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Should I pickup Rachaad White or Austin Ekeler as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 6 of 2026? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The Washington Commanders are dealing with numerous injuries at the running back position ahead of Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season. Most notably, their starting running back is dealing with health issues.
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) suffered a groin injury sometime in the past week, wasn't able to practice at all ahead of Week 6, and now has been ruled out for Monday Night Football.
In his place, the two backup running backs for the Commanders will take on some sort of split of the workload. But which one should you pick up off waivers for fantasy football? Let's dive in!
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Rachaad White Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
It's not so simple, unfortunately. Clearly, White (shoulder) is the better option here, but he's dealing with a shoulder issue. He practiced in full on Thursday but downgraded to a limited practice Friday.
It's been suggested that this could be maintenance-related, though nothing's guarantee here. Aside from the injury, though, White is clearly the best running back left on the Commanders roster, and has legitimate pass-catching upside.
Rachaad White gets 6️⃣ on the board for the Commanders!
@SEAvsWAS on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/S3wsMvhedS— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
White's receiving potential could be enough to help him have a good finish in fantasy football for Week 6 if he's reasonably healthy. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels isn't known for checking it down heavily, though, as he often prefers to tuck and run with the ball.
White actually averages over four yards per carry this season while Croskey-Merritt sits at under 3.6 YPC. It's unclear why there hasn't been a shake-up in the RB depth chart, but we can't be in meetings with the coaches to find out why.
The former Buccaneer was once the RB4 in PPR fantasy football leagues when he had a workhorse role with his old team. If he's given a lot of touches and thrown the ball a few times, he can put together nice fantasy performances.
Austin Ekeler Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Ekeler (chest) turned in a trio of limited practices due to a chest injury ahead of Week 6. He's the third running back on the Commanders roster, and he hasn't been fantasy relevant since 2023, when he was still with the Los Angeles Chargers.
It's hard to see him having a huge role as a backup to White. Though he was once a do-it-all back for his old team, he's since dealt with a tear of his Achilles tendon and is now 31 years old.
After a failed fake punt by Pittsburgh, Austin Ekeler runs it in for a @Commanders TD!
📺: #PITvsWAS on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge https://t.co/gcpqI5Tt6r— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024
He did appear to have some juice before the tear, though his top speed isn't part of that analysis. It's hard to imagine the Commanders have two fantasy-relevant RBs that are currently dealing with injury, as none of their tailbacks were very effective even when all were healthy.
Should I Pickup Rachaad White or Austin Ekeler For Fantasy Football?
Perhaps in extremely deep leagues it might make sense to pick up Ekeler, but White is the player you should be gunning for if you want a shot at a startable player. His pass-catching upside alone gives him starting viability in deeper leagues.
Washington's offense has struggled this season, though. And they'll face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 -- they have one of the best run defenses in the NFL thanks to their quality linebacker and defensive line play.
Fred did it again 🥊
@SFvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/D0Aukr9nqv— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
White will probably not have a ton of success on the ground. And the Commanders have a bye in Week 7, with Croskey-Merritt likely to return in Week 8 shortly afterwards. There's not a ton of upside for this backfield right now.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Rachaad White, Austin Ekeler:
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