Week 6 Waiver Wire | Top Fantasy Football Pickups (2026)

by Wolf Trelles-Heard · Featured

Each week throughout the 2026 season, Wolf Trelles-Heard brings you the “must-adds” every Tuesday. In this Week 6 waiver wire breakdown, he highlights players who are worth rostering if you’ve got the room.

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Week 6 Shallow League Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will primarily apply to most home leagues and those with shorter benches, with players available in at least 25% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

C.J. Stroud, Texans (46% rostered) | $2-3

I had C.J. Stroud here last week, and he delivered if you picked him up. Against the Titans, he threw for 261 yards and a touchdown. He also added five yards and another score on the ground. Don’t look now, but after committing several turnovers in the playoffs last year, Stroud has played largely mistake-free football this season, with only two lost fumbles and zero interceptions.

This week, Stroud travels across the pond to take on Jacksonville. The Jaguars have a solid defense, but rank bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Stroud could produce his third straight QB1 finish in this one.

And one thing to consider going forward: the Texans traded for former No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr., giving Stroud another weapon in the passing game. Since the Texans can’t really run the ball, maybe they’ll just spread things out and let their QB air it out every week.

Running Back

Woody Marks, Texans (52% rostered) | $12-15

Another week, another disappointing performance from David Montgomery. His Week 1 three-touchdown outing feels like an eternity ago. Montgomery had just 11 yards on five carries before leaving Sunday’s win over the Titans with a groin injury.

Woody Marks’ Advanced Metrics

Enter Woody Marks, who might’ve just taken control of this backfield. Against Tennessee, he rushed for 62 yards and added four receptions for 23 yards. The second-year back also had a 24-yard TD that was nullified by a penalty. It wasn’t a big fantasy day, but 19 touches is nothing to scoff at. Marks is getting the volume, and no other Houston running back touched the ball on Sunday.

Houston has a date with Jacksonville in London in Week 6. That’s a tough matchup, but if Montgomery doesn’t play, Marks could be a low-end RB2 if he gets another 15-20 touches.

Wide Receiver

Dontayvion Wicks, Eagles (33% rostered) | $2-3

Philadelphia’s offense is still struggling, but Dontayvion Wicks has been one of the few bright spots. He’s scored double-digit fantasy points in three of five games, including last week against Jacksonville. In that contest, Wicks earned a season-high eight targets, reeling in five for 63 yards. Through five games, he’s accounted for 27.9% of his team’s receiving yards, which ranks 21st among all receivers.

Next up, Wicks will face off against the Panthers, a team with both of their starting cornerbacks on IR. He’s flex-worthy in PPR formats and becomes a WR3 should DeVonta Smith miss another game because of his hamstring injury.

Tight End

Hunter Henry, Patriots (52% rostered) | $1-2

While he’s not seeing a ton of volume — only 19 targets through five weeks — Hunter Henry has looked good these last two weeks. After five receptions for 62 yards in Week 4, he followed that performance with three grabs for 44 yards and a touchdown, his first of the season. His 13.4 fantasy points were enough for his first TE1 finish of the season.


Henry remains Maye’s safety blanket in the middle of the field and has some favorable upcoming matchups against the Jets, Bears, and Dolphins. If he’s available, scoop up Henry if you need some tight end help. He may not single-handedly win you any weeks, but he’s a steady veteran who’s producing now that his quarterback has some swagger back.

Week 6 Standard Bench Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will primarily apply to most leagues with standard benches, with players available in at least 50% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (28% rostered) | $1-2

Is Aaron Rodgers turning back the clock? After two lackluster games to open the season, Rodgers is looking like… well, a four-time MVP. Across his last three games, he’s thrown for 826 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 23.2 fantasy points per game.


Coming up, Rodgers has a great slate against some soft defenses. Before Pittsburgh’s Week 9 bye, he gets Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Cleveland — a team he just carved up for 299 yards and three scores two weeks ago. He looks rejuvenated and is printing fantasy points right now. Don’t be afraid to put the old dog in your lineup while he’s playing like this.

Running Back

Emmett Johnson, Chiefs (22% rostered) | $3-5

Kansas City is coming off its bye, so that’s one thing you won’t have to worry about going forward with Emmett Johnson. The rookie hasn’t produced a ton of fantasy points yet, but he’s looked explosive with the ball in his hands. He has 56 rushing yards and another 74 through the air on just five receptions.

Adding Johnson is all about stashing the ultimate handcuff on your bench. Through four games, Kenneth Walker has already logged 99 touches. He’s slaying right now, and obviously we don’t want anything bad to happen, but Walker has a history of getting banged up. If he were to miss any time, Johnson would be a plug-and-play RB1. That’s the kind of upside you want to have on your bench as we inch closer to the fantasy playoffs.

