Skip to main content

Waiver wire

Week 5 waiver wire

Early seasonAlready playedRedraft 1QB PPR
The week 5 wire as it stood, kept so the link still works. For the claims you can still make, open this week's board.
Worth a claim
160

players on this board

Top pickup bid
26-45%

of your season budget

Leagues measured
1307

for availability

Week 5 has been played. Availability and usage below are current, but the projection column describes a week that is already settled. Open week 8 instead.

Top pickup

The best available add in week 5

Will Shipley

RB77, ranked 77 at running back in this formatPHI

7 touches in week 4, +2.3 on his 4.7 average before it; projected for 10.3 points against JAX, 1.5 more than the last startable running back in a standard league; rostered in 29 percent of the leagues we track.

Suggested bid

Priority add

26 to 45% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

of your season budget. About 3 teams bidding.

Rostered
29%378 of 1307 leagues
Projected
10.3 pointsvs JAX
Over starter
+1.5 points against the last startable running backvs the last startable RB
Usage
7 touches in week 4+2.3 on his average
Claimed
280leagues, median 22% of budget

Week 5 board

Week 5 waiver wire pickups

160 players worth a claim, ranked within each position. Every bid is a share of your season budget.

See bids in your league's dollars

Budgets differ from league to league, so bids are percentages. Enter yours to add dollars to every card.

Running backs31 worth a claim in week 5

Where most claims are won. Almost nothing on a wire beats a startable back outright, so these are the best of what is genuinely free, led by whoever just inherited carries.

  1. Number 1 at running back: Roschon Johnson

    RB61, ranked 61 at running back in this formatCHI

    1 to 7% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Cheap add

    of budget, likely just you

    • Touches up 5
    • Claimed in 55 leagues
    Rostered
    40% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    6.5 pointsvs GB
    Touches
    5 touches in week 4, up on his 0.0 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    55leagues, median 0%
    Why him

    5 touches in week 4, +5 on his 0.0 average before it; projected for 6.5 points against GB; rostered in 40 percent of the leagues we track.

  2. Number 2 at running back: Kimani Vidal

    RB73, ranked 73 at running back in this formatLAC

    6 to 17% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Real bid

    of budget, about 2 teams bidding

    • Touches up 7
    • Claimed in 57 leagues
    Rostered
    47% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    5.7 pointsvs DEN
    Touches
    8 touches in week 4, up on his 1.3 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    57leagues, median 5%
    Why him

    8 touches in week 4, +6.7 on his 1.3 average before it; projected for 5.7 points against DEN; rostered in 47 percent of the leagues we track.

  3. Number 3 at running back: Kaleb Johnson

    RB63, ranked 63 at running back in this formatGB

    2 to 8% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Cheap add

    of budget, likely just you

    • Touches up 3
    • Claimed in 19 leagues
    Rostered
    45% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    6.3 pointsvs CHI
    Touches
    8 touches in week 4, up on his 5.0 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    19leagues, median 0%
    Why him

    8 touches in week 4, +3 on his 5.0 average before it; projected for 6.3 points against CHI; rostered in 45 percent of the leagues we track.

  4. Number 4 at running back: Jaylen Wright

    RB58, ranked 58 at running back in this formatMIA

    9 to 20% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Real bid

    of budget, about 2 teams bidding

    • Touches up 4
    • Claimed in 55 leagues
    Rostered
    44% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    5.4 pointsvs CIN
    Touches
    5 touches in week 4, up on his 1.5 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    55leagues, median 6%
    Why him

    5 touches in week 4, +3.5 on his 1.5 average before it; projected for 5.4 points against CIN; rostered in 44 percent of the leagues we track.

  5. Number 5 at running back: Samaje Perine

    RB68, ranked 68 at running back in this formatCIN

    2 to 12% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Real bid

    of budget, likely just you

    • Claimed in 26 leagues
    Rostered
    39% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    6.6 pointsvs MIA
    Touches
    4 touches in week 4, down on his 5.7 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    26leagues, median 1%
    Why him

    4 touches in week 4, in line with his 5.7 average; projected for 6.6 points against MIA; rostered in 39 percent of the leagues we track.

  6. Number 6 at running back: Tyjae Spears

    RB62, ranked 62 at running back in this formatTEN

    3 to 8% of your season budget. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10, the higher about 9 in 10, priced mostly from what he has cost in real claims.

    Cheap add

    of budget, likely just you

    • Claimed in 18 leagues
    Rostered
    70% of the 1307 leagues we track
    Projected
    7.2 pointsvs HOU
    Touches
    3 touches in week 4, down on his 6.3 averageWeek 4
    Claimed
    18leagues, median 1%
    Why him

    3 touches in week 4, down from 6.3; projected for 7.2 points against HOU; rostered in 70 percent of the leagues we track.

Real claims, weeks 4 and 5

The most-claimed players on waivers

Counted across the Sleeper leagues synced to FF Beacon. Bars show the middle half of winning bids from 0 to 100% of budget; the tick is the median.

