Injuries continue to do damage to Fantasy football rosters at running back. From Cam Akers in the summer, to Christian McCaffrey recently, Fantasy players are constantly having to scramble to free agency for replacements. In Week 4, Joe Mixon and David Montgomery went down, Now their respective backups, Damien Williams and Samaje Perine, are going to get a lot of Fantasy attention.
Should Williams or Perine be one of your preferred Week 5 Fantasy football waiver wire picks? And which other players on Fantasy football waivers are worth adding to fill roster holes and improve the outlook of your teams going forward? Before determining who to target on the Week 5 Fantasy football waiver wire, be sure to see what SportsLine’s resident Hall of Famer, Scott Engel, has to say.
Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame. He is a four-time FSWA Award Winner and 10-time nominee. In 2020, Scott was a finalist for the FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year Award, which he also won previously.
In addition to being the Fantasy writer for the Seattle Seahawks‘ official site since 2012, Engel has appeared on The Athletic, SiriusXM FantasySports Radio, ESPN.com, NFL.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, the New York Post, USA Today, RotoBaller, and of course, CBSSports.com. So far this season, Engel has recommended impact players such as Cordarrelle Patterson and Dawson Knox ahead of their big breakout performances.
Now, he’s revealed the best widely available Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5. You can see his top Fantasy NFL waiver wire picks and full analysis over at SportsLine.
Top Fantasy football waiver wire picks for Week 5
One player Engel is advising Fantasy players to target on the Week 5 waiver wire: New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder. He made his season debut this week, and was instantly an important part of the passing game. Crowder caught seven balls for 61 yards and a TD, providing rookie QB Zach Wilson with a sorely needed dependable veteran target.
Crowder should continue to be a key part of the Jets offense going forward, and Wilson will likely lean on him heavily on a weekly basis. Corey Davis is capable of making some big plays, but Wilson was desperate for another quality playmaker. Crowder ideally fills that void, and should continue to produce good PPR totals as Wilson gets very comfortable using him as his frequent safety target.
Engel is also strongly recommending Seattle running back Alex Collins. Chris Carson could not get rolling against the 49ers on Sunday, and the Seahawks started very slowly at San Francisco. Once Collins was popped into the mix over Carson, though, the offense picked up steam, and started to produce better, Collins rushed for a TD and challenged the 49ers defense with his burst and change of direction skills.
Carson should remain in his role as Seattle’s top running back, but his physical, slashing approach is different than that of Collins, who looks to evade defenders and utilize cutback moves. Collins can offer a unique change of pace style to Carson as a complement, but more importantly, if Carson were to go down at any time with an injury, Collins can step forward and produce very good Fantasy totals. You must roster Collins in case that happens in the weeks ahead.
How to set your Week 5 waiver wire claims
Engel is also all-in on a wide receiver who should be an immediate pickup. This player is widely available and could be a huge boost to your Fantasy football lineup. You can only see who it is at SportsLine.
So which players should you target on the Fantasy football waiver wire before Week 5? And which wide receiver is a must-add? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5 , all from a Fantasy Hall of Famer, and find out.
