Woody Marks may have changed the shape of the Week 6 waiver wire in one Sunday. After David Montgomery left with a groin injury, Marks took over and turned 15 carries into 62 yards while catching all four of his targets for 23 yards, the kind of all-around workload fantasy managers chase when the running back pool thins out fast.
That is why the search for waiver wire week 6 picks is spiking now. Five Sundays of fantasy football are already in the books, injuries are piling up, and managers need help immediately, not next week. The best adds are the players who can step into touches right away, and Marks fits that description better than most because he was active in both phases of the offense once Montgomery left.
He is not the only name pulling attention. Brenton Strange sits among the useful tight end options, while Dameon Pierce has become the next man up in Philly with Saquon Barkley week to week because of a hamstring injury, Tank Bigsby on IR with a core injury, and Will Shipley potentially out multiple games with a plantar fascia tear. Elijah Sampson is also eligible to return from IR this week, which gives fantasy managers another rosterable option if they are looking beyond one-week streamers.
Zach Charbonnet belongs in the same conversation, even if the timing is different. He is another week closer to returning, rostered in less than 60% of leagues, and expected to step straight into a starting role for a good offense when he is back. That combination matters because the waiver wire is not just about replacing an injured starter; it is about finding the next player who can stay in lineups after the injury news fades.
That is also what makes Marks so interesting. If Montgomery’s groin issue keeps him out, Marks is the obvious beneficiary. If Montgomery comes back quickly, Marks may still have done enough to force a real split or keep a larger role than fantasy managers would have expected when Sunday began. For a waiver claim in Week 6, that kind of uncertainty is not a drawback. It is the reason to move first.
There are streaming names at quarterback, too, but the clearest edge this week is in the backfield market. Jordan Love has looked sharper over the past two games after a slow start, Aaron Rodgers has delivered steady fantasy production over three straight weeks, Kirk Cousins was efficient against the Patriots, and Jameis Winston has piled up touchdowns in back-to-back games. Even so, the player most likely to swing a roster spot by Tuesday is Marks, because injuries created the opening and his usage suggested he was ready for it. The next question is whether his role survives Montgomery’s return, or whether Week 6 has already made him more than a one-week fix.
