Fantasy football is quite a funny game. Last week, Braelon Allen, Kenyon Sadiq, and Ollie Gordon were all the rage on the waiver wire, with many fantasy managers scrambling to file claims or dump FAAB in pursuit of one (or a few) of those three.
Sadiq put up a bagel, and Allen scored just 8.7 PPR points. How fun!
Gordon was the lone saving grace, scoring 18.0 points thanks to an incredibly efficient day on the ground where he averaged 11.1 YPC.
Perhaps you’re feeling disappointed with how you navigated things last week, but the Week 5 waiver wire cycle has arrived. It’s a fresh slate, and an opportunity to improve our rosters.
Let’s take a look at some of the waiver wire targets this week.
Note: Only players rostered in roughly <50% of ESPN leagues will be considered.
Note: Our Week 5 waiver wire targets will be updated as data and news become available.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 5 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
AARON RODGERS, PIT STEELERS (6.5% ROSTERED)
It hasn’t been pretty, but Aaron Rodgers has been an impactful fantasy producer as of late, eclipsing 20 points in each of the last two weeks.
Although Rodgers hasn’t been efficient, the volume has been there. He’s hit 40 pass attempts twice this season (and 39 in another), something he did just twice all of last year.
If this continues to be a pass-heavy offense, there is real fantasy appeal. Yes, game script has influenced the pass volume, but the Steelers currently rank top 10 in PROE, indicating that Mike McCarthy has introduced a genuine philosophical shift.
Looking ahead, Rodgers and company will get the Colts in Week 5, who’ve been picked apart more than once this year. He’s an interesting streaming option for teams dealing with injuries to their QB1.
RUNNING BACK
EMANUEL WILSON, SEA SEAHAWKS (49.9% ROSTERED)
After it was announced that first-round rookie Jadarian Price (chest) would head to IR, fantasy managers everywhere flocked to the waiver wire to pick up Emanuel Wilson.
Wilson served as Price’s direct replacement after the chest injury took place in Week 2, and he reclaimed that role in Week 4.
He piled up 21 carries (compared to seven for George Holani) in the Seahawks’ win over the Chargers, turning them into 81 yards and a score. He also hauled in three of four targets for 39 yards and another touchdown.
Wilson’s time as the primary ball carrier in Seattle may be short-lived, though, as Zach Charbonnet’s return is imminent. His 21-day practice window was opened ahead of Week 4, and as soon as he’s ramped up, expect the Seahawks to attempt to insert him in a prominent role.
But for the time being, Wilson should be rostered. He’ll be a key piece of a run-first offense that should be operating in positive game scripts more often than not.
Note: If Charbonnet is available in your league and your IR slot is open, he’s worth a stash.
TANK BIGSBY, PHI EAGLES (15.6% ROSTERED)
Saquon Barkley is injured once again. After leaving with a stinger in Week 2, he picked up a hamstring injury on Sunday.
In Barkley’s absence, snaps were split evenly between Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley, but Bigsby was unsurprisingly the preferred ball carrier.
At the end of the game, Bigsby saw 15 opportunities (14 carries, one target) and Shipley had seven (six carries, one target).
If Barkley misses time, we should expect the backfield to operate in a similar manner to what we saw on Sunday. Both backs will have their roles, but Bigsby is the clear favorite to be the primary ball carrier.
It’s also important to note that Bigsby picked up an injury of his own late in the game, although there is no official update on his status.
For the time being, Bigsby is the preferred pickup, but further clarification on his injury could change things.
KEATON MITCHELL, LA CHARGERS (18.2% ROSTERED)
Keaton Mitchell was featured in last week’s waiver wire column. I wrote the following:
“Against the Bills, Mitchell saw strong usage. He played just three fewer snaps than Omarion Hampton (37.6% snap share), led the backfield in routes (36.8% route rate), drew three targets (9.1% target share), and saw playing time in goal-to-go situations. That sort of usage doesn’t scream ‘fantasy starter’. However, given his explosive traits and the fact that this role is quite diverse, including its fair share of high-value touches (goal-line opportunities and receiving work), Mitchell is a worthwhile bench stash.”
It’s the same story after Week 4. Mitchell led the backfield with a 38% snap share and 16 opportunities (10 carries, six targets).
It’s an ugly three-way split, but Mitchell seems to be someone Mike McDaniel wants to feature, so he’s worth a stash in leagues with deeper benches.
ROSCHON JOHNSON, CHI BEARS (0.2% ROSTERED)
At the moment, Roschon Johnson is nothing more than a name to keep an eye on.
Kyle Monangai is dealing with a thumb injury, while D’Andre Swift was sidelined down the stretch in Week 4. It remains to be seen whether he aggravated the knee injury that caused him to miss practice last week or if he was simply benched because of a fumble.
We’ll see what the injury situation looks like in the coming days, but keep Johnson’s name in the back of your mind.
Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering: Kaelon Black (34.7%), Tyler Allgeier (28.2%), Mike Washington Jr. (21.3%), Emmett Johnson (20.3%), Ray Davis (6.4%)
WIDE RECEIVER
KEON COLEMAN, BUF BILLS (4.2% ROSTERED)
Keon Coleman has (rightfully) drawn criticism from NFL fans and fantasy managers since being drafted in 2024.
