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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire pickups and fantasy football sleepers for Week 5. His top free agent options for 14-team fantasy leagues or deeper.
Bye weeks are set to begin in Week 5, so the Buccaneers, Browns, Chargers, and Seahawks are out of action. Now, the waiver wire process can be more geared toward identifying one-week streamers, rather than just picking up players who could help you at some point in the year. In deep leagues, the waiver wire is becoming ultra-thin, so most players with real season-long or weekly value are already rostered.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 5 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk pickups like Romeo Doubs and Joshua Palmer in this article.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 5, including Joshua Dobbs, Jaleel McLaughlin, Jeff Wilson Jr., Marvin Mims Jr., Allen Lazard, and more.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Elijah Mitchell was ruled out of the Week 4 game with a knee injury, but it's not expected to keep him out long. Mitchell is still the primary handcuff to superstar Christian McCaffrey. CMC has held up through his heavy workload this season, but that could change at any time. Mitchell has RB1 upside if he starts any game this year.
Jaleel McLaughlin handled 10 touches against the Bears in a game that saw Javonte Williams (hip) leave early. He rushed seven times for 72 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards and a score in the favorable matchup. Denver won't get to play the lowly Chicago defense every week, but McLaughlin might be the most explosive RB on their roster.
Rico Dowdle looks to have suffered a minor hip injury, but he's still worth stashing as Tony Pollard's direct backup. If the injury is deemed to be more severe than expected, rookie Deuce Vaughn might see additional touches.
Roschon Johnson totaled just 15 yards on six touches against the Denver Broncos, despite the offensive explosion by the Bears. His stock is falling, but the rookie could see his role expand later in the season. Fantasy managers needing help at running back could continue to stash him.
Tyjae Spears has rushed 20 times for 122 yards (6.1 YPC) and caught 10 passes for 28 yards through four weeks of his career. He hasn't put up a big fantasy performance, but he clearly has juice as a runner and is worth stashing as the primary backup to the 29-year-old Derrick Henry.
Jeff Wilson Jr. could return in Week 5 after beginning the 2023 season on Injured Reserve. De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert have gone nuclear over the last two weeks, but Wilson could start to see touches as a part of a three-man committee.
Tank Bigsby is simply worth stashing because he'd likely see a full workhorse role if Travis Etienne has to miss any time this season.
Latavius Murray has 23 touches for 84 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He is the team's primary goal-line back and would have a ton of upside if James Cook has to miss a game or two.
Ronnie Rivers turned 11 touches into 57 yards against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. He isn't worth starting yet, but he's the RB2 in a Los Angeles Rams offense that loves to feature the running back.
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Marvin Mims Jr. leads the Broncos in receiving yards (242), despite ranking fifth in total targets. How much longer can Sean Payton keep him in a limited role? He could be a league-winning asset as soon as he's given the full-time nod.
Michael Gallup has posted 99 more yards than Brandin Cooks through the first four weeks of the season. At this point in their respective careers, Gallup could simply be the better wideout. The No. 2 wide receiver role in Dallas could yield plenty of fantasy points this season.
Allen Lazard caught all three of his targets for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs as Zach Wilson had his best day as a pro. Although we can't expect Wilson to continue to excel, the Jets face a horrid Broncos defense in Week 5. Lazard could be worth streaming.
Rashee Rice and Skyy Moore are not looking like consistent fantasy assets this season, but one of them should have a chance to boom against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. Minnesota allowed the third-most fantasy points to wideouts before a matchup with the lowly Carolina Panthers offense in Week 4.
Robert Woods has 31 targets this season, trailing only Nico Collins (32) among Texans. Although he hasn't produced a big spike week, he's worth adding on an offense that has been shockingly good. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is averaging over 300 passing yards per game and has yet to throw an interception.
Josh Downs saw a season-low three targets in Week 4. He'll face the Titans' defense in Week 5, which is strong against the run and weak against the pass. Downs looks to be ahead of Alec Pierce in the target pecking order already.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the only Tennessee wide receiver with a touchdown this season, and he has two of them. If Treylon Burks (knee) misses the Week 5 contest against the Indianapolis Colts, who have been a bottom-five team against fantasy wideouts, NWI can be utilized as a deep league desperation flex option.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Gerald Everett only saw two targets in the first game without Mike Williams (torn ACL). However, the tight end position is always scarce in fantasy football, so rostering one on a great offense is a good idea. The Chargers are on a Week 5 bye, so you can wait until next week to pick him up if you don't have the roster space.
Cade Otton is on a Week 5 bye, but in Week 6, he'll face the Detroit Lions, who have struggled mightily against the likes of Blake Bell, Noah Fant, and Kyle Pitts. Otton scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4, and the Baker Mayfield-led offense is looking good a month into the season.
Irv Smith Jr. has been sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring injury and the Bengals' offense looks horrible so far this season. However, if Joe Burrow can get healthy and turn things around, the former Alabama tight end should have upside.
Jonnu Smith leads the Atlanta Falcons in receiving yards (179) through four weeks. No, that's not a typo. For that reason, he's worth consideration -- at least in tight-end premium leagues.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues/2-QB Leagues
Joshua Dobbs has been incredible thus far considering his surroundings. Despite two tough matchups with the all-world defenses of Dallas and San Francisco, the longtime backup has completed over 70% of his passes for 814 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 141 yards and a score on the ground. Believe it or not, he's absolutely a fantasy-relevant quarterback in 2023. It remains to be seen if or when Kyler Murray (knee) will play this season.
Mitch Trubisky will start for the Steelers as long as Kenny Pickett is out. While Trubisky has had his fair share of struggles in his career, he does have a rushing upside. Based on how Pickett has played this year, it's not impossible for the former Bears' QB to look like an upgrade for the Steelers' offense.
Taylor Heinicke is Desmond Ridder's backup in Atlanta this season. Ridder has been ineffective through four games and could eventually be benched. If that happens, Heinicke would run an offense that features Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. There is an upside here in deep formats.
Jacoby Brissett is worth stashing simply because we've seen him be an effective NFL quarterback before, and Sam Howell could be yanked at some point this year if Washington's season goes south quickly.
Bailey Zappe could be the starter in New England sooner than later if Mac Jones (five touchdowns, four interceptions) continues to disappoint.
Mike White would be given the keys to the Dolphins' explosive offense if the oft-injured Tua Tagovailoa gets banged up this year. That makes him worth stashing in Superflex and two-QB leagues.
Jake Browning is Joe Burrow's backup. And Burrow has continued to struggle mightily through his calf injury. Could the Bengals shut down Burrow's season, at least temporarily at some point? Browning could be worth stashing just in case.
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