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Who Should I Drop for Week 6? Fantasy Football outlooks for Deebo Samuel Sr., Jordan Addison, Bo Nix, Quentin Johnston, Justin Herbert, Rico Dowdle, Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Tyreek Hill, Josh Jacobs.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 6 fantasy football cut candidates include players like Deebo Samuel Sr., Jordan Addison, Bo Nix, Quentin Johnston, Justin Herbert, Rico Dowdle, Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Tyreek Hill, and Josh Jacobs. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make the right waiver wire decisions and winning moves for Week 6. Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football pickups for Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool helps make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to add... all free!
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read about fantasy football players to consider dropping for Week 6:
Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said on Monday that he expects running back Rico Dowdle (toe) to return in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. Head coach Mike McCarthy continues to say that Dowdle is close after missing each of the last three games due to a dislocated toe.
Warren has taken advantage of his increased opportunity over that span with Dowdle sidelined, carrying the ball 49 times for 321 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown while adding 12 catches on 16 targets for 169 yards and another score through the air. McCarthy had visions of a split backfield with Dowdle and Warren going into the 2026 season, but upon Dowdle's return, fantasy managers should expect a smaller role given Warren's dominance and a bigger workload.
The 28-year-old struggled in his first two games for the Steelers before getting hurt, rushing the ball 15 times for only 37 yards while catching four passes for 28 yards. If Dowdle is officially cleared for Week 6, he will be a tough sell as an RB3/flex. For now, he profiles as a priority injury stash.
Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was unable to make an impact during Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Coming into this game, Thomas hasn't made much of an impact, but the 24-year-old was completely shut out in this one. Thomas failed to haul in any of his three targets during the victory over Philly. His role in the passing game is quickly being reduced, with only six combined targets over the last three games.
This season, Thomas has recorded nine receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown in five games. The third-year wideout desperately needs a bounce-back game against the Houston Texans in Week 6. He is a safe cut in all standard formats.
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill still hasn't determined which team he'll be joining this season, but he is worth a look in deep leagues if you need wide receiver depth. Hill brings a high ceiling if he lands in the right spot and can show that he's past his devastating knee injury that cut his 2025 season short. He suffered a dislocated knee, torn ACL and LCL, along with other ligament damage in Week 4 last season, but he could be ready to return sometime this month, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
The Chiefs seem like the most obvious landing spot, reuniting him with QB Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. Hill has the potential to be a solid contributor in the second half of the fantasy season, although he may need time to ramp up before his debut since the injury was so severe. For now, managers should only stash the wideout in deeper 12+ team leagues.
Deebo Samuel Sr., San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) is "going to miss" a couple of weeks with the strained hamstring that he suffered in Sunday's Week 5 win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Fantasy managers should expect Samuel to miss the next two games against the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons.
San Francisco then has their bye in Week 8, so the earliest that Samuel might return could be Nov. 8 at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. It is yet another injury to a key receiver for the 49ers, leaving veterans Mike Evans and Brandin Cooks, who both scored touchdowns on Sunday, and Jacob Cowing as the 49ers' starting receivers going into a Week 6 matchup next Monday night against Washington.
The 30-year-old Samuel caught just two passes for 21 yards and carried the ball two times for four yards in Week 5 before leaving in the third quarter and never returning. Samuel has taken on a big role so far in 2025 in his return to the Niners, with their receiving corps so banged up, and he has produced a nice 16-206-3 line for his fantasy managers.
He remains a must-stash while he is on the shelf.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Houston Texans
The Arizona Cardinals are trading wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for 2027 second- and sixth-round picks, according to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans also confirmed the deal following Sunday's win over Tennessee. Harrison, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will reunite with quarterback C.J. Stroud, his former Ohio State teammate.
The 24-year-old has caught just five of 13 targets for 85 yards and one touchdown through four games this season after recording 41 receptions for 608 yards and four scores in 12 appearances last year.
Houston offers an opportunity for Harrison to revive his fantasy value, particularly with Jayden Higgins (knee) sidelined for the season. Nico Collins remains the team's top receiver, however, and Jaylin Noel has been earning more opportunities in the passing game. Tank Dell (knee) also had his practice window opened last week, adding another variable to the receiving rotation.
Houston's investment suggests Harrison will have a meaningful role, but his immediate target volume remains uncertain as he adjusts to a new offense. For the time being, he is a penalty stash in deeper leagues but a viable cut in shallower formats.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here.
Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on finding replacements for specific players like Germie Bernard, Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks, Kendrick Bourne, Brenton Strange.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football waiver wire replacements. Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for Week 6 for Germie Bernard, Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks, Kendrick Bourne, Brenton Strange:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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