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Time to Drop Ladd McConkey? Fantasy Football Week 5 Waiver Wire Outlook (2025)

Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Should I drop Ladd McConkey for fantasy football Week 5? Is Ladd McConkey a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey has been one of the most disappointing fantasy assets this season.

After being selected in the late second round of most drafts, the young wideout has only been able to eclipse double-digit PPR points in one game and has averaged a modest 8.3 PPR points per game.

Should fantasy managers drop McConkey from their roster? Let's dive in!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Should I Drop Ladd McConkey in Fantasy Football?

No, fantasy managers should not consider dropping McConeky. Even though he has failed to live up to his low-end WR1 projection, McConeky should remain or be rostered in all formats heading into Week 5.

Over his final 10 games of his rookie season, McConkey looked like the next emerging star wide receiver, averaging a dominant 17.6 PPR points per game with 88.4 yards and 5.8 receptions per game. However, this season, McConkey has only exceeded 50 receiving yards in one game and has only caught more than five passes in one contest.

Despite this, the Georgia product remains a clear target in the offense and has also continued to see a high target share. He has been targeted 6.8 times per game (27 total times) but has only been able to catch 16 of them. He has also logged 87% of the team's snaps, which is the most among Los Angeles wide receivers.

However, he has been greatly overshadowed by Quentin Johnston's Year 3 breakout and the re-emergence of veteran Keenan Allen.

 

Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?

While fantasy managers should not consider dropping McConkey, they should look to target a WR on the waiver wire that offers a safer floor for the time being. While McConkey will eventually return to his high-end WR2 form, for now, he is best left as a low-end FLEX option.

Grene Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs has emerged as the top option in that passing attack, with Jayden Reed (collarbone) sidelined. Last weekend, Doubs enjoyed a career game, catching three touchdowns. While his yardage output is typically low, he is Jordan Love's go-to option in the red zone, which significantly raises his ceiling in comparison to McConkey.

Managers should also consider either Wan'Dale Robinson or Darius Slayton of the New York Giants as the top option in the offense with Malik Nabers (knee) sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. Given Jaxson Dart's impressive NFL debut, one of those options could emerge as a must-start WR3/FLEX by the end of the season.

However, given how often the Chargers have opted to pass the ball and McConkey's high target share, it is only a matter of time before he snaps this early-season slump and returns to his must-start status.

 

Who Should I Pickup Tool

Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:

Who Should I Pickup for Week 1?

Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...

Who To Pickup?
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Who Should I Pickup? Looking for a replacement? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Brashard Smith, Jaydon Blue, Emari Demercado, Theo Johnson, Jayden Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Parker Washington. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.

2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on players like Brashard Smith, Jaydon Blue, Emari Demercado, Theo Johnson, Jayden Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Parker Washington. They are some of the most common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.

Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

 

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Looking for a replacement? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Brashard Smith, Jaydon Blue, Emari Demercado, Theo Johnson, Jayden Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Parker Washington:

