I am not going to pretend this is a great waiver week.
It is not.
There is one player I am genuinely excited to add.
After that, we are mostly looking for changing roles, injury-created volume, and players whose fantasy value could look very different a week from now.
That does not make the waiver wire useless.
It just means this is not the week to burn half your FAAB simply because you feel like you need to make a move.
Germie Bernard is the priority.
Then we start looking for value.
One important note before we get into the rankings:
If Woody Marks is somehow still available, he belongs ahead of everyone on this list with David Montgomery dealing with a groin injury.
Otherwise, here are the 10 fantasy football waiver wire pickups I am targeting heading into Week 6.
Week 6 Waiver Wire Top 10
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Suggested FAAB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germie Bernard | WR | 8-12% |
| 2 | Jonah Coleman | RB | 3-5% |
| 3 | Kendrick Bourne | WR | 3-5% |
| 4 | Pat Freiermuth | TE | 3-5% |
| 5 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 2-4% |
| 6 | Kendre Miller | RB | 3-5% |
| 7 | Samaje Perine | RB | 1-3% |
| 8 | Dameon Pierce | RB | 2-4% |
| 9 | Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | 1-2% |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | D/ST | 1-2% |
1. Germie Bernard, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: Around 2%
Suggested FAAB: 8-12%
Germie Bernard is the one player this week I actually want.
Not because he caught six passes for 80 yards.
Because everything around that production changed.
Bernard saw nine targets in Week 5, ran a route on nearly 79% of Pittsburgh’s dropbacks, and earned almost 26% of the team’s targets.
All three were career highs.
And now the depth chart is opening around him.
Michael Pittman Jr. is already on injured reserve.
Roman Wilson injured his finger and is expected to miss time.
That creates a legitimate path for Bernard to play nearly every passing down opposite DK Metcalf.
That would already be interesting.
The part that makes me more aggressive is Aaron Rodgers.
Trust matters with Rodgers.
Bernard appears to be earning it.
Rodgers reportedly spent time quizzing the rookie on Indianapolis’ coverages before the game, then repeatedly looked his way once Sunday arrived.
Bernard won underneath.
He made plays in traffic.
He converted on third down.
He even got involved on an end-around.
That is how a rookie turns an injury-created opportunity into a role that can stick.
Why Add
This is not simply a receiver inheriting snaps because everyone else got hurt.
Bernard looked good with the opportunity.
Now he may get more of it in an offense that has been willing to throw.
Waiver Verdict
The clear No. 1 waiver claim of Week 6.
I am comfortable getting aggressive if you need receiver help.
This is exactly when I want to bet on a rookie before everyone else becomes convinced.
2. Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos
Rostered: Around 30%
Suggested FAAB: 3-5%
Jonah Coleman cannot help you this week.
That is also why he may still be available.
Coleman remains on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain but is eligible to return in Week 7.
And Denver’s backfield has not exactly been locked down while he has been gone.
J.K. Dobbins has been useful.
That does not mean Coleman has no path back into the rotation.
We already saw what he can do.
Before the injury, Coleman totaled 58 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and scored nearly 15 fantasy points.
This is not a pickup for Sunday.
It is a pickup for what might happen after Sunday.
Why Add
Weak waiver weeks are exactly when you should think ahead.
Coleman is a talented young running back returning to a backfield without an obvious long-term winner.
If he comes back and immediately earns meaningful work, he will cost much more next week.
Waiver Verdict
My favorite stash of Week 6.
Do not add him if you desperately need points right now. Do add him if you can afford to wait.
3. Kendrick Bourne, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: Around 5-7%
Suggested FAAB: 3-5%
Kendrick Bourne has an opportunity.
I am just not convinced he owns it yet.
Arizona traded Marvin Harrison Jr., immediately opening a major chunk of the receiver depth chart.
Bourne responded with five catches for 70 yards on eight targets in Week 5.
That sounds great.
The route data is where things get murkier.
Bourne ran a route on only about 59% of Arizona’s dropbacks.
Jalen Brooks also jumped into a much larger role.
That matters.
If Bourne had immediately stepped into a full-time WR2 job, I would be much more aggressive.
Instead, we may still have a competition.
Why Add
Someone has to absorb the opportunities Harrison leaves behind.
Bourne already showed he can earn targets when he is on the field.
Now we need the routes to follow.
Waiver Verdict
Worth adding if you need receiver depth.
Just keep the bid reasonable.
If Bourne takes over a full-time role next week, great.
If Brooks keeps eating into his routes, this becomes a replaceable roster spot pretty quickly.
4. Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: Around 15-20%
Suggested FAAB: 3-5%
This one makes me a little uncomfortable.
Because it looks exactly like the kind of tight end pickup fantasy managers usually get wrong.
Pat Freiermuth scored two touchdowns.
That is the first thing everyone sees.
We do not want to chase touchdowns.
But there was enough underneath the production to make this interesting.
Freiermuth saw seven targets in Week 5 and earned a season-high target share while Pittsburgh was already without Pittman and then lost Roman Wilson.
That changes the math.
There are simply fewer established players competing for Aaron Rodgers’ attention.
Freiermuth does not need another two-touchdown performance.
He needs five or six targets.
At tight end, that can be enough.
Why Add
The receiver injuries create a clearer path to projectable volume.
That is what matters. Not the two touchdowns.
Waiver Verdict
A reasonable add if you need tight end help.
Do not treat Week 5 like the beginning of a massive breakout.
Treat it like evidence that Freiermuth’s short-term role just got better.
5. Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Rostered: Around 2-3%
Suggested FAAB: 2-4%
The Chargers backfield keeps getting messier.
That is bad if you roster Omarion Hampton.
It is interesting if you can add Kimani Vidal for almost nothing.
Vidal led Los Angeles in rushing in Week 5, finishing with 57 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Most of that came on one 42-yard score.
So no, I am not looking at the fantasy points and declaring that he won the backfield.
This is still a three-man rotation.
Hampton is involved. Keaton Mitchell is involved. Vidal is now making enough plays to keep himself involved too.
Why Add
This is a cheap bet on the workload shifting.
Vidal does not need to take over tomorrow.
He just needs to keep earning enough opportunities that Los Angeles has to give him more work.
Waiver Verdict
Upside bench add. Do not put him straight into your lineup.
But at this price, I would rather roster Vidal and see where the committee goes than hold a low-ceiling WR5.
6. Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
Rostered: Around 7-8%
Suggested FAAB: 3-5%
Kendre Miller is not going to win any waiver-wire beauty contests.
That is fine.
He led New Orleans with 10 carries in Week 5 while Alvin Kamara managed only three.
Miller turned them into 30 yards and a touchdown.
The efficiency is not the interesting part. The usage is.
At one point in the second quarter, New Orleans handed Miller the ball on five consecutive plays.
Five.
He ripped off gains of nine, seven, and six yards during the sequence before finishing the drive with a touchdown.
That looks like a coaching staff willing to let him handle actual work.
The Saints also ran only 43 offensive plays, which makes the overall touch total look worse than it really was.
Why Add
Travis Etienne remains sidelined.
Kamara has been dealing with injuries and has not been especially efficient.
Miller may have worked himself into a legitimate piece of this backfield.
Waiver Verdict
Useful RB depth with a path to more. He is not suddenly a locked-in starter.
But if New Orleans gets back to a more normal offensive play total, 10 carries can become 12-15 pretty quickly.
7. Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered: Around 3-5%
Suggested FAAB: 1-3%
Samaje Perine is on bye this week.
That makes him more interesting. Not less.
Chase Brown has struggled on the ground recently and lost a red-zone fumble in Week 5.
Perine responded with his largest role of the season.
He played a season-high 33 snaps. He rushed 14 times for 68 yards. He caught both of his targets. And he scored through the air.
That is not pure handcuff usage anymore. It could be the beginning of a real rotation.
Why Add
Nobody wants to add a player who cannot help this week.
That is exactly how you get him cheaply.
If this workload sticks after Cincinnati’s bye, Perine will be much more expensive next Tuesday.
Waiver Verdict
One of my favorite deeper-league stashes.
You are betting that Cincinnati comes out of the bye with a more even backfield.
Do not spend heavily.
8. Dameon Pierce, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered: Around 2-3%
Suggested FAAB: 2-4%
This is about volume. Nothing else.
Saquon Barkley is hurt.
Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve.
Will Shipley injured his foot.
And suddenly Dameon Pierce may be the last man standing.
Pierce took over after Shipley left and finished with 11 carries.
He gained 14 yards.
He also caught two passes for negative yardage.
It was ugly. Really ugly.
Fantasy football does not award style points.
If Barkley remains sidelined, Pierce could walk into double-digit touches simply because Philadelphia does not have many alternatives.
Why Add
Starting-running-back volume is still starting-running-back volume.
Especially during a four-team bye week.
Waiver Verdict
Short-term volume play only.
If Barkley returns, most of the appeal disappears. If Barkley sits, Pierce becomes a desperation FLEX option.
Bid accordingly.
9. Omar Cooper Jr., WR
Rostered: Around 3%
Suggested FAAB: 1-2%
This is the get-ahead-of-it move.
Omar Cooper Jr. has been on injured reserve since suffering an ankle injury in Week 1.
He is eligible to return now.
We still do not know exactly when that will happen.
That uncertainty is why he remains available.
Cooper touched the football only once before getting hurt.
He turned it into a 30-yard reception.
One touch does not prove anything.
But in a waiver week this weak, I would rather stash a talented rookie before his opportunity becomes obvious than spend on another veteran I already know I will never start.
