If you're consistently a step ahead of the competition in your fantasy football league, it can help you win a title, and this weekly piece will aim to help you stay ahead of the pack.

The goal here is to help you identify players who could be hot waiver adds down the road as well as to point out week-ahead pickups who could prove useful.

Here are some players to consider adding now and stashing on your bench for the future.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fantasy Football Stash Candidates for Week 6

Drake Maye, QB, Patriots

Following a fourth consecutive loss, there are reports suggesting that rookie Drake Maye could be nearing his first start under center for the New England Patriots. That being said, it seems like it would be malpractice to send Maye out for his first start against the Houston Texans with New England's offensive line ranked dead last in pass-block win rate through five weeks.

In addition to the Patriots' woes along the offensive line, the Texans sit atop the league in quarterback pressure rate (42.0%), via NextGenStats. It would likely be more wise for New England to wait until Week 7 -- at the earliest -- to start Maye as they'll face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the third-lowest pressure rate (26.4%) in the NFL.

Regardless of the exact week when Maye makes his debut, it appears the time is nearing for him to take the field. For those who need help at the quarterback position -- especially those in superflex leagues -- Maye is worth stashing on your bench this week in hopes he shows flashes in his rookie campaign.

Blake Corum, RB, Rams

Despite the offseason hype surrounding Blake Corum -- and the fact he didn't play in the preseason -- the Los Angeles Rams have not deployed the rookie back often to begin the season. Across the first four weeks, Corum logged just a 7.1% snap rate and he totaled 8 carries for 28 yards, which all came against the Arizona Cardinals in the team's Week 2 blowout loss.

However, in Week 5, Corum registered a season-high 14.5% snap rate with 5 attempts for 25 yards while being the only other running back to see the field alongside Kyren Williams. On top of that, Corum received three red-zone carries (Kyren had four) before setting up Williams for a one-yard touchdown.

With the Rams possessing a 1-4 record and enduring a plethora of injuries, it would be wise for them to give Corum some more work the rest of the season to keep Williams fresh. It also doesn't hurt that Corum could get the post-bye rookie bump as Los Angeles is off in Week 6.

Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers

Speaking of post-bye rookie bumps, it might be time for the Los Angeles Chargers to see what they have in Kimani Vidal soon. In the first two weeks of the season, J.K. Dobbins looked fantastic with 5.16 rushing yards over expected per attempt, 15.5 touches per game, 135 scrimmage yards per game, and a 51.9% rushing success rate.

Over his last two games, Dobbins has produced -1.92 rushing yards over expected per attempt, 17.5 touches per game, 58 scrimmage yards per game, and a dismal 13.8% rushing success rate. Along with Dobbins' recent struggles, Gus Edwards has dealt with injuries and has been ineffective with his limited opportunities this year.

Coming out of their bye week, the Chargers should take a shot on giving Vidal his first snaps of the season as they try to get their ground game back on track. Of the college running backs who carried the ball 100-plus times in 2023, Vidal tallied the second-most missed tackles forced (94) and the most runs of 10-plus yards (47), per PFF.

Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Patriots

With Maye potentially starting for the Patriots soon, it may be time to stash Ja'Lynn Polk in leagues where you have room on your bench. Polk has had some close calls with big plays, and the hope is that Maye is an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett at the quarterback position.

Up to this point, Polk is posting an unimpressive 14.3% target share and 0.62 yards per route run through five weeks. At the same time, he leads the receivers on the team in air yards share (28.5%) and snap rate (69.5%) while recording a valuable 2.2 downfield targets (targets of 10-plus yards) per game.

According to Pro Football Reference, Brissett has the lowest on-target percentage (53.4%) among quarterbacks this season, resulting in Polk having -10.5 expected fantasy points (25th-worst) entering Week 6. Once Maye is named the starting signal-caller for the Patriots, there should be brighter days ahead for Polk.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.