It's Week 5, so we're already nearing the quarter pole of the 2026 National Football League regular season, and we're nearly a third of the way through the regular season of most fantasy football leagues. Where does the time go?
Fantasy football can be cruel, and I'm in a foul mood this week. Have you ever had a giant week, where you would have beaten everyone in the league except the guy you're playing? Yeah. I said a lot of bad words Sunday.
Perhaps one or two of the guys below would have helped. Perhaps not. Sometimes, fantasy football is skill, but there is a lot of luck involved, too.
There are a few intriguing ideas on the waiver wire this week, and you need to get in on the ground floor before the casual player gets the jump on you. We're
going to list two to four players by position below, and they're listed from top to bottom, by priority. The top guys are high-priority options for every manager. Some of the others are more speculative OR if you already have a winning roster but want some insurance policies for down the road.
Let's get started and find some replacements.
Ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo.
QUARTERBACKS
Jameis Winston, New York Giants (4% owned)
OK, I get it. There are minus-points for turnovers, so if you're going to sign up for a week of the "Jameis Winston Experience", you're going to get some high yardage totals, touchdown throws and stupid, stupid interceptions. It happens, and it is what has held Famous Jameis from ascending to regular starting status in this league. However, he isn't a bad insurance policy for NFL teams in case the starter goes down and not a bad streaming option when bye weeks kick in. That starts in Week 5 with Patrick Mahomes and Bryce Young resting bumps and bruises. Winston has viable targets, including all-world wideout Malik Nabers, who can turn ducks into big gainers, and tight end Isaiah Likely, who turns a lot of short-yardage routes into big advances down the field. As it stands, Winston faces a Washington Commanders defense which has allowed 11 passing touchdowns, tied for most in the NFL, while giving up 254.5 passing yards per game.
Michael Penix, Jr, Atlanta Falcons (9% owned)
If you're not sold on Winston, or you're simply looking for a player to keep around for more than a week or so, let's kick the tires on Penix. Without Penix, the team was 0-2, and they were boat-raced by Carolina in Week 2. When he returned from injury in Green Bay in Week 3, going from QBs Cooper Rush and Jack Strand to Penix has transformed Atlanta into a juggernaut. Of course, it's not terribly difficult to turn and hand the ball to Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. However, Penix has an elite receiver in Drake London, Bijan has soft hands out of the backfield, and tight end Kyle Pitts Jr. can occasionally come up big. Penix is going to go quickly after a big showing in the Big Easy on Monday night, and he has some staying power for fantasy purposes.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (16% owned)
We saw Bryce Young picking apart the Detroit Lions defense on Sunday Night Football in Charlotte in "The Tetairoa McMillan Coming Out Party". Now, the Lions ship out to the desert, and it's Brissett's turn to throw up big passing yardage totals with his buddies Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. Heck, even Marvin Harrison Jr., who is close to getting that "B-word" tag, might even be able to exploit the Lions for some big plays. We're looking at Brissett as a short-term solution, but he is going to throw up some occasional big lines with Wilson and McBride at his disposal, so he's not a bad alternative to have on your roster in case your primary option has a tough matchup, bye or bad-weather game.
RUNNING BACKS
Emanuel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (49% owned)
OK, Wilson is close to the 50% mark, which he'll easily eclipse this week, so this might be your last chance at him. He ran for 81 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, while adding three receptions for 39 yards and a TD on four targets. He is keeping the seat warm until Zach Charbonnet is ready to return from his ACL, but that doesn't appear imminent. The team lost rookie Jadarian Price (chest) to the reserve/injured list this past week, with a designation to return. The team is so desperate that it took a flyer on Joe Mixon. For the time being, Wilson is expected to be the workhorse on a contender, and he is still available in half of all fantasy leagues. Get on that.