Why Add
This is entirely about upside. You are trying to beat the news.
If Cooper returns and immediately earns meaningful work, the free pickup disappears.
Waiver Verdict
Pure stash. Do not add him if you need production right now.
If you have an open bench spot, this is exactly the kind of bet worth making.
10. Kansas City Chiefs D/ST
Rostered: Around 25%
Suggested FAAB: 1-2%
Sometimes the waiver wire is thin enough that a defense deserves a spot in the Top 10.
This is one of those weeks.
Kansas City comes out of its bye against the Chargers.
That has become one of the better fantasy matchups for opposing defenses.
Los Angeles is averaging fewer than 17 points per game.
The Chargers have already committed 13 turnovers and allowed 17 sacks.
Justin Herbert threw an interception and lost multiple fumbles in Week 5.
We do not need Kansas City to suddenly become an elite real-life defense.
We need sacks. We need turnovers. We need an offense that repeatedly puts itself into bad situations.
The Chargers are providing all three.
Why Add
This is exactly what we look for when streaming D/ST. Forget the logo. Attack the offense across from them.
Waiver Verdict
My favorite Week 6 defense streamer. Do not spend meaningful FAAB on a defense, but Kansas City is worth prioritizing if you are streaming the position.
Week 6 Waiver Priority
Spend Aggressively
Germie Bernard
He is the only player this week I would actually be annoyed to miss out on.
The opportunity changed. The production followed.
And there is a realistic path for the role to stick even after Pittsburgh eventually gets healthier.
Strong Adds
Jonah Coleman: Coleman is the best forward-looking stash.
Kendrick Bourne: Bourne has immediate target opportunity following the Harrison trade.
Pat Freiermuth: Freiermuth suddenly has a much cleaner path to targets.
Cheap Upside Bets
Kimani Vidal
Kendre Miller
Samaje Perine
All three are bets on backfield roles continuing to change.
None are guaranteed.
That is why they are still cheap.
Short-Term Volume
Dameon Pierce
Pierce’s fantasy value is almost entirely tied to Saquon Barkley’s availability.
Barkley sits? Pierce has a job.
Barkley plays? Pierce becomes very difficult to use.
Stashes and Streamers
Omar Cooper Jr.: Cooper is the longer-term upside swing.
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST: Kansas City is the immediate lineup solution.
Players You Can Consider Dropping
A weak waiver wire does not mean you have to keep disappointing players simply because the replacements are not exciting.
Sometimes freeing the roster spot is enough.
Justin Herbert
In one-quarterback leagues, the name should not keep protecting the roster spot.
The production has not been there.
KC Concepcion
The concussion makes an already frustrating start even harder to hold through in shallow redraft leagues.
This is more of a shallow-league decision than an automatic drop everywhere.
Chris Godwin
Tampa Bay’s quarterback situation has crushed much of the upside.
You can move on in shallower formats.
Brian Thomas Jr.
The target volume and production continue to disappoint.
He is not an automatic drop everywhere.
He should no longer be treated like an automatic hold everywhere either.
Mark Andrews
At some point, you are holding the name more than the production.
Tight end is replaceable enough that you do not have to wait forever.
Jake Ferguson
The touchdown dependency makes him extremely difficult to trust.
If a better role is available on the waiver wire, make the move.
Dalton Schultz
Houston’s receiving corps getting healthier has made his role much less attractive.
He is replaceable.
Final Verdict
Germie Bernard is the player I want.
Everyone else requires a little more context.
If you can afford to wait, Jonah Coleman is exactly the kind of stash weak waiver weeks are made for.
If you need receiver help now, Kendrick Bourne has a newly opened path to targets.
If tight end is the problem, Pat Freiermuth suddenly has fewer players competing with him for opportunities.
And if you want cheap running back upside, Kimani Vidal, Kendre Miller, and Samaje Perine all have roles that could look significantly more valuable next Tuesday than they do today.
That is really the theme of Week 6.
Do not force it.
There is no obvious must-add sitting on the waiver wire.
Outside of Bernard, this is a week to preserve FAAB and make smaller bets on changing roles.
Because the best waiver move is not always the player who helps you Sunday.
Sometimes it is the player everyone else will want next Tuesday.
Related research
Start/sit calls for players in this article
- Should I start Germie Bernard?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Woody Marks?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start David Montgomery?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Jonah Coleman?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Kendrick Bourne?This week's start/sit callOpen
- Should I start Pat Freiermuth?This week's start/sit callOpen
Tools for this week
- Waiver wire assistantBest pickups for your league this weekOpen
- Rest-of-season rankingsEvery position, updated weeklyOpen
- Start/sit toolGet a start/sit call for any player this weekOpen
- Strength of scheduleEasiest and hardest remaining schedules by positionOpen
