Week 4 on the 2026 NFL schedule is nearly in the books, and fantasy football managers can start pivoting toward Week 5. It also marks the start of a particular bane of fantasy managers' existence for the year: bye weeks. Just two teams, the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs, are idle in Week 5, but it will get worse.
Here are nine must-adds from the fantasy football waiver wire for Week 5.
Oct 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell (34) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Much to the chagrin of Omarion Hampton's fantasy managers, the Chargers continued to use three running backs liberally in Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks. This time around, it was nearly an equal split, with Mitchell seeing one more snap (26) than Hampton and Kimani Vidal. After the game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said, "We think it (a three-man running back rotation) is best for our team." At 0-4, it's way too easy to argue with that statement.
That said, Mitchell has been the best of the Chargers' running back trio by quite a few measures so far this season. In Week 4, it yielded the aforementioned lead in snaps as well as the most touches among the trio (15, to Hampton's 11 and Vidal's seven). He's been eating into Hampton's early-down work, while Vidal is taking some of his passing-down usage.
The Chargers' schedule remains tough for the next few weeks around a Week 7 bye. That stands to create more pass-heavy game scripts, and ideally Mitchell has made a case to take more passing-down work than Vidal does.
Mitchell was in this space as a must-add last week, and he's easily back again after very little movement in his ownership rates.
ESPN Ownership: 18.2% Yahoo! Ownership: 35%
*Editor's note: This article was published prior to Bigsby going onto IR*
Saquon Barkley left Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury, and he did not return. He also left Week 2 early and did not return due to a shoulder injury, so we've seen the Eagles' backfield template in his absence.
Bigbsy was the early-down back against the Rams, with 14 carries for 55 yards along with no catches on one target. Shipley saw the passing down work, which yielded him six carries for 23 yards along with one catchless target.
Bigsby, himself, was unable to finish the game against the Rams after suffering a right leg injury. But as Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus noted, those final six offensive plays for the Eagles may have gone to Shipley anyway due to being passing situations.
Bigsby has had value as Barkley's top handcuff since draft season, and it has been proven by the star running back's inability to finish two of four games so far this season. He is a must-add for Barkley managers regardless of Barkley's status for Week 5, and non-Barkley managers should be taking a long look at Bigsby in case the Eagles' No. 1 back misses Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In deep leagues, where it can be hard to unearth potentially useful players on the waiver wire, Shipley should be on the radar as an add this week.
Bigsby ESPN Ownership: 15.6% Bigsby Yahoo! Ownership: 28%
Shipley ESPN Ownership: 0.6% Shipley Yahoo! Ownership: 1%
Let's double up again, this time with a pair of Bills. D.J. Moore aggravated his shoulder injury against the New England Patriots in Week 4, leaving Coleman and Shakir as the top two wide receivers for Josh Allen. Shakir finished the game with seven catches for 82 yards, while Coleman had six grabs for 116 yards and a touchdown.
In two of the last three games, Coleman has at least six catches, at least six targets and more than 60 yards. Shakir has at least six targets in three of four games this season, with at least 50 yards twice.
The severity of Moore's shoulder issue is unclear, but after Sunday's game ESPN's Adam Schefter passed along a word salad to say it's not considered "a long term issue as of right now." Time will tell what that exactly means.
In any case, Coleman and Shakir should be rostered in more fantasy leagues. Coleman has a good bit of boom-bust to him as a flex option in leagues with at least 12 teams. Shakir is most viable in PPR formats, with a lower ceiling but a higher floor than Coleman in 12-team leagues.
Coleman ESPN Ownership: 4.2% Coleman Yahoo! Ownership: 4%
Shakir ESPN Ownership: 61.9% Shakir Yahoo! Ownership: 42%
The Dolphins' offense had another ugly outing against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, with 198 total yards and 10 points. Washington was heavily involved one again, though, with a team-high five catches for 67 yards while also adding two carries for three yards. He has now posted double-digit full PPR points in back-to-back games, while rarely leaving the field (at least an 86 percent snap share in three of four games this season).
