Updated October 6, 2026
Week 5 Waiver Wire 2026: Wilson, Shipley & FAAB Bids
Emanuel Wilson can help now. Will Shipley’s price depends on Barkley. Keon Coleman leads the receiver checks. Here’s where I’d spend, where I’d save, and what could change the claim.
This is a week to buy an opening without pretending you know how long it lasts. Wilson just handled 24 touches, Shipley has an injury-created opportunity, and Coleman produced more receiving yards Sunday than in his first three games combined. You do not need to win all three claims.
Kansas City and Carolina are on bye. A Mahomes or Kelce manager may need a cheap one-week replacement more than another bench running back. These eleven options cover different needs; check your own wire first, since availability varies widely by league. NFL schedule.
Reviewed . Includes all completed Week 4 games, including Monday night. Injury conditions below reflect Tuesday’s available reporting; they are not final Week 5 game designations.
Where to spend your Week 5 FAAB
These are suggested bids for 12-team redraft, half-PPR or PPR. Every percentage uses your REMAINING budget: 20% of $80 is $16. The table uses one-QB prices; superflex bids are in the quarterback sections. Availability and your league's bidding history can change the price.
| Player | Why add him | FAAB |
|---|---|---|
| Emanuel Wilson RB · SEA | Immediate RB help; Charbonnet will miss Week 5 | 12–20% |
| Will Shipley RB · PHI | Barkley insurance with a possible London start | 10–18% |
| Keon Coleman WR · BUF | Receiver help with Moore’s shoulder status unresolved | 8–14% |
| T.J. Hockenson TE · MIN | First TE check if he was dropped | 5–9% |
| KC Concepcion WR · CLE | 17 targets in the last two games | 5–9% |
| Zach Charbonnet RB · SEA | Bench stash only; will not play Week 5 | 5–10% |
| Dohnte Meyers WR · CIN | Conditional injury replacement against Miami | 3–6% |
| Mike Gesicki TE · CIN | Lower-cost TE fill-in; watch receiver recoveries | 2–4% |
| Darius Cooper WR · PHI | Cheap depth; seven targets but only 33 yards | 1–3% |
| Kirk Cousins QB · LV | One-QB streamer; higher priority in superflex | 1–3% |
| C.J. Stroud QB · HOU | One-QB fallback at Tennessee | 1–3% |
The order favors a roster needing immediate help. Move Coleman or Hockenson up if receiver or tight end is your actual hole; Charbonnet cannot fill a Week 5 starting spot. These bids are our judgment, not a forecast of the winning price.
YOUR TEAM. YOUR NEXT MOVE.
Who would you drop to make the pickup?
Text an AI fantasy assistant your options. Get a recommendation with the reasoning, then ask a follow-up.
7 days, up to 10 alert texts and 12 advice replies. The allowances are separate. No card or automatic charge.
Running backs: points now or a spot on the bench?
Emanuel Wilson has the clearest case for help right now
Wilson handled 21 carries for 81 yards and caught three passes for 39 more against the Chargers. He scored once each way. With Jadarian Price on injured reserve, that is useful work to buy, even if another two-touchdown game is a lot to ask. Seattle’s backfield recap.
The timing matters: Mike Macdonald said Zach Charbonnet will not play in Week 5, even as he increases his practice work. Wilson is therefore my first running back claim for a manager who needs points this Sunday. Shipley is the alternative if Wilson is already gone. Longer term, Charbonnet’s return can cut into Wilson’s role; spend 12–20% to fill a real lineup hole, not because you think Seattle has settled its backfield for the season. Monday’s Charbonnet update.
Will Shipley is a bet on the injury opening, not his box score
Shipley ran six times for 23 yards against the Rams. The reason to claim him is what happened around him: Saquon Barkley left with a hamstring injury, and Tank Bigsby also went down. Ian Rapoport subsequently reported that Bigsby needs core muscle surgery and is headed to injured reserve. Eagles’ Sunday injury recap. Bigsby surgery report.
The 10–18% range is for a roster that needs a starter if Barkley misses the Jacksonville game in London. Barkley’s final Week 5 designation was not available at this review. If he plays, Shipley becomes a much cheaper 3–5% insurance claim. Philadelphia can also bring in help; six carries do not establish a workhorse role. I prefer Wilson’s demonstrated workload for immediate help, while the manager rostering Barkley has a stronger reason to prioritize Shipley.
Zach Charbonnet is a stash, not this week’s replacement
Charbonnet has returned to practice, but Macdonald said he will not play against San Francisco in Week 5. The extra practice work is progress toward a return, not clearance to put him in this Sunday’s lineup. Coach’s Monday update.
Spend 5–10% only if you can carry an unused bench spot or your league allows an eligible IR stash. Price’s absence leaves a possible opening when Charbonnet is ready, but Wilson has just put together a productive game and the eventual split is unsettled. I would take Wilson or Shipley first if my Week 5 lineup needs a running back. Charbonnet fits the manager who can wait, without treating Week 6 as a promised return date.
Receivers: Coleman first, then price the opportunity
Keon Coleman’s 116 yards beat his first three games combined
Coleman caught six of seven targets for 116 yards and a touchdown against New England after totaling eight catches for 101 yards through Week 3. DJ Moore left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. That combination makes Coleman the first receiver I would check, with his Week 5 opportunity still tied to Moore’s recovery. Bills’ game takeaways. Coleman’s game log.
I would bid 8–14% if I needed a receiver, ahead of Meyers because Coleman’s latest game required only seven targets, not a 54-attempt team passing day. It is still one strong game: Moore returning would make Coleman more of a bench or matchup choice. Buffalo plays Monday night at the Rams, so keep another Monday option if you plan to wait on Moore’s status. Concepcion is the cheaper alternative with a steadier recent target count.
KC Concepcion’s targets are arriving before the big fantasy score
Concepcion has drawn nine and eight targets in his last two games. The production was uneven: two catches for nine yards in Week 3, then five for 64 in Week 4. Seventeen recent targets are the appeal here, not a touchdown you are hoping repeats. Weekly player data through Week 4.
At 5–9%, he is my fallback to Coleman and my preference over the cheaper Cooper. Concepcion’s opportunity has appeared in consecutive games; Cooper’s latest value leaned heavily on touchdowns. Cleveland visits the Jets next. Treat Concepcion as a depth receiver who can move into a flex spot when needed, with real risk that the targets produce another frustrating yardage total.
Dohnte Meyers needs the injury opening to stay open
Meyers caught seven passes for 82 yards on nine targets against Jacksonville. Cincinnati lost Ja’Marr Chase to a concussion and Tee Higgins to an abductor injury during that game; Andrei Iosivas and Colbie Young were also unavailable. That left work for Meyers, but Joe Burrow also attempted 54 passes. Bengals’ Monday injury and game review.
His first three games totaled four catches for 47 yards. I would pay 3–6% if the injuries leave a starting opportunity against Miami, and only 1–2% for a speculative bench spot if the regular receivers are trending back. Final Week 5 availability is unresolved. Coleman and Concepcion are ahead of him on my list; Meyers is the cheaper fallback, not a player to buy on the assumption that nine targets are now his weekly floor. Season-to-date player data.
Darius Cooper’s two touchdowns should not set his price
Cooper caught three passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets against the Rams. He had two catches for 26 yards in the previous three games combined. Philadelphia played without DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert on Sunday, so the missing receivers belong in the story alongside the touchdowns. Eagles’ Week 4 context. Cooper’s weekly receiving line.
I would keep this to 1–3% for a bench opening. The seven targets warrant attention if Philadelphia remains shorthanded, but Concepcion is the better target-volume bet and Meyers offers the clearer conditional replacement case. Smith or Goedert returning would make Cooper harder to start. Two touchdown catches on a 33-yard day are a good reason to avoid paying last Sunday’s fantasy-point price.
Tight ends: Hockenson before the cheaper Gesicki bid
T.J. Hockenson caught more passes Sunday than in Weeks 1–3
Hockenson turned all 13 targets into catches for 119 yards against Miami. He had only nine catches for 76 yards across the first three games. Justin Jefferson was absent Sunday, an essential part of the explanation for such a large jump. Vikings’ game observations. Hockenson’s game log.
