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Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire stashes for Jayden Higgins, Jalen Coker, Juju Smith-Schuster in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
What did you do to deserve this? First, Malik Nabers goes down, then Tyreek Hill—both in the same week! That’s the kind of cruel twist that makes you want to throw your remote through the TV. But hey, this is fantasy football. Injuries don’t care about your team, your clever draft strategy, or the fact that you’ve already burned through your IR spots. They’re part of the grind—and now it’s time to dig in. Ooof! Imagine those teams with both Nabers and Hill on your team.
If you’ve been around the fantasy block, you know these moments aren’t new. Remember Mario Manningham back in 2010? The guy came out of nowhere, racked up nine touchdowns, and suddenly looked like he was coded wrong in Madden. That’s the fun—and the pain—of fantasy. One minute you’re crying over your WR1 being carted off, the next you’re fist-pumping because some waiver-wire hero just dropped 20 points in your flex.
So here we are, staring down Week 5 with holes in our lineups and tears in our eyes. But fear not—the waiver wire is where legends are born. Every season, a few overlooked players rise from the ashes to save rosters and make managers look like geniuses. Who’s going to be the next hero that makes you look sharp—and your league-mates furious?
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Jayden Higgins Week 5 Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 16% of Leagues
Jalen Coker Week 5 Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 9% of Leagues
Jalen Coker is eligible to return this week, though coach Dave Canales still labels him “week-to-week.” Fantasy managers should keep him on the radar—especially in deeper leagues where wide receiver depth can swing a matchup. Coker showed flashes last season. In the final four games of 2024, his snap percentage hovered around 87%—a sign of trust from the coaching staff. He plays in the slot for a Panthers team that throws the ball a lot, which positions him for steady targets and red-zone chances once he’s active.
With his familiarity with the offense and chemistry with the quarterbacks, Coker could slide right back in and produce quickly. Keep tabs on his health—when he’s cleared, he could be a sneaky difference-maker.
Fantasy Call: Jalen Coker is a smart deep-league stash—once healthy, his slot role and proven trust from the Panthers’ staff give him sneaky fantasy upside.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Week 5 Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 4% of Leagues
JuJu Smith-Schuster saw six targets last week, giving fantasy managers a little spark of hope—but let’s be real, it might be false hope. The Chiefs are nearly back to full strength, and once Rashee Rice returns, Smith-Schuster will almost certainly be relegated to mop-up duty. Still, while he’s active, there’s some opportunity. Patrick Mahomes trusts him, and the Chiefs’ offense finally looks like it’s turning the page after early-season struggles. In an offense this high-powered, even a temporary role can generate fantasy value.
Two more games without Rashee Rice. pic.twitter.com/Dbi8WgVwG0
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) October 3, 2025
If you’re in a bind at wide receiver, Smith-Schuster is worth the add. Just know this is a short-term rental—once the depth chart is whole, his usage will shrink. For now, though, he’s a useful plug-and-play option if you need production right away. Just remember, HE is set to return.
Fantasy Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster is a short-term plug-and-play option—worth a pickup if you need immediate WR help, but expect his usage to fade once Rashee Rice returns. In Kansas City’s offense, though, even a temporary role can provide flex-worthy production.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Jayden Higgins, Juju Smith-Schuster, Jalen Coker. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. 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.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus in on specific players - Jayden Higgins, Juju Smith-Schuster, Jalen Coker. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. 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 update it 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 that are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for: Jayden Higgins, Juju Smith-Schuster, Jalen Coker:
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