We’re over a quarter of the way through the season, and bye weeks are here. The Chiefs and Panthers took Week 5 off, and as we head into Week 6, four teams are scheduled to rest. The Lions, Bengals, Dolphins, and Vikings will be on your bench this week. Let’s figure out who you can add to fill the gap.
Quarterback
Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers - $10-$20 FAAB
Jordan Love needs to be rostered. This Packers offense looks legit. He has the weapons, and now the offensive line is giving him time to use them. Last season against the Cowboys, Jordan Love threw for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns, and if that’s not enough for you, they get the Lions in Week 7, who have given up the most points to the quarterback position this season.
Kirk Cousins - Las Vegas Raiders - $5-$10 FAAB
Although the Raiders lost to the Patriots by a large margin, Cousins was not the reason for the loss in Week 5. The Raiders struggled to run the ball against New England, only totaling 38 rushing yards. Kirko Chains has finished as QB12 or better in 3 of 5 games in 2026. Week 6, they’ll take on the Buffalo Bills in Las Vegas. Buffalo has given up nearly 27 points per game through the first four weeks. I expect the Raiders offense to be competitive at home against the high-powered Bills offense, and Cousins to finish inside the top 12 at the position again.
Aaron Rodgers - Pittsburgh Steelers - $5-$10 FAAB
The 42-year-old quarterback has been impressive over the last three games. finishing as QB8, QB3 and QB 10. Whether Mike McCarthy is calling the plays or Rodgers is yelling to get them in his helmet, it’s working for this offense. The Steelers have thrown the ball 30 times or more in every game so far this season, with 39 or more attempts in 3 of their first 5 games. If the Steelers continue to rely on Rodgers’ arm in his final year, he’s worth a start.
Running Backs
As we enter bye season, the running back market gets ugly. Week 6 is a harsh reminder that bye weeks can make setting your lineup a challenging task. The waiver options are tough this week.
Woody Marks - Houston Texans - $2-$10 FAAB
Houston Texans starting running back David Montgomery is currently listed as week-to-week after suffering a groin injury. In his place, Woody Marks takes another crack at the starting role for the Texans. Marks has been a passing-down complement to Montgomery to start the season and hasn’t been worth starting in 2026. If Montgomery misses Week 6 and you’re desperate for a waiver wire running back to start, Marks could get you the 8-12 points you need to seal a victory.
Dameon Pierce - Philadelphia Eagles - $2-$5 FAAB
The Eagles are falling apart. The foundation for this team has been their offensive line for the last 10 years, and that foundation has disintegrated. This comes with obvious risk. Pierce is now the fourth running back this offense has put on the field. Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley have all stood behind this line and are now on the injury report. All of this negativity might steer your leaguemates away from him in Week 6, but the Carolina Panthers’ defense has been pretty bad this year. In their four games, they have given up an average of over 150 rushing yards and 27 points per game. If Pierce can find his way into the end zone against the Panthers, he could be a solid RB2 option for your roster.
Honorable Mentions
Brian Robinson Jr. has been heavily involved for the Atlanta Falcons. If Bijan misses any time, Brian Robinson would be an immediate start. Before the season began, Josh Jacobs was rumored to miss 6-8 games. If he’s out there, now is the time to add him to your team if he’s available.
Wide Receiver
Keon Coleman - Buffalo Bills - $5-$10 FAAB
Keon Coleman was all over the place for the Bills on MNF. Multiple big plays and touchdowns were called back due to penalties for Keon Coleman this week. If you can add him to your roster, there should be solid production in the weeks to come.
Ryan Flournoy - Dallas Cowboys - $2-$5 FAAB
The Cowboys’ third wide receiver has seen steady targets early this season. With right around 5 targets per game, Flournoy was only averaging about 20 yards per game before this week, but the 90 yards this week against Tampa Bay could translate to more opportunities during the rest of the season in this high-powered Cowboys offense.
Honorable Mentions
Efton Chism for the New England Patriots had a lot of hype coming out of college, and played well this week. If you’re in a deeper league, Chism might be worth a stash.
Tight End
Pat Freiermuth - Pittsburgh Steelers - $2-$5 FAAB
As I mentioned above with Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are throwing the ball like madmen, and Freiermuth has benefited from that high pass volume. Freiermuth has averaged over 12 points on 5 targets per game this season. Depending on your platform, Freiermuth is either 20% owned or 80% owned. If he’s still out there, he’s a great streaming option if you’re missing Sam LaPorta in Week 6.
A Word of Advice
During the NFL Fantasy season, your leaguemates sometimes make foolish decisions. Maybe AJ Brown got dropped because he’s on IR, maybe someone gave up on holding Josh Jacobs, maybe someone panic-dropped Colston Loveland or Drake Maye. You need to be aware of who your leaguemates are dropping and taking advantage of their mistakes.
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