Jaydon Blue
vs
Emanuel Wilson
Jaydon Blue
vs
Kyle Monangai
Jaydon Blue
vs
Audric Estime
Jaydon Blue
vs
Michael Carter
Jaydon Blue
vs
Chris Godwin Jr.
Jaydon Blue
vs
Ricky Pearsall
Jaydon Blue
vs
Blake Corum
Jaydon Blue
vs
Kimani Vidal
Jaydon Blue
vs
Parker Washington
Jaydon Blue
vs
Jaylen Wright
Jaydon Blue
vs
Colston Loveland
Jaydon Blue
vs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Jaydon Blue
vs
Tank Bigsby
Jaydon Blue
vs
Isiah Pacheco
Jaydon Blue
vs
Luther Burden III
Jaydon Blue
vs
Michael Mayer
Jaydon Blue
vs
Jordan Mason
Jaydon Blue
vs
Darius Slayton
Jaydon Blue
vs
Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Jaydon Blue
vs
Chimere Dike
Jaydon Blue
vs
Dalton Schultz
Jaydon Blue
vs
Chig Okonkwo
Jaydon Blue
vs
Jerry Jeudy
Jaydon Blue
vs
Devin Singletary
Jaydon Blue
vs
Dylan Sampson
Jaydon Blue
vs
Samaje Perine
Jaydon Blue
vs
Kareem Hunt
Jaydon Blue
vs
Sean Tucker
Jaydon Blue
vs
Tyler Allgeier
Jaydon Blue
vs
Will Shipley
Jaydon Blue
vs
Phil Mafah
Jaydon Blue
vs
Raheim Sanders
Jaydon Blue
vs
Ray Davis
Jayden Higgins
vs
Jalen McMillan
Jayden Higgins
vs
Samaje Perine
Jayden Higgins
vs
Dylan Sampson
Jayden Higgins
vs
Colby Parkinson
Jayden Higgins
vs
Devin Singletary
Jayden Higgins
vs
Kevin Austin Jr.
Jayden Higgins
vs
Jerry Jeudy
Jayden Higgins
vs
Kareem Hunt
Jayden Higgins
vs
Chig Okonkwo
Jayden Higgins
vs
Sean Tucker
Jayden Higgins
vs
Dalton Schultz
Jayden Higgins
vs
Isaiah Hodgins
Jayden Higgins
vs
Chimere Dike
Jayden Higgins
vs
Tyler Allgeier
Jayden Higgins
vs
Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Jayden Higgins
vs
Tre Tucker
Jayden Higgins
vs
Darius Slayton
Jayden Higgins
vs
Jahan Dotson
Jayden Higgins
vs
Michael Mayer
Jayden Higgins
vs
Jalen Coker
Jayden Higgins
vs
Isiah Pacheco
Jayden Higgins
vs
Kyle Williams
Jayden Higgins
vs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Jayden Higgins
vs
Luther Burden III
Jayden Higgins
vs
Chris Godwin Jr.
Jayden Higgins
vs
Ricky Pearsall
Jayden Higgins
vs
Matthew Golden
Jayden Higgins
vs
Adonai Mitchell
Jayden Higgins
vs
Elic Ayomanor
Jayden Higgins
vs
Darius Cooper
Jayden Higgins
vs
Tre' Harris
Jayden Higgins
vs
Adam Thielen
Jayden Higgins
vs
Marquise Brown
Parker Washington
vs
Colston Loveland
Parker Washington
vs
Blake Corum
Parker Washington
vs
Tank Bigsby
Parker Washington
vs
Chris Godwin Jr.
Parker Washington
vs
Luther Burden III
Parker Washington
vs
Audric Estime
Parker Washington
vs
Jordan Mason
Parker Washington
vs
Emanuel Wilson
Parker Washington
vs
Jaydon Blue
Parker Washington
vs
Kyle Monangai
Parker Washington
vs
Michael Carter
Parker Washington
vs
Ricky Pearsall
Parker Washington
vs
Kimani Vidal
Parker Washington
vs
Jaylen Wright
Parker Washington
vs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Parker Washington
vs
Isiah Pacheco
Parker Washington
vs
Michael Mayer
Parker Washington
vs
Darius Slayton
Parker Washington
vs
Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Parker Washington
vs
Chimere Dike
Parker Washington
vs
Dalton Schultz
Parker Washington
vs
Chig Okonkwo
Parker Washington
vs
Jerry Jeudy
Parker Washington
vs
Jalen McMillan
Parker Washington
vs
Kevin Austin Jr.
Parker Washington
vs
Isaiah Hodgins
Parker Washington
vs
Tre Tucker
Parker Washington
vs
Jahan Dotson
Parker Washington
vs
Jalen Coker
Parker Washington
vs
Kyle Williams
Parker Washington
vs
Matthew Golden
Parker Washington
vs
Adonai Mitchell
Parker Washington
vs
Elic Ayomanor

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