the football it’s no guarantee that Wright remains “the man”.  In other words, he’s nothing more than a WR4/5, and an untrustworthy one at that.

Verdict – Too much uncertainty

Colin Kaepernick – Quarterback – San Francisco 49ers
He showed off his legs, turning 8 carries into 66 yards, while also throwing for 187 yards and 1 TD.  Of course he completed just 44.8% of his passes and the receiving corps around him is less than stellar.  There’s no guarantee that he sticks as the starter, as the team can turn back to Blaine Gabbert or give Christian Ponder a try at any time.  For as long as he’s starting he’s a QB2, but he easily could be nothing more than a short-term fix.

Verdict – Viable QB2 addition

Mike Gillislee – Running Back – Buffalo Bills
It was a nice day for Gillislee, though he still had just 6 carries (which he turned into 60 yards and 1 TD).  Of course he was taking on an abysmal defense and isn’t going to get many more carries each week with LeSean McCoy thriving ahead of him (19 carries, 140 yards and 3 TD in Week 6).  In other words, he’s nothing more than a handcuff.

Verdict – Deep league stash/worthwhile handcuff

Zach Zenner – Running Back – Detroit Lions
You would think that Justin Forsett’s role could grow, though he certainly didn’t take advantage of his opportunity (5 carries for just 5 yards).  Instead it was Zenner who produced, taking 14 carries for 58 yards (and also adding 2 catches for 19 yards).  Is that enough to earn regular touches once Dwayne Washington and Theo Riddick get healthy (as well as Forsett potentially earning a bigger role)?  That remains to be seen, but he warrants the gamble for those who are desperate for help at RB.  However, planning on utilizing him on a weekly basis would also be misguided.

Verdict – Deep league stash

Cody Kessler – Quarterback – Cleveland Browns
After there being some doubt to his availability, not only did Kessler start Week 6 but he flourished by completing 26 of 41 passes for 336 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT.  The third round pick is certainly beginning to look like he belongs as Cleveland’s starter, completing 65.6% of his passes thus far.  Obviously his ceiling is limited, given the skill players that surround him, but in two-quarterback formats he could be a sneaky play depending on the matchup.

Verdict – Worth owning in two-quarterback formats

Jack Doyle – Tight End – Indianapolis Colts
He had 4 receptions for 53 yards and 1 TD, his first TD since Week 1.  While he hasn’t put up huge numbers, with Dwayne Allen being injured early in this one we got to see what Doyle could do as the lead TE option.  Hardly a must own, he has the potential to be a streaming option for as long as Allen is sidelined.

Verdict – Potential streaming add

Sources – NFL.com, ESPN