Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Best Pickups for Week 5

Unfortunately, Week 4 brought some serious injuries to important fantasy contributors.

Rashee Rice is likely finished for the season, and Jonathan Taylor could be on the shelf for a while.

We are also heading into our first bye week with the Lions, Titans, Eagles, and Chargers all getting Week 5 off.

Let’s look at those situations and every notable wavier wire pickup for Week 5.

As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.

The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in no more than 5% of ESPN leagues for all you “not in my league” degens.

I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because that decision comes down to too many factors including league size, team weaknesses, and the aggressiveness of the other managers in your league.

That said, I will try to clarify when there is a player I am going big on in FAAB bidding.

Also, FAAB Lab is a great, crowdsourced way to get a feel for how much a player will cost in FAAB bidding each week.

Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because frankly I don’t care about them and want them to disappear from the game.

With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.

Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Justin Fields
2. Geno Smith
3. Joe Flacco
4. Tua Tagovailoa (stash)

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Trey Sermon
2. Kareem Hunt
3. Alexander Mattison
4. Tank Bigsby
5. Roschon Johnson

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Dontayvion Wicks
2. Xavier Legette
3. Tre Tucker
4. Romeo Doubs
5. Wan'Dale Robinson
6. Josh Downs
7. JuJu Smith-Schuster
8. Ray-Ray McCloud

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Tucker Kraft
2. Cade Otton
3. Tyler Conklin
4. Colby Parkinson

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Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Justin Fields – Available in 65.9% of leagues

Fields has reached the point I was at with Sam Darnold last week, and this will be the last time he is in this column regardless of what happens to his roster percentage. As we saw last week, Fields has QB1 overall upside every week because of his rushing ability.

2. Geno Smith – Available in 70.9% of leagues

While it did not result in a win or even a great fantasy day thanks to only 1 touchdown, Smith was sharp against the Lions on Monday night and has averaged 337 yards per game over his last three starts. We need to see the touchdowns, but he will have a good chance to stack some against the Giants this week.

3. Joe Flacco – Available in 99.8% of leagues

It is certainly possible Anthony Richardson plays this week, but if he doesn’t, Flacco will be a very interesting streaming option. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns in relief of Richardson last week, and he averaged 323 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns in five starts with the Browns last season. The Jaguars have allowed the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season.

4. Tua Tagovailoa – Available in 65.9% of leagues

This is just a stash for 2QB leagues or teams struggling at quarterback, but Tagovailoa appears to be on track to return when first eligible in Week 8.

Watch List: Deshaun Watson is headed into what appears to be a good matchup, but that simply has not mattered for him to this point in the season. He has still yet to throw for more than 200 yards in a game, although a negated long play to Amari Cooper against the Raiders would have changed that…Trevor Lawrence is in a similar boat as Watson. The matchup looks great, but he has not produced enough to trust him in fantasy lineups…Andy Dalton gets a test this week in Chicago, and that is enough to keep him off my streaming list. Still, everything we have seen thus far has been positive…Tyler Huntley did not have a great game on Monday night, and as mentioned above it appears as if Tagovailoa will be back soon, but at least Huntley ran for 40 yards and a touchdown.

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Trey Sermon – Available in 99.2% of leagues

Kareem Hunt might be a better long-term add, but Sermon’s place atop the depth chart is more secure as long as Jonathan Taylor is out. The Colts have downplayed Taylor’s ankle injury, but any mention of high-ankle suggests at best a multi-week injury. Sermon is the only back other than Taylor to get a carry so far this season. The matchups against the Jaguars and Titans over the next two weeks are not great – the Jaguars rank sixth in yards per carry allowed per running back run while the Titans rank third – but Sermon should get a starter’s workload.

2. Kareem Hunt – Available in 78.6% of leagues

Carson Steele dominated the backfield work in Week 7 with 74% of the running back carries, but he coughed the ball up early against the Chargers, his second fumble of the season, and Hunt took over from there. While Samaje Perine did get the touchdown, Hunt had 67% of the running back carries in Week 4 and was targeted 3 times in the passing game. I was hesitant about Steele on the wire a couple of weeks ago because I expected this situation to be fluid, and I share those concerns with Hunt, especially since he is coming off a bad season with the Browns and Clyde Edwards–Helaire is expected to return this week. Still, Hunt is a veteran who the team quickly trusted to take over from Steele, which gives me a little more confidence in bidding this week.

3. Alexander Mattison – Available in 69.4% of leagues

Mattison needs to be added in most leagues because his coach flatly said he has earned more carries and there are enough fantasy teams that need running backs. Still, this could remain a frustrating situation even if Mattison takes on more of the early-down work. Through four weeks, Zamir White has handled 70% of the running back carries. How many of those will we see Mattison take? And can he be any more effective in those obvious running situations? The Raiders are currently dead last in ESPN’s run block win rate.

