1 of 5 | Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford can be plugged in as a fantasy football QB1 in Week 5. File Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo
Woody Marks and Darren Waller are among my fantasy football waiver wire priorities for Week 5.
Matthew Stafford, Wan’Dale Robinson and the Arizona Cardinals defense/special teams are among my other targets. Week 4 featured another rash of injuries, including season-ending traumas for star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Malik Nabers.
They can both be dropped from rosters in redraft leagues.
Lamar Jackson, Ricky Pearsall, Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney and Braelon Allen were among the other players injured in Week 4. Their statuses should be monitored, but those injuries also should open doors for other players on their teams.
Check out my full list of waiver wire targets below if you need replacement options for injured starters. Injuries, breakout performances and other factors have cleared the way for several players to warrant a spot on fantasy football team benches or maybe even in starting lineups.
Week 5 is also the first wave of bye weeks, with the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears inactive. Players from those teams should be benched, or dropped in some cases.
My waiver wire priorities each carry an ownership percentage of 60% or less.
Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 5:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold; RB | Woody Marks, Kendre Miller; WR | Wan’Dale Robinson, Marquise Brown; TE | Darren Waller, Dalton Schultz; D/ST | Arizona Cardinals; K | Josh Karty
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Trevor Lawrence, Jake Browning; RB | Emari Demercado, Chris Rodriguez, Ollie Gordon II; Tyler Allgeier; WR | Jalen Tolbert, Darius Slayton; TE | Chig Okonkwo; D/ST | New Orleans Saints; K | Chad Ryland
TOP DROPS
QB | Geno Smith; RB | Jeremy McNichols; WR | Tyreek Hill, Malik Nabers; TE | Mike Gesicki; D/ST | Chicago Bears; K | Chris Boswell
QUARTERBACK
Matthew Stafford, who was among my secondary waiver wire targets in Week 4, makes my list again in Week 5. I would prioritize the Los Angeles Rams quarterback, especially if you need a replacement option for your typical starter in the coming weeks.
Stafford totaled the third-most fantasy points among quarterbacks in Week 4, when the threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. That performance extended a streak of three consecutive games for Stafford with at least two touchdown passes.
This week, Stafford and the Rams will face a San Francisco 49ers defense that hasn’t been terrible against opposing quarterbacks, but did surrender three touchdown tosses to Spencer Rattler in Week 2.
I expect Stafford to continue his hot streak with another multiple-touchdown effort Thursday in Inglewood, Calif. He is a fantasy football QB1 until further notice.
RUNNING BACK
Houston Texans rookie Woody Marks, my top waiver wire priority for Week 5, exploded for a season-best 119 yards from scrimmage and two scores on 22 touches in a Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Marks’ 22 touches were more than his combined workload (14 touches) through the first three weeks of the season and are a great sign for his future outlook. He remains listed at No. 2, behind starter Nick Chubb, on the depth chart, but I believe Marks is the Texans running back you want to own because of his explosiveness.
This week, the Texans also will take on the Baltimore Ravens, who allowed the most fantasy points to running backs so far this season. The Ravens also surrendered a league-high 128.7 rushing yards and 49.3 receiving yards per game, the sixth-most in the NFL, to the position.
Marks can be plugged in as a flex play in leagues with at least 14 teams.
WIDE RECEIVER
Wan’Dale Robinson and Marquise Brown are my favorite wide receiver targets for Week 5.
Robinson should benefit from the absence of New York Giants star Malik Nabers, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Look for the Giants veteran. who totaled 27 targets through his first four games this season, to see an increase in looks going forward.
Robinson, who went off for 142 yards and a score in Week 2, likely won’t be a high-volume touchdown scorer, but should be useful in points-per-reception formats.
Brown ranked 24th among wide receivers in fantasy points in Week 4, when he totaled three catches for 38 yards and a score. Unlike Robinson, I believe the Kansas City Chiefs playmaker likely needs to find the end zone to provide fantasy football value. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes found the end zone with four touchdown tosses in Week 4 and should continue to air it out going forward, giving Brown plenty of opportunities to help his fantasy football stock holders.
This week, Brown and the Chiefs also will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed the seventh-most fantasy points and tied for allowing the third-most receiving touchdowns (1.3) per game to the position so far this season.
Brown can be plugged in as a boom-or-bust WR3 in deeper leagues that require starting three wide receivers.
TIGHT END
Darren Waller marked his return to the NFL with two touchdown catches in a Miami Dolphins win over the New York Jets on Monday in Miami. The veteran tight end, who did not play in 2024, finished the night with three catches for 27 yards.
Waller used his leaping ability, range and 6-foot-6 frame to become a sensational red zone target for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. I expect that trend to continue going forward, especially in light of the season-ending knee injury wide receiver Tyreek Hill sustained in the Dolphins’ Week 4 win.
Like most tight ends, Waller will likely be a touchdown-or-bust play. He should be added as a bye week fill-in or a streaming starter in leagues that require starting the position.
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs defeat Baltimore Ravens
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes calls out coverage against the Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on September 28, 2025. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 37-20. Photo by Jon Robichaud/UPI | License Photo
