RADIO
Isaiah Williams a Priority Waiver-Wire Target with Large Snap Share
New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams has played at least 82% of the offensive snaps in each of his last three games, including a 94% snap share during Sunday's Week 4 loss against the Chicago Bears. Williams has taken on a large role as the Jets' No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson with Adonai Mitchell (finger) sidelined. Williams caught six passes back in Week 2 and found the end zone this past Sunday, giving him double-digit fantasy points in two of his last three games. His productivity has been a direct result of his larger role, so he should be viewed as a solid WR3/flex option this week if Mitchell doesn't suit up. We'll know more about Mitchell's status near the end of the week, but in the meantime, Williams should be a priority waiver wire target in 12+ team leagues because of his immediate streaming appeal.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Treylon Burks' Big-Play Upside Worth a Waiver Claim?
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, putting him on the fantasy radar in leagues with 12+ teams. Burks saw a season-high 59% snap share in Week 4, and his bigger role was a direct result of Terry McLaurin (hamstring) being inactive. The 26-year-old was targeted three times, and although he only caught one pass, it went for a 47-yard touchdown reception. He has now scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, totaling 21.0 fantasy points in PPR leagues during that two-week span. The reception volume has been quite low, but we like his chances of having more catchable balls thrown his way with Jayden Daniels (elbow) trending toward playing in Week 5 against the New York Giants. The biggest factor for Burks' outlook is the status of McLaurin, who remains up in the air for this week. It'll be a little while before we get more clarity on McLaurin's status. In the meantime, managers in 12+ team leagues should consider adding Burks as a high-ceiling fantasy receiver.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Efton Chism III Worth Adding After Making Headlines in Week 4
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III has defied the odds, going from a 2025 undrafted free agent to a meaningful fantasy football contributor this season. Chism has taken on a larger role over the last few weeks with AJ Brown (ankle) on injured reserve. There isn't a clear pecking order in New England, but the 24-year-old finished fourth on the team in targets (4) and receiving yards (42) against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. He also made a spectacular touchdown catch that led to an embarrassing postgame viral moment for Bills cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson. While fantasy leagues don't reward extra points for one-handed catches, the play itself was an encouraging sign that Chism is capable of making plays on trickier targets. In other words, he can catch passes on plays where some other receivers might not be able. His big-play and touchdown upside gives him waiver wire appeal in leagues with 12+ teams heading into Week 5, especially with Brown still on IR and Mack Hollins (calf) at risk of missing time. If Hollins can't play this week, Chism could be the Patriots' No. 2 wide receiver behind Romeo Doubs.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tank Bigsby Officially Placed on Injured Reserve
Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (core) has officially been placed on injured reserve. This move was widely expected, according to a report from NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, but the Eagles made it official on Tuesday. Bigsby picked up a core muscle injury during the final minutes of Sunday's Week 4 loss against the Los Angeles Rams. He suffered the injury while handling a larger workload (48% snap share, 14 carries, and 55 rushing yards) in the aftermath of an injury to teammate Saquon Barkley (hamstring). Landing on IR will require Bigsby to miss a minimum of four games, but Rapoport reported that the 24-year-old will undergo surgery and has a timeline closer to six weeks. With Bigsby and Barkley both sidelined, the injury-plagued Eagles will now turn to Will Shipley to lead their backfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Royals is Moving up the Depth Chart
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals hasn't seen much action early in the season, but is expected to see an expanded role going forward. Fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton (ankle) is looking at a 3-4 month absence after suffering an injury during Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The expectation is that Royals will move into the third spot on the depth chart following the Week 5 bye. So far this season, Royals has recorded three receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown in four games. He could be someone worth stashing in deep leagues or dynasty formats with Thornton out for the foreseeable future.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Darnell Washington is a Worthy Deep-League Stash
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington found the end zone for the first time this season during last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Washington hauled in three of his five targets for 27 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. The big tight end drew an impactful penalty to set up his team to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Not everything Washington does shows up on the box score, but he's beginning to post decent numbers now. He finished with a season-high 67 receiving yards in Week 3. He draws a juicy matchup against the Indianapolis Colts defense in Week 5. A defensive unit that has given up over 200 receiving yards to tight ends this season. Fantasy managers should consider picking up Washington in deep leagues ahead of this matchup.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Michael Penix Jr. A Solid Two-QB And Deep-League Waiver Target
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has yet to eclipse 20 fantasy points in a game this season. But he's elevated the Falcons offense to new heights, and at least enabled the run game to thrive in his presence. He's a huge upgrade from QB Cooper Rush, who started the season while Penix recovered from a torn ACL last season. Penix has only thrown two touchdowns, and most of Atlanta's scores have come on the ground since he's returned to play, but he could be in line for some positive touchdown regression. The team has two big-bodied red zone threats in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. London has been targeted by Penix at a high rate while Pitts has been mostly quiet this season, but the veteran TE got more involved in Week 4, with 47 receiving yards. If Penix is able to get the ball to both effectively, we could see his touchdown numbers improve, in which case he could become an every-week starter in deep 2QB leagues. That's where you should target him as a waiver pickup, where talent is hard to come by after drafts gobble up most of the productive talent.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Deshaun Watson is Becoming a Priority Streaming Option
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has surprisingly been reliable through the first four games of the season. Heading into Week 5, Watson has thrown for 855 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 127 yards on 31 rushing attempts this season. Watson carries a 69.6 percent completion rate into this Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets. A defensive unit that has struggled to contain quarterbacks this season. Watson is currently the QB12 heading into this big road matchup against the Jets. Given that some teams are on bye, Watson is looking like a priority streaming appeal for this weekend while he enjoys a career resurgence.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Brian Robinson A Strong Waiver-Wire Option For Week 5
