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Fantasy Football Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings<\/p>\n
Write-ups on some of the best waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 5<\/p>\n
Emanuel Wilson, RB (SEA)<\/p>\n
Rostered: 49%<\/p>\n
Emanuel Wilson<\/a> is my favorite running back addition of the week after Seattle finally gave him an opportunity to control the backfield. With Jadarian Price<\/a> on injured reserve and Zach Charbonnet<\/a> unavailable, Wilson handled 21 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown while catching three of four targets for another 39 yards and a score. That\u2019s 120 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 24 touches, with Wilson accounting for 75% of the touches between himself and George Holani<\/a>. Holani finished with seven carries and one reception, primarily working behind Wilson while mixing into passing situations.<\/p>\n This also wasn\u2019t Wilson\u2019s first productive game when given volume. He rushed for 92 yards on 21 carries in Week 2 and has now handled 51 carries over his past three games. I\u2019m not treating him like he permanently owns Seattle\u2019s backfield because Charbonnet has returned to practice and Price can eventually return from injured reserve. That\u2019s the risk here. But I\u2019m also not passing on a running back who just handled 24 touches in one of the league\u2019s better offensive environments because another player could eventually return. Wilson showed us Seattle is comfortable using him as its early-down workhorse, and the receiving involvement was an unexpected bonus. As long as Charbonnet remains unavailable or limited, Wilson has legitimate weekly starting upside.<\/p>\n Jacoby Brissett, QB (ARI)<\/p>\n Rostered: 13%<\/p>\n Jacoby Brissett<\/a> isn\u2019t going to be the most exciting quarterback on waivers, but the volume Arizona has been giving him makes him interesting for managers streaming the position. Brissett completed 21 of 35 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants<\/a> in Week 4 while adding 18 rushing yards. The three interceptions obviously hurt, but we\u2019ve already seen considerably more ceiling from him this season. One week earlier against San Francisco, Brissett completed 38 of 52 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns while adding another rushing score.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what interests me more than the ugly Week 4 efficiency. Brissett has attempted at least 35 passes in three of Arizona\u2019s four games, including 52 attempts in Week 3, and this offense has enough receiving talent to turn that volume into useful fantasy production. Michael Wilson<\/a> has commanded 30 targets over the past two games, while Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride<\/a> give Brissett additional weapons. He\u2019s still going to have games like Sunday where the turnovers make him difficult to trust, so I\u2019m not treating him as an every-week QB1. But if you\u2019re streaming quarterback or need a replacement during the upcoming bye weeks, the combination of passing volume and occasional rushing production gives Brissett a usable fantasy ceiling.<\/p>\n Will Shipley, RB (PHI)<\/p>\n Rostered: 1%<\/p>\n Will Shipley<\/a> is one of the most important speculative additions of Week 5 because Philadelphia\u2019s backfield could look completely different by Sunday. Saquon Barkley<\/a> injured his hamstring on the second series against Los Angeles and didn\u2019t return, leaving Tank Bigsby<\/a> and Shipley to handle the remaining backfield work. Bigsby handled most of the rushing volume with 14 carries for 55 yards, while Shipley finished with six carries for 23 yards. Both backs remained involved after Barkley\u2019s departure rather than Philadelphia simply handing every backfield snap to Bigsby.<\/p>\n Then Bigsby left late with an injury of his own. That\u2019s especially important because he entered Week 4 already dealing with an abdomen issue. We still need the practice reports before projecting exactly what Philadelphia\u2019s backfield will look like, and Barkley was seen walking normally after the game, so I\u2019m not assuming either player will definitely miss Week 5. But that\u2019s exactly why Shipley belongs on the waiver radar now. If Barkley sits and Bigsby is limited or unavailable, Shipley could go from six carries to suddenly handling a significant portion of one of the NFL\u2019s most valuable backfields. Even if Bigsby plays, Shipley should remain involved if Barkley is unavailable. I\u2019m adding him now rather than waiting for the injury report to potentially make his opportunity obvious.