2025 NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 6: Add Michael Carter, Rico Dowdle, Mason Taylor ASAP

In the latest example of football's unpredictability, the Week 5 QB1 (C.J. Stroud), RB1 (Rico Dowdle) and TE1 (AJ Barner) in fantasy points are all widely available on waivers. If only we could see all these breakouts and late-week injury developments coming in advance. The big news from Sunday, for fantasy purposes, was the ankle injury suffered by Chargers RB Omarion Hampton. He's headed to injured reserve, which creates a huge opening in the Bolts' backfield. And don't forget, the Texans and Vikings are on bye this week.

Here are my suggestions for Week 6, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position.

The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.

And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:

QUARTERBACKS

Takeaways:

• Matthew Stafford has finished as the fantasy QB6 or better in consecutive weeks and now has perhaps the most ideal draw for a passer these days, which is a matchup with the Ravens’ turnstile defense. Baltimore has allowed 28 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs in the last two weeks and doesn't seem to know how to right the ship amid myriad injuries. Stafford is the most appealing of all streaming options at his position.
• We've seen a fairly safe floor from Sam Darnold over the past month. Darnold is averaging 19.1 fantasy points per game in the past four weeks, scoring no fewer than 15.8 in that span. He's the fantasy QB3 of Week 5 as of this writing, racking up 27.64 points against the Buccaneers, even though he threw one very costly INT.
• I know C.J. Stroud is on bye this week, but I like the trajectory he's on of late after a rough start to the season. Stroud has scored 18-plus fantasy points in each of his last two games, dropping 28.76 on the woeful Ravens in Week 5, and he has a favorable matchup against the Seahawks -- who are badly beaten up in the secondary right now -- when he returns from the bye in Week 7.
• Brock Purdy might need more time to recover from his toe injury, and the Niners have no reason to rush him back, given how Mac Jones is playing.

RUNNING BACKS

Takeaways:

• In Arizona's first full week without the services of James Conner and Trey Benson, we received a definitive answer on who the Cardinals view as their top running back. Michael Carter handled 72 percent of the carries by Arizona RBs, toting the rock 18 times. Now, he turned those opportunities into just 51 yards (2.8 per), but he did run for a TD and caught five passes against the Titans, making him the fantasy RB8 of Week 5 heading into Monday Night Football. With Conner out for the season and Benson on injured reserve, pick up Carter if you can.
• We don't yet know if Chuba Hubbard will return in Week 6, but backup Rico Dowdle ran for 206 yards on Sunday. When you cover two full fields against an NFL defense, even one as bad as the Dolphins', you deserve to be on more rosters. While Dowdle won't keep that pace, even if he gets another start for the injured Hubbard, I wouldn't call his Week 5 performance a fluke. He had one of the quieter 1,000-yard seasons in recent memory last season, posting 100-plus yards in four of the final six games. Now he gets a chance to stay hot against his former team, the Cowboys, who are not stout against the run.
• With Omarion Hampton out for at least the next four games, Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins will be very popular pickups on waivers this week. It's anyone's guess how Jim Harbaugh will divide the workload between the two backs -- they each played 14 snaps against the Commanders -- but the Chargers have a very inviting matchup against the Dolphins, who were gashed for 206 yards by Dowdle on Sunday. I like Vidal's upside more than that of Haskins, who averages 3 yards per carry for his career, but no one should be surprised if Harbaugh favors Haskins, his fellow Michigan Man.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Takeaways:

• It's getting a little frustrating waiting for Troy Franklin to have another big game, but I'm expecting the patience to pay off. He's still seeing a 19 percent target share and is averaging 10-plus FPPG. Also, he's tied for the seventh-most red-zone targets in the league. I would not give up on him heading into a matchup with the winless Jets in London.
• Folks might be similarly frustrated waiting for Josh Downs to deliver an eye-catching stat line. I'm optimistic because he's seeing a highly respectable 18.1 percent target share (targeted a team-high eight times against the Raiders). The air yards are not there for him, but his 10 catches in the last two games should have the attention of managers in PPR leagues. He's posted 11-plus fantasy points in two of the last four games.
• While he's not currently in my top five, Kendrick Bourne is a player who should at least be on your radar after he went off for 142 yards on 10 catches with Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings absent from the 49ers' win over the Rams. If Pearsall and Jennings are out again in Week 6, Bourne becomes a flex option worth considering.
• I can't tell you we should expect more outbursts from Ryan Flournoy, who nearly doubled his career receiving yardage with 114 against the Jets. That total -- along with being targeted nine times by Dak Prescott -- earns him a mention here this week, though.

TIGHT ENDS

Takeaways:

• Suddenly, the waiver wire is chock-full of enticing options at tight end, with Darren Waller's re-emergence looking very promising. He is now 2-for-2 this season in finishing the week as a top-five fantasy tight end. Buy now, if you still can.
• I know things are rough for the Jets, the only team still searching for its first win, but there's a lot to be excited about when it comes to rookie Mason Taylor. He ranks sixth among TEs in target share (18.9%) and is averaging 14.6 FPPG in the last two weeks, scoring 11-plus in both outings. He's on the fast track to becoming an every-week starter in fantasy.
• He hasn't gained more than 34 yards in a game this season, but Theo Johnson's newfound status as the Giants' go-to guy in the paint earns him a spot here. He has nine red-zone targets this season, tied for third-most in the league. Jaxson Dart has shown a lot of trust in him through his first two starts under center.
• AJ Barner has just 14 catches this season, but four of them have gone for TDs. Yes, he's tied for the league lead in TD catches among tight ends. That pace seems unsustainable, but no one can deny he's scored 10-plus fantasy points in three of the last four games. He should be more widely rostered.
• The Swiss Army knife of New Orleans is back, with Taysom Hill taking snaps at quarterback, running back and tight end in his 2025 debut. He saw just nine total offensive snaps, but he's coming off a long layoff and should get more involved in the weeks ahead. It was encouraging to see him run the ball six times and complete a 19-yard pass.

DEFENSES

Takeaways:

• Last we saw the Green Bay defense, it was being picked apart by the Cowboys in prime time. The Packers had one of the stingiest units in the league prior to that game, though, and I'm going to predict the bye week gave DC Jeff Hafley time to regroup. The Pack are set to host the Bengals, who have allowed a top-eight fantasy defense in each of the past three weeks. If the Packers can't bounce back against Jake Browning, who is consistently handing the ball over to the opposition, it might be time to panic. A lot of folks undoubtedly dropped the Green Bay D during last week's bye. Here's your chance to pounce.
• The Patriots have allowed just 18 real-life points per game in the past three weeks and have scored 9.5 FPPG in their last two contests. Now they face the Saints, Titans and Browns in the next three weeks. We saw more signs of life from those teams in Week 5, but still, it's not exactly a murderer's row awaiting New England during the rest of October. New England's defense is looking legit.
• It's been feast or famine with this Colts defense, but the feasts have been bountiful. They've scored 13 fantasy points or more in three of their five games (and six points combined in the other two contests). They'll face the Cardinals, Chargers and Titans in the next three weeks, with two of the games at home. That's a very manageable slate.