Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings for Week 6 (2026): Fantasy Football Pickups for Roschon Johnson, Dameon Pierce, Germie Bernard, Makai Lemon, Hunter Henry, Brandin Cooks, more

October 14, 2026

Mid-week fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season. Top fantasy football free agents and streamers to add off waivers.

At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more updated waiver advice. Fantasy managers will not only have to navigate through injuries but will have to deal with bye weeks as well. The Bengals, Dolphins, Vikings, and Lions are on the bye. Most leagues run their waiver wire on Tuesday, but it's always a good idea to check for potential stashes or streamers for Week 6. Today, you will find our updated Week 6 mid-week waiver wire rankings for the 2026 season to help fantasy managers who need an injury or bye-week replacement, or who want a high-upside stash. 

Injuries are taking a toll, and some players are seeing expanded roles as a result. With Roman Wilson on injured reserve, has Germie Bernard emerged as the Steelers No. 2 wide receiver alongside DK Metcalf? Will Roschon Johnson have a role in the Bears backfield with injuries to D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai? Is Hunter Henry worth adding as a streamer after catching three of four targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Raiders?

These Week 6 waiver wire rankings are updated by Nick Mariano, RotoBaller's lead fantasy football analyst and forecaster. If you're not familiar, he brings you his weekly waiver wire rankings and priority adds for the top 85 options to consider across positions and league sizes. Good luck in Week 6 on the waiver wire!

Who To Pick Up for Fantasy Football Week 6?

Quarterbacks (QB) and Defenses (D/ST) are grouped together at the bottom of the list:

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlooks

Top names include Roschon Johnson, Makai Lemon, Hunter Henry, Brandin Cooks, and Emmett Johnson. We recap why these players should be on your waiver wire radar for Week 6.

Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson caught five passes in Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but all five receptions came in the fourth quarter with Chicago trailing by 24 points. Johnson finished with 34 receiving yards on seven targets and added just six yards on five carries, making his receiving production considerably less encouraging than the box score might suggest. He played a season-high 27 offensive snaps while Kyle Monangai (toe) was sidelined, although D'Andre Swift remained the primary option in Chicago's backfield.

Monangai is considered week-to-week, potentially keeping Johnson in the backup role for Sunday's matchup against Atlanta. There is still little evidence of reliable standalone fantasy value, with Johnson managing only nine carries for 22 yards through five games. His increased playing time could lead to additional opportunities if Monangai remains unavailable, but counting on another seven-target outing would be risky. Rostered in just 5% of leagues according to RotoBaller's Week 6 waiver rankings, Johnson is worth considering in 14-team formats as a speculative depth option rather than an immediate fantasy starter.

Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles rookie first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon has had a quiet start to his NFL career. In his first three games, he had seven receptions on nine targets for only 38 yards (5.4 yards per catch). Top receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) has missed the last two games, though, which has forced the young pass-catcher into a bigger role in losses to the Los Angeles Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last two weeks. In the 19-17 loss to the Jags on Sunday in London, Lemon caught five of a season-high seven targets for a season-high 43 yards while playing a season-high 81% of the offensive snaps.

Smith could return as soon as Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, but Lemon is not going to simply go away as the team's first-round pick back in April. Dontayvion Wicks earned a big role in this offense by impressing the coaching staff this summer during training camp, but if Lemon continues to ascend, it would not be a surprise at all to see the rookie take hold of the WR2 duties behind Smith by the end of the year. Lemon is already rostered in 41% of Yahoo leagues.

Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots

Across the first five weeks of the 2026 season, New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has recorded 15 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets. Like the rest of the New England offense, Henry got off to a relatively slow start to the year. However, the 31-year-old has been much better over the last two weeks, collecting eight receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

With Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looking like a different player lately, Henry should continue to see an uptick in his opportunities for both overall production and touchdowns. The Patriots also have a favorable schedule on paper in the coming weeks, with their next three games coming against the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Miami Dolphins. Particularly in deeper leagues, Henry has re-emerged as a potential tight end streamer for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Brandin Cooks, WR, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) suffered a significant hamstring strain in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and will miss "some time." It points to a bigger role for veteran Brandin Cooks, who played almost every snap after Samuel left, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 33-year-old Cooks caught one of his two targets for a seven-yard touchdown after not catching his only target in the Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos in his debut with the 49ers. Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the season, and De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), and Christian Kirk (calf) all remain on Injured Reserve, so the 49ers' receiving corps is among the most banged-up units around the league.

Veteran Mike Evans continues to battle injuries as well, so Cooks should become a much bigger part of the team's passing attack now that Samuel will also miss a couple of weeks. Cooks has six career 1,000-yard receiving seasons and caught 24 passes for 279 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games last year with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. He is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but Cooks is worth a look for WR depth in deeper formats, with his role set to grow, starting in Week 6 on Monday night versus the Washington Commanders.

Emmett Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson has played a limited role in his team's offense so far this season, recording 130 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches across four games. Johnson is stuck on the Chiefs' running back depth chart behind superstar back Kenneth Walker, who is currently averaging a ridiculous 134.3 rushing yards per game. As long as Walker remains healthy, Johnson is unlikely to see enough work to provide fantasy-relevant production.

However, Walker is also currently on pace to log 420 touches this season, which would blow past his previous career high of 255. If Walker were to get hurt at any point this year, Johnson would immediately vault into the top-24 conversation at the running back position for fantasy managers. With the Chiefs' Week 4 bye now behind them, Johnson profiles as a priority handcuff option to target on the waiver wire.

Running Backs - Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Wide Receivers - Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Tight Ends- Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Quarterbacks - Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 6:

Defenses (D/ST) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 6:

Week 6 Waiver Wire Articles

After diving into the Week 6 rankings, read about some other free waiver wire resources available at RotoBaller:

• Week 6 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
• Week 6 FAAB waiver wire bids
• Week 6 running back waiver wire pickups
• Week 6 wide receiver waiver wire pickups
• Week 6 tight end waiver wire pickups
• Week 6 quarterback waiver wire pickups
• Week 6 defense (D/ST) streamers and pickups
• Week 6 kicker streamers and pickups

Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to complement our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more. Stay tuned!

Who Should I Pickup Tool

Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:

Who Should I Pickup for Week 6?

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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Woody Marks, Jordyn Tyson, Dameon Pierce, Tyjae Spears, Tre Tucker, Rochson Johnson, Hunter Henry, Makai Lemon, Emmett Johnson, Brandin Cooks, Brian Robinson, Samaje Perine, Tyler Higbee, DeMario Douglas, Tyler Allgeier, Kendre Miller, Brenton Strange, Jerry Jeudy, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Jameis Winson, and Daniel Jones. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.

2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Tyler Higbee, Ollie Gordon, Keenan Allen, Alvin Kamara, and Jaylen Wright. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. First, enter the player names you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player 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.

Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed that 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 Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Woody Marks, Jordyn Tyson, Dameon Pierce, Tyjae Spears, Tre Tucker, Rochson Johnson, Hunter Henry, Makai Lemon, Emmett Johnson, Brandin Cooks, Brian Robinson, Samaje Perine, Tyler Higbee, DeMario Douglas, Tyler Allgeier, Kendre Miller, Brenton Strange, Jerry Jeudy, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Jameis Winson, and Daniel Jones:

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