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Who Should I Drop for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Marshawn Lloyd, Keenan Allen, Josh Jacobs, Dalton Schultz, Jordyn Tyson, Blake Corum, Brian Thomas Jr., Dallas Goedert, Baker Mayfield.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football cut candidates include players like MarShawn Lloyd, Keenan Allen, Josh Jacobs, Dalton Schultz, Jordyn Tyson, Blake Corum, Brian Thomas Jr., Dallas Goedert, and Baker Mayfield. 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:
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 is 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, but those in shallower leagues may need to pivot to a bench option that can contribute in the short term.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz caught both his targets for nine yards in Sunday's 34-30 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran entered Week 4's contest leading Houston in receptions (19), yards (205), and targets (25), but was vastly outperformed by Nico Collins and the wide receiver corps on a day when C.J. Stroud threw for 347 yards.
Much of Schultz's production on the season stems from a monster 12-catch, 140-yard outburst against the Bengals in Week 2, and it's looking like that's the aberration for the 2026 campaign -- particularly with Collins back in the picture in his usual target-hog role. The 30-year-old will always be a fringy option at tight end, but his fantasy floor and ceiling take a hit as Houston's WR1 returns to full health.
Next up, the Texans face a divisional meeting with the Titans on the road. Despite the modest production, Schultz remains a firm hold in all 12-team leagues.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) is expected to miss anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on how quickly he is able to grip the football, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Mayfield has avoided an injured reserve stint for now, but the Bucs will give him at least a few weeks off after he recovers from a dislocated thumb and works to regain his grip strength.
Mayfield is just two years removed from a QB4 fantasy finish in 2024, but he has taken a step backward since then. Through the first three games this year, he completed just 63.5% of his pass attempts for 615 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also had a rushing touchdown, 13 sacks, and three lost fumbles.
Mayfield is a risky fantasy starter when healthy, and the same can be said of undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels, who will make his first career start as the Bucs' primary quarterback against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Managers should only stash him in deeper 14-team leagues.
MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd got off to a relatively slow start this season, but he seems to have turned the corner after the first four weeks. Lloyd is coming off his highest-volume game this year, as he played 55% of the snaps and logged 12 touches (including five catches) in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His rushing numbers were quite poor, averaging just 1.9 yards per carry. However, he was much more valuable as a receiver, turning his five targets into five receptions for 36 receiving yards.
The Packers have been looking for someone to separate themselves from the rest of the backfield ever since Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list, and it seems like they have finally found their new lead running back, even if he looked better as a receiver than a ball-carrier. Lloyd is still a very solid waiver wire target in deeper 12+ team leagues, especially since he has RB3/flex appeal from now until Jacobs' return.
He has managed to rank as the overall RB36 in PPR scoring this fall and can be a low-end fantasy starter for Week 5 against Chicago. Those in shallower leagues can cut ties with the struggling running back.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum took a backseat to his team's lead back, Kyren Williams, in his team's big win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. The backup carried the ball just five times for 14 yards and caught one of his paltry two targets for seven yards, finishing with 3.1 PPR fantasy points. It was the second time in as many games that he failed to make an impact in fantasy football, and it's not hard to see why when you look at game script and juxtapose it with the usage of these two running backs.
When Los Angeles builds a safe lead against a team that isn't putting up much of a fight, they rely on Corum to help them chew the clock down and protect their lead. In crucial moments of close games against tougher opponents, the Rams lean on Williams, as he's a very reliable, high-IQ player that won't make crucial mistakes.
He's cleaned up his fumbling issues substantially from two seasons ago, at least if last season is any indication. Corum is best left on the bench for Week 5, as the Rams will take on the Buffalo Bills, one of the NFL's best offenses. They're likely to lean heavily on Williams, as very few leads are safe against Josh Allen and co.
Despite the drop in production, Corum remains a must-roster player and one of the premier handcuffs in fantasy.
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 Emanuel Wilson, Jakobi Meyers, T.J. Hockenson.
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 Emanuel Wilson, Jakobi Meyers, T.J. Hockenson:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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