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USATSI

The expectation, basically since Andy Reid talked at halftime of the Chiefs Week 4 win over the Chargers, is that Rashee Rice is going to miss the remainder of the season. Many have speculated that he tore his ACL. But as of Tuesday morning, we have no confirmation of that and now we aren't expecting to know for sure until after the Chiefs Week 5 game. 

The fact that Rice has not been placed on Injured Reserve and that the full ACL tear has not been confirmed is both a blessing and a curse for his Fantasy managers. The obvious blessing is that sliver of hope that Rice somehow avoided catastrophic damage and might play again in 2024. The curse is that you can't drop Rice until you know for sure. With four teams on a bye this week, that could mean some really difficult waiver decisions on Tuesday or Wednesday night. 

Those choices are made even more difficult by the fact that there are a handful of excellent waiver wire adds available, including two who project in my top 30 wide receivers for Week 5, Wan'Dale Robinson and Josh Downs

One option to delay the tough decision is to drop your kicker or defense to make an add, but that's only giving you until Sunday morning. Use that time to see if we get an earlier than expected answer on Rice, or if you can find a trade to make. With bye weeks and a large number of injuries, everyone is in need of something right now. Scour your leaguemates' rosters, find their needs, and solve your problem.

More Week 5 content:

Here is the rest of the Week 5 WR Preview:

Week 5 WR Preview
WR Preview
Who's Out

The following players are not being projected to play Week 5 at this time. Here's what it means:

