The Fantasy football waiver wire has never been more impactful this season than it is right now, as four teams are on byes during the Week 5 NFL schedule. Bengals running back Chase Brown got off to a quiet start this season, but he racked up 23.2 Fantasy points in Cincinnati’s first win of the year. Starter Zack Moss still saw the bulk of the snaps, but he finished with the same number of carries as Brown (15). The Bengals also chose to give Brown three of the team’s four red-zone carries, making him an intriguing waiver-wire Fantasy football pick in Week 5.
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is also narrowing the usage gap between himself and Rachaad White, posting 11-plus Fantasy points in each of the last two weeks. White is only averaging 7.4 Fantasy points over his last three games, creating another intriguing backfield situation for Fantasy football owners trying to solidify Week 5 Fantasy football lineups. So before making any Week 5 Fantasy football waiver wire claims, be sure to see what SportsLine Fantasy football expert R.J. White has to say.
White has dominated NFL picks for years, but he got his start in sports media as a Fantasy baseball and football analyst. He finished No. 1 among all experts for his draft rankings the first year FantasyPros tracked MLB expert accuracy on their site. White has continued to excel at season-long and dynasty Fantasy baseball and football formats.
Now, he’s revealed his top waiver wire picks from among the widely available Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5. You can see his top Fantasy NFL waiver wire picks and full analysis over at SportsLine.
Top Fantasy football waiver wire picks for Week 5
One player White is advising Fantasy players to target on the Week 5 waiver wire: Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. Kansas City’s offense is dealing with multiple key injuries, as running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Rashee Rice are both hurt. Hunt was the beneficiary of those absences in Week 4 during his first appearance of the season, leading the team’s running backs in snaps (28), carries (14), rushing yards (69) and routes run (11). Carson Steele finished with just three touches for six yards and a fumble, so Hunt appears to be the starter for now.
“I’d figure Hunt continues to pace the backfield in touches while Isiah Pacheco is hurt, and in an offense that just lost its top receiver that could be a very valuable role,” White told SportsLine. “Hunt bidders will have to worry about the return of Edwards-Helaire potentially muddying up the backfield, and the eventual return of Pacheco likely leaving all these guys without much value come Fantasy playoff time.”
White is also strongly recommending Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. The 23-year-old commanded just nine total targets through his first three games, but he was targeted a team-high 13 times by quarterback Jordan Love last week. Wicks caught five of those passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and teammate Christian Watson was carted off with an ankle injury. Watson is expected to miss multiple weeks, giving Wicks a significantly bigger role in the offense.
“The combination of Christian Watson’s high ankle sprain and Jordan Love’s return boosts the stock of all healthy Packers receivers heading into Week 5,” White said. “Doubs has 15 targets in the two games Love has started versus five in the two games he missed. Wicks led the team with 13 targets in Week 4 as Love threw it 54 times after the Packers fell behind big in the first half, and while he only caught five balls he did score two TDs to have a much bigger impact than Doubs.” See who else to target on the Fantasy football waiver wire at SportsLine.
How to set your Week 5 waiver wire claims
White is also all-in on a rookie running back who is likely to see his role increased. This player is widely available and could be a huge boost to your Fantasy football lineup. You can only see who it is at SportsLine.
So which players should you target on the Fantasy football waiver wire before Week 5, and which rookie running back is a must-add? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5, all from a proven Fantasy football and NFL expert, and find out.
