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2026 Week 5 Waiver Wire: 10 Pickups and Tight End Streamers · Upper Hand Fantasy

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Week five waivers and the injury report this week is kind of a mess.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is a running back who's all of a sudden the healthiest guy left in his backfield.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think he has an RB1 upside if he gets to work.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: We've also got a couple of receivers stepping into bigger roles with injuries piling up.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: A big name free agent who I'm not really going crazy over on waivers and some tight end streamers at the end.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get right into it.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start with Will Shipley.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Saquon Barkley, likely gonna miss some time with a hamstring injury.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Tank Bigsby would normally be next up, but he's also being placed on IR with a groin injury.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: So the healthiest running back on the team right now is Shipley.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: His bread and butter has always been the pass game, and that's notable given that the Eagles could still be down some pass catchers this week.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, is Shipley going to be their workhorse?
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's an unknown.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're not sure how comfortable they are with him on early downs yet.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: They do have guys like Damian Pierce, Carson Steele, and their practice squad.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen mentions of Jaden Blue, but Jaden Blue is more of a pass catching type.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: So those other two guys could end up being a factor on early downs.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: But if Shipley does end up getting all the work, which is definitely in the range of outcomes here, or at least most of it, which I actually believe it will end up being, I think he has RB1 upside because of the pass catching ability.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Since it's a hamstring for Barkley, it could end up being a couple weeks.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I am willing to drop up to 20% on Shipley if I need a running back.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Next up is Emmanuel Wilson if he's available.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Without Jadarian Price, Wilson was the guy for the Seahawks on Sunday.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: 25 opportunities, he was the primary early down guy, and he got 100% of the two-minute snaps as well, which is huge.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's not available everywhere.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Smart managers in most leagues picked him up already, especially when Jadarian Price was put on IR late last week.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, they brought in Joe Mixon for a workout, and they did end up signing him.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Zach Charbonnet, close to coming back, but Mike McDaniel already said that he won't play next week.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't expect Mixon to be a factor anytime soon either.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: So Wilson should be the guy once again this week.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Not the worst matchup in the world against the 49ers, should be a close game.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Vegas has the Seahawks slightly favored at home, and there's definitely a chance that you get to start him again in week six against Denver as well.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: He'll be a solid RB2 for both of those matchups if the volume continues to come for him.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you really need a running back, I'm more than fine dropping 10 to 15% on Wilson.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Keaton Mitchell's next up, another running back.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is probably like the value running back on waivers this week.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I don't think Keaton Mitchell is ever gonna take over this backfield, but this is a three-man timeshare.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Let's be clear.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: He did end up leading the Chargers though in carries, targets, and in snaps.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: He ended with 16 opportunities.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: He outcarried Amari Hampton 10 to 9.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: This is gonna be an annoying situation for the foreseeable future.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Not only is the three-man backfield gross, the offense itself is also gross.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: This is just a pickup in case you're really short on running back depth and you need someone on your bench that could possibly fill in at some point when you're in a pinch, but nothing more than that.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to spend more than 10% of fab.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm willing to go up to like, you know, five, six, seven percent if that's the case.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you really lack some depth and maybe you have like Kenneth Walker on by or something like that, and you literally cannot put anybody else in your running back spot.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: This is probably what this is for.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Next up is Trey Harris.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Lad McConkey had to leave the game, seemed like he aggravated that foot injury.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: So now, despite how bad this offense is, again, second straight charger on this list.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Last week, I think I had three jets in my top five.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So take this with a grain of salt, will you?
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm recommending more players on bad offenses.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I should just reevaluate my entire process.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: But hey, Trey Harris's role was good.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: He went all the way up to 91% rap participation in this game.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: He has three games over 17% target share.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Week one was 23%, week two only 9%, but week three 24%, and week four 17%.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: So that amounts to 19% for the season.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, without Ladd McConkey, potentially this week, and who knows for how long, he could very well end up being the wide receiver one here over Quentin Johnson.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Johnson only has a 15% target share on the year, only 7% target share on Sunday, even though Ladd missed most of the game.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Trey Harris has always been talented.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's really bad opportunity for him.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: He was really, really good at Ole Miss.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: I was a big fan of him coming out.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, he's actually right behind Ladd McConkey with over two yards per route run.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, like he's on a bad offense, but I think there's gonna be some extra opportunity for him.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think he could end up making some big plays like he's done a few times this year.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: I would imagine that there will be at least one game that Justin Herbert actually plays well in.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Next up is Keon Coleman.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: I am interested in picking up Coleman if DJ Moore is out.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: We obviously don't know that is gonna happen.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: We have no idea, and we're not gonna know because the Bills play on Monday night.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: So the first real practice of the week is actually gonna be Thursday.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So we might not even know about his real status until Saturday.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: I would imagine that they could even wait until Monday to figure out what DJ Moore's status is.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So it could actually be a really long process here.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you pick up Keon Coleman hoping to start him, but then you can't.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: It is worth noting though, because twice now when DJ Moore has left the game with a shoulder injury, Coleman has kind of stepped up big time.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Before DJ Moore left the game on Sunday, he only had a 7% target share, but once more left, 30% target share the rest of the way.