<\/p>\n Keon Coleman, WR (BUF)<\/p>\n Rostered: 4%<\/p>\n Keon Coleman<\/a> finally gave us the type of breakout performance we\u2019ve been waiting for, catching six of seven targets for 116 yards and a touchdown against New England. He entered Week 4 with only 101 receiving yards through three games, meaning Coleman more than doubled his season receiving total in one afternoon. The timing couldn\u2019t have been better for his fantasy value either, with DJ Moore<\/a> aggravating his pre-existing shoulder injury and leaving the game.<\/p>\n Moore\u2019s injury is what makes this more than simply chasing one big box score. Buffalo has rotated its receivers enough through the first month that projecting consistent weekly volume has been difficult, but removing Moore from that rotation would immediately create more routes and targets. Coleman has the size and downfield ability to create fantasy production without needing 10 targets every week, and now we have evidence he can capitalize when the volume increases. I\u2019m not automatically treating one breakout as proof Coleman has become an every-week fantasy starter. What I\u2019m betting on is the possibility that Week 4 becomes the beginning of a larger role, especially if Moore misses time. Coleman should be rostered while we find out.<\/p>\n Antonio Williams, WR (WAS)<\/p>\n Rostered: 6%<\/p>\n Antonio Williams<\/a> is considerably more interesting to me after what happened with Washington\u2019s receiver room in Week 4. He caught only three passes for 21 yards, so there isn\u2019t much in the box score that\u2019s going to attract fantasy managers. The eight targets are the reason I\u2019m paying attention. Williams entered the week with only 11 targets all season and then nearly matched that total in one afternoon, finishing second on Washington in targets behind Stefon Diggs<\/a>\u2019 nine.<\/p>\n That\u2019s exactly the type of waiver player I\u2019m willing to get ahead of rather than waiting for the breakout game. Williams has nine receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown through four weeks, and his season-long snap share remains relatively low because he hasn\u2019t been a full-time receiver. That obviously creates risk. But eight targets show us there is a path toward considerably more involvement if Washington continues needing him. I\u2019m not putting Williams directly into starting lineups based on three catches for 21 yards. He\u2019s a stash where we\u2019re betting on the opportunity continuing to expand. If the snaps and routes follow the Week 4 target increase, he could become much more expensive on waivers a week from now.<\/p>\n Mike Gesicki, TE (CIN)<\/p>\n Rostered: 8%<\/p>\n Mike Gesicki<\/a> is exactly the type of tight end I\u2019m willing to stream when injuries start consolidating a passing offense. He caught three of five targets for 40 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville, giving him 11 receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns through four games. The five targets don\u2019t look overwhelming considering Joe Burrow<\/a> attempted 54 passes, but Gesicki led Cincinnati\u2019s tight ends in snaps and continued showing that he has a meaningful role around the end zone.<\/p>\n The injury situation is what could make that role considerably more valuable. Ja\u2019Marr Chase left Week 4 with a concussion, while Tee Higgins<\/a> suffered an abductor injury after trying to return to the game. Cincinnati was already dealing with additional injuries at receiver, so there\u2019s a realistic scenario where the Bengals<\/a> enter Week 5 needing Gesicki to become a larger part of the passing game. I\u2019m not expecting him to suddenly command Chase-level volume, and the crowded tight end rotation prevents me from viewing him as a locked-in TE1. But three touchdowns through four games combined with the possibility of additional targets is enough to make Gesicki one of my preferred streaming tight ends this week.<\/p>\n T.J. Hockenson, TE (MIN)<\/p>\n Rostered: 42%<\/p>\n T.J. Hockenson<\/a> shouldn\u2019t still be sitting on the waiver wire after what happened in Week 4. He entered Sunday with only nine receptions for 76 yards through three games before exploding for 13 catches and 119 yards against Miami. Hockenson caught all 13 of his targets and actually had an opportunity to add a touchdown before intentionally going down at the five-yard line late in the game. He now has 22 receptions for 195 yards on the season, meaning the majority of his production came in one afternoon.