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Who Should I Drop for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Dontayvion Wicks, Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaylen Wright, Kaelon Black, Darren Waller, Joe Mixon, Kyle Pitts Sr.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football cut candidates include players like Dontayvion Wicks, Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaylen Wright, Kaelon Black, Darren Waller, Joe Mixon, and Kyle Pitts Sr. 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:
Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
In a Week 4 win played without one of the team's leading receivers, Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller caught only three passes for 36 yards. With Jalen Coker (quadriceps) sidelined by a quadriceps injury, the passing offense was funneled primarily through second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who set or matched career highs across the board with 14 receptions on 16 targets, 192 yards, and two touchdowns.
Still, despite a quiet outing, Waller remains a critical piece of one of the league's most improved offenses. Following a disappointing performance, and with the Panthers on a Week 5 bye, he is likely to hit waivers in a number of leagues, making the 34-year-old veteran an intriguing stash candidate for contending teams with adequate bench space.
Unfortunately, the Panthers face an Eagles team in Week 6 that has been the most difficult tight end matchup through the first month of the season. For now, Waller is only worth holding through the bye week in deeper 12+ team leagues, making him a safe cut in most 12-team (or fewer leagues).
Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright disappointed fantasy managers in his team's first game since losing star back De'Von Achane (knee) to a season-ending knee injury, recording just seven rushing yards on five carries in a Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Wright was significantly outperformed by fellow Dolphins back Ollie Gordon II, who racked up 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Going forward, Wright may end up playing a secondary role to Gordon II in the Miami backfield. However, Wright may have another chance to make an impact in an easier matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5. Even if Gordon II takes over as the lead back, Wright carries some fantasy value as a handcuff option. In deeper league formats, Wright could still be worth stashing off the waiver wire heading into Week 5 but is a safe drop in most formats.
Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
Across the first four games of his NFL career, San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black has recorded 31 carries for 120 yards. Black's production upside in San Francisco is firmly capped by the presence of superstar 49ers back Christian McCaffrey. As long as McCaffrey remains healthy, Black is highly unlikely to provide fantasy managers with consistent production. However, Black has clearly established himself as San Francisco's RB2.
McCaffrey is in his age-30 season, has a history of significant injuries, and is coming off an NFL-leading 413 touches in 2025. If McCaffrey were to get injured, Black could immediately vault into must-start running back status as the lead back in the potent 49ers offense. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Black remains a worthy waiver wire target but is a viable cut candidate in shallower leagues.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
NFL teams are calling about the availability of Arizona Cardinals struggling wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday. Schefter mentioned the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants as two teams that are potentially interested in acquiring Harrison from the Cardinals.
Harrison's father, Marvin Sr., played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Colts before being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 24-year-old former fourth overall pick from Ohio State in 2024 has not at all lived up to the hype that came attached to his name coming out of college, catching 103 passes for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns on 189 targets through his first two seasons in the desert. Through four games this year, Harrison has caught only five of 13 targets for 85 yards and one touchdown for the Cardinals.
He found the end zone for the first time in 2026 in Sunday's loss to the Giants, but he caught just one of his four targets for 12 yards. A change of scenery might be the only thing to bring his fantasy football value up from rock bottom at this point early on in his third season in the NFL. For now, he is only worth rostering in deeper 12+ team leagues with three WR spots.
Joe Mixon, Free Agent
Reports circulated on Monday that the Seattle Seahawks were on the verge of signing veteran free-agent running back Joe Mixon (foot) to their roster in the wake of placing rookie first-round RB Jadarian Price (chest) on Injured Reserve over the weekend. However, the Seahawks elected not to sign Mixon to their practice squad in the end thanks to a troublesome foot issue that caused him to miss the entire 2025 season while with the Houston Texans, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Mixon is specifically dealing with a degenerative foot issue that could wind up putting a premature end to his NFL career. There are other RB-needy teams around the NFL, specifically the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is "up for debate" whether Mixon will actually sign with another team or play another down in an NFL game.
Until Zach Charbonnet (knee) can make his 2026 season debut, the Seahawks will move forward with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani sharing touches in the backfield. Mixon, a former second-rounder by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, is a two-time Pro Bowler and reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in five of his eight NFL seasons. Managers should not consider stashing Mixon ahead of a potential return.
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, Emanuel Wilson, Will Shipley.
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, Emanuel Wilson, Will Shipley:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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