KC Kansas City • #4
Age: 24 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Xavier Worthy is a boom/bust WR3 or flex. Travis Kelce is a top-five tight end again.
GB Green Bay • #9
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Jayden Reed is a must-start WR. Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs both have flex appeal.
WR Preview
Numbers to Know
  • 277 -- Jayden Reed has 277 receiving yards in the two games he's played with Jordan Love at QB.
  • 27 -- Diontae Johnson has seen 27 targets in the two games since Andy Dalton took over.
  • 3.33 -- Tutu Atwell is averaging 3.33 YPRR, second only to Jauan Jennings.
  • 66.1% -- Nearly two-thirds of all Giants passes are going to Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson. They are both starts in Week 5.
  • 5.6 -- Garrett Wilson's yards per target is down to a career-low 5.6. He's faced some difficult matchups but elite wide receivers should be this bad regardless of opponents.
  • 30.4% -- Josh Downs has a 30.4% target share, the same number as Michael Pittman, since he returned in Week 3.
  • 10 -- Brandon Aiyuk has not scored more than 10 PPR Fantasy points in a game this season.
  • 129 -- Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have combined for 129 receiving yards in two games without Tua Tagovailoa.
WR Preview
Matchups that matter
Matchups that matter
Projections powered by Sportsline
CLE Cleveland • #2
Age: 30 • Experience: 10 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ WAS WAS -3.5 O/U 44.5
OPP VS WR
24th
PROJ PTS
13.7
WR RNK
18th
YTD Stats
REC
16
TAR
37
REYDS
148
TD
2
FPTS/G
10.7
JAC Jacksonville • #7
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs IND JAC -3 O/U 46.5
OPP VS WR
3rd
PROJ PTS
14.3
WR RNK
19th
YTD Stats
REC
17
TAR
26
REYDS
275
TD
2
FPTS/G
14.5
LV Las Vegas • #16
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ DEN DEN -2.5 O/U 36.5
OPP VS WR
11th
PROJ PTS
12.9
WR RNK
32nd
YTD Stats
REC
19
TAR
27
REYDS
201
TD
1
FPTS/G
11.9
NO New Orleans • #12
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ KC KC -5 O/U 42.5
OPP VS WR
13th
PROJ PTS
13.9
WR RNK
15th
YTD Stats
REC
20
TAR
24
REYDS
265
TD
1
FPTS/G
13.3
WR Preview
Waiver Wire Targets
Week 5 Adds (WR Preview)
NYG N.Y. Giants • #17
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ SEA SEA -6 O/U 43.5
OPP VS WR
13th
WR RNK
29th
ROSTERED
29%
YTD Stats
REC
26
TAR
38
REYDS
194
TD
1
FPTS/G
13.2
The Giants' highly concentrated offensive attack means that Robinson can be a Fantasy WR3 even when Nabers is the clear WR1. With four teams on a bye and all these injuries, Robinson may even be a WR2 this week. He's scored at least 9.8 PPR Fantasy points in every game, and he's topped 11 in three of four.
IND Indianapolis • #1
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ JAC JAC -3 O/U 46
OPP VS WR
25th
WR RNK
34th
ROSTERED
20%
YTD Stats
REC
11
TAR
14
REYDS
104
TD
1
FPTS/G
13.7
I would like Downs more if Joe Flacco started, but even if Anthony Richardson is back, Downs is a fine WR3 for Week 5. He's been no worse than a 1B the two weeks since he returned and had an instant connection with Richardson as soon as they were paired together. The Jaguars have given up the fourth-most Fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
LAR L.A. Rams • #5
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs GB GB -3.5 O/U 48
OPP VS WR
16th
WR RNK
39th
ROSTERED
41%
YTD Stats
REC
11
TAR
15
REYDS
223
TD
0
FPTS/G
8.3
In two games without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Atwell has earned a 21% target share and a 33% air yards share. He's been much better than Demarcus Robinson on a per-route basis, and he's been in motion 42% of the time, which is Fantasy for Fantasy production. He's a boom/bust WR3 this week.
CAR Carolina • #17
Age: 23 • Experience: Rookie
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ CHI CHI -3.5 O/U 42
OPP VS WR
8th
WR RNK
37th
ROSTERED
31%
YTD Stats
REC
12
TAR
20
REYDS
143
TD
1
FPTS/G
8.3
Legette was my top stash last week, and now, in terms of rest-of-season production, he may actually be the prize of the waiver wire after he saw 10 targets in his first game without Adam Theilen. As long as Andy Dalton is the starter and Theilen is on IR, you can trust Legette as a WR3. If things really click for him in the second half, he may be even more than a WR3.
GB Green Bay • #13
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ LAR GB -3.5 O/U 48
OPP VS WR
24th
WR RNK
33rd
ROSTERED
15%
YTD Stats
REC
8
TAR
22
REYDS
104
TD
3
FPTS/G
9.1
Wicks saw 13 targets in Week 4 and now faces a Rams defense that has struggled in virtually every aspect of the game. Wicks could be a starter until Christian Watson returns, and it's possible he'll remain a starter after Watson returns. He was elite when given the opportunity in his rookie season.
Stashes (WR Preview)
LAC L.A. Chargers • #15
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ DEN LAC -3 O/U 42.5
OPP VS WR
25th
WR RNK
NR
ROSTERED
65%
YTD Stats
REC
15
TAR
24
REYDS
176
TD
2
FPTS/G
11.2
McConkey is a first round pick who has earned a 26.7% target share in the first month of the season. There is no reason he's available in more than a third of CBS Fantasy Football leagues. but I fear with the Chargers going on bye that McConkey is more likely to be dropped than added. That would be a mistake.
WR Preview
DFS Plays
Top DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
HOU Houston • #12
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs BUF BUF -1 O/U 47.5
OPP VS WR
25th
PROJ PTS
17.2
WR RNK
1st
YTD Stats
REC
30
TAR
43
REYDS
489
TD
2
FPTS/G
22.7
Collins has simply been the best wide receiver in football this season. His ability to earn targets downfield, catch them at a high rate, and produce YAC afterwards is nearly unparalleled. The Bills have been very good against wide receivers early in this season, but it's hard to imagine anyone shutting down Collins the way he's playing.
Contrarian DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
CAR Carolina • #5
Age: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ CHI CHI -3.5 O/U 42
OPP VS WR
15th
PROJ PTS
14.7
WR RNK
6th
YTD Stats
REC
20
TAR
39
REYDS
239
TD
2
FPTS/G
14
Like his teammate Chuba Hubbard, Diontae Johnson's price has not caught up to his reality. He's a top-12 wide receiver. The past two weeks he's actually been WR3, behind only Jauan Jennings and Malik Nabers. He's an auto-play until his price starts to reflect the fact that he has a competent quarterback.
WR Preview
Heath's Projections

My full set of Week 5 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 5. Projected stats for all starting wide receivers are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.