Wide Receiver

Kendrick Bourne, Cardinals (3% rostered) | $1-2

With Marvin Harrison Jr. no longer in Arizona, Kendrick Bourne is now the No. 3 option in the passing game. In Sunday’s loss to the Lions, he saw eight targets and turned those into five receptions for 70 yards. Bourne didn’t score — and hasn’t yet this season — but that output was good enough for a high-end WR3 finish in Week 5.


Arizona’s offense looks a lot like last year’s version, which threw a ton because it was constantly playing from behind. Unless the Cardinals suddenly turn into a run-first team, Bourne has some utility as a flex option in PPR formats. He’s not a game changer, but he can give you 10-12 PPR points on a good day. Sometimes, that’s exactly what fantasy managers need when navigating through the bye weeks.

Tight End

Brenton Strange, Jaguars (38% rostered) | $3-5

That’s now back-to-back games with eight targets and seven receptions for Brenton Strange. Can’t ignore that type of target volume. After a slow start to the season, the former Nittany Lion has racked up 163 receiving yards across Weeks 4 and 5 and leads the team in receptions over that span. Strange’s efficiency is also shining through; his 2.12 YPPR ranks eighth among all tight ends with at least five receptions this season.

In Week 6, Strange might find yardage hard to come by against a Houston defense that has been troublesome for tight ends. However, with four teams on bye, Strange belongs in the low-end TE1 conversation this week. With the way Trevor Lawrence has been leaning on him lately, Strange is a viable streamer if you need some points in your TE slot.

Week 6 Deep League Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will apply to leagues with deeper benches and more experienced managers, with players available in at least 75% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston, Giants (7% rostered) | $2-3

It was an ugly, rainy day near the nation’s capital last Sunday, but Jameis Winston didn’t let the elements stop him from putting up a monster performance. In five quarters of football that ended in a tie, he threw it 54 times for 326 yards and three touchdowns against the Commanders. The former No. 1 overall pick also added 27 yards on the ground. In all, Winston finished as the QB6 on the week, giving him back-to-back top-10 finishes. 

Winston will look to make it three in a row against the 1-4 Saints this week. Managers with a starter on bye can pick up Winston and plug him into their lineups. After that, he plays Houston before a bye, so he’s likely more of a one-week fill-in in the short term.

Running Back

Samaje Perine, Bengals (5% rostered) | $3-4

It’s not a good week for running backs when I’m recommending a 31-year-old. And yet, Samaje Perine played well last week, scoring 15.8 fantasy points on 16 touches. That last number is significant because it matched Chase Brown‘s touch total against Miami.


Brown struggled against the winless Dolphins, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry and losing a fumble. He ended up playing a season-low 59% of the snaps. No, I don’t think Brown is going to lose his job to Perine, but the latter could end up being more involved after Cincinnati’s Week 6 bye. That puts him on the flex radar in deeper PPR formats.

Wide Receiver

Germie Bernard, Steelers (6%) | $4-6

With Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson both banged up, Germie Bernard had a big opportunity last week. The second-round pick made the most of it, catching six of his season-high nine targets for 80 yards in a win against Indianapolis. He also added four rushing on one carry. Strong results from the rookie, good enough for the first WR2 finish of his young career.

Germie Bernard’s Advanced Metrics

Bernard is a good fit for the power-slot role in this Mike McCarthy offense and appears to have already earned Aaron Rodgers‘ trust. Monitor injury reports for Roman Wilson‘s status this week. If he’s out, Bernard can be played as a WR3 in PPR formats. He has some fantasy-friendly matchups against the Buccaneers and Saints over the next two weeks.

Tight End

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (18% rostered) | $2-3

One of the biggest beneficiaries of Aaron Rodgers balling out like it’s 2011 all over again has been Pat Freiermuth. The sixth-year pro is coming off his best game of the season, with five catches on a season-high seven targets for 44 yards and not one, but two touchdowns. He finished as the TE2 on the week and is now averaging 12.1 fantasy points per game, good for TE10.

Freiermuth could keep the good times rolling against Tampa Bay this week. Prior to shutting down Jake Ferguson in Week 5, the Buccaneers were allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends. After that, he gets New Orleans and Cleveland, two more defenses that aren’t great at slowing down the position.

Freiermuth isn’t going to rack up a ton of yardage, but he’s averaging nearly four receptions per week and already has four scores in five games, which is tied for the most among all tight ends. He’s a high-end TE2 until further notice.

Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for PlayerProfiler.

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