FlurrySports takes a look at the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5, including Houston Texans RB Woody Marks.
On the positive end of the spectrum, Week 4 saw numerous rookies shine. Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Woody Marks and more all had terrific fantasy football outputs and have rising stock moving forward. Unfortunately, this past weekend of NFL action also brought forth some massive injuries, with none being more significant than the season-ending knee injuries suffered by both Malik Nabers and Tyreek Hill. Throw in the fact that the dreaded bye weeks begin and it figures to be a frenzy with regard to the Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
As a result of these WR injuries, it really feels like there’s a shortage and/or uncertainty at every position. Waiver claims and trades that are made over the next couple of weeks could prove to be pivotal to whether your team sinks or swims over the long haul. As always, when making your decisions, try to avoid overreacting to box score stats. Digging a little deeper into the numbers and putting a greater emphasis on snap counts, targets and touches when deciphering the players you want to prioritize amongst your fantasy football waiver wire pickups is crucial.
Let’s take a look at some of the top fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target heading into Week 5.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Tuesday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (21.1%)
It was pretty tough sledding for Jaxson Dart through the air in his NFL debut. With Malik Nabers going down, this trend unfortunately figures to continue in subsequent weeks. However, Dart has a real chance to be one of the better fantasy football waiver wire pickups thanks to his rushing capabilities. He is no stranger to having designed runs, as this was a common occurrence in college at Ole Miss. Even if he doesn’t score a touchdown as he did on Sunday, 50+ rushing yards at the QB position provides a solid fantasy floor. Dart needs to be rostered in 2QB/SF formats and could prove to be a streaming candidate against New Orleans in Week 5.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (9.9%)
Oddly enough, a young QB that I am very excited about is followed by one whom I have pretty much written off. Yet, when it comes to fantasy football waiver wire pickups, Bryce Young still has relevance on a given week. Week 5 just so happens to be one of those weeks. Young and the Panthers will have the luxury of hosting a Miami Dolphins team that will be playing on a rest disadvantage. The Dolphins rank dead last in EPA/play and EPA/pass defensively in the NFL. They have also allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing QBs. Bye weeks are here, and Young has a matchup that SHOULD allow him to produce.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Woody Marks, Houston Texans (33.3%)
Hey, we tried to tell you! The snap distribution in the Texans’ backfield was trending in Woody Marks’ favor, particularly last week when he finished with just three fewer than Nick Chubb. In Week 4, the dam finally broke. Marks out-snapped Chubb, 40-30, and he once again averaged over four yards per carry on a much greater sample size. Not only did the rookie total nearly 120 yards of offense, but he found the end zone twice and thus will be a fantasy football waiver wire pickups priority for many this week. He’s still available in over 65% of ESPN leagues, but know that you will likely be facing stiff competition to claim him now.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (5.6%)
It seems like every fantasy manager is needy at the RB position. One interesting name who could wind up having some long-term appeal as a stash at the position is Kendre Miller. While he only played 21 snaps this past week, he managed to be fed 11 carries. The fact that he turned those touches into 65 yards and a touchdown could attract some attention from the public among the fantasy football waiver wire pickups. The long-term optimism is fueled by Alvin Kamara’s apparent decline and the Saints being irrelevant, which could result in younger guys getting more run as the season progresses.
Zavier Scott, Minnesota Vikings (0.5%)
Not to be a total carbon copy of last week, but Zavier Scott lived up to the billing we gave him as well. If you are in a deeper league, specifically a PPR league, the former Maine Black Bear is worthy of a roster spot at least in the short term. Given that Aaron Jones received an IR designation, we know he will be out for at least four weeks. Expect Scott to continue operating as the Vikings’ primary pass-catching RB during that time while Jordan Mason serves as the lead rusher. Scott did well in this role on Sunday morning, finishing with six receptions on eight targets. He’s casually hanging out on the waiver wire in over 99% of leagues!
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Wan’Dale Robinson (54.3%) & Darius Slayton (3.6%), New York Giants
With the confirmation that star WR Malik Nabers will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL on Sunday, plenty of managers will be hunting desperately for fantasy football waiver wire pickups. Both Wan’Dale Robinson (97% snap share) and Darius Slayton (87%) will be targeted as in-house replacements. Aside from Beaux Collins and Jalin Hyatt, the latter of whom is merely a deep threat, the Giants don’t have much else in terms of competition for snaps at the position.
There’s naturally some trepidation going forward about starting either player confidently on a weekly basis, but both Robinson and Slayton will certainly have the playing time to generate opportunities.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (36.7%)
It just so happens that the man who was clearly the WR1 for the Packers in Week 4 is available in over 60% of ESPN leagues! Honestly, Romeo Doubs’ low ownership is quite surprising to me. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the roles of the various Green Bay receivers seem to fluctuate weekly. The eight targets Doubs saw on Sunday night were one more than what he got in the previous two games combined. Depending on your situation, he may not be a comfortable weekly start. That said, he is severely under-owned, especially when compared to teammate Matthew Golden (81.6%).
Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (2.1%)
We discussed the perceived in-house replacements for Malik Nabers, and now we must do the same for Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins’ WR1 suffered a dislocated knee injury on Monday night and will miss the rest of the year. While Jaylen Waddle now becomes the big-name target in Miami, Malik Washington is the player to target for fantasy football waiver wire pickups. While he has been primarily used as a short-target receiver thus far, his role will undoubtedly have to expand a bit in Hill’s absence. Washington is especially attractive going forward for anyone playing in league’s that score return yards.
Isaiah Bond, Cleveland Browns (0.4%)
Based on his ownership percentage, I think it’s fair to designate Isaiah Bond as a deep-league fantasy football waiver wire pickups option. That said, if you find yourself down bad at the WR position heading into Week 5, there’s a level of intrigue that extends to less shallow leagues as well. The Browns have already ruled Cedric Tillman out for their next game after he sustained a hamstring injury. Bond saw an instant bump in playing time and figures to slot in as the team’s WR2 again this coming week. Cleveland’s passing attack is not good, but the short-term opportunity is legitimate without Tillman.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (22.6%)
Another week, another Brenton Strange sighting amongst our top fantasy football waiver wire pickups. If you appreciate a solid floor at the TE position, the third-year pro down in Jacksonville will be right up your alley. Strange replicated the seven targets and six receptions that he had in Week 3 again on Sunday. With all of the issues that Jaguars receivers have been having in the early stages of the season, it seems reasonable to expect that he will remain a reliable target for Trevor Lawrence. He’s currently ranked TE14 on the year despite not scoring a touchdown. Can we at least get his ownership bumped over 25% this week, please?
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (32.9%)
While Harold Fannin Jr. already had appeal as a fantasy football waiver wire pickups option, that sentiment only grew due to the aforementioned Cedric Tillman injury. Fannin may be classified as a tight end, but his ability to be deployed from just about anywhere in a formation could enable him to benefit more directly from the Browns’ being without their WR2 for at least the next game. On Sunday, Fannin played a whopping 57 snaps, north of 85% of Cleveland’s total offensive snaps for the game. Yes, the overall state of the passing attack is a hindrance, but the upside here continues to make him worthy of a roster spot.
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