Fantasy Waiver Wire Targets Week 5: Top Players To Add Include Kenneth Gainwell, Woody Marks, and Darius Slayton
The fantasy football season is underway. As much as we all loved our rosters after the draft, things change quickly. It’s time to improve our teams. Let’s take a look at the top Week 5 waiver wire targets and pickups that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters.
As always, all players are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
I eliminated FAAB recommendations last year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced them with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should pursue the player on a scale of 1-10.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 21%
It’s tough sledding on the QB waiver wire. Sam Darnold has yet to reach his 20 fantasy points this season. But we have several QBs banged up, and bye weeks are starting. Fantasy managers may need a streamer, and Darnold can be that guy.
The former Vikings quarterback has posted a consistent 16-18 fantasy points over his last three contests. He threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals on Thursday night.
Next week, Darnold gets a Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass funnel defense. Baker Mayfield & Co. should do plenty to force the Seahawks to throw, which is good news for anyone who may need Darnold.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
Rostered: 23%
It was an impressive debut for Jaxson Dart. Making his first career start, the New York Giants’ first-round pick led his team to its first win of the season. Dart didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, but that’s kind of the point with him from a fantasy perspective.
Dart threw for a mere 111 yards and a touchdown. But he’s sneaky mobile, adding 54 yards and another score on the ground.
Every Jaxson Dart Throw/Run in Debut v. Chargers
13/20 111 yards 1 TD 0 INT
10 runs 54 yards 1 TD
5 Sacks pic.twitter.com/DSiRlhLVwa— Giants Nation Show (@GiantsNationPod) September 28, 2025
There will be more negative game script games than positive game script games for the Giants. There will also be easier matchups than the Los Angeles Chargers. If Dart can do this against a good defense, he should feast on weaker opponents. Given all the QB injuries we’ve had this season, Dart is absolutely worth adding.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: 4%
Don’t let the fantasy numbers fool you. This is Trey Benson’s backfield. Emari Demercado was exclusively the third-down back and did not see any meaningful snaps until hurry-up mode in the fourth quarter. He just happened to be the one on the field who caught the late touchdown, which was only his fourth touch of the game.
Demercado’s touchdown is immaterial to his appearing on this list. The simple fact is he’s now the clear handcuff to Benson.
With James Conner done for the year, this isn’t a situation where Demercado’s handcuff value has an expiration date. If Benson were to go down, he would be presumptive lead back. In deeper leagues, that’s worth a stash.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: 22%
Despite reports that he was expected to play, Jaylen Warren wound up being a surprise inactive early Sunday morning for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ contest against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin. That thrust Kenneth Gainwell into the starting role. Well…he delivered.
Gainwell was not just a viable RB2; he was the overall RB1. A true bellcow, the former Eagle turned 25 touches into 134 yards, posting 31.4 fantasy points.
Kenneth Gainwell scores the first NFL touchdown in Dublin 🇮🇪
MINvsPIT on @nflnetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oCgtPkBItV— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Given how close Warren was to playing, he’s probably going to be fine. The Steelers having a bye next week likely played a role, giving Warren two full weeks to rest up. That makes adding Gainwell a little trickier, as you have to sit on him for a week with the hope that he will be potentially usable in Week 6.
With that said, Gainwell is very clearly a high upside handcuff, at worst. Plus, it stands to reason this performance earned him a larger weekly role. Simply put, he needs to be rostered.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Zavier Scott, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Rostered: 1%
Whenever a player scores a touchdown, it typically draws the attention of fantasy managers. That will automatically put Zavier Scott on people’s radar.
Scott is currently the RB2 behind Jordan Mason. The team elevated Cam Akers from the practice squad, but he remains firmly the RB3 and did not play a single snap.
A former wide receiver, Scott was most effective in the passing game, catching five of seven targets for 34 yards and a touchdown. Of course, that won’t be the norm with the Vikings not likely to see a negative game script to this degree often.
Even so, Scott is the Jordan Mason handcuff. In deeper leagues, that alone makes him worthy of a roster spot.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.0
Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
Rostered: 30%
Howdy partner! Week 4 was the beginning of the Woody Marks takeover.
Nick Chubb continues to look very slow and ineffective. Meanwhile, the rookie looks quick and shifty. Plus, he is a vastly superior pass catcher.
Marks carried the ball 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground, adding four receptions for 50 yards and another score through the air. Chubb had 13 carries for 47 yards.
MAKE IT 2️⃣ FOR THE ROOK 😤
📺: @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/MAHDH3j7Zu
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 28, 2025
The decision is clear. Marks out-snapped Chubb by 10. The change is coming. Expect to see more Marks in the future. Now is the time to grab him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 7.5
Kendre Miller, RB New Orleans Saints
Rostered: 5%
Kendre Miller legitimately looks good. He’s obviously going to be tough to consider in fantasy lineups while Alvin Kamara is healthy. But he did see 11 carries, which he turned into 65 yards and a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.
