X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 5 Waiver Wire Overview & Free Agent Sleepers

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (Allen Hurns) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ed Gorelik analyzes Week 5 sleepers available on your 2015 fantasy football waiver wire. These NFL running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), tight ends (TEs) and quarterbacks (QBs) are fantasy football sleepers.

Waiver Wire Adds for Week Five

The fourth Sunday of the season is through, and the wackiness continues. The Jets toppled the Dolphins in London, while the Jay Cutler returned to the Bears to keep them from falling to the Raiders. And there's still another big matchup on tonight's Monday Night slate.

Week 4 was filled with some star-studded fantasy performances like matchup swinging games from Le'Veon Bell and DeAndre Hopkins, some unfortunate injuries to players like Steve Smith, and surprising performances from players that had already been written off like Tavon Austin and Doug Martin. Unfortunately, overall this slate of games didn't show a lot of potential waiver steals, but let's look at the players who represent the best waiver wire pickups going forward.

Below are some waiver wire pickups and sleepers for Week 5 who can have a potential impact for your teams. My piece won't cover all waiver wire adds and targets each week, as there are just too many with all the league types out there, but I'll be highlighting and prioritize the biggest impact players. Additionally, be sure to check out many more great RotoBaller articles and waiver wire analysis pieces at each position throughout the week, including risers/fallers, deeper league sleepers, rankings and more.

 

Week 5 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Sam Bradford (QB, PHI) - 58% Owned on Fleaflicker

There weren't any Quarterback performances this week that look good enough to make a QB worth picking up other than Sam Bradford's.

All the hype on Bradford took it's time to materialize, but against the Redskins it finally seemed like it came together. At least somewhat. Bradford threw 28 passes and connected on 15 with 270 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. That's just above 50% completion, which isn't great, but the touchdowns and yardage might show that this offense is going to be able to perform without needing a high volume. Regardless, the next opponent is far easier than the last one, as the Saints are currently ranked 32nd in the league in DVOA for pass defense and 31st in overall defense. That's as easy as a matchup can get for Bradford, making him an interesting waiver option this week for streamers/bye week fill-ins.

Other Quarterback Options: Nick Foles - 33% Owned, Brian Hoyer - 8% Owned, Jay Cutler - 25% owned, Alex Smith - 25% owned, Ryan Fitzpatrick - 12% owned, Michael Vick - 2% owned, Blake Bortles - 18% owned, Jameis Winston - 23% owned

 

Week 5 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Duke Johnson (RB, CLE) - 47% Owned on Fleaflicker

Johnson is another player who's hype took time to materialize. Johnson is coming off his best game to date as a pro with 8 rushes for 31 yards and 9 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Duke is still stuck in a pass catching role behind Isaiah Crowell but seeing as the Cleveland Browns project to be down often this year, that role is likely the more valuable of the two. This week, Duke's going to be seeing the Raven's defense- a team that should've been a good run defense but so far has been average. Baltimore's currently allowing on average 40 yards per game to running backs, at a DVOA rank of 21st making them amongst the easiest teams in the league to throw on when the target is a RB.

Ronnie Hillman (RB, DEN) - 52% Owned on Fleaflicker

It's surprising how low this ownership is. C.J. Anderson shows no hold on his starting job as he's been plodding his way to an unspectacular 2015 season. Meanwhile, Hillman started coming around this week showing much better running than Anderson, even outside of his big 72 yard run. It's becoming hard to ignore that Hillman is playing better than Anderson, even when the volume doesn't add up- and after this game there's reason to assume that he might start seeing more time. The Broncos see the Raiders next week, a pedestrian run defense with an offense that might struggle against what is shaping up to be one of the best defenses this year. With that in mind, the Broncos have a strong shot at being way ahead and giving a lot of carries to bleed the clock as a nurse they lead. It'll be a big opportunity for Hillman to potentially take over entirely from Anderson.

Other Running Back Options: Charles Sims - 49% Owned, Roy Helu - 14% Owned, Darren McFadden - 31% owned, David Johnson - 44% owned, Chris Thompson - 1% owned, Andre Williams - 14% owned, Charles Sims - 11% owned, Antonio Andrews - 9% owned, Cameron Artis-Payne - 2% owned

 

Week 5 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Tavon Austin (WR, STL) - 25% Owned on Fleaflicker

I'm not going to pretend that Tavon Austin deserves to be rostered but he should be considered. With the lacking amount of real talent on the Rams receiving squad, Tavon Austin stands out as the most obviously "talented" of the group. Essentially the argument for Tavon Austin boils down to this: someone on this offense has to get targeted and targets lead to production. This week, Austin saw 7 targets, caught 6 of them, and turned those into 96 yards and 2 touchdowns. This comes a week after a 5 target, 5 catch, 38 yard performance against the Steelers. If you've got a deep bench or are just lacking a bench player with upside, Austin could be the player that provides you with that spark your team needs.

