Should I start Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams for Week 5? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The wide receiver position has been difficult to navigate early in the season. Many top studs at the positions like A.J. Brown, Ladd McConkey, and Brian Thomas Jr. have been major disappointments in relation to their ADP.
In this piece, we will look at three wide receivers who were likely drafted in the middle rounds who have also struggled at times.
So, should fantasy managers start Waddle, Addison, and Williams in Week 5? Let's dive in and find out.
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Should I Start Jaylen Waddle for Fantasy Football?
Jaylen Waddle has operated as Miami's WR2 for the past three seasons with Tyreek Hill lining up alongside him. However, with Hill suffering a season-ending injury, Waddle appears to take on the lead role.
In four games this season, Waddle has shown flashes at times but has struggled to produce consistency. However, with Hill sidelined, Waddle should see the majority of targets going forward.
In Weeks 2 and 3, Waddle found the back of the end zone and caught five passes in each game. However, in Weeks 1 and 4, Waddle caught only seven combined passes for 78 total yards.
This weekend, Waddle will face the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs. While the matchup seems difficult on paper, given his projected target share, Waddle carries solid WR2 upside in all of our markets.
He should be started in all leagues this week as he could push for double-digit targets in a Miami offense that lacks a proven pass catcher outside of Waddle, other than running back De'Von Achane.
Jaylen Waddle Ready for WR1 Role https://t.co/EvghnA94pg
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 1, 2025
Should I Start Jordan Addison for Fantasy Football?
Jordan Addison missed the first three games of the season due to suspension. However, he was able to make his season debut last weekend when the Vikings faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland. In a game in which they trialed, Addison was able to see a heavy workload early on, catching four of his eight targets for 114 yards.
Much of his production came from an 81-yard reception. Even though he stands at the clear No. 2 to Justin Jefferson (who saw 11 targets), Addison should see a reliable target share in most matchups.
This weekend, the Vikings will face a more challenging task against the Cleveland Browns. Through the opening month, the Browns have allowed the 13th-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs this season. In addition, given that the Vikings are the favorites in this contest as the Browns will send Dillon Gabriel under center in his NFL debut, they may not need to push the ball downfield as often.
While Addison should still see up to five targets in this contest, given that matchup and projected gamscript, he may not carry as high a ceiling as he did last week.
As a result, he is best left as a FLEX option in all 12-team formats.
Should I Start Jameson Williams for Fantasy Football?
The final WR we will take a look at is Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions. Williams has shown immense potential at times, but has been hard to trust for fantasy purposes as his production often comes from big plays that are not sustainable.
Through four games this season, Williams has totaled 18.8 PPR points in one game, but has fallen under the double-digit mark in the other three. He has seen just five or more targets in two games and has only caught more than two passes in one game.
Last weekend, Williams saw a season-high eight targets but was only able to bring in two of them for a modest 40 yards, which was the second-lowest total of the season.
However, even though he has been tough to trust, managers should still view him as a high-end WR3/FLEX play with upside in a favorable matchup in Week 5. This weekend, the Lions will face the struggling Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed the ninth-most PPR points to opposing WRs.
While his reception count is often low for PPR formats, his ability to take any catch for over 50 yards puts him among some of the highest ceilings in fantasy football. In this matchup, he is worth trusting despite his inconsistencies.
Jameson Williams Still Working on Chemistry with Goff https://t.co/fQGKcJksjf
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 29, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 5.
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 Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. 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. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams compared to others:
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