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Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Josh Downs, Luther Burden, and Christian Kirk in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
We're now done with ~30% of the fantasy football season, and things are starting to heat up. We've seen many injuries to the WR position so far this season, and finding good wideouts on the waiver wire is now more important than ever.
In this article, we will focus on Josh Downs, Luther Burden III, and Christian Kirk. While Burden rested during the Bears' bye week, Downs and Kirk had their best performances of the season. Downs recorded 54 receiving yards in the Colts' huge win over the Raiders, while Kirk put up 64 yards in the Texans' dominant victory against the Ravens, which was his best performance since Week 5 of the 2024 season.
Are Downs, Burden, and Kirk worth adding off the waiver wire in Week 6? Here are the latest outlooks on each for fantasy football.
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Josh Downs Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 47% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 10-12+ Team PPR Leagues
The 2023 NFL Draft class is one of the most loaded WR classes in recent history, and while Downs isn't on the same level as Puka Nacua or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he ranks in the top five in receptions and yards amongst the wideouts who entered the league in 2023.
Daniel Jones 🎯 Josh Downs for 19 yards
DENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/ABEO97eVtM
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
Downs got off to a slow start this year due to Tyler Warren's brilliance, but Alec Pierce's concussion gave Downs another chance to prove himself. He took that chance in Week 5, leading the team in targets and recording 54 yards in his best outing of the season so far.
Downs converted on two crucial third downs to help the Colts win big, which has been his primary role this season. He has caught eight of his 10 third-down targets so far, putting up 78 yards in the process.
The Colts have converted 46.55% of their third downs this year, the third-highest mark in the NFL. Quarterback Daniel Jones is also at his most efficient on third downs, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt with a 74.29 completion percentage.
While this third-down role might limit Downs' total production, it's a role in which he has been very effective.
Luther Burden III Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 11% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
Many had high expectations for Burden a few months ago after he was drafted 39th overall by the Bears, but the team is focused on letting him develop slowly.
What a way for Luther Burden III to score his first NFL TD 🙌
DALvsCHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/dN3cRIk7MR
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Burden had two catches for two yards in his first two games before exploding for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys in Week 3. He finished as the standard format WR4 that week, and his 65-yard touchdown grab on the Bears' flea flicker play grabbed the media's attention.
However, Burden only had two catches for -4 yards in his next outing, and his snap count decreased by 0.9%. Despite the Bears' slow approach towards his development, he has all the tools to have more performances similar to his Week 3 explosion.
Among WRs with eight or more targets, he ranks ninth in YAC per reception (7.0), seventh in yards per route run (2.83), and third in passer rating when targeted (157.8) per PFF's stats.
Christian Kirk Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 31% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
It was just a few years ago when Kirk was regarded as one of the best slot receivers in the NFL. Kirk finished as 2022's PPR WR12, but unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from reaching those heights since then.
DART 🎯
📺 : @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/VZraOu1Emf
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 5, 2025
The injury bug struck again when he joined the Texans in the 2025 offseason, as he missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury.
Kirk finally returned to the field in Week 3, and after two mediocre outings, he finally showed flashes of his old self with a 64-yard performance against the Ravens.
Just like Kirk himself, the Texans are putting their slow start behind them and are ready to get back in the playoff race. Week 6 is their bye week, which is a perfect chance for Kirk to build more chemistry with C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, and the rest of the roster.
His schedule is a mixed bag; six of his 12 remaining opponents have allowed over 33.4 PPR points to WRs so far this year, while the other six opponents have allowed fewer than 30.4 PPR points to WRs.
There are no doubts about Kirk's talent, and if he can stay healthy, he can be a fantasy asset for the rest of the season.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Josh Downs, Luther Burden III, and Christian Kirk. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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.
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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 2025 for Josh Downs, Luther Burden III, and Christian Kirk:
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