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Waiver WireNFL2026-10-05

Week 5 Waiver Wire: Tank Bigsby, Keon Coleman and Dohnte Meyers Lead the Adds

By Verdexed Fantasy Desk

Tank Bigsby
Photo: Geoff Mosher / Wikimedia Commons (CC CC0 1.0)

Sunday's injuries reshaped the Week 5 waiver wire. Saquon Barkley (hamstring), Ja'Marr Chase (concussion), Tee Higgins (adductor), DJ Moore (shoulder) and Lamar Jackson (ankle) all left their games, and the players who absorbed their work are this week's priority claims. Tank Bigsby tops the list in Philadelphia, Keon Coleman posted a career day in Buffalo, and Dohnte Meyers emerged as Joe Burrow's most reliable remaining receiver in Cincinnati.

Every add below is built on confirmed Week 4 usage, not projections. Roster availability varies by league, so check your own wire, and remember that Kansas City is on bye in Week 5.

The priority board

PlayerTeamWeek 4 lineWhy he matters
Tank BigsbyEagles14 carries, 55 yardsLead back if Barkley's hamstring costs him time
Emanuel WilsonSeahawks21 carries, 81 yards; 3 catches, 39 yards; 2 TDEvery-down role with Jadarian Price on IR
Keon ColemanBills6 catches on 7 targets, 116 yards, 1 TDStepped up after DJ Moore aggravated his shoulder
Dohnte MeyersBengals7 catches on 9 targets, 82 yardsTop healthy receiver if Chase and Higgins sit
Keaton MitchellChargers10 carries, 39 yards; 5 catches on 6 targetsOut-snapped Omarion Hampton 38% to 32%
Mike GesickiBengals3 catches on 5 targets, 40 yards, 1 TDThird touchdown of the season
Xavier WorthyChiefs4 catches on 7 targets, 70 yardsStashRice and Thornton hurt, bye in Week 5

Running backs: Bigsby first, then Wilson and Mitchell

Tank Bigsby (Eagles). Barkley pulled up with a right hamstring injury on his second carry and did not return. Bigsby handled 14 carries for 55 yards, while Will Shipley had six carries for 23 yards. Barkley was scheduled for further testing Monday, and early reports were encouraging, but hamstrings are unpredictable and the Eagles face Jacksonville in London on a short turnaround. Bigsby is the early-down and goal-line back in this offense, which makes him the add in standard and half-PPR formats. One caution: he left late in the fourth quarter with a lower-body issue, so check Wednesday's practice report before setting a lineup. Shipley is the deeper add for PPR managers.

Emanuel Wilson (Seahawks). Wilson ran 21 times for 81 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 39 yards and another score in a 30-23 win over the Chargers. With Jadarian Price on injured reserve, Wilson is Seattle's every-down back right now. The catch is that Zach Charbonnet (knee) is eligible to return from IR as early as this week, which could turn this into a split. Wilson is still the best pure volume add on the wire if he is available.

Keaton Mitchell (Chargers). Mitchell played 38% of the snaps to Omarion Hampton's 32% and out-touched him 15 to 11, drawing six targets. On an 0-4 team that trails often, that receiving role travels well, making him a PPR flex option in a home game against Denver.

Wide receivers: Coleman and the Bengals' depth chart

Keon Coleman (Bills). Moore aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half of Buffalo's 29-26 loss to New England, and Coleman responded with six catches on seven targets for 116 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with under five minutes left. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Moore's injury is not currently considered long-term, which caps Coleman's ceiling once Moore returns. Even so, a receiver who produces in a Josh Allen offense is worth a roster spot, and he is a strong Week 5 flex if Moore is limited.

Dohnte Meyers (Bengals). With Chase out from halftime with a concussion and Higgins hurt on the final drive, Meyers caught seven of nine targets for 82 yards while Burrow threw for 428. Zac Taylor said Meyers and Mitchell Tinsley were the last two receivers left on the final drive. Meyers also returned six kickoffs for 161 yards, a bonus in return-yardage leagues. If Chase does not clear the concussion protocol and Higgins misses time, Meyers becomes a viable starter against Miami. Tinsley, who caught three of seven targets for 49 yards, is the deeper add.

Xavier Worthy (Chiefs). Rice tweaked his hamstring on the opening drive and Tyquan Thornton is out indefinitely with a dislocated ankle. Worthy saw a season-high seven targets and caught four for 70 yards, including a 41-yarder. Kansas City is on bye in Week 5, so this is a stash for Week 6, not a lineup fix.

Quarterbacks and tight ends

Tyler Huntley (Ravens) is the superflex and two-quarterback add. He played the entire second half after Jackson's ankle injury, going 8 of 9 for 63 yards with 16 rushing yards. Reports on Jackson are split between day-to-day and week-to-week pending a Monday MRI, and Baltimore plays Atlanta on Sunday night, so Jackson managers need a backup plan before the early games lock.

Jayden Daniels (Commanders) is not a waiver add in most leagues, but managers who dropped him should check. Marcus Mariota re-injured his right MCL against the Colts, and Dan Quinn said Daniels expects to be a full participant in practice ahead of the Giants game.

Mike Gesicki (Bengals) is the streaming tight end of the week. He scored a 15-yard touchdown on Sunday, his third of the season, and his role grows if Cincinnati's top two receivers are out.

What to do in your league

Put your largest claim on Bigsby if you need a running back, and on Wilson if Bigsby is gone. Coleman is the top receiver add for managers who need Week 5 help right now, while Meyers carries the most upside if the Bengals' injury news turns bad. In deeper leagues, roster Shipley, Tinsley and Roschon Johnson, who closed out Chicago's win after Kyle Monangai hurt his thumb.

Do not overspend on Worthy if you are short on Week 5 starters; the bye makes him a luxury stash. Superflex managers with Jackson should claim Huntley before Wednesday, and anyone streaming defenses should keep an eye on Chicago's 23-12 win over the Jets, in which the Bears held New York to 12 points and seven first downs. For Week 5 lineup calls, the NFL predictions page will carry the model's game-level view once lines settle.

What's next

The Wednesday injury reports will decide several of these calls. Barkley and Jackson's practice participation will tell you whether Bigsby and Huntley are one-week fill-ins or multi-week starters. Chase's progress through the concussion protocol and Higgins' adductor diagnosis will set Meyers' value, and Charbonnet's possible activation from IR is the key update for Wilson managers.

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