Week four of the 2026 NFL season is done and you are looking in the mirror wondering how it all went so wrong. You thought Kevin O’Connell could fix Kyler Murray and you were wrong. You thought the Raiders would be bad and you were wrong. You thought you could win at fantasy football, but you don’t have to be wrong. Before you give up on your fantasy season, remember that the waiver wire exists to save you from the cruel and unforgiving fantasy football gods. I’m going to provide you with the best options available. If I don’t mention someone whom you think I should be talking about, just know there are many reasons why I overlooked them. Maybe they are owned in most leagues. Maybe they are so bad I don’t even consider them. Maybe it’s because your opinions cannot be trusted. After all, you are here. So let us examine who our best week five waiver wire players for your championship run are…
Week Five Waiver Wire QBs
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (26% rostered)
Every year, there is a quarterback who is on the waiver wire for a month who ends up finishing as a QB1. This season, it looks like that man is Kirk Cousins. Through four weeks, he is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns, 10th in passing attempts, and 10th in passing yards. Klint Kubiak is so good at coaching football that he has made the corpse of Kirk Cousins look good. Grabbing Cousins isn’t a bet on Cousins, but on Klink Kubiak being one of the best offensive minds in football. It is a good bet.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (61% rostered)
The fact that Bryce Young is QB5 in points per game and still only 61% rostered is wild to me. I get if you don’t believe in him, but 4 weeks into the season, Young is tied for 3rd most passing touchdowns. After a certain point, you have to believe what a player is telling you. If you need quarterback help, get Bryce Young.
Week Five Waiver Wire RBs
Emanuel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (53% rostered)
With Jadarian Price placed on injured reserve, Emanuel Wilson showed in week four that he was who the Seattle Seahawks are going to lean on. He was on the field for 58.6% of the team’s snaps, had 63.6% of the team’s rushing attempts, and had 34.6% route participation. Oh, and he was RB5 overall on the week with 120 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns. Being able to get a lead back on waivers after week four is a gift, and he should be the highest priority of the week.
Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals (42% rostered)
If you need running back, Tyler Allgeier is a solid desperation play. This season, he is seeing 51.3% of the team’s snaps, 30.8% of the team’s rushing attempts, and has 39.9% route participation. It is also worth noting that he is seeing 40% of the team’s rushing attempts (albeit in a small sample size) inside the 5. He is going to be a guy who needs to fall into the end zone to give you a good week, but the usage is there on an offense that is going to have to score a lot to stay in games. It isn’t sexy, but it is a solid play.
Week Five Waiver Wire WRs
Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots (62% rostered)
In week four, Romeo Doubs had 6 catches for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns. It is pretty simple. With AJ Brown out, Doubs leads the team in routes run, is 2nd in first-read targets, 2nd in targets per route run, and 2nd in yards per route run. If you believe the first three weeks of Drake Maye were an outlier, you absolutely need to add Romeo Doubs.
Roman Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (5% rostered)
Over the last two weeks, Roman Wilson has 7 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tony Steel from THfantaC had a great statistic regarding Mike McCarthy offenses. In 7 of his last 13 seasons, a Mike McCarthy slot receiver has finished as a WR1. Over the last two weeks, Roman Wilson is running 60% of his routes from the slot. (It is worth noting that Pat Freiermuth is the only player on the team lining up in the slot more, so he could very well be the guy to own.) From a pure upside standpoint, you probably aren’t doing better than Roman Wilson.
Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (8% rostered)
Keon Coleman had 6 catches for 116 yards and 1 touchdown in week four. Over the last two weeks, he is 1st in yards per route rune and 2nd in first read targets. I am not sure how much of this is due to the DJ Moore injury, but it is worth noting that he is not terrible at football anymore. The real question is whether he is actually good now. Only time will tell.
Week Five Waiver Wire TEs
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (43% rostered)
With Justin Jefferson out, T.J. Hockenson had 41.2% of the team’s first-read targets. In week four, he had 13 catches for 119 yards. If Justin Jefferson is out next week, it seems obvious that Hockenson is going to be Kyler Murray’s preferred target. I wouldn’t waste my waiver priority on him, but if he clears waivers and I need tight end help, Hockenson is worth a roster spot.
