College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 5

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Updated on September 27, 2022 8:11PM EST

CFB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 5

Welcome back to the waiver wire watch. Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every conference who either caught my eye in the previous week or who have a favorable match-up in the near future. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (46.3 points)
Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins (29.5 points)
Penn State QB Sean Clifford (29.0 points)
Indiana WR Cam Camper (25.6 points)
Duke QB Riley Leonard (25.4 points)
Hawaii RB Dedrick Parson (24.8 points)
Ball State QB John Paddock (23.8 points)
Illinois D/ST (19.0 points)
LSU D/ST (17.0 points)
Louisiana Tech TE Griffin Hebert (15.9 points)
Memphis TE Caden Prieskorn (12.2 points)
NC State D/ST (11.0 points)

Slate Background: This is when the conference slates start to really heat up which typically means more competitive games and more fantasy points. Ironically, we start with Utah State at BYU on Thursday night in a non-conference game in the Beehive State. Then we get a five-gamer on Friday Night including Washington at UCLA if you want to stay up late. Saturday is loaded with Oklahoma at TCU, Kentucky at Ole Miss, Alabama at Arkansas, Oklahoma State at Baylor, Wake Forest at Florida State and NC State at Clemson in primetime. We then get our first three-game mini-slate of Pac-12 after

CFB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 5

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be rostered in less than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Ben Bryant, QB, Cincinnati

Bryant doesn't get a ton of consideration in fantasy circles because he's more a pure pocket passer, but he's been pretty good at 23.1 fantasy points per game. He's coming off his best game with 32.1 points in a win over Indiana where he threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns. He has a legitimate No.1 receiver in Tyler Scott, so there's no reason for him to stop throwing the ball. A night game at Tulsa will be fun this upcoming Saturday as it could be an up-tempo offensive type of game.

Tre Siggers, RB, SMU

Siggers was dropped in many leagues after he missed SMU's Week 2 game with a groin injury. He's proven that should be an afterthought for fantasy managers with at least 20 touches in each of his last two games. He had 26.8 fantasy points this past week with three rushing touchdowns against TCU. Siggers should be a big part of what the Mustangs want to do moving into the conference portion of the schedule.

Week 4 Rewind; Tulane QB Michael Pratt (18.7 points - 19/29, 247 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 16 ATT, 58 YDS) & Memphis TE Caden Prieskorn (12.2 points - 4/4 TAR, 22 YDS, 1 TD)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina

Green made his return to the field for the first time this season and converted three of six targets for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The lower volume of targets provides me some hesitation, however, North Carolina could have one of the worst defenses in the nation. With a talented quarterback in Drake Maye, it's going to be bombs away to Green and Josh Downs for the rest of the year in ACC play.

Oronde Gadsden TE, Syracuse

Gadsden is coming off back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances in impressive wins over Purdue and Virginia. He has at least three catches in every game and even though they are playing Wagner this week, the floor is high enough to trust Gadsden in this easy match-up due to his 5.8 targets per game. Please note that Syracuse is on a bye in Week 6, so he's also a stash candidate because he'll be a huge target when conference play resumes against NC State the following week.

Week 4 Rewind; Duke QB Riley Leonard (25.4 points - 24/35, 324 YDS, 1 TD, 10 ATT, 54 YDS) & NC State RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (10.9 points - 4 ATT, 49 YDS, 1 TD)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State

After opening the season with just 14.4 fantasy points per game across the team's first three games, Martinez absolutely exploded with 55.2 fantasy points in an upset at Oklahoma. That included 148 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground to go along with one passing score. Due to the slow start, Martinez is available in a ton of leagues and should be added back right away. He has at least 13 carries in every game this year and the dual-threat ability is just too much to pass up. He's an excellent start against Texas Tech and Iowa State the next two weeks.

Braydon Johnson, WR, Oklahoma State

With the Cowboys coming off a bye, you may be able to snag Johnson who has been Oklahoma State's most productive receiver. He appears to be Spencer Sanders' favorite target and knows how to score with three touchdowns already on the season. In addition to the scores, he's averaging 4.7 catches on 9.0 targets per game which is fantasy starter type of material. The senior seems primed for a breakout year in a truly dynamic offensive unit.

Week 4 Rewind; Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (46.3 points - 19/23, 324 YDS, 4 TD, 11 ATT, 83 YDS, 1 TD) & Texas WR Jordan Whittington (9.3 points - 4/6 TAR, 53 YDS)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

Tanner Morgan, QB, Minnesota

Going back to Morgan as the Golden Gophers are rolling through opponents. This has led to Morgan averaging 21.4 fantasy points per game which is plenty good for your last quarterback spot on the fantasy roster. The Big Ten is playing a full conference slate this next week which means it's only going to get tougher for the signal callers. If he can put up 25.4 fantasy points with three touchdown passes at Michigan State, he can likely do the same thing against Purdue at home.

