It's Week 6, and the 2026 National Football League regular season just seems to be flying by. The leaves are starting to get some color on the tips in some northern locales, and we had some interesting weather along the Eastern Seaboard last weekend. The air masses are changing, and we're getting into the fun part of the season, especially for fantasy purposes.
Hopefully, by this point, you're in decent shape in terms of fantasy wins and losses. If so, let's strengthen your title-contending team. If not, we're here to help. There will be a lot of movement on the waiver wire in the coming weeks, not only because of injuries, but due to bye weeks. Four teams have them in Week 6, and we'll get a rolling block of teams having time off through the end of November now. So, it's going to be competitive out there, so spend your FAAB budget wisely.
We're going to list two to four players by position below, and they're listed from top to bottom, by priority. The top guys are high-priority options for every manager. Some of the others are more speculative OR if you already have a winning roster but want some insurance policies for down the road.
Let's get started and find some replacements.
Ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo.
QUARTERBACKS
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (27% owned)
What year is it again? It's 2026, and Rodgers is still a productive quarterback in his 22nd season in the NFL. His reunion with head coach Mike McCarthy has really done wonders in the Steel City. Rodgers is up to 1,234 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions through his first five games. He has exactly three touchdown passes in three consecutive games, and he is ticking off more records. He tied former Steeler Ben Roethlisberger for an NFL record with his ninth TD strike of 80-plus yards in last Sunday's win over the Indianapolis Colts. As a streaming option, if you need a replacement due to bye injuries or a tough matchup for your primary start, Rodgers is a good play. He'll face a weak Tampa Bay pass defense, which has allowed 14 pass plays of 20-plus yards and three passes for 40-plus yards.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (63% owned)
Stroud is still available in more than one-third of fantasy leagues. He is considered a QB2 in most leagues, and rightly so, but he'll get a new weapon with Marvin Harrison Jr. coming over in a trade from the Arizona Cardinals. Stroud lobbied for this to happen, as he and Harrison made beautiful music together at The Ohio State University. The move should help jump-start Harrison as an NFL receiver, and it should bump up Stroud's production a bit, too. He hasn't been horrible, throwing for at least 261 yards in four of five games, and he doesn't have any interceptions through five games. Really, Stroud just needs to get the touchdown numbers up, and Harrison could help that if he finally taps into his immense potential.
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (9% owned)
If you really want to think outside of the box, target Ward for a favorable matchup against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday. The Indy pass defense has allowed 1,340 yards through the air, with 8.0 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 29th in the NFL. They've also allowed 16 pass plays of 20+ yards, and a whopping seven of 40+ yards, including the 80-yard TD from Rodgers to Jaylen Warren last Sunday in Pittsburgh. Ward's numbers haven't been good, eclipsing 184 or more yards just once, and he has no multiple-touchdown games. He could have his best game of the season in Indy, however, so if you're stuck, especially in a two-quarterback fantasy league, Ward could surprise.
RUNNING BACKS
MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers (61% owned)
I selected Lloyd on draft day in Round 12, hoping he'd be able to excel once the RB Josh Jacobs off-the-field news went down. Jacobs remains on the Commissioner's Exempt List, with no sign of that situation being resolved. Lloyd has had ample opportunity to seize the top job over Kaleb Johnson, but he hasn't really done much until this past week. The Packers destroyed the visiting Chicago Bears, and Lloyd rumbled for 10 carries, 31 yards and two rushing TDs - the first rushing scores of his NFL career. (He had a receiving TD back in Week 2 for his first NFL score overall.) Lloyd is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry on 40 totes, so there is still A LOT of work to be done. I feel this is a "feel me once, shame on you..." situation, but the former USC product has the potential for big things, and perhaps the two scores will give him some momentum going forward.
Woody Marks, Houston Texans (55% owned)
Marks could be tasked with handling a majority of the backfield duties, with only Dare Ogunbowale pushing him, if RB David Montgomery (groin) is forced to miss time. The latter left the Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans due to a groin injury, and that's a devastating injury for a tailback. Marks would be facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed an NFL-low 2.9 yards per carry, or Marks would be the top priority add at the tailback position. Still, if he were to get 20-25 totes, the potential is there for a very good game, even against a sturdy rushing defense.
Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (53% owned)
Gainwell had four carries for 18 yards on Thursday night in Dallas, and three receptions for 10 yards on four targets. That's not exactly thrilling production, but the seven total touches were a season high. The Bucs finally appear to be getting comfortable with getting Gainwell a little more involved. He is the perfect tailback to go for short routes and serve as a safety valve for undrafted rookie free agent quarterback fill-in Jalon Daniels. When Baker Mayfield is healthy, Gainwell might have built up enough trust with the coaching staff to kick the training wheels off. This guy has been a productive pass-catcher out of the backfield before. Unleash the beast, Todd Bowles!
WIDE RECEIVERS
Darius Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles (8% owned)
Cooper and rookie Makai Lemon were the beneficiaries of some missing pieces in the London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He made a giant splash early, hooking up with Jalen Hurts for a 62-yard touchdown. His other two catches went for just nine yards, though, so pump the brakes a little. Still, he has a nose for the end zone, scoring four touchdowns in the past four games. He'll face a Carolina Panthers pass defense which has allowed 6.7 yards per pass attempt, with 49 first downs allowed through the air. Carolina has allowed three pass plays of 40-plus yards, too, which is right up Cooper's alley.
Wan'Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans (52% owned)
We mentioned Ward above, and someone has to catch his offerings. Robinson has been somewhat productive in Nashville despite some subpar quarterback play. He has three or more receptions in four of his five outings, and he has 16 total receptions in the past three games, finding the end zone twice. It seems like he's been around a while, but he is still just 25 years old, so the potential is there for a lot more. Again, Indianapolis has a porous pass defense, so the potential is there for WR3 or flex fantasy production in Week 6.
DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (2% owned)
We're going to ring this bell and hope Pop's production in Week 5 isn't a one-off. Douglas went for four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. There are several mouths to feed at receiver for New England, so there is a question about consistency here. However, Douglas has five or more targets in three of his five games, and he has two catches of 35 or more yards in two of the past three games. Drake Maye appears to be looking his way a little more, so get in on the ground floor and hope the big plays continue.
TIGHT ENDS
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (2% owned)
Higbee is going to be a huge target off of the waiver wire this week, and his ownership percentage is certain to grow past double digits. He secured five receptions for 83 yards in Week 5 on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, and he has five or more grabs, six or more targets and 62 or more yards in each of the past three outings since Terrance Ferguson landed on IR. Who knows how long it will last, but enjoy the ride while you can. He has been productive in the high-octane L.A. offense.
Kyle Pitts, Sr., Atlanta Falcons (69% owned)
Pitts is still available in more than 30% of all fantasy leagues, and he is a borderline low-end TE1 or high-end TE2 in leagues of 12 or more teams. The former first-round pick in 2021 can be maddening from a fantasy perspective. He is just so inconsistent, but the potential is there to be a superstar. He had five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore on Sunday Night Football, and in Week 6 he'll face a Chicago Bears passing defense that gives up 8.8 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 31st in the NFL. They've allowed a league-high seven pass plays of 40-plus yards, too.
This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Waiver Wired - Week 6