The Week 5 waiver wire is the first transaction period of the year with a bye week to navigate. Week 5 is the first of eight weeks this season with teams on a bye. It’s also the first of three straight weeks with teams on a bye. Considering the list of players with new injuries, and those returning from injuries, as well, managing our teams just got a whole lot tougher. Have no fear, the waiver wire is here!
Every manager needs help in one way or another. Do what’s best for your team and keep moving forward. The Week 5 waiver wire doesn’t have a ton of obvious “must-have”, league-winning studs, but there are a handful of players that you can plug and play this and multiple weeks moving forward.
You may be dealing with injuries, bye weeks, or just need to cycle out players from your bench. Whatever the case may be, the waiver wire is there to help. There’s not always a need to put in a claim for players each week, but if you do, make it count. Below, we’ll look at players at each position, who are on 50% or less of most fantasy football rosters, that could be considered on the Week 5 waiver wire.
Teams with a Week 5 Bye: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans
Week 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Running Back
Notable Players on Bye: Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard, J.K. Dobbins
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
Tyler Allgeier is one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football behind Bijan Robinson. Before Week 4, Robinson was on the injury report with a shoulder injury. Heading into Week 5, Robinson is on the injury report with a hamstring injury.
Now, this could all be precautionary. The Falcons play Thursday Night Football to open up Week 5. Even if Robinson plays, however, Allgeier could get a few more opportunities in the ground game on a short week. He has at least seven carries in each of the last three weeks. More notably, Allgeier is averaging 6.1 yards per carry this season.
Regardless of if you have Bijan Robinson or not, Allgeier should be on somebody’s roster. Given the injuries and players on bye, you could plug him in as your RB2 if absolutely necessary.
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys
“Rico Dowdle is the lead back for the Dallas Cowboys” isn’t as nice as it sounds after four weeks. Dowdle is definitely leading the backfield in touches but with just an average of 8.5 carries per game and roughly two receptions per game. There’s been an uptick in usage in Weeks 3 and 4, but still just 19 total carries in those two games.
One of my bold predictions for this season was that no Cowboys running back would eclipse 900 rushing yards. Dowdle currently leads the way with 134 after four games. That’s a full-season pace of just 569.5 rushing yards.
If his role continues to grow, it’s possible Dowdle becomes an every-week RB2 with weekly RB1 upside. For now, though, until we see an improvement in the Cowboys’ offense and, more specifically, their run game, Dowdle is a matchup-based flex. He gets a bump for potentially receiving work. The Week 5 waiver wire doesn’t have a ton of great options at running back if you haven’t figured it out yet.
Trey Sermon, Indianapolis Colts
We’ll take a lead back wherever we can get one. Trey Sermon could be the Colts’ leadback in Week 5. Jonathan Taylor is dealing with an ankle sprain suffered in Week 4. It’s considered “mild”, but a high ankle sprain is still a significant injury to a running back.
All throughout training camp, Trey Sermon was touted as the obvious backup to Taylor. In Week 4, Sermon saw a season-high five carries and was the only running back to record a carry. If you have Jonathan Taylor, then picking up Trey Sermon on the Week 5 waiver wire is a move specific to you.
If you don’t have Jonathan Taylor, you may be wasting a waiver claim adding Sermon if Taylor does in fact go. If he doesn’t, then Sermon is the lead back on an expected Joe Flacco led offense in Week 5. Just know what you’re signing yourself up for.
Other Running Backs to Consider
Kareem Hunt is the latest player of interest in Kansas City’s backfield. His 14 carries in Week 4 led all Chiefs running backs, doubling Samaje Perine (5) and Carson Steele (2) combined. Hunt produced an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, as well. This backfield will still likely operate as a committee, but Hunt has a good chance of leading the way.
Tank Bigsby and the Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-4. The offense is painful to watch each week. Speaking of painful, Travis Etienne exited Week 4’s matchup for some time with a shoulder injury but did return. Either way, Bigsby is averaging 8.2 yards per carry this season on 21 total carries. The Jags have nothing to lose by giving Bigsby more touches especially if head coach Doug Pederson is on the hot seat.
Roschon Johnson didn’t get the “extended look” we heard he might in Week 4. His 22 snaps (37%) were still significantly behind D’Andre Swift (38), who had his first breakout performance of the season. Johnson does have eight and seven carries in each of the last two games respectively. We know he has pass-catching upside as well. Adding him on the Week 5 waiver wire is simply speculative in case Swift fizzles out or goes down with an injury.
Nick Chubb is set to resume practicing. I’m sure he’s stashed in the IR spot by whoever drafted him, but if not, he’s worth a stash in most leagues.
Wide Receiver
Notable Players on Bye: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jameson Williams, Ladd McConkey, Calvin Ridley
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
Malik Nabers, the sensational rookie, is fantasy football’s WR1 on a points-per-game basis after four weeks of play. He’s commanding an absurd 38.2% target share and pacing for about 220 targets. Not so quietly behind him, though, is Wan’Dale Robinson. He’s commanding 27.9% of the Giants’ target share having just logged a career-high 14 targets in Week 4.