4. Tank Bigsby – Available in 93.6% of leagues

The weird injury situation for Travis Etienne allowed Bigsby to step in and play 35% of the snaps against the Texans. Etienne did return and still led the backfield in touches, but Bigsby turned his 7 carries into 90 yards. It was the second time this season we have seen Bigsby get a surprising carry share after he was given 12 attempts in Week 1, and it is fair to wonder what this backfield split would have looked like in Weeks 2 and 3 if Bigsby had not picked up an injury of his own.

5. Roschon Johnson – Available in 86.6% of leagues

I am not completely backing away from Johnson as a stash, but D’Andre Swift had a breakout game in Week 4 and handled 69.6% of the running back carries. Johnson did get 7 carries of his own and a touchdown, but it looks like he is stuck in that No. 2 spot on the depth chart for now.

Watch List: Blake Corum snap count tracker: 0, 8, 0, 0…Trey Benson got some garbage time work in Week 4, but he is still clearly behind James Conner and even Emari Demercado in the pecking order. That said, Conner misses games every season, and Benson will be the Arizona back you want when that happens…Tyler Badie unfortunately left Week 4 with a scary injury, opening up more room for Jaleel McLaughlin. Still, he is at best on the wrong side of a committee in a bad offense…Regardless of what happens on the rest of the depth chart, Samaje Perine looks locked into that secondary role…Kendre Miller should return to practice this week. Alvin Kamara has bounced back this season, so Miller is nothing more than a hopeful bench stash, but it is fair to wonder how long Kamara will stand up to 25 touches per game…Justice Hill’s usage is clearly going to be up and down based on game script and the game plan, but he should pop up for some usable games, especially in PPR formats…Emanuel Wilson may not be a real threat to Josh Jacobs’ spot atop the depth chart despite getting just 1 fewer carry in Week 4 – Jacobs did play a lot more snaps – but the situation is worth watching.

Deep Cuts: Clyde Edwards-Helaire is expected to return this week, and the fluid situation in Kansas City’s backfield could lead to him getting a couple of starts before Isiah Pacheco can return…He is not going to get 2 touchdowns many times, but Jeremy McNichols proved he can be a stand in if something happened to Brian Robinson Jr…Isaac Guerendo remains one of the higher upside handcuff stashes in the league.

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Dontayvion Wicks – Available in 90.5% of leagues

Wicks was a popular sleeper during draft season, but he ended up on a lot of waiver wires after catching 3 passes in the first three weeks of the season. That is going to change this week following the ankle injury to Christian Watson. With Watson out, Wicks ran a route on 86.3% of the pass plays in Week 4, turning 13 targets into 5 catches for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wicks has always produced when on the field, and it looks like he should get a full runout for at least a few weeks.

2. Xavier Legette – Available in 75% of leagues

Legette was an add for us last week because of his usage with Adam Thielen out of the lineup through the first three games, and we saw that play out in Week 4. Legette ran as many routes as Diontae Johnson and earned a 25% target share. He turned that work into a 6-66-1 receiving line. The Panthers are the perfect fantasy mix of bad defense and an offense that is at worst competent with Andy Dalton at quarterback. They face a tougher test this week in Chicago, but Legette will be a candidate to start as long as Thielen is out.

3. Tre Tucker – Available in 89.8% of leagues

Tucker has 15 targets over the last two weeks, and with Davante Adams out in Week 4, he earned 25% of the team targets and scored a rushing touchdown. With Adams the subject of trade rumors, Tucker could find himself in that No. 2 receiving spot moving forward. I still would bet on Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers to lead the Raiders in receiving without Adams, but Tucker has flashed the last two games.

4. Romeo Doubs – Available in 74.9% of leagues

I am more interested in Wicks, but I still think Doubs is being undersold. He is likely to run the most routes among the Green Bay receivers, and with Christian Watson out, he is the favorite to lead the team in end zone targets. Doubs might not consistently put up big games, but he does have a 2 touchdown outing in his range of outcomes.

5. Wan’Dale Robinson – Available in 72.9% of leagues

Robinson would be higher on this list if Malik Nabers was certain to miss Week 5, but the mini-bye after a Thursday night game gives Nabers a good chance to return this week. Even so, Robinson has proven to be a valuable asset in PPR formats, averaging 10 targets a game even with Nabers active this season. He is only averaging 7.5 yards per catch thanks to 4.7 air yards per target, but those target totals will do in PPR leagues.

6. Josh Downs – Available in 91.2% of leagues

I am going to be considerably less interested in Downs if Anthony Richardson plays this week. Downs caught 7 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown with Joe Flacco in the game in Week 4, and he was targeted on 38.1% of his routes. The numbers were not as good last season, but he did see a target bump with Gardner Minshew at quarterback.

