Major injuries to star players such as WRs Malik Nabers (ACL) and Tyreek Hill (Dislocated Knee) have ravaged countless fantasy football rosters, putting their season-long outlook in peril. Along with that, several teams (Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers) are on their Bye weeks, leaving fantasy football managers scrambling to find replacements.
With that being said, here are the top waiver wire Week 5 adds that could help replenish your roster and potentially become key players on your team.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 5
Waiver Wire Week 5: Quarterback
Jaxson Dart | New York Giants
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The rookie signal caller is a great long-term option after what he displayed in his first NFL win of his career, after a major upset against the Los Angeles Chargers. Finishing with 19.84 fantasy points, Dart offers upside as a rusher (10 att, 54 yards, 1TD), which is nearly impossible to find on the waiver wire at this point in the season.
He did come up with discomfort with his hamstring during his debut, which is worth monitoring. For now, though, against the flailing Saints team, he should be a strong start or stash as a backup QB if you have the roster space.
Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams
Coming off a win against the previously undefeated Colts, where he finished as the QB2 for the week, Stafford is a great bridge starter as he takes on the 49ers on Thursday night, with two of the league’s best receivers in Puka Nacua and Devante Adams helping him out.
Waiver Wire Week 5: Running Back
Woody Marks | Houston Texans
If he isn’t on a roster yet, he should be your first priority claim. He could be the Bucky Irving of this season, as he put up a whopping 27.9 (Full PPR) points.
It looks like he’s firmly taken over veteran RB Nick Chubb as the RB1 on the Texans, especially with his skills as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
Kendre Miller | New Orleans Saints
Miller has a season in both snaps (31%) and carries (11), in yet another loss for this Saints team. With trade speculations growing for RB Alvin Kamara, this could be a sneaky add to potentially own a starting RB for free.
Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is more of a precautionary add, though, with starting RB Bucky Irving getting an MRI for an undisclosed injury, he could miss some time. In which case, White would be a premier handcuff option on the waiver wire, as he’s proven to be a viable asset in seasons past when given the opportunity.
Waiver Wire Week 5: Wide Receiver
Wan’Dale Robinson/ Darius Slayton | New York Giants
The most significant injury of the week was to star WR Malik Nabers, who went down with a non-contact injury on a contested catch against CB Cam Hart of the Chargers. It was later confirmed to be an ACL tear, thus ruling him out for the rest of the season.
His workload will primarily be distributed to Wan’Dale Robinson, who operates in the short and intermediate area. At the same time, veteran Darius Slayton will have an uptick in production as well, though he generally is a deep threat on this offense.
Isaiah Bond | Cleveland Browns
Bond earned a season high 6 targets this past week, due in large part to the hamstring injury WR Cedric Tillman suffered in the game. Tillman has since been placed on short-term IR, leaving the WR2 spot wide open.
With the talent and especially speed he possesses, it should be his job to lose on a pass-happy Browns team.
Malik Washington | Miami Dolphins
With WR Tyreek Hill’s gruesome injury knocking him out for the season, targets in the offense have been freed up, which means more opportunities for the Dolphins’ skill position players.
One of the largest benefactors is Malik Washington, who’s now in his second year after being drafted in the 6th round (184th overall) out of Virginia. He’s an extremely dynamic weapon, even returning a 74-yard punt to the house against the Patriots. He’s also built a great rapport with QB Tua Tagovailoa in the preseason, though it hasn’t come to fruition just yet in the regular season.
Waiver Wire Week 5: Tight End
Darren Waller | Miami Dolphins
Again, with a vacuum of targets now available in the wake of Hill’s injury, it boosts the stock of Waller. In his first NFL action since January of 2024, the veteran TE caught 2 TDs, finishing with 17.7 (Full PPR) points.
If he’s even 50% the player he was a couple of years ago, it’s worth taking the shot and rostering him, as we’ve seen how dangerous he is as a focal point of the offense.