Examining Week 5 Injury Reports and Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Options

Week 5 opened with one of the bigger surprises of the 2026 NFL season thus far. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were nearly double-digit underdogs on Thursday night, but they largely dominated the Dallas Cowboys for a huge upset road win.

Tampa got a huge helping hand from undrafted quarterback Jalon Daniels, who made his second start in place of the injured Baker Mayfield.

Many fantasy managers will be scrambling to find an equally effective injury replacement or two heading into the rest of the schedule. Several notable players will be out, several more are questionable, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers are both on bye to boot.

Here, we'll dive into the Week 5 injury report, provide rankings for the top remaining point-per-reception (PPR) plays, and highlight some sleepers who may still be available on the waiver wire.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Jacoby Brissett

Top 10

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
3. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
6. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
9. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
10. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Injury Report and Waiver-Wire Targets

This week's biggest injury news at quarterback is the fact that the Baltimore Ravens have ruled out Lamar Jackson against the Atlanta Falcons because of his ankle injury. Tyler Huntley will get the start in his stead.

The other big news is that Jayden Daniels is expected to return for the Washington Commanders against the New York Giants. Caleb Williams (hamstring) is officially questionable for the Chicago Bears, though fans should prepare for him to miss a third-straight start.

Jacoby Brissett is the top waiver-wire option at quarterback this week, as he has an overwhelmingly favorable matchup. The Arizona Cardinals will host the Detroit Lions, who have surrendered more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than any other team.

Brissett is still only rostered in 37 percent of fantasy leagues. Other QBs to consider in Week 5 are Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Jameis Winston, and Michael Penix Jr.

Running Back

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

RB Will Shipley

Top 10

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
2. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
3. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
4. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
5. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
6. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
7. Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
9. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
10. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Injury Report and Waiver-Wire Targets

The big news at running back is that the Philadelphia Eagles have officially ruled out Saquon Barkley against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kyle Monangai is out for the Bears, while Breece Hall will miss another game for the New York Jets.

Ashton Jeanty, Jaylen Wright, Rhamondre Stevenson, Alvin Kamara, and Rico Dowle are among the RBs who are listed as questionable.

Zach Charbonnet is still not ready to make his return for the Seattle Seahawks. With rookie Jadarian Price headed to injured reserve, Emanuel Wilson has some volume value this week, even against a terrific San Francisco 49ers defense.

Of course, Wilson was a very popular add early in the week and is now rostered in 81 percent of leagues. Philadelphia's third back, Will Shipley, is rostered in only 48 percent of leagues and carries similar sleeper value.

The Jags have been good against the run, but with Barkley out and Tank Bigsby on IR, Shipley should see a lot of backfield work this week.

The list of other RBs to consider this week includes Brian Robinson Jr., Kaelon Black, Tyler Allgeier, and Keaton Mitchell.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo

Roman Wilson

Top 10

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
2. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
4. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
5. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
6. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
7. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
8. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
9. Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
10. Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Injury Report and Waiver-Wire Targets

Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson could make his return this week, though he and Jordan Addison are both listed as questionable.

The list of receivers who have already been ruled out includes Adonai Mitchell, Mack Hollins, Michael Pittman Jr., Stefon Diggs, Quentin Johnston, DeVonta Smith, Caleb Douglas, Jalen Nailor, and Tank Dell.

Ladd McConkey, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Carnell Tate, Tim Patrick, Keenan Allen, and Terry McLaurin are among the notable receivers who are listed as questionable.

With Pittman out for an extended period, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Roman Wilson is a must-add this week. He has topped 13 fantasy points in back-to-back weeks and is still only rostered in 28 percent of fantasy leagues.

Keon Coleman, Tre Tucker, Makai Lemon, Tre Tucker, Tre' Harris, and Chris Bell are other wide receivers to consider adding this week.

Tight End

AP Photo/Matt Krohn

T.J. Hockenson

Top 10

1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
2. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
4. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
5. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
6. Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
7. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
8. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
9. Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
10. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

Injury Report and Waiver-Wire Targets

The injury list is rather short at tight end, with Charlie Kolar being the only notable name listed as questionable. However, with Travis Kelce and Darren Waller on bye, managers may need alternatives.

With Jefferson and Addison both questionable, Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is a strong sleeper candidate for Week 5. He's coming off an 18.4-point performance and has a reasonable matchup against a bad New Orleans Saints defense.

The Saints have surrendered an average of 14.3 fantasy points to opposing tight ends this week.

Hockenson is rostered in 55 percent of fantasy leagues, but it's definitely worth checking to see if he's available. If Hockenson can't be snagged, Mike Gesicki, Brenton Strange, Hunter Henry, and Tyler Higbee are solid backup options.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros.