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Best Week 5 Waiver Wire Adds for the 2026 Fantasy Football Season

Writer: Mikey Henninger
Mikey Henninger
2 hours ago
6 min read
Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire targets featuring Emanuel Wilson, Will Shipley, and KC Concepcion, with a Priority Adds ranking panel and bold “Week 5 Waiver Wire Targets” headline for 2026 fantasy football waiver pickups.

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We've hit the first week of byes and the injuries are starting to pile up. Time to lock in and nail your waiver claims.


Here are our top week 5 waiver wire adds to take your fantasy football team to the next level.




Week 5 Waiver Wire Adds: Spend Your Priority


🔵 RB Emanuel Wilson - With Jadarian Price on IR, Emanuel Wilson handled 70% of the Seahawks backfield touches, also soaking up 20% of the team’s targets. He handled 24 touches — including 3 catches on 4 targets — for 120 scrimmage yards, 2 touchdowns, and 27 PPR points. Zach Charbonnet is not expected to play in week 5, so expect another workhorse performance from Wilson. He is worth a priority claim in all formats.


🔵 RB Will Shipley - After he left and never returned with a hamstring injury in week 4, there’s a good chance Saquon Barkley misses week 5 against the Jaguars. If that’s the case, Will Shipley has legitimate workhorse potential. He is worth a priority claim in all formats, assuming Barkley misses week 5.


🟢 WR KC Concepcion - Played 92% and saw 24.2% of the Browns’ targets in week 4, catching 5 of 8 for 64 scoreless yards (11.4 PPR points). He’s seen 20% or more of the Browns’ targets in all 4 games, and he’s a clear focal point of a not-so-bad-after-all Browns’ passing attack. He's worth a priority claim if he'll realistically be in your starting lineup this season.




Potential adds after waivers run (don't spend priority)


🟡 RB Keaton Mitchell - Handled 40% of the backfield touches, including 20% of the team’s targets in week 4. He handled 15 touches — including 5 catches on 6 targets — for 63 scoreless yards (11.3 PPR points). He’s now handled 35% or more of the backfield touches with 11+ PPR points in each of the last 2 games. The script is clear with LAC: Hampton will be the guy in games the Chargers are winning and can keep the ball on the ground. Mitchell will be the guy when the Chargers are losing and need to throw it. There's some PPR flex appeal here in week 5 against the Broncos. He's only worth spending priority in deeper leagues or if you're desperate for an RB this week.


🟡 TE TJ Hockenson - With Justin Jefferson on the shelf, TJ Hockenson had a 39.4% target share in week 4, catching 13 of 13 targets for 119 scoreless yards (24.9 PPR points). There’s a chance the Vikings hold Justin Jefferson out of week 5 with their bye coming up in week 6, and Hockenson has a week 5 date with a Saints defense allowing the 4th most PPR points per game to TEs so far. He's only worth spending priority on in TE premium leagues or if you need a TE in your week 5 starting lineup.


🟡 TE Kenyon Sadiq - Played a very nice 69% of the snaps and had a 26.7% target share in week 4. Problem is, he failed to catch ANY of the 4 targets he received on a day where Geno Smith threw the ball just 15 times. Still, Sadiq now has a 22% target share or higher in back to back games heading into week 5 against the Browns.


🟡 WR Khalil Shakir - Played 76% of the snaps and saw a 26.7% target share in week 4, catching 7 of 8 targets for 82 scoreless yards (15.2 PPR points). The Bills might find themselves in a shootout with the Rams in week 5. He is ONLY worth spending waiver priority on IF he will be in your starting lineup.


🟡 WR Malik Washington - Had a 29.4% target share in week 4, catching 5 of 5 targets for 67 yards (12 PPR points when you include his 3 rushing yards). It won’t be pretty, but the Dolphins will have to throw the ball plenty against the Bengals in week 5.


🟡 WR Romeo Doubs - Saw 25% of the team’s targets in week 4, catching 6 of 9 (nice) for 58 yards and 2 TDs (23.8 PPR points). The Patriots will be without AJ Brown for another week at minimum.


🟡 WR Keon Coleman - After DJ Moore aggravated his shoulder injury, Keon Coleman played 78% of the snaps and saw 23.3% of the targets, catching 6 of 7 for 116 yards and 1 TD (23.6 PPR points). The Bills might find themselves in a shootout with the Rams in week 5, but Coleman’s value will be tied to whether or not DJ Moore plays.