Dontrelle Inman (WR, SD) - 1% Owned on Fleaflicker

Dontrelle Inman's name might bring up a lot of questions like "who is that?" but rest assured this is a player with some fantasy relevance. Inman was picked up by the Chargers from the CFL where he played two seasons that accumulated some not-so-impressive numbers. Still, the Chargers really liked what they saw out of him and signed him onto the team last year. Speaking of last year, in the two games Inman got the opportunity to start in place of Keenan Allen in 2014, he put up stat lines of 7 catches for 79 yards and 5 catches for 79 yards in back to back weeks. Coming in this week for an injured Malcom Floyd (concussion) and Stevie Johnson (hamstring), Inman had 3 catches for 88 yards including a big 68 yard reception. If either of Johnson or Floyd are going to miss time, Inman becomes part of the immediate lineup and as we all know, Rivers has no fear of spreading the ball around- giving Inman a lot of potential FLEX value.

On top of all that, the Chargers face the Steelers next week who are currently one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL. That leaves a lot of room for the Chargers offense to operate, and Inman could be a big beneficiary of that if either of the two WRs ahead of him miss time.

Willie Snead (WR, NO) - 4% Owned on Fleaflicker

All the hype was pointed towards Saints receivers Brandon Coleman and Brandon Cooks during the offseason. Meanwhile, Willie Snead has somehow managed to outdo them both. Snead currently leads the team in yardage (240 receiving yards) despite being 4th on the team in targets (22) and 3rd in receptions (16) and he's currently tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (1). With Brees making his return to the lineup, he showed no fear of targeting Snead over and over as he separated from cornerbacks at will. Snead delivered, catching all six of his targets for 89 yards. With the supporting cast of receivers around him struggling, Snead's rise to relevance could be huge in an offense that has always made at least one fantasy star receiver a year.

Other Wide Receiver Options: Leonard Hankerson - 14% Owned, Allen Hurns - 22% Owned, Keith Mumphrey - 0% Owned, Stefon Diggs - 3% Owned, Chris Givens - 3% Owned, Cecil Shorts - 9% owned, Rueben Randle - 38% owned, Eddie Royal - 39% owned, Dorial Greene-Beckham - 18% owned, Ted Ginn - 33% owned, Ty Montgomery - 13% owned, Kamar Aiken - 2% owned, Michael Floyd - 34% owned, Cole Beasley - 10% owned, Kenny Britt - 10% owned, Jamison Crowder - 0% owned

 

Week 5 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Gary Barnidge (TE, CLE) - 20% Owned on Fleaflicker

Man, let me tell you that I don't want to be endorsing Gary Barnidge. At 30 years old, with barely anything to show for his career, having a relevant fantasy season is so out of left field it's hard to believe.

It's actually incredibly similar to Justin Forsett last year, but I'm not going to make that comparison apples to apples just yet. Exactly like Tavon Austin's situation, there aren't great pass catchers on this team and whoever gets the targets has a chance to produce. So far, that person has been Barnidge who now has two straight weeks with at least 6 catches, 75 yards and a touchdown. In those two weeks he's seen 16 targets, second on the team to the even-more-surprisingly-fantasy-relevant Travis Benjamin.

Barnidge has an awful matchup this week against the Ravens, but he presents a chance at long-term value for the season if this start is real.

Ladarius Green (TE, SD) - 20% Owned on Fleaflicker

Green might see his value reduced next week, but I want to make a case here that he's been playing well. We all know that for the last two years the Chargers have been hyping him up, and we're now finally seeing what the results of that are. They have been very positive.

In the two games where Green started and finished he's seen six targets each. He finished one game with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown, and another with four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Those are good numbers. That's an offense trying to get this player involved, and he's been showing up.

It's likely Gates cuts into Green's workload, but don't be so sure that he disappears until he actually does. This team wants Green to become their next tight end, and it's finally looking like he's on track to be that guy. On top of that, the injuries to Stevie Johnson and Malcom Floyd, if lasting, could leave plenty of targets on the field for both Gates and Green to share.