Check whether a frustrated manager dropped him before paying for the deeper tight ends. At 5–9%, he is my preference over Gesicki for a Kelce bye-week replacement, especially in PPR. Jefferson returning could pull targets away again, and 13 catches should not become the projection. If you already have a dependable tight end, this is bench depth rather than a reason to spend as though your lineup has an emergency.
Mike Gesicki is a cheaper way into Cincinnati’s passing game
Gesicki caught three of five targets for 40 yards and a touchdown Sunday. He has three receiving touchdowns this season, but just 15 targets across the first four weeks. That is a different profile from the catch volume that made Hockenson stand out. Bengals’ game review. Weekly receiving totals.
Use 2–4% for a tight end need against Miami, with additional interest if Cincinnati’s receivers remain out. I prefer Hockenson when both are available; Gesicki is the alternative when the price or claim priority gets away from you. A healthy receiving group would make him more dependent on a touchdown, so do not drop a reliable starter just to chase the latest score.
Quarterbacks for the first bye week
Kirk Cousins has 11 passing touchdowns, but no rushing cushion
Cousins threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns on 52 attempts against Kansas City. Through four starts, he has 1,026 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes, with multiple passing scores every week. He has also totaled minus-two rushing yards. His first three games averaged about 31 attempts, so the 52-throw Sunday should not define the expectation. Cousins’ four-game passing and rushing totals.
Las Vegas visits New England in Week 5. Cousins is my first check of these two quarterbacks if I need a Patrick Mahomes bye replacement, because the passing touchdowns have been more consistent than Stroud’s. I would spend 1–3% in one-QB and roughly 10–18% in superflex if a starting quarterback is actually available. A low-touchdown afternoon hurts when the rushing contribution is effectively zero; Stroud is the fallback, not a reason to buy both.
C.J. Stroud is usable, but the 347-yard week is not the baseline
Stroud followed a 167-yard Week 3 with 347 yards and two passing touchdowns against Dallas. His four passing-attempt totals are 38, 55, 27 and 31; he has five passing touchdowns and 66 rushing yards for the season. The recent yardage is encouraging, but neither the volume nor the touchdowns have been steady. Stroud’s weekly passing and rushing totals.
Houston goes to Tennessee next. I would use Stroud as the 1–3% alternative if Cousins is unavailable or too expensive, rather than paying a premium for the Dallas result. In superflex, 10–20% can be reasonable when you truly need another starting quarterback; compare that with the other starters on your own wire. His modest rushing contribution helps a little, but it is not enough to make an ordinary passing game disappear.
Monday night: Brian Robinson’s three scores need context
Brian Robinson rushed 14 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns against New Orleans. Bijan Robinson still had 19 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the same game. Brian is useful bench insurance if available, but I would not pay a lead-back price because Atlanta scored five rushing touchdowns in one night. Monday’s rushing totals.
Devaughn Vele caught six of nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown for the Saints. New Orleans threw 48 passes in that game. That earns a look in deeper leagues, but I would rather claim one of the receivers above before assuming this catch-up passing volume repeats. Monday’s receiving totals.
Before your claims lock
Check Barkley, Moore, Jefferson and the Cincinnati receivers before your own deadline. Charbonnet has already been ruled out of a Week 5 return by his coach. Practice news arriving after your waivers run cannot help that bid; make the conditional call now and keep enough budget for the next injury.
Philadelphia plays in London at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Sunday; Buffalo plays Monday night. Those are different replacement deadlines. If you need only one running back, use Wilson and Shipley as alternative claims with the same drop where your platform supports it. Do not accidentally spend twice to fill one spot.
Use the FAAB calculator to turn a percentage into dollars, or check the injury report for later updates. New to bidding? Here's how FAAB works.
October 6 review: Checked Week 4 results and season-to-date production, Monday night usage, Week 5 opponents and current injury reporting. Suggested bids are editorial judgments using remaining FAAB. No roster percentages or winning-bid forecasts are assumed.