Week 5 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds: Should You Add Dontayvion Wicks, Josh Downs, Jordan Whittington?

Ted breaks down the top fantasy football waiver wire adds at the wide receiver position ahead of Week 5.

In Week 4, there was no Jauan Jennings. No widely-available receiver came out of nowhere to put up one of the best weeks of the season. However, I’m actually more excited about this week’s top pickups than I was last week. We’ve got multiple great options, including plenty of young receivers with tantalizing upside. Without further ado, let’s get started!

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Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (11.8% Rostered)

I have always loved Dontayvion Wicks. Coming into the season, I highlighted him as the best value pick from the crowded Packers wide receiver room. In 2023, his rookie season, the fifth-rounder led Green Bay in PFF Receiving Grade. He also led in yards per route run lined up out wide and yards per route run in the slot.

The issue with Wicks, and why his draft price was so low, was that he seemed set to be the odd man out among the Packers’ four young receivers. In the first three weeks of the season, that was true: Wicks ran less than 40% of available routes each week. 

However, Wicks’ fortunes changed in Week 4, as Christian Watson exited early in the first quarter with an ankle injury. With Watson out, Wicks became a near-every-down player, posting a 75% route participation rate for the game. And he made the most of it, earning 13 targets and recording five receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns. As long as Watson is out, Wicks is a flex option; if he keeps performing like this, he may force his way onto the field even once Watson is healthy.

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (14.4% Rostered)

Another sophomore receiver with a big outing, Downs caught eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. Since returning from an ankle injury last week, he has posted an excellent 36% target per route run rate — that ranks second to only Cooper Kupp among players with at least 25 routes run. 

However, there are two reasons not to get too excited about Downs. For one, the slot specialist only plays in three-WR sets, meaning his ceiling is capped at about a 70% route participation rate in this offense. More importantly, Downs’ Week 4 explosion came with Joe Flacco under center for the Colts, not Anthony Richardson. Richardson, who ranks dead last among non-benched quarterbacks in completion percentage compared to expected, has been wildly inaccurate at all levels of the field. That makes him a terrible fit for a receiver like Downs, who thrives on underneath targets over the middle of the field. The sophomore receiver is still worth adding, especially in full or half-PPR leagues, but his value will depend on Richardson achieving consistency.

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (19.5% Rostered)

If you’re looking to swing for the fences on this week’s waiver wire, Legette is your guy. The first-round rookie took over as a core receiver in the Panthers’ offense this Sunday with Adam Thielen on IR, posting an 81.4% route participation rate. Legette made the most of his expanded role. He racked up 10 targets, of which he caught six for 66 yards and a touchdown. A weapon with the ball in his hands, he also carried the ball twice for 10 yards. 

Obviously, Andy Dalton is key to Legette’s fantasy outlook. With Bryce Young under center,  this Panthers offense wasn’t going to support any consistent fantasy options. But with the Red Rifle firing on all cylinders, there’s room for another receiver to emerge alongside Diontae Johnson. Legette is making his case to be that guy, and he's worth adding.

Ja'Lynn Polk, New England Patriots (12.4% Rostered)

Sticking with this year’s rookie class, we have Polk, who went just a few picks after Legette in the early second round. After playing a part-time role across the first three weeks, Polk emerged as the clear WR1 for the Patriots in Week 4; He ran a route on 82% of opportunities, up from 55% on average over the first three weeks. 

Polk also led the Patriots in targets, with seven, good for a 22% target share. He only caught three of those targets for 30 yards, which, sadly enough, was also enough to lead the Patriots WRs. Especially if Drake Maye eventually takes over and provides a spark to this lackluster New England offense, Polk’s role as the team's WR1 could eventually turn into fantasy production.  

Jordan Whittington, Los Angeles Rams (3.4% Rostered)

A sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, Whittington generated a fair amount of buzz during the preseason, unsurprisingly resulting in comparisons to Puka Nacua. However, the rookie started the season buried on the Rams’ depth chart. Even after Nacua and Cooper Kupp both went down with injuries, he was third or even fourth in the pecking order.

That changed this week, as Whittington led the Rams with an 87.5% route participation rate. He also led the team with eight targets, catching six for 62 yards. An unknown quantity in his first year in the league, Whittington has far more upside than the Rams’ other receivers with Kupp and Nacua out. He is absolutely worth snagging in deeper leagues. 

Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (26.6% Rostered)

If all these high-upside rookies sound nice, but you actually need a flex for Week 5 (byes are starting already!), Wan’Dale is your man. Four weeks into the season (pending the two Monday Night Football games), Robinson ranks third in the league in total targets. The only two players to have more targets are his own teammate, Malik Nabers, and Nico Collins.

Obviously, Robinson is in a world of his own among players with that many targets in terms of production, and not in a good way. His 5.24 yards per target ranks sixth-lowest among receivers with at least 15 targets, and his 4.5 ADOT is fourth-lowest. But, especially in PPR leagues, volume is king. Robinson is a top-40 wide receiver even in Standard formats, and he's top-24 in full PPR. As long as he keeps getting peppered with targets in the Giants’ offense, he’s worth rostering. 

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