If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out. Let’s get to it with our Week 6 waiver wire pickups.

The Week 6 waiver wire is open for business, folks. 

Making sense of the RB position has been a royal pain this season. Here are some ball carriers you should consider as you lock in your Week 6 waiver wire claims. 

Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups | RBs

Tank Bigsby (RB – JAC)

ESPN | 10%

Yahoo | 23%

High hopes for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 have faded quickly, with the team sitting at 1-4 and in last place in the AFC South through five weeks. Poor quarterback play from Trevor Lawrence and lack of defensive acumen have certainly been significant parts of the disappointment, but the lack of production in the RB room hasn’t helped. 

Third-year RB Travis Etienne, coming off a season where he finished as the overall PPR RB3, has been less-than-stellar. Sitting at PPR RB26, Etienne turned in another “meh” performance, logging 60 yards between six carries and six catches.

Fellow RB Tank Bigsby, in his second NFL season, has shined in the Jaguars’ running game this season. Bigsby is averaging eight yards per carry in four games. This past week, while Etienne struggled to find footing, Bigsby turned 13 carries into 101 rushing yards and two TDs. During the season, Bigsby leads the team in rushing yards (272) with 28 fewer attempts (34) than Etienne (52).

The shift in volume in the Jacksonville backfield is becoming clear. Bigsby is primed to become the lead back, with Etienne clearly not right. He won’t be cheap on your waiver wire, but getting him on your squad can only help your fantasy football teams. Look to spend five to seven percent of your remaining free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) to get him rostered. 

Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI)

ESPN | 11%

Yahoo! | 20%

If you’re surprised by the emergence of second-year RB Roschon Johnson in Chicago, you shouldn’t be. 

The offseason signing of free-agent RB D’Andre Swift was one of those “look, shiny!” moments that had the fantasy and NFL communities twitterpated. Swift’s talent is undeniable, and his big-play ability is hard to ignore. However, one thing we know he doesn’t do well is run between the tackles or inside the five-yard line.

Enter Johnson. 

What Swift doesn’t – or can’t – do, Roschon does. He’s a 6-foot, 225-pound bowling ball that can get short-yardage gains and the ball across the goalline when needed. While Swift leads the team’s RBs in red zone opportunities – 52.2 percent of the team’s total carries – through five games, Johnson has three carries for three yards and three TDs in the last two weeks. Swift has four carries for five yards and one touchdown in that same span. 

Remember Jamaal Williams and his 17-touchdown effort in 2022? D’Andre Swift was the 1A RB on that Detroit Lions team. While he only played in 14 games that season, he still finished as the PPR RB20 without needing the goalline production. 

Both Johnson and Swift can be relevant to fantasy football. 

Johnson likely isn’t going to produce a ridiculous double-digit touchdown season like Williams did in 2022. However, he gives you a potential touchdown upside every week and can be a viable option in the passing game for QB Caleb Williams. Get in on Roschon before the price becomes prohibitive, or he’s off the wire for good. I’d be willing to part with five to seven percent of your remaining FAAB budget to get Johnson rostered.  

Jaylen Wright (RB – MIA)

ESPN | 8%

Yahoo! | 8%

Injuries keep stacking up in the Miami RB room. Week 5 saw second-year back De’Von Achane go down with a concussion. Rookie RB Jaylen Wright stepped in alongside veteran Raheem Mostert, logging 8.6 PPR fantasy points. If Achane or Mostert miss any time, Wright becomes a valuable bench piece and flex option for your fantasy football teams.

Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)

ESPN | 18%

Yahoo! | 23%

Devin Singletary is the RB1 in New York, but rookie Tyrone Tracy is quickly gaining traction. In the absence of Singletary (groin) in Week 5, Tracy locked in for 18 carries, gaining 129 rushing yards. While he didn’t find the endzone, Tracy’s output topped Singletary’s best effort on the season (16 carries for 95 yards and a TD in Week 2). Should Singletary miss more time, Tracy is a viable spot-start option in most fantasy football formats.

Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)

ESPN | 34%

Yahoo! | 26%

You won’t hear anyone argue that Falcons RB Bijan Robinson is an elite talent. That doesn’t mean fellow Falcons RBV Tyler Algeier can’t also be fantasy-relevant. He’s seen at least six carries in all but one game and has been drawing targets from QB Kirk Cousins the last two weeks, hauling in all five targets for 43 yards. Yes, Robinson is THE GUY in Atlanta, but Allgeier will get his, too. He isn’t a reliable weekly start but a solid handcuff with week-to-week situational value in fantasy football.

Tyler Goodson (RB – IND) 

ESPN | 4%

Yahoo! | 1%

With RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) missing Week 5, the Clots went with a combination of RBs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson. While Sermon was the clear RB1 of the tandem, Goodson locked in some receiving work and earned five carries. Taylor’s injury doesn’t appear severe and won’t cause him to miss much time. However, this Indianapolis offense is a mystery, and Goodson could be worth a wait-and-see addition in deeper leagues. 

Nate Polvogt is a Co-Founder and the lead senior analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Nate on X (formerly Twitter) @NatePolvogt and on Optimus Fantasy.