Week 5 Waiver Wire: MUST ADD Players, Injury Replacements & Streamers (10/06 Fantasy Football Podcast)

# Week 5 Waiver Wire: MUST ADD Players, Injury Replacements & Streamers

This episode is CBS Sports' weekly waiver-wire breakdown, built around a chaotic Week 5 landscape: two teams on bye, a wave of injuries to Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, DJ Moore, Devonta Smith, and Rasheed Rice, plus the Tyreek Hill and Joe Mixon free-agent situations. The central argument is that this week's pickups are almost entirely matchup- and injury-contingent rather than clear long-term assets, so managers need to prioritize based on who's actually out rather than chasing names.

The arguments

Emmanuel Wilson is the unanimous top priority, but nobody should get attached. Both Jamie Eisenberg and Dave agreed Wilson is a must-start running back this week against a soft 49ers run defense, pointing to his 27 PPR-point outburst. Dave stressed this is likely a short-term rental given Seattle's "banana split" backfield philosophy under this coaching staff, the looming return of Zach Charbonnet (who earned a passing-downs role last year), and the newly signed Joe Mixon. Dave explicitly said he wouldn't invest more than a late waiver claim on Mixon right now.

Keon Coleman vs. Khalil Shakir is a legitimate split, hinging on DJ Moore's status. Jamie favored Coleman, citing spiked target share and production in the two games Moore missed, plus a strong Week 4 tape (diving catch, clean touchdown route). Dave preferred Shakir for his slot role and a Rams defense that's been generous to receivers overall, while noting Coleman's history of disappearing for stretches. Both agreed Coleman's outlook craters if Moore plays, since Coleman had only three targets in Moore's two full games.

The Bengals replacement tier (Dante Myers, Mike Gesicki) depends entirely on whether both Chase and Higgins sit. Jamie initially ranked Myers first but shifted after Dave and Heath convinced her to expect Higgins to play, which drops Myers to must-roster-but-not-must-start unless both receivers are out. Dave actually ranked Gesicki above Myers for Week 5, leaning on Gesicki's history of red-zone usage against his former team and touchdowns in three of his last four games, while cautioning Cincinnati may not need heavy passing volume if the run game clicks against Miami.

The Eagles' receiver corps is close to unplayable this week. Dave called Philadelphia's situation a disaster — six starters out including both top backs, the top tight end, top receiver, and three offensive linemen — against possibly the league's best run defense in Jacksonville. Both hosts said they wouldn't start Dontavion Wicks in most leagues, with Jamie calling him and Darius Cooper more desperation plays than real options, and both identified Jacksonville's defense as a top streaming DST specifically because of Philly's depletion.

Will Shipley is a bench-and-hold, not a start, this week — but worth stashing for Weeks 6-7. Dave was blunt that Shipley's bad matchup, Jalen Hurts' low running-back target rate, and the likely presence of another backup (Damien Pierce or Jaydon Blue) in the mix make him unattractive for Week 5. Both hosts preferred using him as a longer-term flier given Saquon Barkley's week-to-week status and easier upcoming matchups against Carolina and Dallas, rather than spending significant FAAB now.

Tyreek Hill is worth a real investment, but expectations should be tempered. Dave pegged FAAB spend at 15-20% of budget, framing Hill's realistic floor as a low-end WR2/high WR3 based on his sub-14 PPR average over his last two Dolphins seasons, with upside tied entirely to landing with a competent quarterback (presumed Kansas City) and recapturing explosiveness after a serious knee injury at age 32.

Tyler Huntley's track record as a Lamar Jackson replacement is weak outside of Zay Flowers. Dave's research showed only four wide receiver games with 14+ PPR points across Huntley's career, with Flowers one of them. The hosts noted Flowers has been elite with Lamar on the field (65.3 fantasy points on just 45 routes this season) and could hit a ceiling game, but cautioned against expecting consistent weekly production from the Ravens passing game without Jackson.

What it means for your roster

• Claim Emmanuel Wilson immediately as your top priority regardless of position — he's a must-start Week 5 play, but treat him as a rental given Charbonnet's expected return and Mixon's presence.
• Pick between Coleman and Shakir based on DJ Moore's practice reports — if Moore sits, lean Coleman for upside; if there's any doubt, Shakir is the safer target-share bet given his slot role.
• Don't overspend FAAB on Dante Myers or Gesicki unless you're rostering Higgins or Chase directly — both need both Bengals pass-catchers out to be startable, and Gesicki edges Myers per Dave for Week 5.
• Avoid starting any Eagles skill-position player this week (Wicks, Cooper) against Jacksonville; instead, stream the Jaguars defense, which both hosts flagged as a top-priority DST pickup that could stick all season.
• Stash Will Shipley but don't force him into your lineup this week — hold for Weeks 6-7 when Barkley's questionable status and easier matchups (Carolina, Dallas) could make him a real flex.
• Budget 15-20% of FAAB on Tyreek Hill as a depth add with starter upside, but set expectations at low-WR2 production rather than peak Chiefs-era Hill.