Week 5 is almost here, but the savvy fantasy football managers are already thinking about Week 6. This early look at the Week 6 waiver wire is all about getting ahead of the pack, with a mix of streamers and stashes worth adding before your league mates catch on.
We’ve got a hot-handed Kirk Cousins leading a surprisingly potent Raiders offense, a Chargers backfield with Keaton Mitchell trending up, and rookie Mike Washington Jr. waiting in the wings behind an injured Ashton Jeanty. We’re also tracking Tyreek Hill’s free agency, a Troy Franklin buy-low window in Denver, and Pat Freiermuth’s steady tight end production in Pittsburgh. Whether you’re hunting for a quarterback, running back depth, or a bench stash with real upside, these are the names to know before waivers run.
Let’s get into it.
Note: These players are rostered in roughly 50% or fewer Yahoo! leagues.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE STASHES
Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Kirk Cousins (LV, 35%)
Kirk Cousins is a fantasy football streamer and a stash, and he’s on the RSJ radar after showing up in our Week 5 QB Streamers. The Raiders offense has been a pleasant surprise, and Cousins has cleared 20 fantasy points in each of his last three games.
This week he gets a banged-up Patriots defense, then the leaky Bills secondary in Week 6, which makes for a very friendly two-week stretch. A healthy Brock Bowers gives him an elite target to lean on, so I love Cousins as a stash or streamer if you need quarterback help.
Other QB Targets: Sam Darnold (SEA, 50%); Aaron Rodgers (PIT, 22%); Michael Penix Jr. (12%); Jameis Winston (NYG, 6%)
Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
Keaton Mitchell (LAC, 39%)
Keaton Mitchell is the Chargers running back worth stashing on your waiver wire radar. Last week, he led the Chargers backfield with 15 touches, ahead of Omarion Hampton (11) and Kimani Vidal (seven), though he was the one back who didn’t find the end zone. The encouraging part is that his touch count has gone up every week this season, so the trend is pointing the right way for this electric playmaker.
The catch is that this is still a three-man committee, and until one back takes over most of the snaps, it’s tough to trust any of them as a weekly fantasy starter. Mitchell faces the Broncos on Sunday before a trip to Kansas City in Week 6. He’s a speculative stash in a backfield that’s getting more interesting by the week, so keep him on your bench and watch the workload.
Mike Washington Jr. (LV, 32%)
Mike Washington Jr. is one of the best Raiders running back stashes on the Week 6 waiver wire. The rookie saw a season-high nine carries in Week 4, just a week after he popped for 54 yards and a touchdown on five carries against the Saints. He didn’t do much with his chances against Kansas City, but he’s slowly closing the gap on Ashton Jeanty in the backfield.
Here’s the part that bumps him up: Jeanty missed Friday’s practice with foot and ankle injuries. If Jeanty is limited or sidelined, Washington could step into a much bigger role, so he’s a must-stash right now. Add him before the news breaks and your league mates beat you to it.
Other RB Targets: Kaelon Black (SF, 35%); Mike Washington Jr. (LVR, 32%); Emmett Johnson (KC, 26%); Jaylen Wright (MIA, 17%); Joe Mixon (FA, 6%); Kimani Vidal (LAC, 2%); Dameon Pierce (PHI, 2%); CJ Donaldson (NO, 0%)
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyreek Hill (FA, 40%)
Tyreek Hill is a fantasy football stash worth circling on your waiver wire, even though he doesn’t have a team yet. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, plans to start negotiating with multiple teams Monday and hopes to have a deal done in the next few days, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Chiefs are one of the teams in contact with him, and they could use a vertical threat after losing Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle) to injuries in last Sunday’s win over the Raiders. Thornton looks likely to miss extended time, so Hill could be a natural fit in Kansas City.
The big question is his health (and court appearances). He’s coming off an ACL tear and a dislocated knee that required two surgeries last September, so he needs to prove he’s back to full speed. Even if the 32-year-old signs somewhere this week, he may need a few weeks to get into game shape before his 2026 debut. If you have an open bench spot, Hill is a high-upside stash who could pay off down the stretch.
Troy Franklin (DEN, 0%)
Troy Franklin is a deep-league stash to consider. After Pat Bryant exited last week, Franklin ran the third-most routes among Broncos receivers, trailing only Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. He didn’t earn a target Sunday, but there’s real history with Bo Nix. Nix targeted Franklin 104 times in 2025, which turned into a 65-709-6 line, and the two have been in sync since their days together at Oregon. That rapport and Franklin’s vertical speed made him one of my favorite weekly streamers last year.
There’s also a catalyst for the Denver passing game, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Sean Payton is taking a bigger role in a more collaborative play-calling approach ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chargers. It’s tough to imagine this offense getting much worse, so Franklin is a buy-low stash with plenty of upside if the passing attack gets going.
Other WR Targets: Jordyn Tyson (NO, 50%); Dontayvion Wicks (PHI, 48%); Khalil Shakir (BUF, 45%); Tre Tucker (LVR, 42%); Tre Tucker (LV, 37%); Kalif Raymond (CHI, 37%); Keon Coleman (BUF, 31%); Tank Dell (HOU, 17%); Caleb Douglas (MIA, 13%); Efton Chism (NE, 1%); Dohnte Meyers (CIN, 0%)
Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups
Pat Freiermuth (PIT, 15%)
Pat Freiermuth is a tight end stash worth a look on your waiver wire, especially if you’re hunting for a streamable one. He’s the TE18 in fantasy points per game and has posted 10.7 PPR points or more in two outings this season. The usage backs it up: a 63.2% route share, 12.3% target share, 1.16 yards per route run, and three red zone targets.
In Week 4, Freiermuth and Darnell Washington each caught three passes and a touchdown on five targets, so this is still a fairly even timeshare. Still, Freiermuth has multiple catches in every game this season and a pair of touchdown grabs. Pittsburgh hosts the Colts in Week 5 and then gets a juicy matchup against the Buccaneers in Week 6, which makes him a nice add if you need tight end help.
Other TE Targets: Kenyon Sadiq (NYJ, 45%); Mike Gesicki (CIN, 25%); Darren Waller (CHA, 18%); Michael Mayer (LV, 10%); Oronde Gadsden (LAC, 8%)
DST Waiver Wire Pickups
Kansas City Chiefs DST (22%)
A healthy and rejuvenated Chiefs DST will come off a Week 5 bye and face a Chargers offense that can’t find its way out of a paper bag. Meanwhile, the Chargers will come off tough matchups against the Bills in Week 3, the Seahawks in Week 4, and divisional rival Broncos in Week 5 before heading to Arrowhead.
Pray for Mike McDaniel, Justin Herbert & co.
