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Jackson's college fantasy football waiver wire adds for Week 5 of the 2026 CFB season. His top targets and free agent pickups for CFF leagues at RB, WR, TE, QB.
With Texas, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, UCLA, Oregon, Utah, Kansas State, Duke, and Georgia Tech out of action in Week 5 on byes, the depth of your roster and your waiver wire skills will be significantly tested. The waiver wire has never been more important than this week, so it's time to lock in. We're here to help with our Week 5 college fantasy football waiver wire pickups list.
To help you make your waiver wire bids, we will identify the top running back, wide receiver, tight end, and quarterback free agents to target ahead of Week 5. Pickups are listed in priority order by position, and their Yahoo rostered percentage is in parentheses. Note that only players under 50% rostered at the time of this writing are considered in this column. We also won't recommend players heading into Week 5 byes.
Below, read about key Week 5 waiver wire targets and stashes like Lee Beebe Jr., Cayden Lee, Luke Dehnicke, and Anthony Colandrea.
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Week 5 Running Back CFF Waiver Wire Pickups
Lee Beebe Jr., Indiana (23%)
Khobie Martin (arm) and Turbo Richard (ankle) are dealing with injuries, putting Beebe in line to lead the Hoosiers backfield, at least in the short term. He has at least 16 carries in each of his last three games, and he posted a monster 24-rush, 203-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Week 4 win over Northwestern.
Lee Beebe Jr. breaks loose for a HUGE 70-yard run to put Indiana at the 5-yard line pic.twitter.com/1wsFzVSDQp
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 26, 2026
Next on the schedule is Rutgers. Beebe could threaten to be the overall RB1 in Week 5. He's the top waiver wire add on the board.
Jeffrey Overton Jr., Virginia Tech (36%)
Four games into his sophomore season, Overton has tallied 60 rushing attempts for 409 yards and four touchdowns. His breakout performance came in the win over Boston College on Saturday, rushing 25 times for 209 yards and one score. He also added a two-point conversion.
The Virginia Tech offense has life under head coach James Franklin, so its lead back is well worth rostering ahead of the Week 5 showdown with Pitt.
Fame Ijeboi, Purdue (42%)
We knew the matchup with Notre Dame was concerning, and it proved disastrous for Ijeboi. He rushed just 12 times for 41 yards and failed to reach the end zone. But it doesn't change the fact that he scored at least 16.7 fantasy points in each of his first three games, and he'll square off with Illinois in Week 5, a program that just fired its defensive coordinator. He remains a viable pickup and immediate starter.
Matt Fuller, South Carolina (22%)
The Gamecocks were dominated by Alabama in Week 4, but Fuller continued to produce, extending his touchdown streak to four games. Only five running backs have scored more total half-PPR fantasy points than Fuller, making him a clear must-add. The inconsistent South Carolina offense is likely scaring people off of him, but he has plenty of upside and a strong projected workload against Kentucky.
Duke Clark, Florida (1%)
Despite being the clear backup to Jadan Baugh, Clark has tallied 259 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in the team's first four games. You can't start him with confidence as his own team's RB2, but he is likely the No. 1 handcuff running back to stash if you can make the roster space for him.
Florida's rushing attack might be the best in Power Four football. If Baugh has to miss any time this year, Clark has immediate fantasy RB1 upside.
Week 5 Wide Receiver CFF Waiver Wire Pickups
Cayden Lee, Missouri (18%)
Lee is still available in roughly 80% of leagues, despite ranking 8th in total fantasy points among all Power Four wideouts. He had another monster showing in Week 4 against Mississippi State, snagging 11 balls for 156 yards and two scores. His chemistry with Austin Simmons is evident. This should be the last chance you have to grab him.
CAYDEN LEE TOOK OFF ⏩@MizzouFootball takes the lead 😯 pic.twitter.com/NaMcmphZgM
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 27, 2026
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, USC (4%)
With Trent Mosley banged up and Tanook Hines failing to meet expectations in 2026, Dixon-Wyatt has immediate starting value for WR-needy teams. The true freshman has scored no fewer than 11.2 half-PPR points in the first four games of his career, and he broke out big-time against Oregon to the tune of seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown.
