Week 6 of the fantasy football season is here, and the waiver wire is starting to feel like a weekly treasure hunt. With bye weeks kicking in and injuries piling up, this is where the savvy managers separate themselves from the pack. Whether you’re scrambling to replace a key starter or just looking for that next breakout to stash, there’s plenty of value out there if you know where to look. Between emerging rookies, unexpected veterans stepping up, and backups turning into fantasy gold, this week’s waiver wire has something for everyone.
The scorching-hot Texans and the well-traveled Vikings are on bye this week, leaving plenty of fantasy lineups with holes to fill. And with injuries continuing to shake up depth charts around the league, finding reliable replacements is getting trickier by the week. But don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with the best fantasy football Week 6 waiver wire pickups to keep your team rolling and your playoff push alive.
HEADS UP: Each player featured is rostered in roughly 50% or fewer leagues on Yahoo! at the time of publication.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
QUARTERBACKS
SAM DARNOLD, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (31% ROSTERED)
Sam Darnold is quietly putting together one of the best stretches of his career, and his Week 5 outing cemented that. The Seahawks’ QB went off for 341 yards, four touchdowns, and one pick in a loss to the Buccaneers, which is his second top-10 fantasy finish in just five weeks. He’s been efficient, aggressive, and ranks near the top of the league in QBR this season.
With Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaking out as a true WR1, Cooper Kupp bringing veteran reliability, and young weapons like Tory Horton, A.J. Barner, and Elijah Arroyo coming into their own, Seattle’s passing attack suddenly looks deep and dangerous.
Next up for Darnold is a favorable matchup against a Jaguars defense that’s coming off a short week after Monday Night Football. Given the firepower around him and his current rhythm, Darnold should be viewed as a strong streaming option and a borderline QB1 in Week 6. If you’re dealing with bye-week issues or a struggling starter, he’s absolutely worth a look. This version of Darnold looks confident, productive, and ready to keep rolling.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Bryce Young (19%), Jaxson Dart (39%), Carson Wentz (9%), Mac Jones (4%)
RUNNING BACKS
MICHAEL CARTER, ARIZONA CARDINALS (39% ROSTERED)
Michael Carter has gone from practice squad depth to the Cardinals’ lead back in just a few weeks, and he’s making the most of it (hopefully you stashed him over the weekend). With Trey Benson on injured reserve, Carter handled 58% of Arizona’s snaps in Week 5, logging 18 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown while adding five receptions for 22 yards. Emari Demercado’s costly fumble/blunder won’t help his case, so Carter looks firmly in control of this backfield for now.
The schedule isn’t doing him any favors with the Colts, Packers, and a bye coming up, but volume is volume, and Carter’s getting plenty of it. He’s a solid RB3/Flex play as long as Benson is sidelined, with added value in PPR formats thanks to his passing-game involvement. Just don’t expect fireworks every week against tougher defenses. Still, if you need a dependable bye-week fill-in or depth at running back, Carter’s worth adding and possibly starting again in Week 6.
KENNETH GAINWELL, PITTSBURGH STEELERS (36% ROSTERED)
Kenneth Gainwell reminded everyone he can still ball in Week 4, stepping in for the injured Jaylen Warren and exploding for 134 total yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 24-21 win over the Vikings in Ireland. He handled 19 carries for 99 yards and caught six passes for 35 more, finishing as the RB3 in half-PPR formats. With that type of skill set showing, Gainwell made a strong case to carve out more work even once Warren returns.
The Steelers come out of their bye to face the Browns in Week 6, a tough matchup for running backs, but Gainwell could have some Flex appeal in Week 7 against the Bengals. For now, he’s more of a speculative add than a locked-in starter. If Warren’s knee issues linger or his workload gets scaled back, Gainwell’s role could grow fast. Treat him as a high-upside stash and a spot-start option who’s one injury away from legit weekly RB2 value.