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: And it amounted to five catches, 103 yards, and a touchdown on six targets with Moore off the field.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So definitely some upside here.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he looks like a better player.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: There's a chance that you pick him up and he doesn't do much.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: But at the end of the day, it seems like Coleman is improving, right?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it looks like Allen is trusting him more a lot.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, regardless, I would hold him through this week to see if he can build on what he's done, regardless of whether more was on the field or not.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of the day, if he improved his skills and if he is a better wide receiver, we have to remember that he's paired with Josh Allen, right?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I might just spend a few bucks to find out.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Dante Myers, who Bengals wide receiver, Dante Myers.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Jamar Chase dealing with the concussion, T.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Higgins dealing with a groin injury.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a chance that both of them miss week five.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Myers saw five targets in week three, nine targets this past week.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: He caught seven of them for 82 yards.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure how much the Bengals will have to throw against Miami, but that's kind of their MO.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I expect Myers to probably get some targets here.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: I would imagine Mike Gasicki will probably be very involved as well as one of the primary receivers, too.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, Dante is a pretty risky flex play here, but I think he has more upside than some of the receivers after him.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: I won't be spending more than a couple bucks since he's just maybe a one-week flyer.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Malik Washington's next up.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see how many weeks he's on the waiver wire list.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Another near 30% target share game.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this is his third game over 29% target share this year.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: The problem is that there is barely any passing volume in this offense.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Those three games with over 29% target share that amounted to eight targets, 10 targets, and five targets.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Great target share, but not the best role in the world.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: But hey, like he is their number one receiver right now.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Not a whole lot of upside here, but definitely has a safe PPR floor for sure.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just keep in mind that they go up against Cincinnati this week.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Not the best matchup in the world for wide receivers.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Then he has a bye week and then the Jets, which is also not a great matchup.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Regardless, I think he's a pretty safe PPR floor guy for now.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see if Caleb Douglas comes back, but for now, decent start.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about Tyreek Hill.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's worth a speculative ad.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: I really don't know if he's gonna land somewhere where he's gonna get the opportunity, plus where he's at with the pretty bad injury that he's coming back from, given his age.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's just hard to project a, you know, a real ceiling performance here.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: I would imagine if he does come back, is he gonna be able to make some sort of difference for fantasy?
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: I doubt it.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not really holding my breath here.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: This could be one of those situations where he gets added to a team and he doesn't make an impact for a few weeks, kind of sitting on your bench and just taking up a valuable bench spot until like he finally plays and you're just like, well, this was underwhelming.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I'm kind of afraid of here.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I'm uh playing scared, but is the upside even there to be worth that kind of stash?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, obviously, you know, the Chiefs could use a wide receiver right now.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Rashi Rice, apparently, he could be back after their buy, but you know, Thornton is out for the year.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, it is possible that Tyree Kill will be signs with them.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: He ends up coming back.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Patrick Mahomes obviously has a really good connection with him.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: He obviously is not the same player that he was a few years ago.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I think I'll spend a few bucks, but nothing too crazy.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Romeo Dubbs is next.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: We saw some signs of life from Drake May this week, finally, uh, as well as some signs from Romeo Dubbs finally.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: 27% target share, two touchdowns.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Keep in mind though that Matt Collins missed most of this game.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: He's dealing with the calf injury.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, his head coach said that he's unlikely to practice in the next few days.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: So dubbs is a very solid wide receiver three streamer with upside against the Raiders this week.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if Hollins is out for longer, which is possible, I don't have enough details on the extent of the injury just yet, but probably spending up to 5% on Dubs if I need a wide receiver three flex play, but nothing more than that.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Antonio Williams is an upside wide receiver that I'm trying to stash right now.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Terry McLaurin dealing with the hamstring injury.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: We don't know the extent of it.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: It could be longer than we think.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Jane Daniels coming back this week.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I think Williams is worth rostering.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: He had an 87-yard touchdown wiped off on Sunday, but the 73% rap participation and 24% target share last week without Terry should keep us interested.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: He's the under-the-radar pickup who I feel like I'm pounding the table for on every one of these.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's shown a lot of early signs in his career.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: Hard to get targets, you know, ahead of McLaurin and Diggs when they're both healthy, but he could have some opportunity this week.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'll spend a few dollars to add him to my roster if I need the help.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're looking for a tight end screamer, I think Mike Gasecki without Jamar Chase and T.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Higgins and a good matchup against Miami.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's the move for me.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: After him, probably TJ Hawkinson if the Vikings choose to rest Justin Jefferson, given the fact that they have to buy the following week.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then Tyler Higby against Buffalo, given the injuries to the other tight ends for the Rams.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Another one is Michael Mayers, a bit of a crapshoot, but it seems like even with Brock Bowers playing, he's one of the primary receivers.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: He still ran around on 79% of drop backs, along with Bowers running his 94% of dropbacks.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Something to consider.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's gonna do it for this week's waiver wire.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: If this helps you figure out, you know, where to spend your fab, who to prioritize, do me a favor, hit the subscribe button.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: We're putting out waivers every single week, all season long.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you in the next one.