The sheer ineptitude of Miami's offense puts a real lid on the fantasy ceiling of everyone involved. It's also safe to say they've faced some pretty tough defenses so far, which will naturally let up some moving forward. Around a Week 6 bye, the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 5), New York Jets (Week 7), New England Patriots (Week 8), Detroit Lions (Week 9), Indianapolis Colts (Week 10) and Buffalo Bills (Week 11) all look like favorable matchups.
With De'Von Achane (torn ACL) out, Washington is now the Dolphins' best offensive player and the new coaching staff has found ways to use him their predecessors failed to. That Week 6 bye is worth noting, but otherwise the axiom "don't ignore players on bad teams" fully applies here.
ESPN Ownership: 28.3% Yahoo! Ownership: 31%
It wasn't great for a big chunk of the game, but Rodgers finished 22-for-40 for 299 yards with three touchdowns (and two interceptions) against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. He has now topped 290 yards through the air with three touchdown passes in back-to-back games, with over 20 fantasy points in both.
Week 5 brings a favorable matchup for Rodgers against the Indianapolis Colts, who entered Week 4 allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks (Yahoo! scoring). That standing is going to improve after facing rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis for much of Sunday in London, but it will be flimsy.
A tougher matchup will follow that for Rodgers in Week 6, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed less than 240 passing yards in three straight games. But it'll get easier again in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, before a rematch against the Browns in Week 8 ahead of a Week 9 bye.
Fantasy managers who have a bye week or injury issue should take a long look at Rodgers as a streamer for Week 5. Otherwise, he is a must-add in two-quarterback or superflex leagues.
ESPN Ownership: 6.5% Yahoo! Ownership: 10%
Stroud got his No. 1 wide receiver (Nico Collins) back in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, and it showed, as he was equal parts efficient (21-for-31) and proficient (347 yards and two touchdowns). He has thrown for over 270 yards in three of four games this season, with multiple passing touchdowns twice.
Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans and Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars look like tough matchups for Stroud, but both entered Week 4 near the bottom of the league in pass attempts against. On each side of a Week 8 bye, he'll get solid matchups against the New York Giants (Week 7), Los Angeles Chargers (Week 9), and Cleveland Browns (Week 10).
Stroud isn't going to be overly helpful to fantasy managers with his legs, but he is adding an additional 1.6 fantasy points per game rushing. As long as he's got Collins healthy, and the Texans' defense has outings that force him into heavier pass volume, he'll be an asset in most league formats as bye weeks get rolling.
ESPN Ownership: 37.2% Yahoo! Ownership: 58%
Gesicki didn't have a big day in terms of catches (three) or yardage (40) in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did score a touchdown for the third time in four games this season. It would be nice if he was on the field more (47 of 76 offensive snaps against Jacksonville), but he runs a route basically whenever he's out there (41 routes run against the Jaguars), and that matters.
The headline from Sunday for the Bengals was injuries to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor). No. 3 wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (thumb) was placed on IR on Sept. 23, and No. 4 wide receiver Colbie Young (knee) was inactive for the game.
What are the odds all four Cincinnati wide receivers suit up for Week 5, in a favorable matchup against the Miami Dolphins? Iosivas won't, since he'll remain on IR, while Chase and Higgins have to be considered uncertain pending updates on Monday. The Dolphins also allowed 13 catches for 119 yards to Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson in Week 4.
Gesicki has a tendency to deliver a dud right when fantasy managers are ready to buy in. Things look different for at least Week 5 right now, and if he combines more target volume with his touchdown tilt…
ESPN Ownership: 9.6% Yahoo! Ownership: 7%
Roster situations can and should lead to a subjective shuffling, but let's broadly rank the nine waiver wire must-adds for Week 5:
1. Mitchell
2. Bigsby
3. Washington
4. Rodgers
5. Gesicki
6. Shakir
7. Stroud
8. Coleman
9. Shipley