Other Tight End Options: Richard Rodgers - 25% Owned, Jake Stoneburner - 0% Owned, Antonio Gates - 62% Owned, Antonio Gates - 53% owned, Coby Fleener - 23% owned, Richard Rodgers - 16% owned, Larry Donnell - 38% owned, Jared Cook - 16% owned

 

Week 5 Defense (D/ST) Waiver Wire Pickups

Jacksonville Jaguars - 4% Owned & Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 8% Owned 

Yep, these two teams face each other this week. You can pick your poison if you're looking for a sleeper waiver wire defense because both of these teams have issues. Both quarterbacks are prone to getting sacked. Both quarterbacks are interception prone. Bother quarterbacks have weapons that can go off and completely ruin the choice you make. But either of them could also put up a multi-TD game.

So far, Bortles has only five games in his career without an interception, two of which have come this year. On the opposite end, Jameis Winston has only one game without an interception and two games with multiple interceptions. Expect an ugly game, and good luck figuring out which side is uglier.

Other Defense (D/ST) Options: New York Giants - 12% owned

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dylan Larkin7 mins ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Kaiden Guhle15 mins ago

Leads Montreal To Playoff-Clinching Victory
Connor Hellebuyck18 mins ago

Stops 30 Shots On Wednesday
Jason Robertson25 mins ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Lawrence Butler4 hours ago

Swipes Two Bags On Wednesday
Nick Pivetta4 hours ago

Continues To Impress In Third Win
Mitchell Parker4 hours ago

Turns In Fourth Quality Start
Bailey Falter5 hours ago

Tosses Gem Against Nationals
Michael Toglia5 hours ago

Smacks Grand Slam Wednesday
Bryce Harper5 hours ago

Homers, Reaches Base Four Times
Corey Seager5 hours ago

Has Another Multi-Hit Game
Jung Hoo Lee5 hours ago

Fills Up Stat Sheet Wednesday
Mason Miller6 hours ago

Records Fifth Save
Brandon Pfaadt6 hours ago

Earns Win In Solid Outing
Jackson Holliday6 hours ago

Launches Grand Slam
Oneil Cruz6 hours ago

Blasts Grand Slam
Bryce Miller6 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight
Tennessee Titans6 hours ago

Titans Have Become Sold On Cam Ward
Cal Raleigh6 hours ago

Goes Deep Twice
7 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders' Draft Stock Has Fallen
7 hours ago

Jaxson Dart A Lock To Be A First-Round Pick?
Las Vegas Raiders7 hours ago

Kolton Miller Sitting Out Offseason Program As He Seeks Extension
Chicago Bears7 hours ago

Bears Sign T.J. Edwards To Two-Year Extension
Eury Pérez7 hours ago

Eury Perez A Month Away From Rehab Assignment
Michael Soroka8 hours ago

Throws Simulated Game On Wednesday
Javier Assad8 hours ago

Goes 3 1/3 Innings In First Rehab Start
Mike Clevinger8 hours ago

White Sox Designate Mike Clevinger For Assignment
Jake Cousins8 hours ago

"A Couple Of Weeks" From Throwing Live Batting Practice
Jonathan Loáisiga8 hours ago

Jonathan Loaisiga Nearing Rehab Assignment
Luis Gil8 hours ago

Throwing Program Pushed Back
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Available On Wednesday Night
Ja Morant10 hours ago

Says He'll Play On Friday Night
Kevin Durant10 hours ago

Rockets Have "Level Of Mutual Interest"
Lucas Glover11 hours ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Stuart Skinner11 hours ago

Starts Against Sharks Wednesday
Ondrej Palat11 hours ago

Out On Wednesday
Timo Meier11 hours ago

Exits Devils Lineup Wednesday
Nico Hischier11 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Night
Jesper Bratt11 hours ago

Sits Out Regular-Season Finale
Luke Hughes12 hours ago

Won't Play Against Red Wings
Dougie Hamilton12 hours ago

Returns To Action Wednesday
Sebastian Aho12 hours ago

Resting On Wednesday
Kevin Love12 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday
Nikola Jović12 hours ago

Nikola Jovic Won't Play Against Bulls
Pelle Larsson12 hours ago

Ready To Return On Wednesday
Dalen Terry12 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Lonzo Ball13 hours ago