Robinson now has two games with 12 or more targets this season. He has one such game in the 21 games over his first two seasons. Robinson is a fantasy football manager’s dream pickup if available on the Week 5 waiver wire for Points Per Reception leagues especially. His 26 receptions through four weeks account for just about half of his total points this season.
For this reason, Robinson has an incredibly safe floor that should find it’s way into any lineup most weeks. For Week 5 specifically, managers need to monitor Malik Nabers’ status after suffering a concussion on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. He has the extra days on his side to clear the concussion protocol, but his availability is no guarantee. Either way, Nabers and Robinson account for 66% of the Giants’ team targets. You probably won’t find a player seeing this sort of volume on any waiver wire moving forward.
Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns
The 2024 season is a change of scenery for Jerry Jeudy. So far through his first four games with the Cleveland Browns, Jeudy has 30 total targets with at least six in each game. Jeudy (20.9%) and Amari Cooper (25.8%) are the only Cleveland Browns with a target share of 20% or more. No other player has more han 14% of the team’s targets.
As far as production goes, Jerry Jeudy does not have a single season with 1,000 receiving yards yet in his NFL career. After four games with the Cleveland Browns, he’s only pacing for about 840 yards. While that may sound disappointing, Jeudy is providing a stable floor for fantasy football. He has 70 receiving yards or a touchdown in three of his first four games.
Four weeks into the season, and with bye weeks upon us, Jeudy is worth weekly flex consideration in most league sizes and formats. He shouldn’t be available beyond the Week 5 waiver wire. The elephant in the room here is the possibility of Amari Cooper playing elsewhere to finish the 2024 season. His contract is extremely affordable for any team looking to acquire his services, namely the Kansas City Chiefs if Rashee Rice’s knee injury is in fact season-ending. The absence of Cooper would be a major boost in value for Jerry Jeudy.
Allen Lazard, New York Jets
I’ll own the fact that I’ve (perhaps subconsciously) ignored Allen Lazard as a key waiver wire addition in previous weeks. While I still think Lazard is inconsistent on a shaky Jets offense, he has the trust of Aaron Rodgers and that’s plenty good for me as a matchup-based flex play.
Lazard now has 24 total targets through four games. That’s tied with Breece Hall for second-most on the team behind only Garrett Wilson (34). More importantly, Lazard leads the Jets in receiving yards (206) and has half (3) of the team’s receiving touchdowns. Again, the floor is relatively low week-to-week, but he has a rapport with Rodgers. If you’re plugging in a wide receiver hoping for five catches and/or a touchdown, Lazard has a better chance than most.
Lazard and the Jets face a tough Minnesota Vikings defense in London for their Week 5 matchup. They should have a heavy focus on containing Garrett Wilson, as most defenses have done thus far.
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
Everyone’s favorite sleeper pick during summertime drafts may actually have a chance to hit. Wicks’ 13 targets and, more importantly, 24.8 fantasy points in Week 4 are both career highs. However, it’s important to note a few things. Wicks caught just five of his 13 targets, two of which were for touchdowns of six and 17 yards respectively. It is still encouraging to see Wicks command the trust of Jordan Love, however, in his first start since suffering a Week 1 knee injury.
Additionally, while Wicks did lead the team with 13 targets, Tucker Kraft (9), Jayden Reed (8), and Romeo Doubs (8) all saw their fair share of targets, as well. In fact, Kraft and Reed both logged more receptions than Wicks and each scored touchdowns, as well.
There’s no doubt in watching Wicks play that he is yet another talented receiver in the Packers’ offense. We just haven’t seen him produce on a consistent basis. However, there’s an opportunity ahead for us to do so now that Christian Watson is dealing with a high ankle sprain. It’s unclear how long Watson is expected to miss time. He’s likely out for at least Week 5 so, even if you don’t start Wicks, I would add him on the Week 5 waiver wire if your bench has the room just in case his Week 4 showing is the start of a breakout.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
Josh Downs is healthy and having an impact in the Colts’ passing game. His 30% target share in Week 4 comes from running primarily as the Colts’ slot receiver. The major spike in volume yielded an 8/81/1 receiving line. Did I mention this is mostly with Joe Flacco at quarterback? You may not think Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback on the actual field, but he is elite for supporting wide receiver production in fantasy football and for that, we are grateful.
Xavier Legette is coming off of a career-best game in Week 4. In the Panthers’ first game without Adam Thielen (hamstring) this season, Legette drew 10 targets from quarterback Andy Dalton. The rookie first-round pick had 10 total targets in his first three games. In Week 4, he caught six of his 10 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. Andy Dalton has turned the Panthers’ offense completely around. Legette is your chance to get an affordable piece of it off of the Week 5 waiver wire.
Jordan Whittington led all Los Angeles Rams with eight targets in Week 4. He caught six of them for 62 yards. Tutu Atwell led the Rams with 82 yards hauling in four of his six targets. It’s hard to trust either of these players long-term. The Rams have a Week 6 bye and there’s a chance we see Cooper Kupp and/or Puka Nacua sooner rather than later on the other side of the bye. For Week 5, Whittingon and Atwell are bye-week fill-ins when the Rams host the Packers in what should be another pass-heavy game script in Los Angeles.
