Week 5 on the 2026 NFL schedule is nearly done, and fantasy football managers can start looking toward Week 6. After a two-team bye week in Week 5, we have four teams idle in Week 6 (Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins).
Here are eight must-adds from the Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: 8 Must-Adds for Week 6
Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
The Week 1 edition of David Montgomery has become a distant memory now. While the snap shares have been pretty much 50-50, Marks had been eating into his opportunity share in the weeks since, highlighted by rushing scores in Week 3 and Week 4. Montgomery’s groin injury in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans kicked the door all the way open for the second-year man, as Marks finished the game with 85 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches.
Week 6 brings a very tough matchup for Marks, as the Jacksonville Jaguars have yet to allow 40 yards to an individual rusher this season. But if he has the Texans’ RB1 role to himself, what Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown did as a pass catcher against Jacksonville in Week 4 (10 receptions for 71 yards, on 11 targets) is a potential path to production for Marks.
Even if Montgomery doesn’t miss time, Marks has been the better back lately, and the workload in the Texans’ backfield could start shifting toward him. The USC product needs to be added in any league where he’s available.
**ESPN Ownership: 48.1%
Yahoo! Ownership: 53%**
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (4) breaks for a first down during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strange had 68 yards on a team-high seven catches against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. After a fairly slow start to the season, he has seven receptions on eight targets for more than 65 yards in back-to-back games. In three of five games overall thus far, he has a touchdown or at least 68 yards.
Week 6 against the Houston Texans looks like a fairly tough matchup for Strange. But a closer look shows two of the three, let’s call them “name-brand” tight ends they’ve faced (Dalton Kincaid in Week 1; Tyler Warren in Week 3), have done quite well against them. Strange might not quite be in Warren’s tier as a fantasy tight end, but he is certainly in Kincaid’s neighborhood if his recent usage level continues.
Strange has a bye in Week 7, so be aware of that. Otherwise, he’s a potential TE1 from here on out this season who should be rostered in 12-team leagues.
**ESPN Ownership: 27.2%
Yahoo! Ownership: 32%**
Oct 11, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen (2) during the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Germie Bernard, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
With Michael Pittman (foot) on IR and Roman Wilson (finger) exiting Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, opportunity knocked for Bernard, and the rookie answered with six catches (on nine targets) for 80 yards. The Steelers also lost wide receiver Ben Skowronek to a calf injury during the game, which left practice squader Brandon Smith as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver after DK Metcalf and Bernard.
With Pittman out at least three more games, and health questions around Wilson and Skowronek until shown otherwise, Bernard has a path to a prominent role in the short term. Proving himself worthy of a bigger role over the rest of the season also isn’t out of the question. With Metcalf drawing the opposition’s top cover corner, if not extra attention in terms of help/double coverage, Bernard is now on the list of potential beneficiaries, and it’s easy to bypass the fact that he had eight targets back in Week 2.
Bernard definitely has some potential boom-bust to him. But in leagues with at least 12 teams, along the WR3 or flex line with some tilt toward PPR, he’s a worthy waiver add heading into Week 6.
ESPN Ownership: 3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 1%
Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety AJ Haulcy (25) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard (17) in the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rodgers went 22-for-31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. An 80-yard touchdown to running back Jaylen Warren that was mostly catch-and-run skews things, but the future Hall of Famer has three touchdown passes and at least 22 fantasy points (Yahoo! scoring) in three straight games.
Things are lined up to be tougher for Rodgers in Week 6 against a blitz-heavy Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense. But Tampa Bay has allowed multiple passing touchdowns or over 300 yards through the air in three of its last four games, and Rodgers is clearly prioritizing getting the ball out of his hands quickly at this stage of his career.
On either side of a Week 9 bye, all the way through Week 16, Rodgers has two matchups where, if needed, it might be especially difficult to put him in a fantasy lineup (Denver Broncos-Week 12; Jacksonville Jaguars-Week 14). As streamer/bye week fill-ins go, there are few better-looking options out there, and he is an absolute must-add in two-quarterback/superflex leagues.
ESPN Ownership: 19.3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 27%
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Tennessee Titans
Robinson’s streak with a touchdown ended at two games, but he had six receptions (on seven targets) for a team-high 53 yards against the Houston Texans in Week 5. He has at least 11 fantasy points (full PPR) in three straight games, with at least five targets in four of five games this season and at least six catches in two of the last three.