7. JuJu Smith-Schuster – Available in 99.3% of leagues

Smith-Schuster is on this list because he is the most likely guy on the wire to replicate the role Rashee Rice was playing in the Chiefs offense, but the reality is those targets are more likely to go to Travis Kelce – as they did in Week 4 – or perhaps Xavier Worthy in an expanded role. We also still don’t know how much time Rice will miss. While the injury originally looked like a season-ending torn ACL, there has been some optimism early this week that the injury is not as serious. We could also see the Chiefs trade for someone – please Davante Adams. Put that all together, and Smith-Schuster is a target for teams in need of receiver help, but he is not someone to unload the FAAB budget for.

8. Ray-Ray McCloud – Available in 96.5% of leagues

McCloud is third on the Falcons in targets this season – RIP Kyle Pitts – and just continues to get catches. He is probably only a factor in deep PPR formats, but he has returned consistent value in those types of leagues.

Watch List: I did not have DeMario Douglas as an add last week because the Patriots' target tree has been so fluid, and we saw that pop up against the 49ers. With Kendrick Bourne expected to return this week, things could get even more crowded…Alec Pierce was already living on long plays with low target volume, and now Josh Downs is back in the mix…With Jake Ferguson back, I am not sure if Brandin Cooks or Jalen Tolbert will get enough weekly targets to be fantasy viable in standard-sized leagues…With Tee Higgins fully back, it will be tough for Andrei Iosivas to earn enough targets…Tyler Johnson fell to fourth on the receiver depth chart, running just 4 routes in Week 4. Tutu Atwell, though, continues to see a decent target share…Trey McBride is likely back this week, which puts a damper on Michael Wilson’s long-term upside, but he is second on the team with 16 targets over the last two games, turning those looks into 11 catches for 102 yards.

Deep Cuts: I am more interested in Xavier Legette, but Jonathan Mingo is also going to run a lot of routes with Adam Thielen sidelined…I am not going to claim victory on Jordan Whittington over Tyler Johnson a couple of weeks ago because it is not like Whittington has done a ton, but he is tied for second on the team in targets over the last two games…I don’t want to be hurt again, but I do have some interest in Skyy Moore in deeper leagues with Rashee Rice set to miss some time…It is not as big of a deal now with the 49ers getting healthy at receiver, but Ricky Pearsall is eligible to return from the reserve list this week…Darius Slayton was suddenly linked with a trade by seemingly every beat writer in New York, suggesting there is some fire to that smoke. Slayton leaving could open up some snaps for Jalin Hyatt…Olamide Zaccheaus finished with 6 targets and had a big game, but Noah Brown worked as the No. 2 receiver in Week 4…Sterling Shepard could play a lot of snaps this week with both Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer looking unlikely to suit up on a short week.

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 5

1. Tucker Kraft – Available in 95.5% of leagues

I have been recommending Kraft as a stash as we waited for Jordan Love to return, and he paid off that faith with a 6-53-1 outing in Week 4. That good game came about because the Packers threw 54 times in comeback mode, which I don’t expect most weeks, and Kraft ended up with 9 targets, which again probably is not going to happen most weeks. Still, Kraft has established himself as the No. 1 tight end in Green Bay – 82.4% route rate with Love in the game compared to 26.4% for Luke Musgrave – and he has proven to be dynamic with the ball in his hands. Kraft is first in yards after catch per reception among qualified tight ends since the start of the 2022 season. I want to hold Mark Andrews where possible, but I would consider swapping him for Kraft at this point.

2. Cade Otton – Available in 93.8% of leagues

The owner of a career 9.2 yards per catch average, Otton is about as low upside from a yardage perspective as it gets, but he does have the same number of targets as Mike Evans over the last two weeks. He also has 3 targets in goal-to-go situations this season, again the same number as Evans and just one fewer than Chris Godwin.

3. Tyler Conklin – Available in 64.3% of leagues

I am not happy about this either, but Conklin did get another 8 targets against the Broncos. It just so happens the Jets offense could not move the football in that matchup. That could be a problem again this week against the Vikings in London, but it is tough in these tight end streets.

4. Colby Parkinson – Available in 65.8% of leagues

Much like Conklin above, it has not been pretty, but Parkinson is at least running routes and getting targets. He was second on the Rams with 7 against the Bears. The Packers have allowed 7.4 yards per target to tight ends this season, which is in the bottom half of the league.

Watch List: Hunter Henry has an 8-catch game surrounded by three 2-catch games this season…Noah Fant came back to earth on Monday night while losing some targets to AJ Barner and Pharaoh Brown, although he appeared to leave the game injured at one point which likely played a role in that…As the Chiefs look to replace Rashee Rice, Noah Gray did see his route rate spike a little with Rice off the field. That might not be enough to return consistent fantasy value, but it is worth watching given the state of the position…Now that Tucker Kraft is firmly in the starting conversation, our attention can turn to Erick All and Ja’Tavion Sanders as young tight ends whose route rates are worth monitoring. We have seen All take a step forward in the past two games, and Sanders earned 2 targets in Week 4. Both are still playing behind veterans, but we will keep an eye on them.