USC's defense remains an issue, so expect its offense to continue passing at a high rate, even against "inferior" competition.
Keenan Jackson, NC State (4%)
Jackson is averaging 5.6 receptions for 96.3 yards and has caught four touchdowns in his last three games. He's CJ Bailey's No. 1 wide receiver on a team with a struggling defense, giving him upside in all matchups. Expect the Week 5 meeting with Louisville to be another ACC high-scoring affair.
Joseph Williams, Colorado (7%)
It's tough to trust the Colorado offense, but Williams has made himself undeniable after catching 20 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games. The Buffs have scored just two touchdowns in their last two contests, and Williams has both of them. Texas Tech in Week 5 is somewhat of a concerning matchup, but he should see plenty of targets and downfield opportunities.
Chris Marshall, Arkansas (22%)
Like Colorado, this isn't an offense worth investing heavily in, but Marshall has done enough to establish himself as a fantasy-relevant pass-catcher. Over the last two weeks against Georgia and Tulsa, he has accumulated 16 receptions for 331 yards and one touchdown. The Hogs are likely the worst team in the SEC, but that could end up being a positive for Marshall, who could benefit often from "garbage time."
JJ Buchanan, Michigan (18%)
After catching a Hail Mary in Week 1 and having a quiet outing against Oklahoma in Week 2, Buchanan has emerged as a legitimate playmaker for Bryce Underwood. After posting a 7-92-1 line against an overmatched UTEP squad, he posted five receptions for 130 yards and two scores in a nail-biting loss to Iowa. He belongs on rosters and can be started against Minnesota.
Jackson Harris, LSU (5%)
We've been waiting for the speedy Hawaii transfer to make some noise in Lane Kiffin's offense, and boy did Harris deliver against Texas A&M. Harris caught six passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns, benefiting from Kiffin's crafty play design on fourth down that led to a chunk-play touchdown. We should expect to see more deep opportunities for Harris as Sam Leavitt and this offense continue to settle in.
AS WIDE OPEN AS IT GETS 😲
Sam Leavitt with the 57-YD TD to Jackson Harris on 4th down to extend LSU's lead 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hGxZqt4S0v
— ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2026
Week 5 Tight End CFF Waiver Wire Pickups
Luke Dehnicke, Northwestern (1%)
Dehnicke caught just four passes in his team's first two games before flashing huge upside against Indiana on Friday night. His contested-catch abilities helped him pile up seven catches for 140 yards. Although it's just one game of big production, that's all it takes to enter the fantasy radar at the shallow TE spot. Expect offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to lean on him more moving forward.
Bro Aidan Chiles is cooking with gas this half!! pic.twitter.com/vP7jePMJfd
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 26, 2026
Mark Bowman, USC (37%)
Bowman has 21 receptions through his first five collegiate games, which is outstanding production for a true freshman tight end. He's a virtual lock to finish the year as one of the top 12 players at the position.
Jaleel Skinner, Louisville (36%)
Skinner has a touchdown in three straight games and has surpassed 55 yards three times in four contests. Again, at tight end, that's all it takes to be one of the top performers at the position. That said, Lincoln Kienholz is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is viewed as a game-time decision for Week 5. Monitor his status if you're considering adding and starting Skinner.
Week 5 Quarterback CFF Waiver Wire Pickups
Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia (48%)
If Hawkins is still available in your league, change that as soon as you can. Despite the loss to Oklahoma State, he tallied his third straight game of 32-plus fantasy points and is on pace for 27 rushing touchdowns. No, that's not a typo. He could very well be the highest-scoring player in all of college fantasy football this season. He's a must-start in all matchups.
Keelon Russell, Alabama (45%)
After a relatively quiet first two starts, Russell has officially broken out, and he already looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. He has put up 685 passing yards, 91 rushing yards, and nine total touchdowns over his last two games. Ryan Grubb's offense is firing on all cylinders, and Russell is a perfect fit.
Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska (15%)
Colandrea continued to produce in his first Big Ten game with Nebraska, posting 212 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and 66 rushing yards on the road at Michigan State. Now, he'll face a Maryland squad that just gave up 54 points to UCLA. If your regular starter is on a bye, he's a great streaming option in Week 5.
