Best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5

A look at the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season.

We are moving on to Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season and there will be an added emphasis on the fantasy football waiver wire this week with four teams on bye.

The four teams taking the week off are the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here’s a list of the fantasy relevant players owners may need to cover for.

Seahawks: QB Geno Smith, RB Kenneth Walker, WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, TE Noah Fant

Chargers: QB Justin Herbert, RBs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelly, WRs Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer, TEs Donald Parham and Gerald Everett

Browns: QB Deshaun Watson, RB Jerome Ford, WR Amari Cooper, TE David Njoku

Buccaneers: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Rachaad White, WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin

With the first bye weeks upon us, let’s take a look at the best fantasy football waiver wire options for you to consider in Week 5.

Note: Players on this list are available in at least 50 percent of ESPN leagues. Fantasy points are based on PPR scoring and positional rankings are courtesy of Fantasy Pros.