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Who Should I Drop for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Kalif Raymond, Tank Bigsby, Courtland Sutton, Kendre Miller, Michael Pittman Jr., Rachaad White, Makai Lemon, Rico Dowdle, George Holani.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football cut candidates include players like Kalif Raymond, Tank Bigsby, Courtland Sutton, Kendre Miller, Michael Pittman Jr., Rachaad White, Makai Lemon, Rico Dowdle, and George Holani. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make the right waiver wire decisions and winning moves for Week 5. Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football pickups for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool helps make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to add... all free!
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read about fantasy football players to consider dropping for Week 5:
Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (toe) is making progress after missing the past two games. Head coach Mike McCarthy told Nick Farabaugh on Monday that Dowdle is working his way back, though there still isn't a firm return date. Jaylen Warren has made the most of Dowdle's absence, piling up 302 scrimmage yards over the last two games while getting 17 carries in each.
That workload could change once Dowdle is ready. McCarthy said he still expects the two backs to operate as a "one-two punch," pointing toward a shared backfield rather than Warren continuing to handle the same amount of work. Dowdle had 15 carries for 37 yards and four catches for 28 yards before the toe injury. His practice participation this week should give a better idea of when that committee might be back together. He remains a top injury stash across all standard formats.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller rushed for just nine yards on six carries during Monday's Week 4 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. He also caught two of three targets for 10 receiving yards. Outside of the moderate pass-catching role, Miller had a very frustrating performance. Many managers scrambled to add him off waivers after the team placed Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) on injured reserve, thinking that the 24-year-old could lead the backfield or at least have a sizable role alongside Alvin Kamara.
For what it's worth, he had just one fewer carry than Kamara, but the veteran back had two touchdowns and also accrued seven targets. Rookie CJ Donaldson also carved out a role, logging 18 rushing yards on three carries. Miller's inefficiency, lack of touchdown volume, and uninspiring receiving contributions will keep him out of the top-36 running back conversation for Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings. He is safe cut in all 12-team formats.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton gave fantasy managers another reason to hesitate Sunday, catching just one of six targets for four yards in a 24-14 loss to San Francisco. The six targets were not the issue. Sutton simply did almost nothing with them, and this is becoming more than a one-week problem.
He has now been held to 25 receiving yards or fewer in three of Denver's first four games and sits at nine catches for 86 yards without a touchdown on the season. Sutton did see enough volume to have a chance at a useful afternoon, but the production never came.
Jaylen Waddle has already emerged as the more productive piece of Denver's passing game, while Sutton has struggled to turn his opportunities into anything fantasy managers can trust. At this point, he is becoming harder to keep in starting lineups until there is a real change in either the production or his role. For now, he is a viable cut in shallower formats given his low weekly floor.
Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia Eagles
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (core) is set to undergo core muscle surgery following the injury he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Rapoport noted that the running back will be placed on the injured reserve and is hoping to return in six weeks. Bigsby was projected to see a potentially large share of the backfield opportunities as top running back Saquon Barkley exited Sunday's contest with a hamstring injury.
However, with Bigsby now set to miss at least the next four games and Barkley in danger of missing time, Will Shipley now sits alone on the team's depth chart. In relief on Sunday, Shipley took six carries for 23 yards and is viewed as a priority pickup across all formats ahead of Week 5. He is not worth stashing in any standard redraft league.
Kalif Raymond, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond disappeared from the passing game in Sunday's 23-12 win over the Jets. Raymond caught both of his targets for six yards after drawing 21 targets over the first three weeks, a sharp drop for a player who had quickly become one of Chicago's most productive receivers.
He entered Week 4 with 19 catches for 214 yards and a touchdown, then watched Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III all finish with at least four receptions and 57 receiving yards against New York.
The Bears moved the ball all afternoon, so Raymond's quiet game cannot simply be blamed on a stalled offense. One bad week does not erase what he did in September, but two targets are enough to put a dent in the idea that his early volume was completely secure. Raymond still belongs on fantasy rosters in deeper formats, though his weekly floor looks much shakier coming out of Week 4. He is a safe drop in all standard 12-team leagues given his lower floor.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on finding replacements for specific players like Ollie Gordon II, Will Shipley, Keon Coleman.
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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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.
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 2026. 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
Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football waiver wire replacements. Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for Week 5 for Ollie Gordon II, Will Shipley, Keon Coleman:
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