Ivan Herrera 
As Week 4 of the NFL season has come and gone, fantasy football managers are already looking to make adjustments to their rosters. Injuries, surprising performances, and emerging talents often prompt the need for some shrewd waiver wire pickups. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, along with a few honorable mentions to keep an eye on. This week’s edition of Waiver Wire Pickups will feature a couple familiar names as well as some emerging QBs.
1. CJ Stroud, QB, Houston Texans (Rostered%: 32.1 ESPN, 54 Sleeper, 48 Yahoo)
The rookie looks to have full control of the Texans’s offense. Over the past three weeks, Stroud has thrown for at least 280 yards and two scores per game while not turning the ball over. In standard leagues, he has scored at least 20 points in each game, which has elevated him to QB10 this season. He is a fringe starter in smaller team leagues but a strong starting QB in bigger leagues as well as SuperFlex.
2. Joshua Dobbs, QB, Arizona Cardinals (Rostered%: 2.2 ESPN, 9 Sleeper, 6 Yahoo)
With the Cardinals announcing that Murray isn’t ready to return, this offense will still be run by Dobbs. Over the past three weeks, Dobbs has averaged around 22 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues. That’s impressive as is, but when you see that the last two games were against two of the best defenses in the NFL, Dobbs’ numbers look better. He has some easier matches in the coming weeks. Dobbs works better as the 2nd QB in a SuperFlex league, but in one QB league, he is still a good bye week plugin option.
3. Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (Rostered%: 46.7 ESPN, 69 Sleeper, 61 Yahoo)
Palmer makes this Waiver Wire article again since it seems he is available in more than half of all leagues. On the scoresheet, he didn’t produce like we thought, but he still had three catches on eight targets for 77 yards. The game against the Raiders showed he is the WR2, with Williams out, as he outtargeted rookie Johnston 8 to 3. If he is available in leagues, he is a must-pick at this point.
4. Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys (Rostered%: 24.6 ESPN, 49 Sleeper, 54 Yahoo)
Ferguson was in the honorable mention section of last week’s waiver wire article, but this week he is my 4th favorite waiver wire pick-up. In the first four weeks, he has had seven targets in three games and four in the other game. His 25 targets make him the Cowboys second-most targeted player, only behind Lamb (30). His lack of touchdowns makes him a fringe starter or a bye-week play. But if he can start scoring, he’ll be a good starting TE option in any league.
5. Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (Rostered%: 1.5 ESPN, 12 Sleeper, 5 Yahoo)
Since coming back from injury in Week 3, Robinson has accumulated 11 targets for nine catches and 61 yards. He is tied for the team lead with teammate Campbell in both receptions and catches during that span. With the Giants’s offense struggling without Barkley, I can see them using Robinson more on gadget plays since he is a quick WR. Currently, I see him more as a flex player during bye weeks, but if he can take over the open WR room, he can become a WR2.
6. Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts (Rostered %: 12.7 ESPN, 30 Sleeper, 11 Yahoo)
Downs had his worst day on Sunday against the Rams, seeing a season-low three targets. He still managed to catch two of the three targets for 34 yards. He has a 60% catch percentage on targets, which is good if he goes back to having eight targets per game like he was averaging the first three weeks.
7. Ronnie Rivers, RB, Los Angeles Rams (Rostered%:.3 ESPN, 1 Sleeper, 0 Yahoo)
Rivers saw a season high of nine attempts as well as two targets out of the backfield. He finished with 57 yards on 11 touches as the Rams RB2. With Akers leaving for Minnesota, Williams took over as the RB1, which elevated Rivers to the backup role. Rivers isn’t a fantasy starter given that Williams is the main back, but he did have two drives as the main running back, so McVay looks to be giving him opportunities. Stash Rivers for now, but if anything were to happen to Williams, Rivers would be the main back for the Rams.
8. Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals (Rostered%: 1.5 ESPN, 6 Sleeper, 4 Yahoo)
Wilson had a breakout game this week against SF. He was the main target for QB Dobbs, as he caught all seven targets for 76 yards and two scores. He was third on Sunday in targets, only behind Brown and Ertz (10). In Arizona, the third main target is wide open, as Rondale Moore was only targeted twice. If Sunday was any indication, Wilson may have taken that role behind Brown and Ertz. With Murray still a few weeks away from returning, Wilson’s connection with Dobbs can be good. Wilson is a lower-end Flex play going into Week 5 as we wait to see what his true role is with the team.
9. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (Rostered%: 43 ESPN, 50 Sleeper, 37 Yahoo)
Boyd is another player that should see an uptick in workload thanks to an injury. During Sunday’s game against the Titans, the Bengals WR2 (Higgins) left the game with an injury. With Higgins out, Boyd saw seven targets, of which he caught four for 26 yards. Higgins isn’t set to miss much time, but with a bye week coming up, I can see the Bengals leaning more on Boyd to allow Higgins to recover more as they push for the playoffs.
10. Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers (Rostered%: 80.5 ESPN, 82 Sleeper, 81 Yahoo)
Making his second consecutive appearance in this article, Thielen is still an under-owned WR1 for this team. This past Sunday, against his former team, Thielen had eight targets for seven catches and 76 yards. He failed to reach the end zone for the first time in three games, but he seems to have secured his role as WR1 for the Panthers. I expect rookie Young to lean on him more as the young QB continues to develop.
Honorable Mentions:
- Terrance Marshall, WR, Carolina Panthers (Rostered%:.4 ESPN, 4 Sleeper, 1 Yahoo): With Mingo in concussion protocol, Marshall elevates to WR2 on the team. He is mainly a stash play since I like Thielen more.
- Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos (Rostered%:.7 ESPN, 2 Sleeper, 5 Yahoo): He is more of a deep-league stash player. McLaughlin can be stashed and used if Williams’ injury worsens or Perine gets hurt.
- Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders (Rostered%: 7.7 ESPN, 10 Sleeper, 6 Yahoo): He is continuing to see consistent targets. Stash Thomas for now, but he can develop into a starting TE if his targets stay consistent.
In the world of fantasy football, being proactive on the waiver wire can often be the difference between success and failure. These Week 5 waiver wire pickups, along with the honorable mentions, should help you strengthen your roster as the season progresses. Make sure to prioritize your team’s specific needs and potential long-term upside when making your choices.
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