Will Shipley, Philadelphia Eagles (2% owned)
Shipley is going to see a lot of waiver claims this week. Saquon Barkley is considered week-to-week after pulling up with a hamstring against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4, and Tank Bigsby followed him to the blue medical tent later on. Bigsby suffered a core muscle injury that requires surgery, and he is expected to miss six weeks. The good news is that Shipley is expected to head up the Philadelphia backfield at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London; the bad news is that Shipley will have to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who rank No. 2 in the NFL with just 297 rushing yards allowed. The Jaguars have also allowed just 3.3 yards per carry, two rushing touchdowns and no runs over 16 yards, the only team to not have allowed a run of 17+ yards through four games. If he isn't shipwrecked in London, next up will be games with the Carolina Panthers (31st vs. run) and Dallas Cowboys (32nd vs. run). Hmm.
Brian Robinson, Jr., Atlanta Falcons (31% owned)
This is cheating, kinda. Or, maybe, recency bias. But, seriously, I can't believe BRJ is owned in just one-third of all fantasy leagues. Sure, he had just 132 rushing yards and one touchdown before Monday night in New Orleans, but he left the Crescent City with three touchdowns, combining with RB Bijan Robinson (no relation) for five rushing scores. Fantasy managers with Bijan, if you haven't already done so, empty your FAAB budget to get this handcuff and insurance policy. However, he proved he can co-exist with a healthy Bijan and still be a solid standalone fantasy option, worth at least flex consideration. Oh, and it's hella early, but Week 17 is fantasy championship week, and the opponent for the Falcons will be ... the Saints, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (5% owned)
I've been burned by Coleman before. I drafted him last season in the late rounds, and he is just maddeningly inconsistent. We've seen this movie before. He'll have a big game, then disappear for long stretches. That said, his Week 4 game showed what is possible - the acrobatic catches, the strong hands and the body control. It's there, and Josh Allen is a stud. DJ Moore can't seem to stay healthy, so the potential is there for Coleman to do more than just temporarily flash.
Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions (3% owned)
TeSlaa doesn't get a ton of targets per game, so temper expectations. However, he went for four receptions for 95 yards on eight targets on Sunday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers. He was feeling it and his quarterback was feeling him, etc. He is just one injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams away from sliding into the starting lineup - and blowing up - in Motown.
Dohnte Meyers, Cincinnati Bengals (1% owned)
The undrafted free-agent rookie from Delta State is proving he can do big things in this league. He opened eyes with three grabs for 29 yards in Pittsburgh in Week 3, and he followed that up with seven catches for 82 yards on nine targets in Week 4 in a loss to Jacksonville. Ja'Marr Chase went into the concussion protocol Sunday, and Tee Higgins is battling an adductor injury, and he is considered day-to-day. If one - or both - miss Sunday's game in Miami, the sky is the limit for Meyers with Joe Burrow looking his way frequently.
Tyreek Hill, Free Agent (0% owned)
Remember we were talking about speculative picks? Who knows what the Cheetah has left in the tank, and he is coming back from a catastrophic injury for a guy who makes his living due to a healthy set of legs. However, there has been some speculation about a Kansas City reunion, especially after Rashee Rice went down in Week 4, and then Tyquan Thornton suffered a gruesome ankle dislocation later in the same game. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire, and a reunion with Mahomes, coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy sure is intriguing. Again, ONLY do this if you have a deep bench and the roster flexibility. That said, this could be a HUGE wild card.
TIGHT ENDS
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (30% owned)
It's been a hot minute, but Hockenson used to be a bona fide TE1 in most fantasy leagues when he was in The Motor City. Injuries, a move to Minnesota and inconsistent quarterback play have made him more of a TE2 in most fantasy leagues. However, he erupted for 13 receptions and 119 yards in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. After the top handful of options, tight end can be a fantasy wasteland. Is Hock back? Or was it a one-off? It's worth a roster spot to find out before your competition rolls the dice.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (7% owned)
There are so many reasons to run to the waiver wire for Gesicki. First off, he is playing his former team, the Dolphins, the same one just minced up by Hockenson for 13 catches and 119 yards in the Twin Cities. Second, there is a high likelihood we see a Griddy. He has touchdowns in three of his first four games. Last but not least, remember what we said above about Chase and Higgins. They're nicked up, so Burrow could be looking for an old, reliable target in Week 5 against a team that doesn't handle tight ends well.
This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Waiver Wired - Week 5
