Fantasy Football 2026 Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Immediately Useful

Malik Washington, WR, Dolphins (49% Rostered): Washington might be on this list for the last time this season, as he’s reached 49% rostership in light of being targeted five or more times in every game this season and eclipsing 50 yards in four of five games. Nothing Washington is doing in 2026 is flashy, and he’s by no means a league winner. He’s simply gorging on a massive piece of the Dolphins’ terrible-tasting passing pie. Miami is a team that’s gunning hard for the No. 1 pick, meaning they intentionally left this WR room light on experience. It’s full of rookies and young players with promise, but Washington is the elder statesman, and one of the few who has been healthy all season. You can reliably plug in Washington in any week and feel confident you won’t be goosed. That’s real value around this time of year.

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Chargers (42% Rostered): Mitchell continues to encroach on Omarion Hampton’s snap share, with Mitchell’s 34% beating out Hampton’s 30% and Kimani Vidal leading all Chargers backs. Mitchell is not going to be a bell cow for this team due to size and injury risk/history, but he’s easily the best home run threat this offense has, and boy do they need big plays. Mitchell is regularly seeing 10-15 opportunities a week, and he will inevitably pop given that usage. It requires patience, and the floor in any given week is low, but that upside isn’t easy to find on waivers. With Mike McDaniel running this offense, I’d be stunned if Mitchell doesn’t start providing fantasy goodies.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (41% Rostered): Coleman is still a player I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw him, but there’s no arguing against his weekly ceiling. He can go off, that’s for sure. The problem is that he’s pretty touchdown dependent; Coleman has had three games this year with one reception, and two games with six. He added value on Monday night, but it was his lone catch of the game that happened to be in the end zone. If you are a team crushed with injuries or byes and you’re facing an opponent that can score, I can see turning to Coleman for a shot at a huge game. Just be aware that he can easily goose you.

Makai Lemon, WR, Eagles (41% Rostered): I will readily admit to stubbornness in the case of Makai Lemon, because he’s probably been the fourth-most productive Eagles receiver in 2027, and I didn’t include Dontayvion Wicks or Darius Cooper on this week’s list. That’s because, simply put, this passing offense stinks and you probably shouldn’t be playing any of them besides TE Dallas Goedert until DeVonta Smith is back. However, if you do feel like you need to use an Eagles receiver, Lemon has the most ability of this group. Wicks is getting snaps and he’s been somewhat productive, but there’s no upside there with Jalen Hurts struggling. Darius Cooper has some crazy highlights, but he’s totally boom or bust. Lemon’s snap count continues to rise, his targets have seen an uptick and he’s just a good, tough player.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jaguars (33% Rostered): Strange has rebounded nicely after a tortoise-like start, catching seven passes in back-to-back games and going for 95 and 68 yards in those games. This is just a good player in a good passing offense with a really good QB. It helps that the hierarchy is becoming clear in Jacksonville as well; it’s Parker Washington, and then everyone else, with Strange seemingly turning into the second target. He’s been re-established as a player we can start with confidence.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Steelers (27% Rostered): Rodgers, against all odds, seems to be a totally fine starter again. His WR room is a mishmash of young players and veterans who don’t really fit his M.O., and yet the old vet is making it work. You won’t confuse this version for prime Rodgers, but he’s so talented that even in his old age he can run an efficient offense in his sleep by simply unloading the ball quickly. Rodgers has thrown for three touchdowns in each of his last three games, and gone over 290 yards twice. Rushing production is non-existent, and the yardage isn’t always there but he’s been able to throw for scores and avoid interceptions. He can still play.

Speculative/Deep Cuts

Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns (13% Rostered): Watson’s resurgence hit a nasty speed bump Sunday in an ugly, rain-soaked loss to the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Watson’s pluses and warts were both on display. His lone touchdown pass was a gorgeous bomb to rookie Denzel Boston, and he rushed six times for 40 yards. Those six rushing attempts got him to 37 on the year, second-most among all QBs behind only Josh Allen. That rushing does provide him with a usable floor, but his passing cannot be trusted. He’s still a bottom-tier fantasy QB, but I’d put him above the lower-ranked pass-first QBs based on the rushing potential.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams (5% Rostered): Higbee is the clear-cut third banana right now for the Rams in the absence of Terrance Ferguson, and he should be starting in leagues. Since Ferguson got hurt, Higbee has seen 11, six and six targets in his last three games, going over 60 yards in each of them. Those are downright strong numbers for a TE. We should definitely back off when Ferguson returns, but until then ride the hot hand.

Jameis Winston, QB, Giants (6% Rostered): Winston is a gross option, with loads of disaster potential, but for one week you can use him. The Saints are not a threat as a defense, and Winston’s thrown three touchdowns in back to back games, including 326 yards on Sunday vs. Washington after looking like he might get benched in the first half. Winston’s an exhilarating roller coaster ride, you just need to get off at the right time before it flies off the rails.

Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers (3% Rostered): Vidal was really good last season for the Chargers when their RB room fell apart, despite an offensive line that wrecked any philosophy they had. This year he was completely counted out on Draft Day, and apparently by the Chargers’ coaches in the early going. On Sunday he led the Chargers’ RBs in snaps, and broke off a long TD. That has to lead to more work for him, and less for the ineffective Hampton. I’d add Vidal speculatively for now, but with eyes toward a possible RB3 rest of season.

Dameon Pierce, RB, Eagles (3% Rostered): Pierce looked like he was running in quicksand in London, but he’s currently Philadelphia’s only healthy RB. If Saquon Barkley is suited up Sunday, forget about Pierce, but if it’s just Pierce with an elevated practice squad back behind him this is a volume-based FLEX play.

Germie Bernard, WR, Steelers (2% Rostered): Bernard came up big this week with six grabs and 80 yards with Roman Wilson bowing out early due to injury. Michael Pittman and now Wilson have both been dinged up, leaving Bernard as the route-running complement to D.K. Metcalf on the outside. Pittman is on IR currently, and Wilson’s injury will result in missed time so Bernard is a sneaky name people might not know much about.

Handcuffs

Brian Robinson, RB, Falcons (49% Rostered)

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Cardinals (44% Rostered)

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Raiders (42% Rostered)

Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Jaguars (35% Rostered)

Kaelon Black, RB, 49ers (32% Rostered)

Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs (24% Rostered)

Kendre Miller, RB, Saints (7% Rostered)