Well, in the third year of his career, Coleman has stepped up when the opportunity has presented itself.
In Week 2, when DJ Moore exited early with a shoulder injury, Coleman ran 68.4% of the routes and garnered six targets, finishing the day with six catches for 63 yards.
It was a similar story in Week 4. Moore ran just 14 routes after aggravating his shoulder injury.
With Moore sidelined and the Bills operating in comeback mode, Coleman led the way with six receptions, 116 yards, and a score on seven targets (23.3% target share), finishing the day with 23.6 PPR points.
Moore seems likely to miss time, so Coleman should continue to function as one of Josh Allen’s go-to pass catchers, a strong outlook for any receiver.
CHRIS BELL, MIA DOLPHINS (5.4% ROSTERED)
Chris Bell continues to make plays that highlight why he’s worth a bench stash. In Week 3, it was a quick in-breaker that he turned into a 44-yard gain thanks to roughly 30 yards of YAC.
In Week 4, he linked up with Malik Willis on a scramble drill. He found himself behind the secondary and turned upfield, scoring a 68-yard touchdown. Unfortunately, the play was nullified by an illegal touching penalty.
Still, we continue to see flashes of why evaluators were so excited about Bell ahead of the draft. He’s enormous (6’2″, 200 lbs), and he has the after-the-catch ability that has seen him draw some A.J. Brown-lite comparisons.
If Bell can maintain a reasonable role in the offense from a volume perspective, his playmaking ability could allow him to have a reasonable week-to-week ceiling, even in a putrid Dolphins offense.
DOHNTE MEYERS, CIN BENGALS (0.2% ROSTERED)
The Cincinnati Bengals lost their star player in Week 4, Ja’Marr Chase, who exited in the first half after suffering a concussion.
Tee Higgins was also dinged up down the stretch in the loss to the Jaguars. We’ll have to wait and see on Higgins’ status, but he could miss a couple of games, depending on the severity of the injury.
These injuries open up routes in the short-term future. In the WR room, Dohnte Meyers is the favorite to soak up those opportunities.
He actually looked rock solid in Week 4. His name was called after Chase exited the game; he ran 54 routes on 58 Joe Burrow dropbacks. Meyers rose to the occasion, hauling in seven of nine targets while piling up 82 yards through the air.
Meyers is quite far from an established talent. After spending time in the CFL, this is his first NFL season, and he had just four receptions for 47 yards heading into Week 4.
Ultimately, if Higgins and Chase miss Week 5, Meyers would likely be in line for plenty of routes in one of the league’s most pass-happy offenses. Against the lowly Dolphins defense, it would be no surprise to see him take advantage of the opportunity.
In very deep leagues, Meyers can be an emergency FLEX option next week.
DARIUS COOPER, PHI EAGLES (0.2% ROSTERED)
With DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert sidelined in Week 4, the expectation was that one of Dontayvion Wicks or Makai Lemon would seize the opportunity and lead the Eagles’ passing attack.
Instead, it was Darius Cooper. The second-year receiver ran a route on 90.6% of dropbacks and led the team with seven targets (30.4% target share). Strong usage, no doubt.
He also managed to score 18.3 PPR points, with virtually all of that production coming on a pair of touchdowns, both of which came inside the red zone.
It’s hard to imagine much of this is sticky. Unlike the previously discussed Meyers, who will (likely) lead a completely barren WR room next week, Cooper will be running routes alongside a fairly established player in Wicks and a player with a strong prospect profile in Lemon.
In Week 5, with Smith potentially remaining out of the lineup, Cooper is an option for desperate teams in incredibly deep leagues.
TIGHT ENDS
MIKE GESICKI, CIN BENGALS (33.5% ROSTERED)
Mike Gesicki offers a similar outlook to Meyers. With the Bengals’ top receivers banged up, he’ll have an opportunity to step into a more prominent role.
It may sound strange to say that a tight end may benefit from the absence of a wide receiver, but Gesicki essentially functions as a big slot receiver. Dating back to the beginning of last season, less than 2% of Gesicki’s routes have come from an inline alignment.
With the receiving corps banged up in Week 4, the Bengals’ “fake TE” was also asked to do more. He ran a route on 70.9% of dropbacks, just his second time hitting 70% since the beginning of last season.
Expect similar usage in Week if Chase and Higgins are out. A heap of routes, coupled with limited target competition, would make Gesicki a trendy streaming option against the Dolphins.
MICHAEL MAYER, LV RAIDERS (12.1% ROSTERED)
When Brock Bowers returned to the Raiders’ lineup in Week 3, most (myself included) assumed that Michael Mayer would become a non-factor in fantasy football.
What we failed to consider is that Bowers isn’t playing tight end. In his 2026 debut, 34.3% of his routes came out wide, while 42.9% of them came out of the slot.
With Bowers rarely playing inline, Mayer’s role has been largely unaffected. He ran a route 75.7% of dropbacks in Week 3 and remained a featured weapon in Week 4.
This past week, he popped in the box score as well, turning in 16.2 PPR points on the back of nine targets.
As long as the routes are there and the Raiders’ offense remains fairly productive, Mayer is a viable option at TE.