KENDRE MILLER, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (31% ROSTERED)
Week after week, Kendre Miller’s playing time is increasing. The 23-year-old has finally stayed healthy and is officially out of the dog house. Over the past two weeks, Miller has racked up 114 scrimmage yards and averaged 5.2 yards per touch, outpacing Alvin Kamara’s 4.1 in that span. His snaps and touches have been trending up while Kamara just logged a season-low 56% snap share in Week 5. The young back looks noticeably more explosive every time he touches the ball, and that’s forcing the Saints’ hand.
There’s also some long-term intrigue here. While reports suggest Kamara isn’t likely to be traded, the Saints could look to scale back his workload as the season wears on, especially if Miller keeps producing. Fantasy managers should treat Miller as a must-add Flex with RB2 upside if the Saints decide to lean more on the rookie or if anything happens to Kamara. His role is growing, his efficiency is real, and it feels like we’re just scratching the surface of what Miller can do.
HASSAN HASKINS, LA CHARGERS (1% ROSTERED)
With Omarion Hampton landing on injured reserve, the Chargers are once again piecing together their backfield, and Michigan Man Hassan Haskins could be next in line to see meaningful work. A familiar face to coach Jim Harbaugh from their Michigan days, Haskins brings a bruising 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame and a power-running style that should fit nicely near the goal line. While he’s not much of a pass-catcher, he could easily slide into the short-yardage and touchdown-vulture role in a rotation with Kimani Vidal (0% rostered).
Fantasy-wise, Haskins is more of a volume-and-touchdown-dependent dart throw than a long-term solution. The Chargers’ offensive line is banged up, and this backfield is unlikely to settle into a true workhorse situation. Still, suppose you’re desperate for running back depth or looking for a potential goal-line flier. In that case, Haskins is worth a speculative add.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Kimani Vidal (0%), Kareem Hunt (39%), Tyler Allgeier (31%), Brashard Smith (14%), Jaydon Blue (13%),
WIDE RECEIVERS
KENDRICK BOURNE, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4% ROSTERED)
Kendrick Bourne was an elite last-minute streamer last week with the entirety of the 49ers wide receiver room in the hospital. Bourne went off in the 49ers’ upset win over the Rams, soaking up 11 targets for 142 yards and finishing with a juicy 22.4% target share. With Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings sidelined and George Kittle still out, Bourne operated as San Francisco’s clear No. 1 receiver. He’s not going to post 140-yard games every week, but as long as the 49ers’ pass-catchers remain banged up, Bourne is very much in the Flex mix.
His Week 6 outlook depends entirely on the health of Jennings (ankle, shoulder) and Pearsall (knee). If those two sit again, Bourne is a strong plug-and-play WR3 with real WR2 upside in this offense. If they return, he becomes more of a volatile Flex dart throw. Either way, he’s worth stashing, especially if you’re looking for a short-term spark during the bye-week grind.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Tre Tucker (46%), Troy Franklin (30%), Darnell Mooney (30%), Darius Slayton (46%), Elic Ayomanor (33%), Malik Washington (26%), Ryan Flournoy (0%), Luther Burden III (11%), Jalen Coker (9%), Isaiah Bond (6%), Hollywood Brown (45%),
TIGHT ENDS
MASON TAYLOR, NY JETS (13% ROSTERED)
If you’ve been waiting for Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor to pop, the wait is officially over. After flashing in Week 4, Taylor exploded again in Week 5 with a 26% target share, nine catches, and 67 yards against Dallas, leading the team in targets and firmly establishing himself as the Jets’ No. 2 passing option behind Garrett Wilson. The rookie has now seen 19 targets over the past two games, catching 14 of them for 132 yards. He’s still searching for his first touchdown, but the consistent volume is exactly what you want from a breakout tight end.
Taylor’s upcoming schedule doesn’t hurt either, after a tough Week 6 matchup against Denver. He draws Carolina and Cincinnati before the Jets’ bye. If you’re tired of inconsistent veterans, Taylor should be near the top of your waiver list. He’s shaping up as a plug-and-play low-end TE1 with real staying power, and it’s not crazy to think his first touchdown could come as soon as this week.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Brenton Strange (49%), Harold Fannin Jr. (27%), Theo Johnson (11%), AJ Barner (2%), Evan Engram (48%), Jake Tonges (4%)
