Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire: Deeper League Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE)

October 13, 2026

Dan's top fantasy football Week 6 waiver wire pickups, sleepers, stashes for deeper leagues for 2026. His waiver targets include Jameis Winston, Germie Bernard, Tyler Higbee, and more

Bye weeks started in Week 5 but will ramp up in Week 6. Four teams will be out of action this week, three of which (Detroit, Minnesota, and Cincinnati) have numerous fantasy-relevant players at every position.

Being able to target under-the-radar waiver wire options can be the difference between winning and losing at this point in the season. Knowing the players that are seeing expanded roles or production is critical to success.

Now is the time to target solutions on the waiver wire. Below you will find deep league waiver wire options. All players listed below are available in 30% or more of leagues based on Yahoo’s fantasy football platform.

Quarterback Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All QBs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers- 27% rostered

The Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reunion in Pittsburgh continues to produce fantasy points. Rodgers posted his third straight game with three passing touchdowns and 21.0+ fantasy points against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.

The veteran quarterback was highly efficient as a passer, completing more than 60% of his passes for the first time this season. He also continues to operate within an offense that isn’t afraid to let him throw the ball. Rodgers is averaging 36.8 pass attempts per game this season.

Pittsburgh has upcoming matchups against defenses that have struggled to stop passing attacks this season (Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Cleveland) before their Week 9 bye. After that, they’ll face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10.

Rodgers has multi-week appeal as a streaming option for fantasy managers looking to navigate their upcoming bye weeks.

Jameis Winston, New York Giants- 6% rostered

Week 5 was a vintage Jameis Winston performance for fantasy managers. Winston looked unplayable throughout the first half, completing just seven of 18 pass attempts for 62 yards and a lost fumble. For a while, it looked like Winston was about to allow recently acquired J.J. McCarthy to take over under center.

However, the second half was a complete 180. Winston wound up finishing the game completing 33 of 54 attempts for 326 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. He also added five carries for 27 yards. His 25.7 fantasy points led him to a QB6 finish.

It seems like an inevitability that the Giants will turn to McCarthy at some point this season to evaluate the young quarterback. But as long as the team is winning (and Winston is protecting the football), he will have a long leash.

That can bear serious fruit for fantasy managers given the team’s pass-catching weapons like Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely.

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All RBs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers- 2% rostered

Kimani Vidal continued to see his role expand in the Los Angeles Chargers’ backfield in Week 5. The veteran running back was barely used over the first two weeks, but has 16 touches (13 carries and three receptions) over the last two weeks.

Week 5 was Vidal’s most productive week, registering eight carries for 57 yards and a touchdown while adding one reception (on two targets) for -1 yard. Vidal led the Chargers’ backfield in snaps (28) as well.

Kimani Vidal with the 42-yard TD run 🏃

@DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/oWVJwoYm5a

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

The veteran rusher has back-to-back 12.0+ performances and has officially turned this backfield into a three-headed mess. However, he continues to make the most of his opportunities.

Vidal is a viable dart throw for fantasy managers in Week 6 considering the names that fantasy managers will be missing thanks to bye weeks.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints- 7% rostered

Like the Chargers, the New Orleans Saints’ backfield has devolved into a three-headed mess since Travis Etienne Jr. landed on the injured reserve. Over the last two weeks, Kendre Miller has been one of the more reliable options from a volume perspective.

Miller led the backfield as a ball carrier against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5, handling 10 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight game with at least eight touches.

Nobody in the Saints’ backfield has been efficient, but Miller has an intriguing role if the team can get into positive game scripts. That’s enough to be relevant on an especially thin waiver wire at the running back position.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All WRs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less

Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers- 1% rostered

Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard saw an expanded role in Week 5 thanks to an injury to Michael Pittman Jr. He responded with the best performance of his rookie season.

Bernard caught six of nine targets for 80 yards against the Indianapolis Colts, finishing with his first career double-digit fantasy output (14.4 PPR points). Not only is Pittman expected to miss time going forward, but the Steelers also lost slot receiver Roman Wilson to a finger injury in Week 5.

That leaves Bernard in a position to not only maintain a role in the slot (64.9% of his routes in Week 5), but also expand to an outside role as well. That will be useful on an offense that has had surprising pass volume to start the season.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots- 2% rostered

DeMario Douglas has been getting consistent targets throughout the 2025 season (17), but in Week 5 he finally converted those opportunities to fantasy points.

Douglas caught four of five targets for 65 yards and a touchdown, scoring 22.50 PPR points. Douglas has earned at least three targets in four games this season and has five or more targets in three of five contests.

The Patriots passing offense is searching for players to step up with A.J. Brown sidelined. Douglas is hampered by his role as a slot-specific option, but he showed in Week 5 that he still has rapport with Drake Maye and can provide boom weeks in fantasy.

It isn’t fair to expect two touchdown games going forward, but Douglas is capable of providing adequate floor for fantasy managers navigating bye weeks.

Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys- 8% rostered

Ryan Flournoy is well behind both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the Dallas Cowboys’ passing attack. The team’s passing volume has helped him put together five straight games with at least four targets, but that has not led to a lot of production. Flournoy failed to surpass 40 receiving yards in his first four games.

That changed in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. Flournoy caught three of four targets for 90 yards, making big plays downfield with the Cowboys trying to keep up in a shocking loss to the Buccaneers. More importantly, Lamb suffered a quadriceps injury in the game that kept him off the field for most of the second half.

The duration of that injury will be key for Flournoy to have a big fantasy week, but at the very least he’s seeing a consistent target share in an offense that wants to pass the football. His fantasy value will spike immensely if Lamb or Pickens miss time.

Tight End Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All TEs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers- 15% rostered

Pat Freiermuth continues to quietly make plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran tight end had his most productive week of the season against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, catching five of seven targets for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

Freiermuth has at least four targets in every game this season and has surpassed 30 receiving yards in four of five contests. The veteran tight end has three games with a touchdown and has found the end zone three times in the last two weeks.

He doesn’t have the playmaking ability after the catch to routinely create explosive plays, but he’s trusted by Rodgers (especially in the red zone), which is enough to maintain consistent fantasy production.

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams- 3% rostered

Tyler Higbee has seen an expanded role in the Los Angeles Rams’ offense with both Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson sidelined. Parkinson returned in Week 5, but that didn’t stop Higbee from being a factor in the Rams’ passing attack.

The veteran tight end caught five of six targets for 67 yards in the Rams’ overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. It was his second straight game where he had six targets and five receptions. Since missing Week 2 with an injury, he’s caught 18 of 23 targets for 212 yards and a touchdown.

Tyler Higbee is making big plays today 💪

@BUFvsLAR on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/Mm4Z3DNMmd

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2026

Ferguson isn’t eligible to return from the injured reserve for another two games, giving Higbee a runway to operate as the tertiary target behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. That role has proven to be valuable in fantasy so far this season.

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