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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 5?

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:

Brashard Smith
vs
Tory Horton
Brashard Smith
vs
Justice Hill
Brashard Smith
vs
Jalen Tolbert
Brashard Smith
vs
Kayshon Boutte
Brashard Smith
vs
Rico Dowdle
Brashard Smith
vs
Jaydon Blue
Brashard Smith
vs
KaVontae Turpin
Brashard Smith
vs
Emari Demercado
Brashard Smith
vs
Isaiah Bond
Brashard Smith
vs
Dontayvion Wicks
Brashard Smith
vs
Woody Marks
Brashard Smith
vs
Kenneth Gainwell
Brashard Smith
vs
Blake Corum
Brashard Smith
vs
Bhayshul Tuten
Jaydon Blue
vs
Kayshon Boutte
Jaydon Blue
vs
Emari Demercado
Jaydon Blue
vs
Justice Hill
Jaydon Blue
vs
Dontayvion Wicks
Jaydon Blue
vs
Brashard Smith
Jaydon Blue
vs
Rashod Bateman
Jaydon Blue
vs
Tory Horton
Jaydon Blue
vs
Isaiah Likely
Jaydon Blue
vs
Jalen Tolbert
Jaydon Blue
vs
Theo Johnson
Jaydon Blue
vs
Woody Marks
Jaydon Blue
vs
Kenneth Gainwell
Jaydon Blue
vs
Blake Corum
Jaydon Blue
vs
Bhayshul Tuten
Emari Demercado
vs
Jaydon Blue
Emari Demercado
vs
Dontayvion Wicks
Emari Demercado
vs
Kayshon Boutte
Emari Demercado
vs
Rashod Bateman
Emari Demercado
vs
Justice Hill
Emari Demercado
vs
Isaiah Likely
Emari Demercado
vs
Brashard Smith
Emari Demercado
vs
Theo Johnson
Emari Demercado
vs
Tory Horton
Emari Demercado
vs
Jeremy McNichols
Emari Demercado
vs
Woody Marks
Emari Demercado
vs
Kenneth Gainwell
Emari Demercado
vs
Blake Corum
Emari Demercado
vs
Bhayshul Tuten
Theo Johnson
vs
Isaiah Likely
Theo Johnson
vs
Jeremy McNichols
Theo Johnson
vs
Rashod Bateman
Theo Johnson
vs
Sterling Shepard
Theo Johnson
vs
Dontayvion Wicks
Theo Johnson
vs
Tyquan Thornton
Theo Johnson
vs
Emari Demercado
Theo Johnson
vs
Marvin Mims Jr.
Theo Johnson
vs
Jaydon Blue
Theo Johnson
vs
Cole Kmet
Theo Johnson
vs
Kyle Pitts
Theo Johnson
vs
Brenton Strange
Theo Johnson
vs
Harold Fannin Jr.
Theo Johnson
vs
Darren Waller
Jayden Higgins
vs
AJ Barner
Jayden Higgins
vs
Luke McCaffrey
Jayden Higgins
vs
Dalton Schultz
Jayden Higgins
vs
Oronde Gadsden
Jayden Higgins
vs
Cole Kmet
Jayden Higgins
vs
DeAndre Hopkins
Jayden Higgins
vs
Marvin Mims Jr.
Jayden Higgins
vs
Parker Washington
Jayden Higgins
vs
Tyquan Thornton
Jayden Higgins
vs
Isaac TeSlaa
Jayden Higgins
vs
Wan'dale Robinson
Jayden Higgins
vs
Romeo Doubs
Jayden Higgins
vs
Elic Ayomanor
Jayden Higgins
vs
Darius Slayton
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Oronde Gadsden
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Parker Washington
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Luke McCaffrey
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Isaac TeSlaa
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Jayden Higgins
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Adonai Mitchell
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
AJ Barner
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Jalen Coker
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Dalton Schultz
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Kyle Monangai
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Wan'dale Robinson
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Romeo Doubs
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Elic Ayomanor
DeAndre Hopkins
vs
Darius Slayton
Parker Washington
vs
DeAndre Hopkins
Parker Washington
vs
Isaac TeSlaa
Parker Washington
vs
Oronde Gadsden
Parker Washington
vs
Adonai Mitchell
Parker Washington
vs
Luke McCaffrey
Parker Washington
vs
Jalen Coker
Parker Washington
vs
Jayden Higgins
Parker Washington
vs
Kyle Monangai
Parker Washington
vs
AJ Barner
Parker Washington
vs
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Parker Washington
vs
Wan'dale Robinson
Parker Washington
vs
Romeo Doubs
Parker Washington
vs
Elic Ayomanor
Parker Washington
vs
Darius Slayton

More Waiver Wire Analysis



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