Fantasy football: top 10 waiver wire Week 5 pickups

We’re already heading into Week 5 of the fantasy football season, and the bye weeks are in full force this week as four teams take the week off. If your fantasy football team needs a boost to get through the byes, check out my top 10 waiver wire week 5 pickups.

Sep 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) hands off to running back Wendell Smallwood (28) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL season is quickly finding its stride and teams are separating into contenders, pretenders, disappointments, and true challengers. Your fantasy football league is probably starting to shake out to, but there is still plenty of ways to improve your roster no matter where you find yourself in the pecking order. As all seasoned owners know, there is definitely help on the waiver wire most weeks. To help you find the best of the waiver wire week 5, check out my top ten to target on the followings slides.

In this weekly waiver wire post, we focus on the top ten options who are available in more than half of ESPN leagues. Last week players like Jordan Howard, Terrelle Pryor, and Kyle Rudolph were on my list and earlier this season I was able to feature profitable options like Jerick McKinnon, Christine Michael, Charles Sims, Tyrell Williams and Matt Ryan. Those players won’t be found in my waiver wire week 5 picks, though, since the ownership percentage is already too high. There are a new crop of options to look at this week, and you can find my top ten targets on the following slides.

Each week, I make sure to include players at each of the main fantasy football positions–quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and team defense. The players are listed in the general order that I would target them, but be sure to take into account your league’s roster requirements and your team’s strength and weaknesses. I’ve included each player’s ownership percentage as of Tuesday morning at the top of their page. If you’re in deeper leagues or are looking for more options, check out the final slide of this post where I’ve listed some extra other options from the waiver wire week 5.

If you have any specific questions about your team or other players who may be available, you are welcome to drop them in the comment section at the bottom of the page or give me a shout out on Twitter. To keep up with all our fantasy football coverage, also make sure to drop a bookmark on our fantasy football hub and follow us on Twitter @FansidedFantasy. I do my best to answer all questions to our Twitter feed, and you’ll even get a chance for your tweets to appear in one of our future posts.

So let’s kick off our Week 5 waiver wire coverage, with a wide receiver that can fill in for any bye-week issues you’re running up against this week.

Oct 2, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) catches the ball during pre game against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Quincy Enunwa-WR-New York Jets (40.1%)

The Jets’ offense has been a mess the last few weeks, but even while they have struggled Quincy Enunwa has been a continued contributor. He’ll have a chance to continue his production for as long as Eric Decker is out. Decker is the team’s no. 2 receiver but after a shoulder injury he missed Week 4. Decker is an I.R. candidate, but the Jets haven’t placed him there just yet meaning he could return in the next few weeks.

Enunwa was the clear no. 2 option this week and finished with six catches for 60 yards in a tough matchup against the Seahawks. He wasn’t able to get into the end zone, but he turned in his third game with at least six catches in the first four weeks of the season.

For as long as Decker is out, Enunwa is a solid WR play that can be started in almost all formats as a WR3 or flex option. He did score a touchdown Week 1 and has totaled 183 yards on his 17 catches. This week, the Jets are playing in Pittsburgh, and they’ll need to put up points to keep up with the Steelers. Enunwa is a solid play if Decker is indeed ruled out. He’s the best WR to plug and play off of the Week 5 waiver w

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Terrance West (28) is congratulated by running back Javorius Allen (37) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Terrance West-RB-Baltimore Ravens (45.0%)

The Ravens were 3-0 before losing to Oakland by a point this week. While their matchups have been favorable, they have been doing enough to get wins until last week. One area they have struggled, though, is in the running game. At the beginning of the season, you may remember that they made waves releasing Justin Forsett only to re-sign him before the season started.

So far this year, Forsett had been time-sharing pretty evenly with Terrance West with neither putting up huge numbers. Coach John Harbaugh shook that situation up this last week declaring Forsett a healthy inactive and giving West most of the work with just a little Javorius Allen mixed in. West rose to the challenge taking 21 carries for 113 yards although he didn’t catch a pass or get into the end zone.

For this week at least, West is a good plug-and-play option against Washington. He is playing well enough to continue to lead the backfield rotation although there is a new threat on the horizons (more on that later in this post). If you need an immediate RB solution from the Week 5 waiver wire, West has the most short-term upside of the widely available options.

