Oct 11, 2026 - 12:39
By espn.com

⁠Fantasy football last-minute pickups for Week 5 - ESPN

At various points during the fantasy football season, injuries, bye weeks and breaking news can cause you to need reinforcements for your fantasy lineup. Every Friday throughout the 2026 NFL season, Matt Bowen will offer some late-week pickup options at each of the primary fantasy positions to help fill those holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues.

Because of that, this column will focus mostly on players rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.

The Week 5 NFL schedule features some really tough matchups for fantasy football, starting with the quarterback position. However, I still have four options — in the QB2 range — who have some upside. There are also a handful of wide receivers below, including deeper-league fliers you can take a chance on. As always, we'll hit on the running back and tight ends, and I have two available defenses to stream this week.

Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (33.3% rostered; at Patriots)

Cousins has scored 20 or more points in three straight games, and he has thrown two or more touchdown passes in all four games. Now, Cousins isn't going to provide any upside as a runner. We know that. But in Klint Kubiak's offense, one that leans on tight end usage, Cousins can play on rhythm. And the Raiders are going to throw the ball in scoring position, as Cousins' eight red zone touchdown passes are tied for second most in the league. He's a superflex starter in the road matchup versus the Patriots.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (41.1% rostered; at Titans)