🟠 TE Michael Mayer - Even with Brock Bowers soaking up 22.9% of the Raiders’ targets, Michael Mayer accounted for 20.8% of the targets on his own, catching 8 of 10 for 82 scoreless yards (16.2 PPR points). 


🟠 TE Brenton Strange - Had a 34.8% target share in week 4, catching 7 of 8 targets for 95 scoreless yards (16.5 PPR points). It was his 2nd straight game with 5 or more targets.


🟠 WR Darius Cooper - With DeVonta Smith on the shelf, Darius Cooper played 90% of the snaps and had a 28% target share, catching 3 of 7 targets for 33 yards and 2 TDs (18.3 PPR points). The Eagles might find themselves in a shootout vs the Jaguars in week 5. Keep an eye on Smith’s status.


🟠 WR Dontayvion Wicks - With DeVonta Smith on the shelf, Dontayvion Wicks played 92% of the snaps and had a 20% target share, catching 3 of 5 targets for 18 yards (4.8 PPR points). The Eagles might find themselves in a shootout vs the Jaguars in week 5. Keep an eye on Smith’s status.


🟠 WR Makai Lemon - With DeVonta Smith on the shelf, Makai Lemon played 74% of the snaps and had a 24% target share, catching 3 of 6 targets for 27 scoreless yards (5.7 PPR points). The Eagles might find themselves in a shootout vs the Jaguars in week 5. Keep an eye on Smith’s status.


🟠 TE Oronde Gadsden - Played 55% of the snaps and saw 26.7% of the targets in week 4 catching, 5 of 8 for 36 scoreless yards (8.6 PPR points).




For the real deep leaguers...


🟡 WR Dohnte Meyers - With their week 6 bye week looming, there’s a very real chance that the Bengals will be without both Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor) in week 5 against the Dolphins after both suffered injuries in week 4. Dohnte Meyers has been serving as the team’s WR 3 all season and he played 89% of the snaps when Chase and Higgins went down, attracting 16.98% of the targets and catching 7 of 9 for 82 scoreless yards (15.2 PPR points). He’ll be on the WR 4/flex radar in week 5 if both Chase and Higgins can’t go.


🟡 WR Laquon Treadwell - With Alec Piece and Keenan Allen on the shelf, Laquon Treadwell played 85% of the snaps and saw 20.7% of the team’s targets, catching 5 of 6 for 42 scoreless yards (9.2 PPR points).


🟡 WR Antonio Williams - With no Terry McLaurin, Antonio Williams played a very nice 69% of the snaps and saw 22.9% of the targets, catching 3 of 8 for 21 scoreless yards (5.1 PPR points). The Commanders have a not-scary matchup with the Giants in week 5, but it’s entirely unclear if Terry McLaurin, Jayden Daniels, or even Marcus Mariota will be able to play.


🟠 TE Cade Otton - With Jalon Daniels at the helm, Cade Otton saw 23.1% of the team’s targets, catching 4 of 6 for 37 yards (7.7 PPR points). It won’t be sexy with Daniels at QB, but Otton does the Cowboys in week 5, a good matchup and potential negative game script where the Bucs have to throw the ball more.




And for the Super Flexers...


🟡 QB Tyler Huntley - Lamar Jackson might miss week 5, which would put Tyler Huntley in the driver’s seat for a week 5 date with the Falcons on Sunday Night Football. In 16 career games where he’s thrown at least 20 passes, Huntley is averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game, including 181.5 passing yards, 0.7 passing TDs, 0.7 interceptions, 42.9 rushing yards, and 0.4 rushing TDs per game (5 total). He’s scored 15+ fantasy points in just 6 of those 16 games (38%), including 3 games over 20 points (19%) with a career high of 35.9 points against the Packers in week 15 of 2021.


🟠 QB Athan Kaliakmanis - Marcus Mariota appears set to miss some time with a knee injury. Jayden Daniels could — and probably will — return in week 5. But if not, rookie Athan Kaliakmanis would likely draw the start in week 5 against the Giants.




For the QB Streamers

Here are the QBs I'm targeting after waivers clear:

  • Jacoby Brissett vs Lions

  • Sam Darnold vs 49ers

  • CJ Stroud at Titans

  • Tyson Bagent at Packers

  • Aaron Rodgers vs Colts




For the DEF Streamers

Here are the defenses I'm targeting after waivers clear:

  • Texans at Titans

  • Bengals at Dolphins

  • Jaguars vs Eagles in London

  • Cowboys vs Buccaneers




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