Even though Week 4 isn’t fully in the books, we are ready with our Week 5 waiver wire pickups for the 2021 season. I’m hoping that you don’t need any miracles for Monday Night Football, and you comfortably have your victory in the bag!
All of these pickups are written in percentage, not priority. For a player to be eligible they have to be owned in less than 50% of leagues. The rostered percentage is taken from ESPN. Now, let’s get into them!
Matt Ryan (ATL) v NYJ (UK) 29.6% rostered
Ryan has had a mixed start to the season. That was to be expected to a degree, after losing Julio Jones- his long-term safety blanket. But, Ryan has got to grips with his receivers including one of the most-prized fantasy assets at the moment Cordarelle Patterson. Next up the Falcons travel to face the Jets in the UK. The travel can throw some crazy results, but there should be enough volume to have a decent fantasy outing.
Jameis Winston (NO) @WAS 29.6% rostered
Winston has shown himself to be more reliable than he was in Tampa Bay. The issue for him is that the Saints continue to put Taysom Hill in at the goal-line. That might not matter for Week 5 though, with the Washington Football Team giving up plenty of chunk plays this season.
Trey Lance (SF) @ARI 19.0% rostered
Lance is likely to be the starting QB for next week, with Jimmy Garropolo injuring his calf. It was likely that at some point Lance would end up being the starter, and that looks like it’s now. Next up is Arizona, who are one of the best defenses in the league. Despite that, you would do well to pick up this dual-threat QB now.
Jared Goff (DET) @MIN 9.7% rostered
At the start of the season I didn’t think I’d be saying you could pick up Jared Goff, but here we are. Goff has really taken to the offense in Detroit, putting together some impressive performances. Goff’s next game is against the Vikings, who were able to limit Baker Mayfield this past week, but have given up some big scores previously.
Others to Consider
- Sam Darnold (CAR) v PHI 18.0% rostered
- Zach Wilson (NYJ) @ATL (UK) 7.1% rostered
J.D. McKissic (WAS) v NO 49.4% rostered
McKissic just falls into the criteria for this article. There isn’t much needs to be said about him though. In PPR leagues, he is well worth picking up with the targets that he gets in the offense. As we saw this past week, he is a dangerous option out of the backfield, able to score from anywhere on the field.
Latavius Murray (BAL) v IND 34.1% rostered
Murray looks to be the starting RB for the Ravens. At least, he was the one that was given the ball the most and the player that scored. If he does end up being used as the primary option in the backfield, then he could be a good stash. Others in your league might not want the (preceived) headache of working out the weekly rotation, so take advantage.
Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) @CAR 24.7% rostered
Gainwell has to be one of the most included players in my waiver wire articles. It feels like every week I’m saying to pick him up. Do it! Gainwell has a role in this offense, being used around the goal-line and as a pass-catcher. There has been one game where he hasn’t made it into the endzone this season (one game was a 2-pt conversion). If Miles Sanders were to get injured, you are ahead of the curve (saving FAAB and waiver priority)
Damien Williams (CHI) @LV 10.4% rostered
David Montgomery left the field last week, and at the time of writing the extent of the injury isn’t known. But, even when Montgomery was on the field, the Bears were using Williams. It might be a short-term add (depending on Montgomery’s injury) but even if you wanted to block and opponent, you need to be picking up starting players.
Marlon Mack (IND) @BAL 5.2% rostered
The Colts offense isn’t firing quite the way that would have been hoped at the start of the season. That struggle has meant the team have given Marlon Mack a decent number of carries. If something were to happen to Jonathan Taylor, Mack looks like he would be given the workload.
Others to Consider
- Peyton Barber (LV) v CHI 18.0% rostered
- Darrel Williams (KC) v BUF 5.9% rostered
- Larry Rountree (LAC) v CLE 2.2% rostered
- Jeremy McNichols (TEN) @JAX 2.0% rostered
- Brandon Bolden (NE) @HOU 1.4% rostered
- Alex Collins (SEA) v LAR 0.8% rostered
Emmanuel Sanders (BUF) @KC 44.4% rostered
Sanders was a popular pickup last week, after a good performance for the Bills. He backed that up again this week against Houston with five receptions for 74 yards. The Bills face up against the Chiefs next, and while Sanders isn’t a primary redzone weapon, the vertical role they have put him in is working for the veteran.