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson rushed 14 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns and caught one pass for five yards in his team's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4. It was surprising to see Robinson have so much standalone value when backing up elite starting RB Bijan Robinson, who's one of the best RBs in the league. Robinson (Bijan) only had two touchdowns. But the Falcons offense is rolling, and they did a good job slowing down New Orleans' offense. Atlanta built such a lead so quickly that they didn't have to keep their starting RB on the field as much as possible, which allowed Robinson (Brian) to have a big game. It's likely that in closer games, Robinson (Bijan) will still handle the majority of the touches while Robinson (Brian) only handles a handful of touches. But with how well Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is playing, more blowout wins could be in the future, and the potential for Robinson (Brian) to have league-winning upside is huge if Robinson (Bijan) gets hurt. So the former Washington Commander should be added in all leagues, at least as a handcuff, ahead of Week 5.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Michael Mayer A Key Waiver Target Despite Teammate's Return
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer caught eight passes for 82 yards on 10 targets in a close Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That's more involvement than we've ever seen the third-year tight end have in a game where he shared the field with TE Brock Bowers. The concussion injury to Raiders WR Jalen Nailor (head) likely played a part in this, but Mayer's performance was impressive nonetheless. Las Vegas' head coach, Klint Kubiak, indicated that he'd like to get both his tight ends involved in the passing game. Mayer has excellent value for a tight end that's just seven percent rostered in Yahoo leagues, as he caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown last week. We could be in the midst of his breakout, in which case it would be exceedingly difficult to pick him up in a few weeks. Finding weekly productive players at the TE position is rare, especially when they were largely undrafted in fantasy leagues, so Mayer should be added in all leagues with 12 or more teams ahead of Week 5.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jaylin Noel Could Earn Himself a Larger Role
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel is coming off his best performance of the season in Week 4. Noel hauled in all three of his targets for 85 yards in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Noel was barely seen during the two games that fellow wideout Nico Collins missed, but he made a splash during Collins' return this past weekend. The 24-year-old appears to be building chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. The two of them connected on a big 52-yard play this past Sunday. Noel has a chance to carve out a role as the No. 2 wideout in Houston. He's a decent dynasty stash and a possible deep league flex option for the Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Aaron Rodgers A Waiver-Wire Target In All Formats For Week 5
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned in his second performance in a row of over 23 fantasy points in a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers, despite his age, is still a productive passer, and has a trio of competent wideouts to throw the ball to as well as an offensive-minded head coach that has a history of aiding productive passing games. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has put together a good offensive scheme so far this season, and as a result, Rodgers has racked up nearly 600 passing yards across his last two games. On film, Rodgers is still able to get zip on the ball and find his targets downfield. Week 5 and Week 6 feature the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as opponents for Rodgers and co., and those two squads have among the NFL's worse pass defenses. Rodgers is hardly rostered, but is a legitimate waiver target even in 1QB leagues, and should be 100 percent rostered in 2QB leagues. He's a startable QB1 for the next two weeks as well.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ted Hurst III Still Worth Waiver Consideration For Week 5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had just two catches on three targets for 25 yards in his team's fourth loss in a row to start the 2026 season. The whole Bucs offense has been miserably unproductive, though -- WR1 Emeka Egbuka had only two catches for 13 yards last week, and the team's leading wide receiver, Chris Godwin Jr., managed only 31 yards on six receptions. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) was struggling earlier in the season before he picked up a thumb injury. He'll miss two more weeks. Undrafted free agent backup Jalon Daniels started in Week 4 and managed just 148 passing yards while distributing the ball around, which didn't leave much room for the receivers to produce. Hurst may struggle in his next two games, but Mayfield's return should be a positive for his value. Hurst has been the starting X receiver for the team this year, though his snap share significantly declined in Week 5. Stashing him in deep leagues and waiting to see what happens when Mayfield returns isn't a bad idea. He looked to be on the verge of a breakout after Week 3, when he caught a 40-yard touchdown. Patience should be exercised here, but picking up Hurst could pay off.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kaleb Johnson Remains a Deep-League Stash
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson posted a season high in yardage during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson carried the ball eight times for 42 yards in their three-point victory. He also fumbled the ball in an important part of the game, so we'll see if that impacts his playing time going forward. The Packers don't have a legitimate lead back right now, so Johnson should remain in the picture. It's tough to know exactly what he's going to offer weekly in this three-back committee. The 23-year-old is worth holding in deep league and dynasty formats ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Cody White A Potential Waiver-Wire Contributor After Teammate's Injury
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Cody White could see more opportunities in the passing game after Raiders WR2 Jalen Nailor (head) left his team's Week 4 contest with a concussion. Players with that injury typically miss at least one game while in the league's concussion protocol -- his absence would move White up to the second receiver spot, behind WR1 Tre Tucker. There isn't a lot of talent separating any of Vegas' pass-catchers this season, and White scored two touchdowns in Week 2 and one in Week 3, so he could produce well when given more targets. He hasn't been very involved in the offense so far, as tight end Brock Bowers is the clear No. 1 pass-catcher and White was relatively unknown before this season started. A higher target share could see him become a starter in deep leagues. Outside of those deep leagues, he's probably not worth rostering, but in dynasty leagues and redraft leagues with 14 or more teams, any player with a reasonable chance at being productive should be rostered.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
