Top 12 Winning Waiver Wire Adds in Week 5
Each and every week in Fantasy Football there are surprise performances and there are injures. Both of these occurrences tend to lead to opportunity. Opportunity leads to touches, and touches tend to lead to fantasy points. Every week there is something to pay attention to in the NFL. At times it is injuries, others it’s bye weeks, and in 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic lingers and could possibly impact NFL teams, and your fantasy rosters. All of these scenarios highlight the waiver wire, and your need to pay attention to it.
Entering Week 5, the injuries are piling up and the player pool is getting smaller and smaller. Brad Menendez brings us this week’s RotoHeat’s 12 Winning Waiver Wire Adds in Week 5 Fantasy Football
12. CJ Uzomah – Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered: ESPN – 1%, Yahoo – 2%, Sleeper – 3%
C.J. Uzomah caught 5-of-6 targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals’ Week 4 win over the Jaguars. Tee Higgins missed his second straight game on Thursday and Uzomah became the default No. 3 option in the Bengal offense. Uzomah twice on plays of 22 and 31 yards, his first multi score game of his career. He has a plus Week 5 matchup against Green Bay and should Higgins remain out he a is viable streaming option.
11. Kalif Raymond – Detroit Lions
Rostered: ESPN – 0%, Yahoo – 1%, Sleeper 2%
Kalif Raymond caught 3-of-6 targets for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions Week 4 loss to the Bears. The touchdowns were Detroit’s only two scores on the day. Raymond has been a surprisingly important component of the Lions’ offense, with 16 targets in the last two games alone. He will be difficult to trust in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he could be a desperation flex play.
10. Van Jefferson – Los Angeles Rams
Rostered: ESPN – 5%, Yahoo – 5%, Sleeper – 13%
Van Jefferson caught 6-of-6 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 4 loss to the Cardinals. The yards, catches and targets were all new season highs as Jefferson found the end zone for the second time this season. Jefferson’s work on the outside is cutting into Robert Woods’ floor and upside and Jefferson is showing us he is the Rams No.3 WR. The Rams will visit the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, and should you need a flex play Jefferson is worth of consideration.
9. Quintez Cephus – Detroit Lions
Rostered: ESPN – 7%, Yahoo – 15%, Sleeper – 25%
Quintez Cephus caught 4-of-5 targets for 83 yards in the Lions’ Week 4 loss to the Bears. The good news is Cephus is the Lions No. 1 WR. The bad news is Cephus is the Lions No.1 WR. Volume warrants being added off your wire this week, and against a giving Vikings offense he could be used as an upside flex this week.
8. Zach Ertz -Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered: ESPN – 16%, Yahoo – 26%, Sleeper 34%
Zach Ertz caught 4-of-7 targets for 53 yards and one touchdown in the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Cowboys. Ertz came into this one with a 3-40-0 line on four targets, so this was a nice bounce-back game. With Ertz and Dallas Goedert splitting reps, neither is anything more than a TE2 ahead of a Week 4 date with the Chiefs, but both should be rostered.
7. Darnell Mooney – Chicago Bears
Rostered: ESPN – 11%, Yahoo – 11%, Sleeper – 21%
Darnell Mooney was targeted 7 times, hauling in 5 of them for 125 yards in the Bears Week 4 win over Detroit. Mooney was the preferred target of Justin Fields in this one averaging 25 yards per catch, and being targeted 41% of the time. Mooney will face a more difficult test in Week 5 when the Bears face the Raiders, but he needs to be rostered regardless of opponent.
6. AJ Green – Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: ESPN – 27%, Yahoo – 23%, Sleeper – 39%
A.J. Green caught 5-of-6 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals’ Week 4 win over the Rams. In the past two weeks, Green has caught 10-of-12 targets for 179 yards and a score. AJ has seen a resurgence in his career since joining Arizona, and is a WR that is fantasy relevant. He should be rostered in all PPR formats.
5. DeVante Parker – Miami Dolphins
Rostered: ESPN – 56%, Yahoo – 38%, Sleeper – 52%
DeVante Parker was targeted 9 times in the Dolphins loss to the Colts this week, catching 4 of them for 77 yards and a score.
With Tua Tagovailoa out until Week 6 at least, Parker may continue to be reliant on garbage time with Brissett under center, but the injury to WR Will Fuller increases Parker’s likelihood for targets. His Week 4 outing was reassuring but he can only be trusted as a WR3 versus the Buccaneers next week.
4. Emmanuel Sanders – Buffalo Bills
Rostered: ESPN – 44%, Yahoo – 58%, Sleeper – 67%
Emmanuel Sanders has been quite consistent this year, being targeted between 6-8 times in all four of Buffalo’s games and returning at least 48 yards in all four of them. This Sunday he caught 5-of-6 targets for 74 yards in Buffalo’s Week 4 win over Houston. Sanders added seven rushing yards on an end around. After seeing what Philly did the Kansas City’s secondary this week, Sanders should be in the WR3 conversation in Week 5.
3. Latavius Murray – Baltimore Ravens
Rostered: ESPN – 34%, Yahoo – 47%, Sleeper – 52%
It appears that Latavius Murray is slowly becoming the No.1 back in Baltimore. Ty’Son Williams, was a healthy scratch and Murray was used as a workhorse against Denver. Murray didn’t do anything to solidify his No.1 status but he didn’t do anything to lose it either. Anytime you get the opportunity to add a team’s lead back you should take that shot. Murray will be in the RB2 conversation next week against the Indianapolis.
2. Kenneth Gainwell -Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered: ESPN – 25%, Yahoo – 29%, Sleeper – 45%
Kenneth Gainwell rushed three times for 31 yards and caught 6-of-8 targets for 58 yards in Week 4 against the Chiefs. He outplayed Miles Sanders, who had 47 yards on 10 touches. The rookie converted a red-zone TD from seven yards out for his score and tied for second in targets behind DeVonta Smith. Gainwell appears to be the back in negative game scripts for the Eagles and this season those should be the norm. We suggested you add Gainwell last week and here we are again suggestion the add once again.
1. Damien Williams – Chicago Bears
Rostered: ESPN – 1%, Yahoo – 7%, Sleeper – 14%
Damien Williams rushed eight times for 55 yards and a touchdown, adding two receptions for 15 yards in the Bears’ Week 4 win over the Lions. Williams’ touchdown came in the third quarter in relief of David Montgomery after Monty left with a knee injury. Williams racked up 50 of his 70 yards from scrimmage after Montgomery departed. With Montgomery all but certain to miss at least Week 5, Williams needs to be rostered and in most cases inserted into your starting lineup.
Thank you for reading 12 Winning Waiver Wire Adds in Week 5 Fantasy Football.
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