INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 14: Troy Franklin #11 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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Fantasy football is nearing the midway point of the season, and it’s now or never for every competitor to add any advantage possible to their current squad.
So, whether you’re 5-0 or 0-5 (like I am in two leagues) the time is now to add to your roster and gain the leg up on your upcoming competitor. What better way to do that than hitting the weekly waiver wire and adding a potential hidden gem to your fantasy team.
Below are four waiver wire choices for Week 6 that can help your chances for a fantasy football victory.
QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (31% Rostered)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 05: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks throws a pass during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lumen Field on October 05, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Darnold enters Week 6 following his best performance of the young season where he posted season-highs in completions (28), pass attempts (34), passing yards (341) and touchdown tosses (4) in a 38-35 defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was Darnold’s third multi-touchdown passing game in five weeks, but by far his best fantasy point output of the year as he finished with 27.64 points on the afternoon.
Luckily for waiver wire fanatics, Darnold is only rostered in 31 percent of leagues as he enters a promising showdown against the opportunistic Jacksonville Jaguars defense. Jacksonville leads the league in takeaways, but they also surrendered consecutive 300-yard passing games to Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes.
Darnold has an opportunity to post equally promising numbers which heavily factors into him being the number one waiver wire add this week at the quarterback position.
RB Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (39% rostered)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 5: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals hands off the ball to Michael Carter #22 during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
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With Trey Benson on IR and Emari Demercardo arguably fumbling away his limited role versus the Tennessee Titans last week, Michael Carter has a one-way ticket towards nearly 100-percent usage in the Cardinals’ backfield.
Last week versus the Titans, Carter led the team’s backfield in carries (18), pass targets (five), receptions (five), rushing yards (51) and rushing touchdowns (1). The performance helped him finish with 18.3 fantasy points thanks to the touchdown and combined 23 offensive touches.
Next week’s matchup versus the Indianapolis Colts isn’t the most favorable for Carter, but his high usage rate spells an inevitable double-digit scoring output regardless of the opponent. He’s worth a waiver wire pickup and should be considered a quality flex option in your starting lineup.
WR Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (30% rostered)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 05: Troy Franklin #11 of the Denver Broncos makes a reception to score a two-point conversion against Kelee Ringo #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 05, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has been targeted at least five times in four of the team’s first five matchups further solidifying himself as Denver’s number two wide receiver according to target share. The team’s next opponent is a New York Jets secondary that ranks in the bottom-10 of the NFL in pass defense and allowed Cowboys reserve receiver Ryan Flournoy to collect six receptions for 124 yards on nine targets.
Denver’s top-wideout Courtland Sutton will likely draw Jets’ All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner throughout the matchup this Sunday which leaves Franklin to operate against the likes of Brandon Stephens and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Such matchups open the door for Franklin to have his best receiving performance since Week 2 where he posted eight catches and 89 yards with a touchdown while finishing with a 24-point fantasy outing versus the Colts.
As a potential flex option, Franklin would serve as an untapped gem that could pay big dividends by week’s end.
TE Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers (4% rostered)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 07: Jake Tonges #88 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the game at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Amanda Loman/Getty Images)
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While Tonges days of being a long-term tight end play are nearing the end with Niners George Kittle scheduled to return from IR, he’s still a quality waiver wire pickup for the team’s Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his last two outings, he caught a touchdown pass and even had a team-high eleven targets this past Thursday versus the Los Angeles Rams with the offense missing both Jajuan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
Tampa Bay allowed Seattle’s tight end A.J. Barner to grab two touchdowns and collect all seven of his pass targets. Even if Jennings and Pearsall return, Tonges has a great chance of being a red zone target hog and an inevitable safety valve for either Mac Jones or Brock Purdy. That spells a productive tight end day which could be a valuable waiver wire pickup for a positional needy team.