If you play fantasy football, you know that winning doesn’t happen at the draft. Here are our suggested Week 5 waiver wire pickups. Or, skip straight to the initial release of our model’s complete Week 5 projections and rankings.
The injuries continue to pile up, but now is not the time to throw in the towel. Opportunities are opening all around the league for players previously irrelevant in fantasy football and the waiver wire is awash with interesting potential pickups.
Rashee Rice will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Jonathan Taylor has a high ankle sprain and Malik Nabers could miss time with a concussion. That’s before we mention Anthony Richardson, Christian Watston and the rest.
The Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans will enjoy a bye week in Week 5. That means even more creativity is needed as you pick your team and peruse the waiver wire this week. With that in mind, here are the top options to consider as you’re submitting your waiver wire claims going into Week 5.
Week 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
Running Backs
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs made it clear in Week 4 that Kareem Hunt will be their primary running back in the absence of Isiah Pacheco. After Week 3, when Carson Steele was the main man in the backfield, Hunt had 14 carries in Week 4 compared to a combined seven for Steele and third running back Samaje Perine.
Hunt will be hoping to return to the form of his previous stint with the Chiefs, where he rushed for over 2,100 yards in two seasons. His experience playing with Patrick Mahomes and under Andy Reid was evident this week, as he was quickly integrated back into a key role in the offense after being elevated from the practice squad less than a week before Sunday.
While some fantasy managers may be concerned about Hunt’s age as a 29-year-old running back, he showed he can still be a physical back with his 2.07 yards per carry after contact against the Panthers, sixth best among RBs with at least 10 carries in Week 4. If he is available, he’s worth picking up in leagues of all sizes for the production he’ll offer during Pacheco’s lengthy absence.
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
After working behind Zack Moss in the Bengals backfield through the first three games of the season, Brown’s 15 carries in Week 4 matched Moss’ total. Brown’s 6.3 yards per carry compared to Moss’ 3.9 should mean Brown’s role will continue to increase.
Brown also saw the bulk of the Bengals’ red-zone work with three carries, two of which were touchdowns, compared to just one carry for Moss.
At this point in the season, Brown will only likely be available in eight or 10 team leagues, but all fantasy owners in need of RB help should work to acquire him given the opportunity. In larger leagues, depending on your backfield, it’s potentially worth moving Brown from the bench to the flex or RB2 position as he’s poised to take over the primary running back position for the Bengals.
Trey Sermon, Indianapolis Colts
If Jonathon Taylor misses time with his ankle injury, Trey Sermon will be a valuable waiver wire pickup and a legitimate option at the flex for the duration of Taylor’s absence. The Colts offensive line has allowed Taylor to pick up an average of 3.71 yards per carry before contact, fifth best among RBs with at least 15 carries, which should translate to success for Sermon.
In the limited opportunities he was given, Sermon showed he was a capable back last season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He averaged 2.4 yards per carry after contact, good for seventh among running backs with at least 20 carries in the 2023 season.
If Taylor doesn’t end up missing any games, Sermon’s value as a waiver pickup dissipates as the Colts have shown Taylor is the dominant back and have no interest in splitting his carries. However, given Taylor’s history with ankle issues, it’s likely that Sermon will be a valuable fantasy asset for the next few weeks.
Wide Receivers
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
Wicks led the Packers in targets in their Week 4 matchup against the Vikings, bringing his season total to 22 and equaling Packers presumed No. 1 wide receiver Jordan Reed. Wicks has been targeted on 29.7% of his routes and 33.3% of his red-zone routes, both highest on the Packers and top 10 in the NFL among receivers who have ran at least 40 routes and 10 red-zone routes.
Christian Watson’s ankle injury means fantasy owners should expect these numbers to increase as Wicks will move up the depth chart, running more routes and receiving more targets. His value should be more than a short-term rental as Jordan Love continues to get healthier, further increasing Wicks’ potential production beyond Watson’s absence.
If you are able to acquire the highly sought after Wicks, he should be valuable throughout the season and as a potential flex starter in Week 5 against a poor Rams pass defense.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Josh Downs showed he will be integral to the Colts offensive success for the foreseeable future with his eight-catch performance in Week 4 against a stout Steelers pass defense. The 5-foot-9 170-pound receiver showcased his playmaking ability, making many tacklers miss in his two games played this season. He has gained 54% of his yards after the catch, easing concerns about his relatively low 4.8-yard average depth of target.
You shouldn’t be concerned that Downs’ 35.9% target share, the second highest in the league, will significantly decrease with Anthony Richardson’s injury as Downs’ style of play should complement a Joe Flacco-led offense. Flacco will rely heavily on the short passing game with fewer deep passes and (likely zero) quarterback runs that are a key part of Richardson’s game.
In larger leagues, especially those with PPR scoring formats, fantasy managers should be investing in Downs’ stock as he should continue his strong start to his second season.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
As the 20th ranked wide receiver in PPR scoring formats, it’s shocking that Robinson isn’t already rostered in most fantasy leagues. Robinson’s 0.4 missed or broken tackles per touch, eighth best in the league, along with his high 31.7% target share make him worthy of a spot on fantasy rosters. Like Josh Downs, Robinson’s style of play as a high-volume slot receiver who makes tacklers miss can provide great depth on fantasy rosters.
If standout rookie receiver Malik Nabers has to miss time due to the concussion he suffered this past week, Robinson goes from a good depth pickup to a potential starter for Week 5 as he will be the Giants No. 1 receiver.
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Kraft ran a staggering 43 routes against the Vikings in his best game of the season. That was the most in the league for a tight end in Week 4. Kraft seems to have taken over the Packers primary tight end role from Luke Musgrave as he continues to develop in his second NFL season.
In weeks 1 and 4 when Jordan Love played, the Packers had 16 red-zone passing attempts, the most in the NFL. In the red zone during those two games, Kraft ran 14 routes and received four targets, both top of the NFL among tight ends. Kraft should see many more opportunities for touchdown receptions in the coming weeks, making him a key pickup in a complicated tight end fantasy landscape.
Be sure to check out our full Week 5 fantasy football projections and rankings and this week’s fantasy yays and nays, as well as our NFL, MLB, NBA, and college football coverage. And follow us on X, Instagram and Threads for more!