Week 5 Waiver Wire: Breakout Pickups, Targets and Tips for Fantasy Football

From a fantasy football perspective, one standout performance is a blip on the radar but consecutive productive outings may signal a promising trend.

As Ben Roethlisberger ages and Ryan Tannehill goes through some inconsistencies, managers might want to look for new faces at quarterback. While you may be a week too late to jump on Derek Carr's bandwagon (67 percent rostered), a couple of underrated passers widely available on the waiver wire can still provide a significant boost at the position.

Managers in leagues with two starting quarterbacks should take a chance with a rookie who had his first taste of extended action Sunday. Though he's not a lock to start in the next couple of weeks, his team may prop him up after an intriguing performance in place of an injured veteran.

Let's take a look at eight players who can break out as fantasy must-haves for the remainder of the season. They're all rostered in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues. In addition, we'll also provide a couple of roster tips for managers looking toward Week 5 and beyond.

Week 5 Waiver-Wire Pickups

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Sam Darnold, QB, Carolina Panthers (37 percent rostered) 

Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington Football Team (10 percent rostered)

Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets (51 percent rostered)

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (29 percent rostered)

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (58 percent rostered)

Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets (19 Percent Rostered)

Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills (47 percent rostered)

Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys (33 percent rostered)

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Managers should've had Laviska Shenault Jr. on their fantasy radar coming into the 2021 campaign because of his standout performances during the offseason. Now, he's a prime candidate to break out after fellow wideout DJ Chark Jr. fractured his ankle in Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chark exited Thursday's game after the Jaguars' opening drive Thursday. Shenault went on to record a career-high 99 receiving yards as the primary pass-catching option in the aerial attack. He led Jacksonville in targets (seven) and catches (six).

If Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence settles into a groove, Shenault should have a strong productive stretch through the remainder of the season. They could click while playing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5.

Going into Week 4, the Titans fielded the 18th-ranked pass defense and allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Shenault will see plenty of targets in this matchup and with Tennessee's lapses in pass coverage, he has a chance to best his career-high in receiving yards.

Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills

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After a rough season-opening performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buffalo Bills offense has hit its stride, scoring 118 points over the last three weeks.

While the Bills have lit up defenses, Dawson Knox has carved out a role in the aerial attack. Since Week 2, he's hauled in four touchdown passes—three within 15 yards of the goal line. 

With a touchdown in three consecutive outings, Knox should rank among the top pickups for Week 5 at a position that lacks consistency outside of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. As Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski deals with significant rib and lung injuries, managers will need to find a replacement for him, and Knox would be a solid waiver-wire target.

Next week, Knox faces the Kansas City Chiefs, who gave up a combined 116 yards and a touchdown to tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert Sunday. He has a good chance to extend his scoring streak to four games and rack up 50-plus yards as well.

Fantasy Tip: Take a Chance with Trey Lance

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo exited Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks with a calf injury and didn't return to the field, which thrust Trey Lance into action.

Lance completed nine of 18 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 41 yards. Though inconsistent, the rookie signal-caller showed some flashes, establishing a rapport with wideout Deebo Samuel and moving the chains on foot. 

After a Week 5 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers have a Week 6 bye, which will allow the team to re-evaluate its quarterback situation.

In the event that Garoppolo holds on to his starting job, he may have a short leash on the position. Secondly, with the veteran signal-caller's injury history, missing 23 games over the last two years, the 49ers should be prepared to turn the huddle over to Lance in any given week. Garoppolo believes he'll need a "couple of weeks" to recover. 

As the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, Lance will likely start at some point this season. Managers who have a space on the back end of their bench should roll the dice on him now. He has great upside because of his ability to rack up fantasy points as a ball-carrier.

Fantasy Tip: Add Damien Williams as a Speculative Pickup

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The Chicago Bears' 24-14 win over the Detroit Lions came at a major cost. In the fourth quarter, David Montgomery suffered a knee injury and didn't return to action. At that point, the Bears hadn't quite wrapped up the game, so their decision to quickly rule him out raises some concerns. 

In Montgomery's absence, Damien Williams took over the lead role out of the backfield and finished with 70 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.

Against the Lions, the Bears relied on their rushing attack in order to take some pressure off quarterback Justin Fields. They ran the ball 39 times for 188 yards and three scores. If the rookie signal-caller starts next week in a matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, who rank 22nd against the run, expect a heavy dose of the ground game again.

Montgomery will likely go through tests for a diagnosis of his injury. Even if he plays in the next outing, Williams could see an expanded role as the healthier ball-carrier, which bodes well for the latter in a matchup against a defense that's allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to running backs.