Week 6 Waivers
Injuries reshuffled three depth charts this weekend, and the managers who move first will get the volume. Here are five adds worth your claims before Week 6.
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Now, on to the picks…
WR: Germie Bernard (PIT)
3% rostered in ESPN leagues
With Michael Pittman sidelined and Roman Wilson dislocating a finger mid-game, the Steelers’ second-round rookie stepped into a full-time role and became the busiest receiver on the field.
Team-high usage in Week 5: led Pittsburgh with 9 targets, catching 6 for 80 yards
Every-down role: ran a route on 35 of 38 dropbacks and matched DK Metcalf snap for snap
Reliable hands: charted just four drops on 156 career catches at Alabama, and ran a 4.45 40 at the Combine
Bernard looks like Pittsburgh’s new WR2, working the short and intermediate areas Metcalf doesn’t, and a stretch of Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Cleveland gives him a real shot at flex value right away.
RB: Dameon Pierce (PHI)
2% rostered in ESPN leagues
Philadelphia’s backfield has been wiped out, and the guy who was on the practice squad five weeks ago is now the last man standing.
Depth chart wiped out: Saquon Barkley is week-to-week with a hamstring, Tank Bigsby is on IR, and Will Shipley left Week 5 with a foot sprain
Took over the snaps: handled 78% of the work after Shipley went down, while Carson Steele never touched the field
Coach’s backing: Nick Sirianni called him “an NFL starting running back” last week, and he has 1,104 scrimmage yards on his résumé from his 2022 rookie season
His 11-carry, 14-yard Week 5 was ugly, but Carolina has given at least 75 scrimmage yards to every starting back it has faced, and volume like this is hard to find on waivers.
TE: Brenton Strange (JAX)
27% rostered in ESPN leagues
Strange has quietly become Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target, and tight ends getting this many looks are rarely on waivers.
Back-to-back 7-catch games: caught 7 of 8 targets in each of Weeks 4 and 5, good for 14 receptions and 163 yards
Target leader: owns a team-high 26.2% target share over the last two weeks, mostly over the middle
Proven efficiency: ranked 8th among tight ends in yards per route run (1.81) and 6th in yards per target (9.0) in 2025
He had only seven catches in his first three games combined, so this is a real change in role, and in a contract year that leaves him on the TE1/TE2 border for a Week 6 date with Houston.
Up next: a backfield that just changed hands, and a second-year back who handled nearly every snap once it did.
RB: Woody Marks (HOU)
48% rostered in ESPN leagues
David Montgomery’s groin injury turned Marks into the Texans’ lead back, and head coach DeMeco Ryans has already said he’ll carry the load.
Full workload: played 56 of 65 snaps in Week 5 while no other Houston back got a touch, finishing with 15 carries for 62 yards plus 4-of-4 receiving for 23 yards
Three-down skill set: already owned third-down and two-minute work, backed by 261 career college receptions
Track record with volume: posted a 51.9% opportunity share as a rookie, with double-digit touches in six straight games
Efficiency has been a concern, and a London matchup with Jacksonville won’t be easy, but with Montgomery week-to-week and a 20-yard touchdown erased by a holding call last week, Marks should be one of the top RB claims this week.
WR: Kendrick Bourne (ARI)
1.7% rostered in ESPN leagues
With Marvin Harrison Jr. traded to Houston, Bourne has moved up to Arizona’s No. 2 perimeter receiver, and he played like it in Week 5.
Team-high yardage: caught 5 of 8 targets for 70 yards, with only Trey McBride (10) seeing more targets
Big-play routes: turned two post routes into 20-plus-yard gains, and Jacoby Brissett kept looking for him downfield
He’s done this before: caught all 8 of his targets for 75 yards in Week 1
Arizona plays from behind often enough to keep the targets coming, which makes Bourne a dependable FLEX option against the Rams and through the bye-week stretch.
That’s the list. Get your claims in early. Injuries and trades opened these roles, and they won’t stay open long.
-Joe
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