Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 5 picks: Top players to add include Jamison Crowder, Alex Collins
Hall of Fame Fantasy expert Scott Engel pinpoints the best waiver wire picks ahead of Week 5

Running back injuries continue to force Fantasy football players to rush to their free agent lists. We have already seen Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook miss time recently. In Week 4, Bengals running back Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury. David Montgomery, after rushing for 106 yards and two TDs, went down with a knee injury. Now the respective backups for both players, Samaje Perine and Damien Williams, will be highly sought-after players this week. Both will be among the top running backs targeted in free agency.
Should Perine or Williams be your top Week 5 Fantasy football waiver wire picks over all others? And which other players on Fantasy football waivers are worth adding to fill roster holes and improve the outlook of your teams going forward? Before determining who to target on the Week 5 Fantasy football waiver wire, be sure to see what SportsLine's resident Hall of Famer, Scott Engel, has to say.
Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame. He is a four-time FSWA Award Winner and 10-time nominee. In 2020, Scott was a finalist for the FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year Award, which he also won previously.
In addition to being the Fantasy writer for the Seattle Seahawks' official site since 2012, Engel has appeared on The Athletic, SiriusXM FantasySports Radio, ESPN.com, NFL.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, the New York Post, USA Today, RotoBaller, and of course, CBSSports.com. So far this season, Engel has recommended impact players such as Cordarrelle Patterson and Dawson Knox ahead of their big breakout performances.
Now, he's revealed the best widely available Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5. You can see his top Fantasy NFL waiver wire picks and full analysis over at SportsLine.
Top Fantasy football waiver wire picks for Week 5
One player Engel is advising Fantasy players to target on the Week 5 waiver wire: New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder. The Jets had only one pass-catcher of note making an impact prior to Week 4, as Corey Davis was the lone playmaker for rookie Zach Wilson. The Jets QB sorely needed another reliable receiver, but Crowder was out early in the schedule with a groin injury. Upon his return in Week 4, the veteran wideout made an instant impact in the New York passing game.
Crowder caught seven passes for 61 yards and a TD and was an instrumental performer as New York earned its first win of the season against Tennessee. Crowder was the only respectable WR for the Jets last year, and he has caught six TD passes in each of last two seasons. In 2019, Crowder had 78 receptions. Now with Wilson showing signs of progress and Crowder being an essential target for him, you should expect continued quality production from Crowder in PPR and half-PPR formats. He is a good WR depth add, especially with bye weeks approaching, and could actually function as a Fantasy WR3.
Engel is also strongly recommending Seattle running back Alex Collins. Chris Carson could not get rolling against the 49ers on Sunday, and the Seahawks started very slowly at San Francisco. Once Collins was popped into the mix over Carson, though, the offense picked up steam, and started to produce better, Collins rushed for a TD and challenged the 49ers defense with his burst and change of direction skills.
Carson should remain in his role as Seattle's top running back, but his physical, slashing approach is different than that of Collins, who looks to evade defenders and utilize cutback moves. Collins can offer a unique change of pace style to Carson as a complement, but more importantly, if Carson were to go down at any time with an injury, Collins can step forward and produce very good Fantasy totals. You must roster Collins in case that happens in the weeks ahead.
How to set your Week 5 waiver wire claims
Engel is also all-in on a wide receiver who should be an immediate pickup. This player is widely available and could be a huge boost to your Fantasy football lineup. You can only see who it is at SportsLine.
So which players should you target on the Fantasy football waiver wire before Week 5? And which wide receiver is a must-add? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning Fantasy football free agents entering Week 5 , all from a Fantasy Hall of Famer, and find out.