<\/p>\n The box score is obviously going to get everyone\u2019s attention, but the usage change is what makes me comfortable chasing it. Josh Oliver<\/a>\u2019s absence opened considerably more playing time, and Hockenson\u2019s route participation climbed to 79.1% in Week 4. He also played 88.1% of Minnesota\u2019s single-tight-end early-down snaps after sitting at only 32.1% over the first two weeks. Justin Jefferson<\/a> being unavailable undoubtedly helped create 13 targets, so I\u2019m not projecting anything close to that every week. I don\u2019t need to. If Hockenson continues running routes at this rate, he\u2019s back in the weekly TE1 conversation and needs to be rostered essentially everywhere.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Roman Wilson, WR (PIT)<\/p>\n Rostered: 3%<\/p>\n Roman Wilson<\/a> is starting to become more than a deep-league stash. He caught three of six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown against Cleveland, averaging 24.7 yards per reception and finding the end zone for the second consecutive week. Six targets aren\u2019t enough for me to automatically call him a weekly fantasy starter, but the explosive production is beginning to force Pittsburgh to keep him involved.<\/p>\n The more interesting part is what\u2019s happening with Pittsburgh\u2019s receiver rotation. The Steelers<\/a> have changed their usage almost every week, and Wilson has started earning opportunities alongside DK Metcalf<\/a> and Michael Pittman<\/a> Jr. Pittman continues to have value because of his blocking and role in heavier personnel, so I\u2019m not expecting Wilson to suddenly become a 90% snap player. That\u2019s also why I\u2019m trying to add Wilson before that happens. He\u2019s already producing explosive plays and touchdowns without a completely secure role. Wilson did briefly leave late in Week 4 after appearing to land awkwardly, so his practice status needs to be monitored this week. Assuming that doesn\u2019t develop into anything significant, the combination of six targets, 74 yards, and consecutive games with a touchdown is enough for me to roster him now rather than wait for the snap share to fully catch up.<\/p>\n Tyreek Hill, WR (FA)<\/p>\n Rostered: 25%<\/p>\n Tyreek Hill<\/a> is completely different from everyone else on this list because we\u2019re not adding him based on a Week 4 role. We\u2019re adding him because there is a legitimate chance his fantasy situation changes within days. Hill remains a free agent, but his agent Drew Rosenhaus said negotiations are beginning with multiple teams and that a signing could happen within the next few days. Kansas City is expected to feature prominently in those discussions, although there is no agreement and I\u2019m not treating a Chiefs<\/a> reunion as something that has already happened.<\/p>\n This is purely an upside stash. Hill is coming off the major knee injury he suffered last season, so even after he signs, we\u2019re going to need information about his conditioning, health, and how quickly his new team plans to use him. But the waiver wire is about acquiring upside before everyone knows exactly what the role looks like. If Hill signs with Kansas City or another quality passing offense and is physically ready to contribute, his roster percentage is going to explode immediately. I\u2019m not dropping a useful weekly starter for him, but if I have a bench spot available, I\u2019d rather roster Hill now and see where he lands than try to win the waiver claim after the signing becomes official.<\/p>\n Dallas Cowboys DEF<\/p>\n Rostered: 22%<\/p>\n Dallas is one of my preferred defensive streaming options for Week 5 because Tampa Bay\u2019s offense is dealing with one of the biggest quarterback downgrades in football. The Cowboys<\/a> get the Buccaneers<\/a> at home Thursday night, and Baker Mayfield<\/a>\u2019s dislocated right thumb is expected to keep him unavailable for at least three weeks. That leaves Jalon Daniels<\/a> in line to make his second NFL start after throwing one touchdown and two interceptions while adding 55 rushing yards against Green Bay in Week 4.<\/p>\n![\"image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-1-1024x488.png\")
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