Sep 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood (28) takes the field for action against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Wendall Smallwood-RB-Philadlphia Eagles (10.0%)

Just because they had their bye week last week, don’t forget how good the Eagles have looked in the early weeks of the season. In the team’s big Week 3 win, they got a breakout performance from rookie running back Wendall Smallwood, but he’s still widely available since the Eagles were off in Week 4.

On the week 5 waiver wire, Smallwood has a lot to offer as he comes back off the bye with the high-flying Eagles. Philadelphia drafted Smallwood out of West Virginia in the fifth round of last year’s draft hoping he’d be able to make an impact. In Week 3, the rookie did just that after Ryan Mathews left the game. He ran for 79 yards and a touchdown on his 17 carries against Pittsburgh showing plenty of potential.

Coming out of the team’s bye, Smallwood is expected to have an expanded role. What exactly that role will be is still up in the air a bit since Ryan Mathews is still expected to be the lead back when his health allows. Kenjon Barner and Darren Sproles have also mixed fairly effectively, so Smallwood’s share of the workload could fluctuate from week-to-week.

If you can stash Smallwood and see how the Eagles’ backfield mix shakes out, he could be a huge contributor later in the season. He doesn’t have the same potential for immediate impact that West brings, but he does have upside further down the road.

Sep 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) drops back to pass as Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) blocks Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay (22) in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Wentz-QB-Philadelphia Eagles (34.2%)

If you’re in the market for a QB this week, remember Carson Wentz of the Eagles who has looked great in his three NFL starts. He was on a bye week last week, so he may be available on your league’s Week 5 waiver wire. If he is, he makes a nice option for the next two weeks as he goes on the road to Detroit and Washington.

Wentz’s best game as a pro was his 301-yard performance in Week 3 against the Steelers when he led his team to a rout of their in-state rival. Wentz threw for a pair of scores while completing 23 of his 31 pass attempts.

He has thrown a total of five touchdowns in his three-game NFL career and has yet to turn the ball over. Wentz takes on the Lions who have been beaten badly so far this season. Detroit has given up multiple passing TDs in each of their four games and allowed Brian Hoyer to throw for over 300 yards last week. Wentz is my favorite option as a streaming QB who is widely available on the Week 5 waiver wire.

Oct 2, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Woods (10) runs the ball against New England Patriots free safety Duron Harmon (30) and cornerback Logan Ryan (26) in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Bills defeated the Patriots 16-0. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Woods-WR-Buffalo Bills (10.3%)

The Bills’ decided to put Sammy Watkins on injured reserve with his foot injury and there’s a real possibility the dynamic playmaker is done for the season. The team’s new number one option at receiver is former-USC standout Robert Woods.

In Week 4, Woods drew ten targets and was able to pull in seven catches for 89 yards. In the two games that Watkins has missed, Woods has amassed 13 catches and 140 yards although he hasn’t gotten into the end zone yet this year.

Woods should keep getting plenty of looks since the Bills’ receiving corps is pretty thin. Almost every week, he’ll draw double-digit targets from Tyrod Taylor which makes him a PPR threat and a solid high-floor option in the coming weeks. This week, Woods and the Bills are in LA to take on the Rams, and then they have good matchups coming up against the 49ers and Dolphins in the next few weeks.

Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers wide receiver Dontrelle Inman (15) leaps over Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (21) after making a catch during the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Dontrelle Inman-WR-San Diego Chargers (0.7%)

As a card-carrying member of the Tyrell Williams street team, I’m a little upset that Inman posted a monster game in Week 4 while Williams and Travis Benjamin took a back seat. Inman had been running a ton of routes before Sunday’s game but he hadn’t been targeted very often.

On Sunday, that all changed when Phillip Rivers went to the veteran from Virginia a team-high 11 times. Inman ended up with seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in the game which the Chargers blew in their typical late-game fashion. Inman could have had an even better game if he hadn’t dropped a key pass on the final drive of the game.

If you need a WR pickup with plenty of upside in a pass-heavy scheme, Inman is a great option on the waiver wire week 5. He has potential to be a key piece in the San Diego offense going forward, but he is probably still going to be behind Williams, Travis Benjamin, and the team’s tight end in terms of target distribution. He has upside, but he is riskier than the other receivers higher on this list.

Oct 2, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Hunter Henry (86) dives for a first down as New Orleans Saints strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) defends at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Henry-TE-San Diego Chargers (32.5%)

The Chargers have been without Antonio Gate the last two weeks, but they’ve gotten very solid play from second-round draft pick Hunter Henry. Henry was the 35th pick overall and joined the Chargers out of Arkansas.

