Best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5

Welcome to the Week 5 waiver wire watch!

Another weekend of action is in the books as we’re officially through the first month of the 2025 NFL season. Whether you won your fantasy league matchup or got absolutely smoked, you’re probably looking for ways to fortify your rosters ahead of next week. That’s where we come in.

We’ll go over some Week 4 performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 5. We’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at maximum. Keep in mind that byes officially start this week, so you’ll have to put a little bit of extra thought into your lineup strategies in the coming weeks.

Week 5 byes: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Sam Darnold experiment in Seattle is going well so far and he has the team sitting pretty at 3-1 following its 23-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. The veteran had himself a solid evening where he went 18-26 for 242 yards and a touchdown in the NFC West showdown, earning 16.1 fantasy points for managers over the weekend.

Darnold’s numbers with the Seahawks haven’t been eye-popping through four games, but he’s been perfectly solid and he’s been in the upper half of the league in metrics like passing EPA and success rate. He’s been a reliable hand and with bye weeks beginning to fire up, a QB-needy manager could turn to him as a viable substitute in place of their resting starter.

Week 5 matchup: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. ET

Don’t look now, but Jacksonville is 3-1 after scoring a 26-21 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday and Trevor Lawrence contributed a line of 21-31 for 174 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. Those stats aren’t necessarily blowing anyone away, but he was efficient with a 67.7% completion percentage and committed zero turnovers. That’s a step into the right direction after looking shaky for three weeks and the former No. 1 overall pick could continue to gain confidence as the Jags continue to stack wins.

Something that could also help T-Law is his own defense as the Jags currently lead the NFL in takeaways with 13. That ability to create turnovers could lead to easy scoring opportunities for the QB and he could really start piling up numbers as he gets even more comfortable in Liam Coen/Grant Udinski’s scheme. This could be a good time to buy low on Lawrence off the waiver wire and reap the benefits later.

Week 5 matchup: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday night)

Houston finally got into the win column with a 26-0 shutout victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and Marks was surprisingly the offensive MVP of the game. The rookie tailback got a boatload of touches in the AFC South showdown, registering 17 carries for 69 yards on the ground, four receptions for 50 yards through the air, and two touchdowns. That was good enough for him to exit Sunday as a top-five fantasy running back in Week 4, posting 23.9 points in standard leagues and 27.9 in PPR.

What was notable about this sudden outburst from the fourth-round pick was the amount of work he got even with Nick Chubb healthy and in the lineup. The two split carries throughout the afternoon and this duo on the ground could be the thing that ignites a Texans offense that had been stagnant through the first month of the regular season. Keep Marks on your radars.

Week 5 matchup: @ Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET

New Orleans’ bid for a massive road upset against the Buffalo Bills fell apart late in the fourth quarter, but it still got plenty of production from its running backs. Kendre Miller in particular had a solid effort in the loss, taking 11 carries for 65 yards and an 18-yard touchdown run that put them on the board in the first quarter.

It was the highest rushing output he’s produced this season as he split time in the Saints’ backfield with Alvin Kamara. At 0-4, the Saints may want to start mixing around their personnel and that could mean more snaps for Miller moving forward. There’s some appeal for him as Kamara’s handcuff and he’s worth a look on the wire this week.

Week 5 matchup: vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET

Robinson was quiet in New York’s surprise 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, catching just three of five targets for 14 yards. However, the Giants suffered a brutal loss during the game as star second-year wideout Malik Nabers is feared to have suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and could be lost for the rest of the season.

With Nabers down, Robinson will presumably step in as WR1 for the G-Men and that boosts his value in fantasy. He has already outperformed his preseason ADP and exited Week 4 as a top-25 fantasy receiver despite being held in check for two straight weeks. Rookie starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is going to need reliable targets to lean on and Robinson will have to be that guy.

Week 5 matchup: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET

Washington fell to the Atlanta Falcons 34-27 on Sunday, but it was another game where McCaffrey chipped in on offense. The second-year wideout caught two of three targets for 21 yards and a touchdown in the loss, marking the second-straight game where he’s found the endzone.

Many people including offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury were glowing about the wideout during training camp and it seems that he’s finally being incorporated into the offensive gameplan. The younger brother of Christian McCaffrey has caught both of his touchdowns from Marcus Mariota and we’ll see how he performs with the potential return of Jayden Daniels next week. If you’re willing to clear a spot on your bench, it could be worth it to take a cheap flyer on him.

Week 5 matchup: @ Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET

Tremble had been a non-factor through the first three weeks of the regular season, but he finally made a notable contribution in Carolina’s 42-13 blowout loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. The veteran caught five of eight targets for 42 yards and the game’s opening touchdown that briefly put the Panthers on top. It’s looking like another long season for the NFC South franchise and they’re going to be scrambling for anyone on offense to provide a spark, so why not give the tight end some waiver wire consideration?

Week 5 matchup: vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET

Tonges continues to fill in for an injured George Kittle and he had a solid day in San Fran’s loss to the Jags, hauling in three catches for 58 yards and a score. Whether it’s been Brock Purdy or Mac Jones, he’s taken advantage of the handful of looks that he’s gotten, catching 12 of 16 targets through four games. With Kittle still sidelined for a few more weeks, Tonges is still available as a substitute for those needing TE depth.

Week 5 matchup: @ Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday night)