  1. Number 1: Will Shipley

    RB, running back PHI

    22%median winning bid

    Claimed in 280 leagues, middle half 11 to 33%, 2.9 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  2. Number 2: Dameon Pierce

    RB, running back PHI

    4%median winning bid

    Claimed in 214 leagues, middle half 0 to 9%, 1.6 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  3. Number 3: Darius Cooper

    WR, wide receiver PHI

    3%median winning bid

    Claimed in 179 leagues, middle half 0 to 10%, 1.4 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  1. 4.

    Tyler HigbeeTE, tight end

    1% median winning bid

    Claimed in 132 leagues, middle half 0 to 5%, 1.2 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  2. 5.

    Keon ColemanWR, wide receiver

    14% median winning bid

    Claimed in 131 leagues, middle half 8 to 20%, 2.6 teams bidding on average. Now rostered in 71% of leagues.

  3. 6.

    Roman WilsonWR, wide receiver

    6% median winning bid

    Claimed in 122 leagues, middle half 2 to 12%, 1.7 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  4. 7.

    Kendre MillerRB, running back

    2% median winning bid

    Claimed in 109 leagues, middle half 0 to 6%, 1.5 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  5. 8.

    Tyler HuntleyQB, quarterback

    7% median winning bid

    Claimed in 114 leagues, middle half 0 to 16%, 1.6 teams bidding on average. Still on this week's board.

  6. 9.

    Joe MixonRB, running back

    1% median winning bid

    Claimed in 111 leagues, middle half 0 to 7%, 1.2 teams bidding on average. Now rostered in 16% of leagues.

  7. 10.

    Austin EkelerRB, running back

    1% median winning bid

    Claimed in 105 leagues, middle half 0 to 5%, 1.2 teams bidding on average. Now rostered in 22% of leagues.

How to read the bids

Why we give FAAB bids as a percentage of your budget

A $20 bid is a fifth of the budget in one league and a fiftieth of it in another, so a dollar amount on a page like this is only right for readers whose league happens to match it. A percentage of the season budget is right in every league. That is how the FAAB calculator works internally, and it is how every bid on this page is written.

Season budgets across 1339 synced leagues

  • $100 budget573 leagues, 43% of synced leagues
  • $1,000 budget429 leagues, 32% of synced leagues
  • $200 budget150 leagues, 11% of synced leagues
  • $300 budget76 leagues, 6% of synced leagues
  • Something else budget111 leagues, 8% of synced leagues

The most common budget, $100, covers 43% of these leagues. Any single dollar figure would be wrong for the rest.

One bid, 20% of budget, in 3 common leagues

  • $20in a $100 league
  • $200in a $1,000 league
  • $40in a $200 league

Same decision, same share of what you started with. Two more things to adjust for: if you have already spent some of your budget, a bid is a bigger share of what is left, so treat the range as a share of the full season budget. And bid a number that does not end in 0 or 5, because round numbers are where ties happen.

FAQ

Week 5 waiver questions, answered

Who is the top waiver wire add in week 5?

Will Shipley, the RB for PHI, leads this board. 7 touches in week 4, +2.3 on his 4.7 average before it; projected for 10.3 points against JAX, 1.5 more than the last startable running back in a standard league; rostered in 29 percent of the leagues we track. The suggested bid is 26 to 45 percent of your season budget. Within each position the list is ordered by what a player adds over the last startable player there rather than by raw projected points, because ten points from a tight end and ten from a running back are not the same purchase.

How much FAAB should I bid in week 5?

Every player on this board carries a range as a percentage of your season budget, because budgets differ from league to league. The lower figure wins about 6 times in 10 and the higher about 9 in 10, read from what waiver claims have actually cleared at in redraft one-quarterback leagues synced to FF Beacon, and pulled toward each player's own price where he was claimed in weeks 4 and 5. It prices winning him, not what he is worth to your roster, so pay it only if he would start for you. The FAAB calculator works out that second part against your actual roster.

Who was the most-claimed player on waivers in weeks 4 and 5?

Will Shipley (RB, PHI), claimed in 280 of the synced leagues with 2.9 teams bidding on average. The median winning bid was 22 percent of the season budget, and the middle half of winning bids ran from 11 to 33 percent.

What does rostered percentage mean here?

The share of the real Sleeper leagues synced to FF Beacon that already have that player on a roster, rebuilt nightly. It is measured from 1307 leagues rather than published by a platform about itself. Those leagues are ones readers connected themselves, so they skew toward dynasty and they are not a random sample of Sleeper.

Why is a player I saw recommended elsewhere missing?

Two reasons account for nearly all of them. He is rostered in 70 percent or more of the leagues we track, so he is not really a waiver claim, or he projects below the last startable player at his position this week, which makes him a bench add rather than an upgrade. The board is ranked on what a player changes about a lineup, not on how much he was talked about on Sunday.

When do waivers process?

On Sleeper the default is Wednesday morning, and most leagues leave it there, so a claim entered any time from Tuesday runs overnight. Yahoo and ESPN both default to Wednesday too. Your league can change it, and a few run waivers daily, so check your own settings before you rely on a deadline.

Waivers close Tuesday night

Not sure he is worth the money?

Post the claim and your budget in our Discord and real managers will tell you whether to push or pass, free.