Just a month into the season, fantasy football has been rough for many. Injuries around the NFL leave countless rosters depleted, but there's a silver lining as the year rolls on.
This week, Chargers lost RB Omarion Hampton, placing him on short-term IR. And that's just the start.
The more weeks that go by, the more unsung heroes step up. If you’re looking for a way to get back on track, hitting the waiver wire might do the trick.
With Week 6 on the horizon, here are the best waiver wide pickups to target for Week 6 — some worth targeting as spot stats, others with long-term upside.
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Week 6 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups by Position
Below are some potential Week 6 targets for the fantasy waiver wire for QB, RB, WR, and TE.
Fantasy rankings and 2025 point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros prior to MNF.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (vs. Chargers)
Following an up-and-down start to the season, Tua Tagovailoa responded in a big way in Week 5 — even without star WR Tyreek Hill. Despite the ‘Fins losing to the Panthers, he set season-high marks in completions (27), passing yards (256) and TDs (3).
QB18 on the year, Tagovailoa landed in the top 10 for Week 5 with 22.7 fantasy points scored.
A stylistic matchup to watch: the Charger’s defense allows the fifth-lowest completion rate (59.1%) to opposing QBs, per SumerSports. Tagovailoa led the league at 72.9% a season ago and sits at 70.7% this year.
Other Week 6 QB Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Panthers QB Bryce Young (vs. Cowboys): Speaking of Dolphins-Panthers, Young overcame some early struggles to pull out a huge W. The former No. 1 overall pick tossed 2 TDs in Week 5, and his 10.4 yards per completion highlighted his big-play upside. Young’s next task is to take down a Cowboys defense that has yielded more fantasy points to QBs than any team.
- Saints QB Spencer Rattler (vs. Patriots): After going scoreless in Week 1, Rattler has thrown a TD in each of his last four games. That includes a Week 5 that saw him post a tidy 100.0 passer rating without a single sack. While the Patriots’ defense is solid, only nine clubs give up more fantasy points to the QB position. Rattler may be worth a flier.
Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier (vs. Bills)
Aside from a Week 3 blowout loss to Carolina, Allgeier has been a key part of this Falcons offense. He logged 10, 17 and 16 touches in Weeks 1, 2 and 4, respectively, and was RB33 before the bye.
Bijan Robinson is always the preferred option, but there’s love to go around. Atlanta ranks fourth-lowest in pass rate over expected, per nfelo, emphasizing a willingness to run.
Buffalo’s defense sits just outside the top 10 in fantasy points yielded to RBs and is tied for third in rushing TDs. Allgeier already has two TDs this year — both coming in wins.
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Other Week 6 RB Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Cardinals RB Michael Carter (@ Colts): With both James Conner and Trey Benson hurt, the Cardinals relied on Carter (39 snaps) and Emari Demercado (19 snaps) in Week 5. The former logged 18 carries — six times Demercado’s mark — and led the halfback room with 5 receptions. It doesn’t hurt that Carter also didn’t fumble the ball on a walk-in TD liks his teammate, which could further solidify Carter's role.
- Chargers RBs Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal (@ Dolphins): Sadly for the Chargers, standout rookie Omarion Hampton was in a walking boot following Week 5’s loss to the Commanders. With him going on IR, Haskins and Vidal are potential replacement options for the next four games. They each received 14 snaps on Sunday. Haskins (79 career touches for 303 yards) is more experienced, yet Vidal (53 for 236) is more versatile in theory. It's hard to know which will emerge, but it's more likely that Haskins will play as the two-down, short-yardage back, with Vidal more in a change-of-pace, receiving role.
- Panthers RB Rico Dowdle should be off most waiver wires by now. If not, after his 23-carry, 206-yard performance, he should be your #1 priority pick up, with Chuba Hubbard's return uncertain.
Texans WR Christian Kirk (BYE)
After missing Weeks 1 and 2 with an injury, Kirk has played in each subsequent Texans game. He has 119 snaps in that span.
In Weeks 3-5, the former second-round pick is T-34 among WRs in targets. He led the team in receiving yards with 64 in this week's blowout win vs. the Ravens.
Houston’s next two opponents, the 49ers and Seahawks, rank 13th and 14th in receptions allowed to WRs this year.
Other Week 6 WR Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Falcons WR Darnell Mooney (vs. Bills): It’s been another year filled with injuries for Mooney. A shoulder ailment held him back in training camp, then he nicked his hamstring prior to the bye. With that said, his Week 3 volume (11 targets) and 2024 production (106 targets, 992 yards, 5 TDs) maintain intrigue for his fantasy profile if healthy, which he looks to be now.
- Broncos WR Troy Franklin (@ Jets): Franklin has at least 4 targets in each Broncos game thus far. Per NFL Pro, on throws of less than 10 air yards, he averages the fourth-highest yards after the catch. Gang Green is 11th in most fantasy points given up to WRs and 10th in yards. This year’s WR35 is an interesting option.
Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. (@ Steelers)
Coming into Monday night, Fannin was TE20 in scoring on the year. The 21-year-old’s debut campaign features 5 or more targets in 3-of-5 games.
Fannin’s 28 targets sit just 2 behind TE David Njoku, putting an exclamation point on Cleveland’s eagerness to get their first-year man plenty of snaps.
The Browns’ switch to Dillon Gabriel at QB might bode well for Fannin. According to Fantasy Points Data, the rookie signal-caller targeted TEs 39.4% of the time in Week 5.
Other Week 6 TE Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Jets TE Mason Taylor (vs. Broncos): Taylor’s target share (18.3%) is a top-four rate for rookie TEs in their first five games, per Fantasy Points. After a 2-target effort in Week 2, he’s combined for 25 in Weeks 3-5. That’s third among TEs, seeing him rank as TE15 alongside it. The Jets’ second-round pick is heating up.
- Giants TE Theo Johnson (vs. Eagles): Another example of someone peaking is Johnson. He has 3 TDs in two Jaxson Dart starts, producing as TE6 in Weeks 4 and 5. Having played no fewer than 53 snaps in any game this year, the sophomore slump has yet to hit the G-Men’s 2024 fourth-rounder.
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That's a wrap on the players you need to go grab on the Week 6 waiver wire.
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