In Week 3, he hauled in five passes for 76 yards against the Colts and followed that up with four more catches for 61 yards and his first NFL touchdown in Week 4 against the Saints. Henry may be the heir apparent to Gates at TE for San Diego and makes a nice streaming play for Week 5 if Gates is sidelined again.

The Chargers have an awesome matchup in Oakland against the Raider who have been beaten for big passing yards and touchdowns all season. If you need to grab a starting TE off the Week 5 waiver wire, Henry is the best widely-available option for the short term this Sunday.

Aug 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon (30) runs during the first half against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Kenneth Dixon-RB-Baltimore Ravens (20.8%)

If you’re trying to use your fantasy football pickups to get ahead of the curve instead of just chasing points, check out Ravens’ rookie RB Kenneth Dixon who should be returning to the team soon and could eventually take a big part of the workload from Terrance West. While West makes more sense for this week, Dixon has more upside for later in the season.

Dixon is a risky play since he hasn’t played an NFL snap in his career, but the fifth-round pick out of LSU has a ton of potential and flashed lots of upside this preseason. According to reports, he looked like the best runner in camp throughout the preseason, and he looked good in his exhibition workload before a torn MCL cost him the first few weeks of the season.

At this point, it looks like Dixon is on track to be a part of the backfield this week against Washington in a very favorable matchup. I still think he’s an extremely risky start, though since he has an undefined role. Look for Dixon to be one of the hot names to pick up in the next few weeks, but get beat the rush by adding him from the Week 5 waiver wire and get him safely stashed on your bench.

Oct 2, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is helped up by offensive guard Joe Thuney (62) after being sacked by Buffalo Bills inside linebacker Zach Brown (53) during the second half of the Buffalo Bills 16-0 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills D/ST (36.6%)

The Bills defense has been playing well since getting embarrassed on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. The defense played so poorly in that contest, that it cost their offensive coordinator his job. While that doesn’t seem to make any sense at all, it definitely seems to have worked.

The Bills responded in Week 3 by shutting down the Cardinals and forcing five turnovers. This week, they held the Patriots completely scoreless although they did only manage one takeaway.

In Week 5, the Bills D/ST makes sense as they travel across the country to take on the Rams. Los Angeles’s offense has been a little better lately, but the Ryan brothers look like they have this unit turned back around and headed in the right direction. If you’re shopping the Week 5 waiver wire for a streaming defense, the Bills are the first name I’d check for.

Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brice Butler (19) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) during the second quarter at Levi

Brice Butler-WR-Dallas Cowboys (0.5%)

The Cowboys have a very volatile situation on their hands with Dez Bryant right now with injury and his work ethic being called into question. Dez missed Week 4 as the Cowboys went to San Francisco and got a win behind rookie QB Dak Prescott. While the Dak-Dez connection has struggled, one receiver who Prescott seems comfortable with is Brice Butler.

Butler was a flier pick in my WR sleepers this week, and he came through with five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. He almost had a second score as well. Butler’s role time is probably not quite big enough to trust him when Dez is healthy, but he has proven he can be useful with Bryant is out.

This week, monitor Bryant’s progress, and be ready to add Butler from the Week 5 wavier wire before the Cowboys take on the Bengals next Sunday. Again, Butler is a flier off the week 5 waiver wire, but he’s on that I’m keeping a close eye on moving forward.

Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Derek Anderson (3) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Panthers 48-33. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Other Waiver Wire Week 5 targets

These options are also available in over 50% of ESPN and make good pickups as well. They’re listed in the general order that I would target them if the top 10 aren’t available in your league.

QB: Derek Anderson-Carolina Panthers, Sam Bradford-Minnesota Vikings,Brock Osweiler-Houston Texans, Ryan Tannehill, Brian Hoyer-Chicago Bears

RB: Orleans Darkwa-New York Giants, James White-New England Patriots, DeAndre Washington-Oakland Raiders, Bobby Rainey-New York Giants, Cameron Artis-Payne-Carolina Panthers,, Kenyan Drake-Miami Dolphins

WR: Phillip Dorsett-Indianapolis Colts, Brian Quick-Los Angeles Rams, Adam Humphries-Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kenny Stills-Miami Dolphins, Kenny Britt-Los Angeles Rams

TE: Cameron Brate-Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jesse James-Pittsburgh Steelers, Richard Rodgers-Green Bay Packers,

D/ST: Eagles D/ST, Steelers D/ST, Rams D/ST