The 0-5 Titans, for better or worse, given how poorly quarterback Cam Ward is playing, are set to be in negative game scripts on virtually a weekly basis. So there is production to be had, boosted by a schedule that looks favorable basically from here on out this season.
A Week 2 dud (one catch for nine yards) led to a lot of fantasy managers who drafted Robinson dropping him. His ownership rates have not rebounded fully, surely due to his team situation, but with bye weeks in play, his positive trend has to be noted.
Over 50 percent rostered in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues, Robinson stretches beyond the general threshold to be a waiver wire must-add. But there can always be exceptions, and especially in PPR formats, it’s worth checking on his availability.
ESPN Ownership: 62.4%
Yahoo! Ownership: 52%
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Wan’dale Robinson (4) pulls down a pass around Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 11, 202
Marshawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers turned the three-man backfield they had been using, in the absence of Josh Jacobs, into a two-man show in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. Pierre Strong was swapped in off the practice squad to replace the IR-bound Chris Brooks as the passing down back, but, as noted by Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, Kaleb Johnson did not see any offensive snaps until garbage time of a 31-7 win for Green Bay.
That left Lloyd as the early-down back against the Bears, and he had 10 carries for 31 yards with two touchdowns, along with one catch for six yards.
Week 6 results aside, there is not an overly daunting run defense among Green Bay’s next four opponents (Dallas Cowboys-Week 6, Detroit Lions-Week 7, Carolina Panthers-Week 8, and New England Patriots-Week 9). Lloyd has also shown some passing game chops, with a receiving touchdown in Week 2 and five catches in Week 4. So if he ever got a larger share of the work…
Lloyd’s fantasy upside is capped as long as he’s sharing work like he is. But to help navigate bye weeks, assuming Jacobs remains unavailable and with the Packers having a later one (Week 11), there’s some “flex appeal” here in leagues with at least 12 teams. Lloyd is rostered in more than half of Yahoo! leagues, but he’s available enough that it’s worth checking on his availability there.
ESPN Ownership: 48.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 60%
Oct 11, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Marshawn Lloyd (32) rushes for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during their football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Wm. Glasheen USAToday Network via IMAGN images
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
With Chase Brown on the struggle bus again (13 carries for 39 yards), Perine saw season-highs in snaps (33) and snap share (51.6 percent) in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. That included, per Pro Football Focus, rotating in for Brown earlier in the game and on earlier downs.
Perine also looked like the better of the two Bengals’ backs against Miami, with 68 yards on 14 carries while also adding a receiving touchdown. Over the first four games this season, he had 13 carries.
If he can maintain the kind of role he had against the Dolphins after the Bengals’ bye week, with some accounting for the quality of opponent and the Bengals having an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Perine will become an interesting fantasy asset. Even at that highly speculative level, he’s worth a look in deeper leagues.
ESPN Ownership: 6.5%
Yahoo! Ownership: 3%
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine (34) runs the ball in the second quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles’ running back depth chart is starting to resemble a M.A.S.H. unit. Saquon Barkley (hamstring) missed Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tank Bigsby (core muscle surgery) was placed on IR after being injured in Week 4. The new No. 1 running back, Will Shipley, suffered a foot injury against the Jaguars and did not return.
Pierce took over as the lead back, as practice squad elevation Carson Steele did not play an offensive snap or get a touch. The production was dismal, 11 carries for 14 yards and two catches for minus-two yards, but the headline is 16 opportunities (11 carries and five targets).
Barkley has been regarded as “week-to-week” according to some reports, so he could return in Week 6 in a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers. But there has to be doubt about his availability as Week 6 waivers approach, not to mention left two of the first four games this season very early and was unable to return,
With nice matchups coming in Week 6 (as mentioned) and Week 7 ( Dallas Cowboys), and the prospect of a notable role, Pierce is worth a look in deeper leagues. At minimum, he might be the new handcuff to Barkley for multiple weeks. It seems like it was longer ago than 2022, but Pierce had over 1,100 yards from scrimmage that year as a rookie with the Houston Texans.
ESPN Ownership: 2.4%
Yahoo! Ownership: 2%
American Football – NFL – Philadelphia Eagles v Jacksonville Jaguars – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain – October 11, 2026 Philadelphia Eagles’ Dameon Pierce in action with Jacksonville Jaguars’ Dennis Gardeck Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
The Last Word
A ranking of these waiver wire must-adds for Week 6, knowing what we know on Sunday night, should look like this:
1. Marks
2. Robinson
3. Strange
4. Rodgers
5. Bernard
6. Lloyd
7. Perine
8. Pierce
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