The other issue is that even if Miller does end up in the RB1 role, which would only happen in the event of a Kamara injury, this Saints offense does not throw to running backs. Kamara is on pace for the lowest target share of his career.
Miller is not a must-add because his best-case scenario is that he becomes a touchdown-or-bust RB3. But you can pick him up if you want to stash a clear handcuff.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Rostered: 35%
It continues to be surprising how low-rostered Tyler Allgeier is. He remains one of the highest upside handcuffs in fantasy. Not just that, Allgeier has some standalone value. He’s now posted double-digit fantasy points in half his games.
Allgeier carried the ball 16 times for 51 yards and a touchdown in a game where Bijan Robinson had 21 touches and 181 yards. The Atlanta Falcons want to run the ball. If Robinson ever missed time, Allgeier would be a 20+ touch workhorse.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rostered: 40%
I will give Rachaad White his due. He’s worked his way back into Todd Bowles’ good graces. No longer do I believe that if Bucky Irving were to miss time that Sean Tucker would be the guy. It would be White.
There still isn’t enough for White to have standalone value. His 8.6 fantasy points are passable if you’re in a bind, but he is just as liable to post the 2.4 he did the previous week. This is Bucky Irving’s backfield.
If Irving were to miss time, though, White would be an every-week RB2. For that reason alone, he should be rostered more heavily.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
Rostered: 20%
Unless he happens to fall into the end zone, Rico Dowdle will not be a viable fantasy starter. First, he remains the RB2 behind Chuba Hubbard. Second, the Carolina Panthers’ offense is terrible. Bryce Young has fully regressed to the player he was before his benching last season. He does not look like someone who will keep this job for the entire season.
There is a positive, though. Dowdle still saw 10 opportunities. And he may very well be the goal line back.
If Hubbard were to go down, Dowdle would be the lead back with Trevor Etienne slipping into his current role. That’s worth a back-of-the-roster spot.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.0
Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered: 4%
These weeks will happen. The Baltimore Ravens found themselves facing a negative game script. That led to Justice Hill out-snapping Derrick Henry. The satellite back turned eight touches into 117 total yards and two touchdowns.
This is why Justice Hill is a good Best Ball pick. He’s not so much a great managed league pick because it’s impossible to predict.
Hill’s roster percentage will undoubtedly go up because fantasy managers are reactionary, but he’s the same player now that he was before his 28.7-point outburst.
You can add him if you want. Hill is the type of player who won’t get you zero. But you will never feel confident starting him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
Rostered: 2%
Nothing against Darius Slayton, but this is easily the most unfortunate name to have to include. Malik Nabers tore his ACL. Whenever Nabers was out last season, Slayton was the direct replacement, occupying his exact role.
Of course, Slayton is not even 1/4 the player Nabers is. But Slayton has posted big games in the past without Nabers. He averaged 18.9 fantasy points per game in his two contests sans Nabers in 2024. That’s a small sample size, but it’s at least indicative of Slayton’s upside. He is worth a speculative add, at worst.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Isaiah Bond, WR, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 0%
Cedric Tillman’s injury certainly played a role, but this changing of the guard may have been coming anyway. Isaiah Bond was the clear WR2 behind Jerry Jeudy. The rookie UDFA ran the second-most routes on the team and saw six targets.
Bond probably would’ve been a Day 2 pick if not for off-the-field concerns. He’s more talented than Tillman and Jamari Thrash. There’s a strong case to be made that he’s better than Jeudy, too.
great grab for a HUGE gain#CLEvsDET on FOX and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/MCydufCGxe
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 28, 2025
The Cleveland Browns will be in a negative game script for most of their games. Bond is only going to get better, especially since he joined the team so close to the start of the season. This one is highly speculative, but could be useful.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rostered: 28%
Brenton Strange continues to be a solid floor play. He’s now basically hit double-digit fantasy points in three out of four games. The Jaguars’ TE has caught six passes in two straight games. You can certainly use that out of fantasy’s weakest position.
Strange is not going to be a matchup winner. He’s not going to have massive spike weeks. He simply won’t get you zero. That is worth starting for managers without a top tight end.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Tommy Tremble, TE, Carolina Panthers
Rostered: 0%
This is only for very deep leagues. With Ja’Tavion Sanders out, Tommy Tremble wound up playing 75% of the snaps and serving as the Carolina Panthers’ TE1. Tremble caught five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Bryce Young finds Tommy Tremble!
CARvsNE on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/gxTt3rKpGr
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Obviously, he won’t score every week. But the real story is the eight targets. If Tremble can reach that level of volume, given the Panthers’ consistent negative game script and the lack of a second option in the passing game behind Tetairoa McMillan, he can be a desperation streamer.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
