MIAMI, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The waiver wire was a fantasy football wasteland over the last two weeks, but several players are worth prioritizing ahead of your Week 5 matchup.
Week 4 injuries to running backs David Montgomery and Joe Mixon and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo clear a path for new opportunities for their backups. Poor play by other starters should allow other players to emerge and help your fantasy football team excel.
Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams is my top priority this week. Williams could start for the Bears when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in Paradise, Nevada. Montgomery sustained a knee injury in Week 4 and could miss this game.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance are among my other top waiver wire priorities for Week 5.
Continue to monitor your opponents' roster, as well, to keep them from adding players they could use against you in a weekly matchup.
Waiver wire additions should be players either who can contribute to your roster immediately or players you can put on your bench in hopes they will provide value down the road.
I have added some of my favorite players to target on this week's waiver wire and separated them by priority and position. The players I have listed ahead of Wednesday's waiver period have low ownership percentages in standard-size leagues.
Here are my top players to add to top players to drop for Week 5:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Trey Lance; RB | Damien Williams, Samaje Perine, Alex Collins; WR | Kadarius Toney, Randall Cobb; TE | Cameron Brate; D/ST | Vikings; K | Evan McPherson
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz; RB | Alex Collins, Brandon Bolden; WR | Jamison Crowder, Josh Gordon; TE | Mo Alie-Cox; D/ST | Raiders; K | Mason Crosby
TOP DROPS
QB | Baker Mayfield; RB | Myles Gaskin, Ty'Son Williams, Le'Veon Bell; WR | Rondale Moore; TE | Cole Kmet; D/ST | Bills; K | Jason Myers
QUARTERBACK
Rookie quarterback Trey Lance is among my favorite players to add this week. San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a calf injury in Week 4 and said he hopes to just miss a "couple" of weeks.
If Garoppolo misses time, Lance should help many fantasy football teams, especially during quarterback bye weeks.
Lance completed 9 of 18 passes for two scores and ran for 41 yards in extended action in Week 4. His value as a passer and a runner makes him a great streaming option, especially in good matchups.
Lance is worth a speculative add even if Garoppolo is able to return earlier than expected. The 49ers face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
The Cardinals allowed at least two passing touchdowns in two of their last three games. Look for Lance to take advantage of this matchup if he gets the start. He is a streamable QB1 in leagues with at least 14 teams.
RUNNING BACK
Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams picked up 70 yards from scrimmage and a score on 10 touches in Week 4. He saw an increased workload due to David Montgomery's injury exit.
Williams' dynamic skillset as a runner and pass catcher, paired with a potential opportunity to start in Week 5, make him my top overall waiver wire priority.
If he gets the start, Williams will be on my streaming RB2/flex radar for leagues with at least 12 teams. The Bears face the Las Vegas Raiders, who are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs.
The Raiders also just allowed Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekele to total 145 yards from scrimmage and two scores on 18 touches in Week 4.
Williams is worth the top waiver claim if you need a starter this week.
Samaje Perine of the Cincinnati Bengals is another running back who is worth a waiver wire pickup. Bengals starter Joe Mixon sustained an ankle injury in Week 4 and could miss the team's Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are decent against the run, but allowed touchdowns to running backs in three of their four games. The Bengals' improved passing game and the Packers' defensive focus on that aspect of the offense should allow for Perine to get plenty of work on the ground.
He is my No. 2 waiver wire priority for Week 5.
WIDE RECEIVER
Kadarius Toney and Randall Cobb are the top wide receivers I would target this week on the waiver wire.
Toney, a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, caught six of nine targets for 78 yards in Week 4 for the New York Giants. He should get a ton of looks again in Week 5 due to several injuries to other Giants wide receivers.
Toney is a risky play in shallow leagues, but should be added to your bench and could provide WR3 value down the road in leagues with at least 14 teams.
Cobb rekindled his chemistry last week with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The veteran wide receiver totaled 69 yards and two scores on five catches in the Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rodgers threw at least two touchdown passes in each of his last three games and should do the same in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Look for Cobb to grab one of those scores. He will be on my WR3 radar this week.
TIGHT END
Cameron Brate is my top tight end to add for Week 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter Rob Gronkowski sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung in Week 3. He missed the Buccaneers' Week 4 win over the New England Patriots and could miss their Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Brate caught two passes for 29 yards in Week 4 and should be involved even more in the game plan in Week 5. The Dolphins allowed tight ends to score in two of their last three games. Brate is on my TE1 radar this week for 12-team leagues that require starting tight ends.
