Week 5 Waiver Wire: Must-Add Players, Tyreek Hill Returning, and Nickie Klip’s Debut

Deep-dive brief: The Ringer Fantasy Football Show, "Week 5 Waiver Wire"

This episode is the hosts' position-by-position waiver wire draft entering Week 5, built around a sudden wave of injuries (Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, DJ Moore, Jamar Chase/Tee Higgins, Lamar Jackson, Caleb Williams) that has turned a thin waiver class into a real add-or-be-cooked week. The central argument is that the waiver wire is deepest at an unexpected spot this year—tight end—while running back and defense are genuinely barren, forcing managers to chase workload and matchup rather than name value.

The arguments

Will Shipley is the top waiver running back once the news of Tank Bigsby's injury breaks mid-recording. Danny Kelly and Craig Horlbeck initially leaned toward Keaton Mitchell before updating live: with both Barkley and Bigsby out, Shipley becomes the Eagles' lead back by default even though Philadelphia's offense is "going three-and-out on 45% of drives." They flag Shipley as the correct priority add despite the ugly context.

Keaton Mitchell is the better bet than Shipley if you need a player this specific week, per Horlbeck. His reasoning: Mitchell has 15 touches one week and 11 the next, is clearly the most explosive back on the roster, and projects to keep expanding his role as the Chargers' offense (now without Rashawn Slater) stays bad enough to feed him garbage-time volume. Kelly counters that Philadelphia's offense is even worse, making this a game of picking the lesser bad situation; they ultimately pivot to Tyler Allgeier in Arizona as a "sane" alternative given Arizona's red-zone volume against Detroit.

Keon Coleman is the top receiver add on talent and opportunity, not current production. Kelly argues this was the best game of Coleman's career and includes the literal catch of the week, with DJ Moore's shoulder injury (which the hosts stress "never really goes away") likely opening multiple weeks of target share. Horlbeck backs this by framing it as buying a former high pick finally living up to his billing in Josh Allen's offense, worth the downside risk of regression.

Tyreek Hill should be rostered now purely as a speculative stash, not a Week 5 or even Week 6 play. Kelly says you have to add him given reports his agent is shopping him to teams this week, but both hosts agree he likely doesn't play before Halloween given his described lack of explosiveness in offseason interviews. Horlbeck's practical angle: the value is in trading him once he signs somewhere (likely a cold-weather team, possibly the Chiefs), not in starting him.

Tight end is now deep enough to start in flex over many receivers, a first for the show. Both hosts agree this is historic: Mike Gesicki (Bengals vs. Dolphins, benefiting from the Jamar Chase/Tee Higgins absences), Michael Mayer (Raiders, 85-90% snap share ahead of a struggling Brock Bowers), T.J. Hockenson, and Tyler Higbee all get named as legitimate adds. Kelly states he'd rather start Gesicki than Brian Thomas Jr. or Marvin Harrison this week, and both agree the position has flipped from "stream and pray" to genuinely startable depth.

Don't burn a waiver claim on a defense this week—stream instead. Horlbeck's advice: there are so many viable defensive matchups (49ers vs. Seattle, Browns vs. Jets, Bears vs. Packers, Bengals vs. Dolphins) that spending priority on a defense and dropping to the back of the waiver order isn't worth it unless defense is truly your only need.

What it means for your roster

• Priority add #1 at RB: Will Shipley, given the Bigsby injury makes him the Eagles' clear lead back for as long as Barkley is out.
• Speculative RB flier: Keaton Mitchell over Shipley if you want upside in a bad situation; Tyler Allgeier as a cleaner floor play given Arizona's red-zone volume vs. Detroit.
• WR priority: Keon Coleman is the top claim, especially if DJ Moore sits multiple weeks with his shoulder.
• Stash, don't start: Add Tyreek Hill now for long-term trade leverage, but don't expect a lineup spot before late October at the earliest.
• Tight end strategy shift: Grab Gesicki, Mayer, Hockenson or Higbee as a legitimate flex option this week — the hosts explicitly rank several tight ends above backup-caliber receivers like Thomas Jr. or Harrison.
• Defense strategy: Stream a matchup (49ers, Browns, Bears, Bengals) rather than spend a high waiver claim, since the position is unusually deep with good matchups in Week 5.
• One-week dart throws if desperate at WR: Roman Wilson (Steelers vs. Colts' leaky secondary) or Isaiah/Isaac Teslaa-type Lions receiver in a projected shootout vs. Arizona.