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Who Should I Drop for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Jordyn Tyson, Quentin Johnston, Rashod Bateman, Alec Pierce.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football cut candidates include players like Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Jordyn Tyson, Quentin Johnston, Rashod Bateman, and Alec Pierce. 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!
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Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read about fantasy football players to consider dropping for Week 5:
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs remains on the commissioner's exempt list after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property in a case stemming from a May domestic-violence incident, and although his time on the exempt list could equal time served in any potential suspension from the NFL, the 28-year-old's stash value in fantasy football leagues continues to fall with each passing day he is not with the team.
Green Bay's running game has struggled mightily in Jacobs' absence through the first four weeks of the 2026 season, as they rank dead last in the NFL with just 58.0 rushing yards per game.
They have gone with a committee approach involving MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson, and Chris Brooks (ankle), but nobody has really stood out so far. Jacobs, who has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his seven years in the league, cannot be outright dropped in most fantasy leagues, but managers are surely losing patience as he wastes a bench spot.
Right now, he is rostered in 74% of Yahoo leagues, and he is fully expected to return to lead-back duties in Green Bay whenever he is allowed to rejoin the team. He is worth stashing in all 12-team leagues entering Week 5.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a trade centered around wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The trade destination was not initially reported, and the deal is not yet official. However, Schefter reports that the Cardinals have already informed Harrison of the trade, telling him that he will be inactive on Sunday as they wait for the transaction to become official.
This marks the end of a disappointing two-plus years in Arizona for Harrison. The former No. 4 pick peaked as the WR30 in fantasy leagues his rookie season, and he has taken a step backward ever since. His draft capital shows that there's still plenty of upside here, as Harrison has the potential to be a high-end WR2 even if he hasn't looked like one lately.
He's also an affordable offensive weapon for his new team, carrying a very modest $776,000 salary this year and a $1.19 million base salary next year. He remains a viable upside stash in deeper leagues while the trade processes.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (chest) has officially been ruled out for Week 5 against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sunday due to a chest injury, according to Alex Insdorf. Johnston's disappointing 2026 season continues early on, with his next chance to return coming in Week 6 on the road against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs.
In addition to Johnston being out, the Chargers will be without Brenen Thompson, while Ladd McConkey (foot) is questionable to face the Broncos.
It means that Tre' Harris could be heavily targeted this weekend against a Broncos defense that will be missing top cornerback Patrick Surtain II (ankle). The Chargers' offense has not really clicked under new coordinator Mike McDaniel so far in 2026, and that has trickled down to hurt Johnston to begin his fourth year in the NFL.
Through four games, he has caught just seven of his 19 targets for 108 yards and has yet to find the end zone after catching exactly eight touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons with the Bolts. Johnston's stock continues to plummet and is a viable cut in all standard leagues.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is a stash for managers who have an open IR spot and can afford to wait. Pierce aggravated his left heel in Week 2 against Kansas City, the same heel that required offseason surgery, and Indianapolis placed him on injured reserve on Sept. 26. He has to miss at least four games, making Week 7 against Minnesota the earliest he can return.
There is no guarantee he will be ready then, either. The current plan is rehab rather than another surgery, with a midseason return the hope if recovery goes well. Pierce had five catches for 72 yards in two games before the injury, but the reason to hold him is what he did last year.
He finished 2025 with 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns while leading the NFL at 21.3 yards per catch. Indianapolis also re-signed him to a four-year deal in March. Pierce is not a short-term waiver solution, but his big-play role gives him enough upside to justify an IR stash in 12+ team leagues.
Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints
The eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) has yet to make his professional debut as he recovers from a hamstring injury. While the 22-year-old was technically eligible to return from Injured Reserve in Week 5, Tyson is reportedly still multiple weeks away from being healthy enough to play.
Still, recent reports indicate that Tyson is making good progress and should be back on the field at some point in the middle of the season. Tyson was a highly productive pass-catcher in his final two collegiate seasons at Arizona St., recording over 1,800 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns.
In deeper leagues or league formats with IR spots, fantasy managers may want to consider stashing Tyson now and holding him until his eventual 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, Will Shipley, Roman Wilson.
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, Will Shipley, Roman Wilson:
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