Tight End
Notable Players on Bye: Sam LaPorta, Dallas Goedert
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
The TE7 through TE12 are all averaging less than 10.0 fantasy points per game. Make no mistake. The top six players at the position aren’t doing much better. So, when it comes to finding a start-worthy player on the Week 5 waiver wire, grab a guy who’s earning targets. That’s Tyler Conklin, if he’s available.
Conklin’s production doesn’t jump off of the page, but again, who does? We can at least invest in Conklin’s playing time, role, and usage. Conklin has 14 total targets over his last two games including eight in Week 4. That ties both Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard for a team-high 20% share. Conklin was on the field for 91.8% of the Jets’ offensive snaps. He also ran 46 routes, the third-highest on the team, though just one less than Allen Lazard and four less than Garrett Wilson.
The Jets’ Week 5 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, have allowed 22 total receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns to opposing tight ends. That includes a 6/53/1 receiving line for the Packers’ Tucker Kraft in Week 4.
Other Tight Ends to Consider
Tucker Kraft could see a boost in production with Christian Watson dealing with a high ankle sprain. However, his 6/53/1 receiving line in Week 4 is a bit juiced by a season-high 54 pass attempts from Jordan Love, or any Packers quarterback, for that matter. Kraft’s seven targets are great, but still behind Dontayvion Wicks (13), Romeo Doubs (8), and Jayden Reed (8). Those three should remain the focal points of the Packers’ pass attack in Week 5. Kraft is somewhat of a boom-or-bust tight end on the Week 5 waiver wire, but at least gets a Los Angeles Rams defense allowed over four receptions and 50 yards to the position each week thus far.
Zach Ertz will probably be a weekly staple on the waiver wire column. He’s not flashy, he’s not exciting, and he’s not very productive. However, given the sad state of the tight end position for fantasy football, Ertz is at least drawing targets. He has no more than five in a single game, but he’s averaging four per game. He’s second (16) behind only Terry McLaurin (28) in total targets, by a large margin, on an ascending Commanders offense led by rookie Jayden Daniels. Ertz is a “plug-and-pray” tight end off of the Week 5 waiver wire if you’re desperate. Aren’t we all, though?
Quarterback
Notable Players on Bye: Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Will Levis
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
I’m crowning Darnold the fantasy football quarterback MVP for the month of September. Darnold continues to exceed everyone’s [low] expectations. He is the QB5 on a points-per-game basis after four weeks with three straight games of 20.0+ fantasy points. If you need a quarterback off of the Week 5 waiver wire, Darnold has more than proven his reliability starting the season at the Giants, hosting the 49ers and Texans back-t0-back, then moving to 4-0 against the Packers in Green Bay. He’s battle-tested.
Admittedly, Sam Darnold does carry some risk in Week 5. He and the Vikings will take on the New York Jets in the season’s first international game in London on Sunday. So far, the Jets have allowed just two total touchdown passes to opposing quarterbacks. However, consider the competition. The Jets fell 32-19 to Brock Purdy and a strong run 49ers game in Week 1 before facing Jacoby Brissett, Will Levis, and rookie Bo Nix. Again, Darnold is battle-tested with far better momentum and weapons to put together a strong outlier performance against the Jets defense in Week 5.
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fields is starting to stack strong fantasy football performances. His 32.0 points in Week 4 is not only his best of the season so far, but plenty good to earn our trust investing in him on the Week 5 waiver wire. That’s after 19.4 points in Week 3. He has five total touches over his last two starts including three rushing touchdowns.
Fields and the Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. In a perfectly health league, this would be a shy away matchup for Fields. However, Dallas’ defense looks to be down two key starters. Micah Parsons is unlikely to play due to a high ankle sprain. Even worse, DeMarcus Lawrence is likely heading to Injured Reserve with a foot injury that’s expected to sideline him for four to eight weeks.
The Cowboys defense is already an underachieving unit. Factor in their injuries on the edge, and Justin Fields’ rushing upside, and this could be another big performance for the Steelers’ starting quarterback. It’s worth noting Lamar Jackson posted a 14/87/1 rushing line against the Cowboys in Dallas in Week 3. While I do have Darnold ahead of him on the Week 5 waiver wire list, Fields has a higher ceiling in any given week.
Other Quarterbacks to Consider
Derek Carr is seemingly human after failing to score 10.0 fantasy points in both Weeks 3 and 4. That’s after back-to-back games with 21.0 or more points in Weeks 1 and 2. If Derek Carr becomes available, and you need to plug in a quarterback, I still believe in the offense, the weapons, and Carr making it all go. Though the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tough matchups in Weeks 5 and 6, Carr should be plenty busy, likely in a negative or neutral game script.
Joe Flacco could get the start in place of Anthony Richardson (hip/abdominal) in Week 5. It’s an important AFC South matchup but against the 0-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Their defense has allowed a combined 608 passing yards and six touchdowns to Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud over the last two games. If you miss out on higher priority Week 5 waiver wire quarterbacks, Flacco is reliable in relief, with weapons, in a good matchup.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!