Fantasy Football Week 6 Quarterback and Tight End FAAB Bids: Sam Darnold, A.J. Barner, and More

Fantasy football affects our outlook on real football. Everyone has found themselves rooting for a player against their favorite team or even rooting against a guy on the hometown team because it's best for fantasy football; it's a hazard of the game.

When a breakout comes from someone on a neutral team, the first thought often becomes, “How can this guy help me in fantasy football?” That takes away from the analysis of the actual player and how he fits into the team, but it's the reality of 2025 when millions upon millions of people across the world are engaged in fantasy contests.

Let's look at some of the hottest quarterback and tight end names on the waiver wire heading into Week 6 and what reasonable FAAB bids might look like. Your roster needs and remaining budget might shift things a bit, but this is a good baseline to start from. All bids are based on a $100 budget.

Check out FantasySP's waiver wire tool to see the players being added most to fantasy rosters each week!

Quarterback

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold has looked very good to start the season. I was one of many who assumed that his performance would fall off when leaving the ecosystem of the Minnesota Vikings, but Darnold has looked better than any Minnesota QB, averaging nearly 250 passing yards per game on a phenomenal 9.3 per attempt with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

That all has Darnold sitting as QB14, a solid but unspectacular range that probably represents his most likely finish also. His main detriment is that Darnold doesn't run the ball: he has 38 rushing yards this season, all of which came on just three attempts.

There was a time in the recent past when a QB could be successful in fantasy without running, but so many guys rack up points with their legs now that those who only pass start at a major disadvantage. Only the quarterbacks with the highest volumes can sustain on throwing alone.

That leaves Darnold as a good streaming player. He's a fine guy to have on your roster and play in the right matchups, but he will never regularly be a top fantasy QB unless his volume takes a huge jump. Because of that, it's best not to spend too much FAAB money on him.

Conservative Bid: $0-1

Need Bid: $2-3

Desperation Bid: $4-6

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

After a fantastic rookie season, Stroud regressed badly last year, falling from fantasy QB11 in 2023 to QB18 last year despite playing two more games in 2024 (Stroud's per game fantasy numbers would have put him at QB6 in 2023 if he played all 17).

This year has been more of the negative side, especially early in the season. In the first three games, Stroud averaged just 200 passing yards per game on 6.7 per attempt, numbers that are a little below average. In the past two weeks, he has found his groove, bumping those numbers to 238.5 and 8.7, respectively.

Stroud has also thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in those games, ranking as QB4 over the span of Weeks 4 and 5. There's a real question as to whether he can keep it up because those games were against Tennessee and Baltimore, two below-average pass defenses.

Things will get tougher soon: after a Week 6 bye, Houston plays Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver, three teams that have all graded out above average in pass defense. On top of not having him next week because of the bye, Stroud won't be an attractive option for about another month, keeping him off my radar.

Conservative Bid: $0-1

Need Bid: $2

Desperation Bid: $3

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

I wish I had something better for you this week. A big part of waiver wire and FAAB analysis is finding those guys who are beginning to break out or have the chance coming soon. With our quarterbacks this week, though, I don't have any players I really want to recommend, just some guys who have had success and are deep options.

That often becomes the case at QB because only 10 to 12 guys are in fantasy lineups every week in most leagues, leaving plenty of free agents. That means we don't have to run out and grab every guy who shows any inclination of production because there will always be someone there to pick up.

Young was one of those low-level pickups last week, when he had a great matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Young threw for 198 yards on 30 attempts, just 6.6 per attempt, but he had a couple touchdowns and led his team to victory.

As much as you might want to hope that the former No. 1 overall pick can still find it, there's just too much information to the contrary. Young hasn't played a single game this season of even average football, with Week 2's contest in which he threw 55 passes to reach 328 yards and three touchdowns as the closest thing. This is a player to rely on only when you are at your greatest desperation.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Tight End

A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks

Barner just had the best game of his career with seven receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns. In the first four games this season combined, he had seven catches, 81 yards, and two touchdowns.

With four TDs, Barner has officially demanded that we take notice; he is TE5 in standard and TE10 in PPR. He probably will continue to work best as a standard player who has lower volume, but there's a reasonable need to consider Barner every week right now.

I still think his volume will be a little too low to sustain good performances, and when the touchdowns stop, his fantasy scores will stay low. Barner is still an intriguing player, especially if you are in a deep league, but I want to temper expectations just a bit.

Conservative Bid: $1-2

Need Bid: $3-4

Desperation Bid: $6

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Hill returned from IR to make his season debut in Week 5, throwing one pass for 19 yards and running six times for negative-one yard. Hill is a different type of player because most of his value at the tight end spot doesn't come from catching the ball; it's about everything else he does.

In the same way that running quarterbacks made waves in fantasy football, Hill is a running tight end. He runs (and throws) the ball like no one else at his position, something that makes him a valuable fantasy player because he can score points in so many ways.

After the weekly starters at TE, Hill fits in somewhere in that next group, worthy of fantasy consideration many weeks but also with a low floor, like he showed in Week 5. Anyone who doesn't have a good fantasy tight end can consider picking up Hill and riding through the good and the bad and will probably come out OK on the other side. There's a lot of risk, though, because those slow games are hard to predict.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1-3

Desperation Bid: $4-6

Theo Johnson, New York Giants, and Mason Taylor, New York Jets

I'll group the two young New York tight ends together because it's the same story. Both players have intrigue but also low floors in questionable passing games. They should be considered in the right situations, but neither is a must-start guy despite big games in Week 5.

Johnson scored a touchdown in Week 4, and he followed it up with two more on Sunday. His six catches were a career high, though they gained just 33 yards. It was a great fantasy week and phenomenal PPR week for Johnson. With Malik Nabers out for the year, there are targets to go around.

Taylor approached most of his season totals from the first month, catching nine of 12 targets for 67 yards this week. It was inefficient, but Taylor also had 13 combined targets in Weeks 3 and 4, so it's now three straight games in which he was involved in the offense. The rookie Taylor was seen as a potentially impactful receiver who needed time to develop, so we might see more of these flashes.

Alas, Johnson and Taylor both have questionable quarterbacks in Jaxson Dart and Justin Fields, respectively, and consistent production is unlikely. It's fine to consider either guy as a streamer when the matchup is right, but don't expect weekly production.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1-2

Desperation Bid: $3

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins

After two touchdowns in his debut, many were anxious to see how Waller would respond in Week 5 with a game under his belt and Tyreek Hill out injured. Waller caught five passes for 78 yards and another TD, playing more snaps than any other Miami tight end (around 60% total).

It was an easy matchup against the Panthers, but Waller has now been impactful in two straight games after more than a year away; we must believe in him as a fantasy streamer if nothing else.

Those owners without a solid tight end option will probably believe a little harder and see Waller as a potential weekly answer. I have some of the same optimism, though I'm trying to stay a little more reserved until we see games against better competition.

For now, Waller is at worst a streamer and at best a weekly starter. Next week's game against the Chargers is a tough one, so I probably won't be recommending him, but those owners with no other option will see him as a must-start player; I lean toward the conservative side of this bid while understanding those who are in desperation mode.

Conservative Bid: $2-3

Need Bid: $4-6

Desperation Bid: $8-11