Sammy Watkins (BAL) v IND 31.0% rostered
Watkins has bounced around the league, never really having the production that people hope for (from a fantasy perspective). The Ravens offense isn’t one that airs it out often either, so why pick him up? Watkins has had a solid number of targets in each game this season, with the volume he is getting the production is sure to follow.
A.J. Green (ARI) v SF 27.2% rostered
Green had a good game in Week 3, against Jacksonville, backing that up against the Rams this past week. Green has had six targets in each game this season, but in the past two weeks he is starting to catch them more consistently. Green is enjoying being the secondary receiver, and a primary weapon in the red-zone. The 49ers have blown coverages several times this season, so if you are in need you could do worse than picking up the veteran
Zach Pascal (IND) @BAL 18.5% rostered
The Colts offense is not the most consistent. Infact, it has really struggled as Carson Wentz is trying to get to grips with the weapons he has. Pascal, however, is a player that has had somewhat of a consistent role in the offense. Being used in the redzone is always something that is good to target, and Pascal has had looks there each week.
Randall Cobb (GB) @CIN 13.7% rostered
Cobb really rolled back the years against the Steelers, making himself available for Aaron Rodgers on crucial catches throughout the game. He scored two TDs too, which never hurts. Next up is a Bengals team that.
Van Jefferson (LAR) @SEA 5.4% rostered
Van Jefferson was drafted last year, but didn’t really see the field. However, this season he has been out on the field more often. The Rams offense has been firing with Matthew Stafford under center. He isn’t Cooper Kupp when it comes to targets, but he has been competing for targets with Robert Woods.
Others to Consider
- Jamison Crowder (NYJ) @ATL (UK) 14.2% rostered
- Quintez Cephus (DET) @MIN 7.4% rostered
- Kalif Raymond (DET) @MIN 0.6% rostered
- Olamide Zaccheaus (ATL) v NYJ (UK) 0.4% rostered
- Ty Montgomery (NO) @WAS 0.1% rostered
Zach Ertz (PHI) @CAR 16.4% rostered
Ertz was rumoured to be off the roster in the off-season, but has remained and became an important part of the roster. The Eagles offense has involved their TE’s heavily traditionally and Ertz has put consecutive good performances together. Pick him up and see if he continutes that streak.
Dawson Knox (BUF) @KC 19.3% rostered
Knox popped up again, as he has done throughout his time in Buffalo. Knox has some opposition that on paper could be difficult for the TE position, but the way the Bills offense is operating, Knox is a constant redzone threat.
Others to Consider
- Tyler Conklin (MIN) v DET 22.1% rostered
- Dalton Schultz (DAL) v NYG 20.9% rostered
- Juwan Johnson (NO) @WAS 5.3% rostered
Arizona Cardinals v SF 38.6% rostered
The Cardinals DST is one of the better units in the league at the moment. The 49ers put rookie Trey Lance in to lead the team after half-time, with Jimmy Garoppolo suffering an injury. Facing a rookie QB, at home, the Cardinals are worth picking up if they are available.
Others to consider
- Green Bay Packers @CIN 19.2% rostered
- Las Vegas Raiders v CHI 11.8% rostered
Matt Prater (ARI) v SF 35.8% rostered
I said alot of the reason to pick him up last week:
Prater’s ownership continues to hover just under 40%. I don’t really know why. He plays his home games in a dome, has a massive leg (yes I know he missed that long attempt).
I don’t really know what more to add. Pick him up.
Others to consider
- Rodrigo Blankenship (IND) @BAL 19.8% rostered
- Chase McLaughlin (CLE) @LAC 17.2% rostered
There you have it! Any questions, or want some more specific help for your league on who to drop, just reach out. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. And checkout out rankings for each Week.
Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports
