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Should I drop Jadarian Price for fantasy football Week 5? Is Jadarian Price a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (chest) is set to miss at least four games due to a chest injury he suffered in Week 3. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a designation to return, meaning he won't be eligible to play again until Week 8 at the earliest.
Price struggled in his first few games as a pro -- in Week 1 and 2, despite these coming before his injury, he managed just 12.8 PPR fantasy points across the two contests. He carried the ball 23 times and was targeted four times.
That rate of touches for a first-round pick is disappointing. In fantasy football, a workhorse running back typically needs to push 20 touches per game to be a consistent high-end starter. Perhaps Price's role would have grown as the season progressed, but now a wrench has been thrown in those plans. So should you drop Price ahead of Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season?
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Should I Drop Jadarian Price in Fantasy Football?
Definitely not. The potential No. 1 running back for a good offense should be rostered all season, even if he's expected to miss significant time, as long as there's a chance he'll return at some point during the season. The Seahawks expressed that Price's injury will not spell the end of his rookie season.
It's unclear how long he'll need to recover, but he should be a priority player for injured reserve spots. If yours are full, he should find a place on your bench unless you're in an extremely shallow league. In any league where he's dropped, he's a priority pickup worth dumping a significant amount of FAAB or your top waiver claim spot for.
Cardinals fourth down stand!
SEAvsAZ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/s1AfHMkhuv— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
Price may have caused plays like the one above to have more positive results. While his backup, RB Emanuel Wilson, scored 27.0 PPR fantasy points in Week 4, Price has more raw athletic talent, and his Week 1 and Week 2 numbers aren't necessarily indicative of how his career will turn out.
Rookies often take time to break out in the NFL, especially if they were drafted outside the early part of the first round. And we haven't seen Price in a workhorse role yet, so it's hard to say he wouldn't be as productive (or even more) than Wilson.
Dropping Price doesn't make sense unless you are in a shallow league with short benches. A first-round pick at RB is likely a player coaching staffs have big plans for toward the end of their first season, but who may need time to acclimate to playing in the NFL and learning their first pro offense.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
The natural pickup is Wilson. He had a huge game in Week 4, when he was tasked with handling the lion's share of Seattle's backfield touches. His performance will earn him a spot in starting lineups in all leagues in fantasy football for Week 5.
EMANUEL WILSON FIRST SEAHAWK TOUCHDOWN https://t.co/BffOTZr4eA
— wok (@wokdior) October 4, 2026
Wilson was likely picked up in many leagues after Week 3, but if he's available, dump your FAAB or top priority waiver claim on him, because he's set up to handle a big workload against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. They have one of the NFL's better run defenses, but he's a volume play.
Aside from him, you could try to get Philadelphia Eagles RB Will Shipley. Generally, your best bet is to hit high-upside handcuffs like Kansas City Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson. But Shipley has a direct path to significant playing time due to the injury to Eagles starting RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring).
Additionally, Eagles RB2 Tank Bigsby (core) was a surprise addition to their injured reserve list, and will miss the next four games. Barkley's hamstring should hold him out for at least a few contests, as it makes no sense to rush back and aggravate the issue. Shipley should also be added in all leagues on waivers for Week 5.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Emanuel Wilson, Emmett Johnson, Will Shipley. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. 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.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on Emanuel Wilson, Emmett Johnson, Will Shipley. He is one of the most common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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