Remains Out Against Heat
Josh Giddey13 hours ago

Officially Available Wednesday
Elvis Merzlikins13 hours ago

To Sit Out Regular-Season Finale
Adam Lowry13 hours ago

Available Against Ducks
Josh Morrissey13 hours ago

Returns To Jets Lineup Wednesday
Gabriel Vilardi13 hours ago

To Miss Regular-Season Finale
Tyler Seguin13 hours ago

On Track To Return Wednesday
Kris Letang13 hours ago

Has Surgery To Close Hole In Heart
Connor McDavid14 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
14 hours ago

Trevor Etienne Visiting With Patriots On Wednesday
Daniel Berger15 hours ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka15 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
15 hours ago

Colston Loveland To Be Top-15 Draft Pick?
Baltimore Ravens15 hours ago

Ravens Have Spent Significant Time Scouting Kickers
15 hours ago

Isaiah Bond Files Federal Complaint Against Accuser
Logan Woodside15 hours ago

Bengals Bring Logan Woodside Back
New York Giants15 hours ago

Giants Not Adamant On Drafting A Quarterback
Chicago Bears17 hours ago

Shemar Stewart Visits With Bears
17 hours ago

Kyle McCord Being Undervalued?
17 hours ago

Tyler Shough A Potential First-Round Pick?
18 hours ago

Broncos Visiting With TreVeyon Henderson On Wednesday
New York Giants18 hours ago

Giants Not Opposed To Using Travis Hunter On Both Sides Of The Ball
Justin Thomas19 hours ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele19 hours ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy20 hours ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry20 hours ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Tre Jones21 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Kevin Love21 hours ago

Could Return To Action Wednesday
Pelle Larsson21 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Nikola Jović21 hours ago

Nikola Jovic Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Alec Burks21 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Brandon Williams21 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday
Will Zalatoris21 hours ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Malik Monk21 hours ago

Unavailable For Play-In Tournament
Dereck Lively II21 hours ago

Returns To Action Wednesday
P.J. Washington22 hours ago

Available Against Kings
Klay Thompson22 hours ago

Good To Go Wednesday
Andrew Wiggins22 hours ago

Available For Wednesday's Play-In Action
Tyler Herro22 hours ago

Removed From Injury Report
Gary Woodland22 hours ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns22 hours ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala22 hours ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai23 hours ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre23 hours ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge23 hours ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap23 hours ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley23 hours ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Boldy24 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Pavel Buchnevich1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Two Helpers
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth1 day ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa1 day ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
John FitzPatrick1 day ago

Re-Signs With Green Bay
Cleveland Browns1 day ago

Julian Okwara Signs With Cleveland
Green Bay Packers2 days ago

Packers Remain Committed To Trading Jaire Alexander, Have Received Interest
Mark Andrews2 days ago

Ravens Non-Committal On Mark Andrews' Status With Team
2 days ago

Giants Holding Private Workouts For Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough
Alexander Volkanovski2 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett2 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler2 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA2 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva2 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes2 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Austin Dillon3 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
William Byron3 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
William Byron3 days ago

Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Will Compete For The Win At Bristol
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is One Of The More Favorable DFS Options Available For Bristol
William Byron4 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Option For Bristol Lineups
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Could Tyler Reddick Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Bristol?
NASCAR4 days ago

Is Bubba Wallace Worth Rostering For Bristol This Week?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Could Ross Chastain Be A Worthy DFS Choice For Bristol?
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Bristol DFS Lineups?
NASCAR4 days ago

Should Fantasy Managers Avoid Rostering A.J. Allmendinger In DFS For Bristol?
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Is Ryan Preece Worth Rostering For Bristol Lineups?
Austin Dillon4 days ago

May Be One Of The Top Value Options For Bristol DFS This Week
Noah Gragson4 days ago

Should DFS Players Consider Noah Gragson For Bristol Lineups?
Riley Herbst4 days ago

Is In Play For Bristol DFS Lineups
Diego Lopes6 days ago

Can Become New UFC Featherweight Champion
Alexander Volkanovski6 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Featherweight Title
Paddy Pimblett6 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler6 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
MMA6 days ago

Patricio Freire Set For His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jean Silva6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC 314
Bryce Mitchell6 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dominick Reyes6 days ago

Set To Open Up UFC 314 Main Card
Nikita Krylov6 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF