RADIO
After an exciting NFL action for Week 4, we are back with another edition of waiver wire rankings. Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has carved out a role in Tampa Bay's backfield and was impressive in Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. There were some critical injuries to monitor in heading into Week 5. The Chiefs fear star second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice tore his ACL while Indianapolis star running back Jonathan Taylor suffered a mild high-ankle sprain. We break down the waiver wire for this week once again with our Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024.
The fantasy football season is flying by, and the window is slowly closing to turn things around if your team's record is under .500. Although some burning questions need to be answered after Sunday's games. Is Trey Sermon the Colts lead back if Jonathan Taylor misses time? Which Kanas City Chiefs wide receiver will see the biggest boost if Rashee Rice is out for the year? Is Kareem Hunt Kansas City's No. 1 running back after leading the team's backfield in snaps and carries in the Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers?
Our waiver wire rankings will help answer these questions -- they've been a staple in the fantasy industry for years, providing a quick-hit list of player names that goes deep into the free agent options each week. For those unfamiliar, one of the industry's sharpest fantasy football minds, Nick Mariano, brings you his weekly waiver wire rankings and priority adds for the top 60 potential options.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Week 5 Waiver Wire Articles
Before diving into the Week 5 rankings, let's look at some other free waiver wire resources available at RotoBaller.
Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to compliment our slick new Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool - bookmark that! Here are more detailed Week 4 waiver wire articles:
- FAAB waiver wire bidding for Week 5
- Week 5 waiver wire pickups (all positions)
- Running back waiver wire pickups for Week 5
- Wide receiver waiver wire pickups for Week 5
- Tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 5
- Quarterback waiver wire pickups for Week 5
- Defense (D/ST) streamers, waiver wire for Week 5
- Kicker streamers, waiver wire for Week 5
Who To Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 5?
Finally, below, you'll see our weekly rankings for the relevant waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size). Quarterbacks and Defenses (D/ST) are grouped together at the bottom of the list:
| Rank | Player Name | Position | % Ros. |
Baller Move |
| 1 | Bucky Irving | RB | 52 | Add in All Leagues |
| 2 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 48 | Add in All Leagues |
| 3 | Dontayvion Wicks | WR | 14 | Add in All Leagues |
| 4 | Chase Brown | RB | 61 | Add in 10+ Team Leagues |
| 5 | Tyler Lockett | WR | 57 | Add in 10+ Team Leagues |
| 6 | Xavier Legette | WR | 14 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 7 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 35 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 8 | Josh Downs | WR | 20 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 9 | Jakobi Meyers | WR | 52 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 10 | Jerry Jeudy | WR | 48 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 11 | Wan'Dale Robinson | WR | 26 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 12 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 11 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 13 | Braelon Allen | RB | 52 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 14 | Roschon Johnson | RB | 27 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 15 | Trey Sermon | RB | 1 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 16 | Alexander Mattison | RB | 33 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 17 | Darnell Mooney | WR | 47 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 18 | Taysom Hill | TE | 39 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 19 | Tre Tucker | WR | 9 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 20 | Ladd McConkey | WR | 56 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 21 | Romeo Doubs | WR | 40 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 22 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 23 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 23 | Jordan Whittington | WR | 3 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 24 | Tutu Atwell | WR | 8 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 25 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | 1 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 26 | Justice Hill | RB | 14 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 27 | Zach Ertz | TE | 30 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 28 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 22 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 29 | Demarcus Robinson | WR | 28 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 30 | Tucker Kraft | TE | 4 | Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 31 | Allen Lazard | WR | 36 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 32 | Greg Dortch | WR | 10 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 33 | Colby Parkinson | TE | 26 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 34 | Mike Williams | WR | 21 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 35 | Ja'Lynn Polk | WR | 9 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 36 | Michael Wilson | WR | 17 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 37 | Ray-Ray McCloud | WR | 5 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 38 | Ray Davis | RB | 11 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 39 | Hunter Henry | TE | 37 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 40 | Miles Sanders | RB | 3 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 41 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 14 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 42 | Tyler Conklin | TE | 35 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 43 | Jalen Tolbert | WR | 5 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 44 | Justin Watson | WR | 0 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 45 | Noah Fant | TE | 32 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 46 | Calvin Austin III | WR | 1 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 47 | Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 0 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 48 | Darius Slayton | WR | 1 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 49 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 0 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 50 | Sterling Shepard | WR | 0 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 51 | Elijah Higgins | TE | 7 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 52 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | 8 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 53 | Skyy Moore | WR | 0 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 54 | Mason Tipton | WR | 0 | Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues |
| 55 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | 56 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 56 | Geno Smith | QB | 44 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 57 | Justin Fields | QB | 31 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 58 | Kirk Cousins | QB | 51 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 59 | Sam Darnold | QB | 55 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 60 | Daniel Jones | QB | 8 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 61 | Andy Dalton | QB | 14 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 62 | Deshaun Watson | QB | 22 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 63 | Derek Carr | QB | 47 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 64 | Tyler Huntley | QB | 4 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 65 | Joe Flacco | QB | 1 | Add in 2QB Leagues |
| 66 | Seattle Seahawks | DST | 26 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 67 | Denver Broncos | DST | 16 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 68 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST | 26 | Add in 12+ Team Leagues |
| 69 | Indianapolis Colts | DST | 14 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
| 70 | New England Patriots | DST | 3 | Add in 14+ Team Leagues |
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlooks
Some of the top names include DeAndre Hopkins, Jauan Jennings, Sam Darnold, Bucky Irving, and Cole Kmet. We recap why these players rostered under 55% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your radar when scrolling through the waiver wire for Week 5:
Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (35% Rostered)
Week 5 Waiver Wire Ranking: 7
Kareem Hunt was signed to Kansas City’s active roster one week after he had originally been signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad. This provided an indication that he could quickly be infused into the team’s backfield rotation with Carson Steele and Samaje Perine.
That transpired when the Chiefs visited AFC West rival Los Angeles in Week 4, as Hunt led Kansas City‘s backfield in snaps (28), attempts (14), and rushing yards (69) while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. Hunt also ran 11 routes, collected two of his three targets, and registered 16 receiving yards.
Steele quickly accumulated 11 snaps, two carries, and six rushing yards in Week 4 but was benched after he fumbled on Kansas City’s initial drive. Perine carried five times while assembling 14 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also led the Chiefs’ backfield with 15 routes run but failed to register a target.
The allocation of touches could fluctuate during upcoming matchups. Clyde Edwards-Helaire could resurface from the non-football illness list this week. Those factors should not deter you from adding Hunt this week. He could maintain a weekly workload that will reward you for securing him for rosters.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Green Bay Packers (14% Rostered)
Week 5 Waiver Wire Ranking: 3
Christian Watson suffered a high ankle sprain this past weekend. Watson has a history of lower body injuries, and Green Bay is conservative regarding their player's injuries. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Watson misses next week or more than one game.
Doubs has done very little this season. If Watson is out, Wicks will become Love's No. 2 pass-catcher behind Jayden Reed, and that would be enough to put him in the top 30 of receivers for Week 5. With bye weeks approaching, Wicks could give fantasy managers a 1-3 week boost.
Trey Sermon, RB, Indianapolis Colts (1% Rostered)
Week 5 Waiver Wire Ranking: 15
Trey Sermon accumulated 25 snaps, four attempts, and 16 rushing yards prior to the Colts’ Week 4 matchup with Pittsburgh. He is now primed to become a popular roster addition due to the high ankle sprain that has been sustained by Jonathan Taylor .
That injury occurred in the fourth quarter after Taylor had accumulated 48 snaps, 21 attempts, and 88 rushing yards. Taylor also ran 17 routes, captured three of his four targets, and produced 20 receiving yards.
Sermon played on 17 snaps, carried five times, and manufactured eight rushing yards. While those numbers are uninspiring, Sermon is positioned to function with a massive workload if Taylor is unavailable when Indianapolis travels to Jacksonville on Sunday.
Taylor’s status should be monitored. However, Sermon should provide the remedy for any potential roster crisis for fantasy managers who have Taylor contained on their rosters. All other managers can also target the fourth-year back, who would become an asset if Taylor remains sidelined.
Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers (14% Rostered)
Week 5 Waiver Wire Ranking: 6
With Adam Thielen out, Diontae Johnson expectedly served as the team's No. 1 option as he was targeted 13 times. Xavier Legette was only one opportunity behind him, with 10 targets and two carries.
Legette caught six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown and also added 10 yards on the ground. The rookie was able to seamlessly step up for Carolina and make a major impact. Once Thielen eventually returns, this situation will get mucky again, but at least for now, Legette is a flex option.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (52% Rostered)
Week 5 Waiver Wire Ranking: 1
Irving’s availability continues to decline as the promising first-year back has seized a favorable workload within Tampa Bay’s backfield rotation. Irving's consistent effectiveness as a decisive one-cut runner has significantly boosted Liam Coen’s offense. He has also operated more efficiently than Rachaad White in the Buccaneers’ attack.
Irving encountered a hamstring issue before the Buccaneers’ Week 4 matchup with Philadelphia. However, that did not encumber Irving from playing on 32 snaps, securing a season-high 10 attempts, or generating 49 rushing yards (4.9 per attempt) and a touchdown.
Irving has now accumulated 85 snaps while assembling 203 rushing yards with his 35 attempts (5.8 yards per attempt). He has also led the Buccaneers in rushing yards or tied for the team lead in all four of his matchups.
White played on 45 snaps in Week 4 and accrued 49 rushing yards with his 10 carries. He also produced 35 receiving yards on two receptions and should function as the Buccaneers’ primary pass-catching back during upcoming matchups.
However, Irving appears destined to sustain weekly touch totals that will be beneficial for fantasy managers. Irving is still attainable in nearly 50% of all leagues, but that percentage should evaporate his week.
Running Backs - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings
Pickups are in priority order:
| Player Name |
| Bucky Irving |
| Rico Dowdle |
| Chase Brown |
| Kareem Hunt |
| Tank Bigsby |
| Braelon Allen |
| Roschon Johnson |
| Trey Sermon |
| Alexander Mattison |
| Tyler Allgeier |
| Justice Hill |
| Jaleel McLaughlin |
| Ray Davis |
| Miles Sanders |
| Emanuel Wilson |
| Jeremy McNichols |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire |
Wide Receivers - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings
Pickups are in priority order:
| Player Name |
| Dontayvion Wicks |
| Tyler Lockett |
| Xavier Legette |
| Josh Downs |
| Jakobi Meyers |
| Jerry Jeudy |
| Wan'Dale Robinson |
| Darnell Mooney |
| Tre Tucker |
| Ladd McConkey |
| Romeo Doubs |
| Jordan Whittington |
| Tutu Atwell |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster |
| Demarcus Robinson |
| Allen Lazard |
| Greg Dortch |
| Mike Williams |
| Ja'Lynn Polk |
| Michael Wilson |
| Ray-Ray McCloud |
| Jalen Tolbert |
| Justin Watson |
| Calvin Austin III |
| Olamide Zaccheaus |
| Darius Slayton |
| Sterling Shepard |
| Skyy Moore |
| Mason Tipton |
Tight Ends - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings:
Pickups are in priority order:
| Player Name |
| Taysom Hill |
| Zach Ertz |
| Tucker Kraft |
| Colby Parkinson |
| Hunter Henry |
| Tyler Conklin |
| Noah Fant |
| Elijah Higgins |
Quarterbacks - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings
Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 5:
| Player Name |
| Trevor Lawrence |
| Geno Smith |
| Justin Fields |
| Kirk Cousins |
| Sam Darnold |
| Daniel Jones |
| Andy Dalton |
| Deshaun Watson |
| Derek Carr |
| Tyler Huntley |
| Joe Flacco |
Defenses (D/ST) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings
Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 5:
| Player Name |
| Seattle Seahawks |
| Denver Broncos |
| Las Vegas Raiders |
| Indianapolis Colts |
| New England Patriots |
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Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:More Waiver Wire Analysis
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
