Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early Pickup for Week 5

It's never too early to prepare for your next game and have the chance to strengthen your fantasy football lineups. Here are some options to consider for Week 5, which features four teams (Lions, Eagles, Chargers and Titans) playing on byes.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts (20% roster)

Josh Downs was one of the most popular breakout picks before the start of the season, but a preseason injury caused him to miss the first two games of the season. His first game back was quiet; his second game was anything but.

With Joe Flacco under center following Anthony Richardson's injury, the Colts were breathing room and Downs was an immediate beneficiary. With nine goals, he tied Michael Pittman Jr. for the team lead and scored a touchdown. The talented Downs appears to have immediately become a top target for this team again (sorry, Alec Pierce truthers), and he's still in 20% of Yahoo leagues.

Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers (14%)

Andy Dalton continues to be the rising tide that fuels this Panthers offense. Even in a Week 4 loss to the Bengals, the Panthers had a strong, focused threesome of Chuba Hubbard (18-104-1), Diontae Johnson (13-7-83-1) and rookie receiver Xavier Legette, who the ball played the best game of his young career.

With Dalton at the helm, Legette looks like a real target in a suddenly strong offense. The rookie is only on the roster in 14% of leagues.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Green Bay Packers (13%)

The Packers, led by the returning Jordan Love, staged a furious comeback against the Vikings on Sunday that narrowly failed. This comeback was aided by the efforts of Dontayvion Wicks, who delivered a great performance alongside Jayden Reed.

Wicks scored two of Love's four passing touchdowns, but also led the team in scoring with 13. There's been a lot of talk about the Packers' crowded pass-catching corps, but with Christian Watson leaving this game with an ankle injury, Wicks has a chance to be the No. 2 option behind Reed. Wicks is represented in 13% of leagues.