Shaun Shivers, RB, Nebraska

Shivers has managed a double-digit fantasy performance in each of Indiana's first four games to the start the season. This shouldn't be much of a surprise based on his utilization as he's averaging 17.3 rushing attempts and 3.8 targets per game. In excess of 20 opportunities a game is why he already has four touchdowns on the season. He should be able to keep that strong start in play at Nebraska this week.

Week 4 Rewind; Indiana WR Cam Camper (25.6 points - 10/17 TAR, 126 YDS) & Penn State QB Sean Clifford (29.0 points - 22/34, 217 YDS, 3 TD, 5 ATT, 23 YDS, 1 TD)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

N'Kosi Perry, QB, Florida Atlantic

Perry is the fourth highest scoring player in the conference at 28.0 fantasy points per game. The only reason the dual-threat quarterback is likely available in your league is because he's eclipsed the 30-point mark just once this year, 39.8 points at Ohio in Week 2. He particularly struggled against UCF in Week 3 with just 7.8 fantasy points. I'm very bullish on Perry because he accumulated 28.5 fantasy points at Purdue this past week and the C-USA defenses aren't very scary, to say the least. Perry should feast at North Texas this week.

Frank Peasant, RB, Middle Tennessee

After a 45-31 win at #25 Miami, the Blue Raiders have my full attention. While QB Chase Cunningham is rostered in some leagues, Peasant is rostered in far fewer leagues. Over his last three games, he's averaging 24.1 fantasy points on 19.3 total touches. With a national television game (albeit CBS Sports Network) against UTSA on Friday Night, I'm excited to see if Middle Tennessee if for real or not.

Week 4 Rewind; North Texas RB Oscar Adaway (6.7 points - 12 ATT, 46 YDS, 1/2 TAR, 11 YDS) & Louisiana Tech TE Griffin Hebert (15.9 points - 5/7 TAR, 49 YDS, 1 TD)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Tanner Knue, WR, Eastern Michigan

Going back to the well with Knue because he's averaged 18.5 fantasy points per contest, including three of four games with over 20 fantasy points. Thought about going with the quarterback for the Eagles in this spot, but Taylor Powell is dealing with a shoulder injury. Austin Smith is worth considering if he does get another start because he has some dual-threat ability. No matter who gets the nod, they should have no problems connecting with Knue against a UMass team who isn't very good.

Collin Schlee, QB, Kent State

Time to unleash Schlee for fantasy purposes as the tough part of Kent State's schedule is over as they opened up with Washington, Oklahoma and Georgia in three of their first four games. This week they get Ohio who just gave up 52 points to Fordham and have given up at least 41 points in all four of their games this year. While averaging just 14.6 fantasy points in that tough slate, Schlee is available in a ton of leagues. He will be one of the MAC's best this year, so go get him if you can. I also like WRs Dante Cephas and Devontez Walker the rest of the way.

Week 4 Rewind; Buffalo WR Justin Marshall (7.5 points - 3/6 TAR, 45 YDS) & Ball State QB John Paddock (23.8 points - 33/47, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2 ATT, 3 YDS)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Chevan Cordeiro, QB, San Jose State

Cordeiro has a history of big fantasy performances from his days at Hawaii. He's now at San Jose State where he's averaged 20.9 fantasy points in three games. Considering one of those games was at Auburn (13.3 fantasy points), there's a ton of upside here as we move into Mountain West play. He's a dual-threat quarterback with 11.7 rushing attempts per game, it's only a matter of time before he has a big game with the Spartans. That could happen this week at Wyoming or next week against UNLV.

Jordan Byrd, RB, San Diego State

We've been waiting for someone to take over in the San Diego State backfield and that's what Byrd did this past week with 26.5 fantasy points on 16 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Chance Bell was held out with an undisclosed injury, but Bell wasn't doing much when he was in the line-up with just 12 carries for 47 yards in two games. Byrd's worth a flyer if he can continue to command carries in a run-first offense.

Week 4 Rewind; Air Force QB Haaziq Daniels (3.7 points - 0/2, 8 ATT, 37 YDS *Left game early) & Hawaii RB Dedrick Parson (24.8 points - 16 ATT, 69 YDS, 2 TD, 4 REC, 19 YDS)

PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Jack Plummer, QB, California

After back-to-back fantasy performances with over 20 fantasy points including five total touchdowns and no turnovers, I'm willing to see what Plummer can do at Washington State this next week. If he can pass that test, he has an amazing match-up at Colorado in Week 7. If RB Jadyn Ott is somehow available in your league, he would be a priority add after posting a cool 51.4 fantasy points on 19 carries for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He's the best true freshman in the country that no one has seen.

Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford

Stanford is kind of a mess after a 1-2 start, but QB Tanner McKee and the passing games appear to be the real deal. I guess that's how it's going to look when trailing #10 USC and #18 Washington for much of the game the last two weeks. Wilson has been McKee's top receiver with 13 grabs for 288 yards and four touchdowns. The bulk of that production came this last week with six catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the loss at Washington. Expect much of the same as Stanford tries to find their first conference win at Oregon this week.

Week 4 Rewind; Oregon State QB Chance Nolan (3.5 points - 17/29, 167 YDS, 4 INT, 1 ATT, 8 YDS) & Washington State WR Donovan Ollie (13.0 points - 5/7 TAR, 80 YDS)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss

No need to get off Quinshon as fantasy managers didn't take my advice last week and he's still out there in a bunch of leagues. He keeps getting better and better as he racked up 29.5 fantasy points against Tulsa compared to Zach Evans' 10.8 fantasy points. The true freshman is a special player and I can see him having a special type of run against Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Auburn over the next three weeks.

Keon Zipperer, TE, Florida

Zipperer has received at least three targets in all four games this season. That persistence paid off with a touchdown at Tennessee and 15.2 fantasy points. The Gators play Eastern Washington and Missouri over the next two weeks, so there's a good chance Zipperer can add another touchdown as Florida lights up the scoreboard. They rarely take the ball out of QB Anthony Richardson's hands, so there's some great opportunity for Zipperer the rest of the way.

Week 4 Rewind; Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins (29.5 points - 27 ATT, 140 YDS, 2 TD, 1/1 TAR, 5 YDS) & Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt (10.8 points - 5/6 TAR, 58 YDS)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

Carter Bradley, QB, South Alabama

The Jaguars go up against Louisiana-Lafayette this week who have given up at least 21 points in three straight weeks. Meanwhile, South Alabama has scored at least 31 points in all four of its games this season and have what appears to be a legitimate offensive threat. They're 3-1 with their only loss being at UCLA in a game they could have won. Bradley has been their leader at 22.4 fantasy points per game and should be a top-notch starter during conference play.

Ashtyn Hawkins, WR, Texas State

The volume is too immense to ignore here as Hawkins is averaging 24.0 fantasy points on 8.3 catches for 75.8 yards and 1.3 touchdowns on 11.5 targets per game. The Bobcats are far from the best in the Sun Belt which makes Hawkins even more attractive as he's a must-start in games they are trying to catch up in. Like when he had 33.0 fantasy points at Baylor in Week 3. QB Layne Hatcher will continue to look Hawkins' way when they play at James Madison this week.

Week 4 Rewind; Georgia State QB Darren Grainger (12.5 points - 14/25, 231 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT, 9 ATT, 13 YDS) & South Alabama RB La'Damian Webb (17.3 points - 14 ATT, 75 YDS, 1 REC, 28 YDS, 1 TD)

INDEPENDENTS

Star Thomas, RB, New Mexico State

Thomas had a career game against Hawaii with 25.2 fantasy points on 11 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown. That should earn him a few extra carries over Jamoni Jones when the Aggies play FIU who just gave up 73 points at Western Kentucky and 41 points at Texas State.

Week 4 Rewind; Liberty QB Kaidon Salter (*DNP - ankle injury)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Syracuse (vs. Wagner) - With conference seasons ramping up, it's going to be tougher to find these easy picks. Here's one though and Syracuse is averaging 9.75 fantasy points per game.

Marshall (vs. Gardner Webb) - Marshall has scored in double-digits in three of four games this year.

Fresno State (at Connecticut) - I typically avoid teams on the road, but these two teams have a huge discrepancy in talent which will work out well for the Bulldogs.

Week 4 Rewind; NC State vs. UConn (11.0 points - 10 PA, 2 SK), Illinois vs. Chattanooga (19.0 points - 0 PA, 4 SK, 2 TA) & LSU vs. New Mexico (17.0 points - 0 PA, 4 SK)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference above, here are my top recommendations for the week by position:

QB: Kansas State Adrian Martinez, Kent State Collin Schlee, FAU N'Kosi Perry

RB: Ole Miss Quinshon Judkins, Indiana Shaun Shivers, SMU Tre Siggers

WR: Stanford Michael Wilson, Oklahoma State Braydon Johnson, Texas State Ashtyn Hawkins

TE: Syracuse Oronde Gadsden, Florida Keon Zipperer

D/ST: Syracuse (vs. Wagner), Marshall (vs. Gardner-Webb) & Fresno State (at Connecticut)

Be sure to check out our college football custom rankings and our player rankings cheat sheet for up-to-date season-long rankings, as well as our college football weekly rankings to help guide your lineup decisions. During the season, our college football DFS optimizer and value report are powerful tools to help build DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.