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Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Woody Marks, Romeo Doubs, Darius Slayton, Kenneth Gainwell, Justice Hill, Kendre Miller

Kenneth Gainwell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Sleepers

Fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Top free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

Incredibly, Week 5 is already here as the 2025 NFL regular season continues to fly by. Injuries continue to pile up as New York Giants star wide receiver Malik Nabers is expected to miss the season after suffering a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Chargers. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more fantasy football advice to help replace Nabers and others with our updated Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Nick Mariano has ranked the top 80 free agent options to help you prioritize who to add off the waiver wire.

Several players still have low roster percentages and could have an immediate impact on fantasy teams in 2025. Is Woody Marks Houston's primary running back after rushing for 69 yards on 17 attempts and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 50 yards and an additional score against the Titans? Is Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, or Jalin Hyatt the Giants' No. 1 wide receiver with Nabers likely out for the season? Did Kenneth Gainwell earn more touches after racking up 134 total yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's win over Minnesota?

We have answers to these questions and will guide you with our top 80 fantasy football waiver wire pickups list for Week 5. Time to go make some moves, tweak your fantasy teams, and grab some waiver wire stashes. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Who To Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 5?

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 Pos. % Ros.  Baller Move
1 Woody Marks RB 31 Add in All Leagues
2 Rachaad White RB 41 Add in All Leagues
3 Kenneth Gainwell RB 23 Add in All Leagues
4 Wan'Dale Robinson WR 49 Add in All Leagues
5 Romeo Doubs WR 40 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
6 Kyle Pitts TE 66 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
7 Darius Slayton WR 2 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
8 Kendre Miller RB 5 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
9 Blake Corum RB 27 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
10 Bhayshul Tuten RB 64 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
11 Michael Carter RB 0 Add in 10+ Team Leagues
12 Elic Ayomanor WR 31 Add in 10+ Team PPR Leagues
13 Marquise Brown WR 44 Add in 10+ Team PPR Leagues
14 Tre Tucker WR 59 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
15 Christian Kirk WR 35 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
16 Ollie Gordon II RB 32 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
17 Troy Franklin WR 32 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
18 Josh Downs WR 52 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
19 Luther Burden III WR 15 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
20 Brian Robinson Jr. RB 50 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
21 Kareem Hunt RB 41 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
22 Brenton Strange TE 28 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
23 Harold Fannin Jr. TE 37 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
24 Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB 13 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
25 Malik Washington WR 4 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
26 Tyler Allgeier RB 35 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
27 Darren Waller TE 8 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
28 Isaiah Bond WR 0 Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues
29 KaVontae Turpin WR 15 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
30 Rico Dowdle RB 20 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
31 Jalen Tolbert WR 4 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
32 Tory Horton WR 8 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
33 Brashard Smith RB 2 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
34 Emari Demercado RB 4 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
35 Justice Hill RB 4 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
36 Kayshon Boutte WR 15 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
37 Marvin Mims Jr. WR 24 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
38 Sean Tucker RB 2 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
39 Dontayvion Wicks WR 3 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
40 Rashod Bateman WR 33 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
41 Isaiah Likely TE 16 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
42 Theo Johnson TE 5 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
43 Jeremy McNichols RB 7 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
44 Jaydon Blue RB 12 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
45 Sterling Shepard WR 3 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
46 Tyquan Thornton WR 31 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
47 Cole Kmet TE 3 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
48 Dalton Schultz TE 19 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
49 AJ Barner TE 1 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
50 Jayden Higgins WR 16 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
51 Luke McCaffrey WR 1 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
52 Oronde Gadsden TE 3 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
53 DeAndre Hopkins WR 14 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
54 Isaac TeSlaa WR 6 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
55 Adonai Mitchell WR 0 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
56 Jalen Coker WR 9 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
57 Kyle Monangai RB 9 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
58 Zavier Scott RB 1 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
59 Isaiah Davis RB 0 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
60 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR 3 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
61 Brandin Cooks WR 0 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
62 Antonio Gibson RB 1 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
63 Jaylin Lane WR 0 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
64 Jimmy Horn Jr. WR 0 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
65 Jake Tonges TE 2 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
66 Tez Johnson WR 0 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
67 Tutu Atwell WR 0 Add in 14+ Team PPR Leagues
68 AJ Dillon RB 0 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
69 Jaxson Dart QB 23 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
70 Matthew Stafford QB 43 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
71 C.J. Stroud QB 55 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
72 Sam Darnold QB 21 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
73 Trevor Lawrence QB 42 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
74 Tua Tagovailoa QB 24 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
75 Jake Browning QB 13 Add in 2QB Leagues
76 Carson Wentz QB 8 Add in 2QB Leagues
77 Cooper Rush QB 0 Add in 2QB Leagues
78 Spencer Rattler QB 3 Add in 2QB Leagues
79 Dillon Gabriel QB 1 Add in 2QB Leagues
80 Arizona Cardinals DST 17 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
81 Kansas City Chiefs DST 56 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
82 New York Giants DST 2 Add in 12+ Team Leagues
83 Seattle Seahawks DST 57 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
84 Indianapolis Colts DST 22 Add in 14+ Team Leagues
85 Cleveland Browns DST 8 Add in 14+ Team Leagues

 

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top names include Woody Marks, Kenneth Gainwell, Romeo Doubs, Justice Hill, and more.  We recap why these players rostered under 55% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar for Week 5.

Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings: 1

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks posted a huge game versus the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Marks has been watching his role increase each week, but got a huge opportunity this weekend. The rookie back rushed 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He wasn't finished there as he hauled in four of his five targets for 50 yards and another score.

This was an awesome performance by Marks, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect this every week. Marks figures to continue splitting up the backfield duties with Nick Chubb. The rookie back is certainly worth rostering after this performance, but his ceiling is currently limited.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings: 2

With Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (knee) inactive on Sunday, Kenneth Gainwell performed well in the lead role, putting up 134 total yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Minnesota Vikings. Crucially, Gainwell was a highly involved pass catcher who saw a team-high six targets, all of which he caught, for 35 yards.

He added 99 rushing yards on 19 carries and a pair of touchdowns, a well-rounded day for managers who made him a late addition to their starting lineups. But with Pittsburgh on a bye in Week 5 and Warren likely to be back, Gainwell will likely return to the No. 2 role when the Steelers are back in action.

Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings: 30

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill had three carries, 76 rushing yards, five catches, 41 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns during Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Baltimore lost by three possessions and also watched Lamar Jackson (hamstring) leave with an injury, so it's fair to say that Hill's big game was one of the lone bright spots. He probably won't be able to replicate his big outing next week, especially since one of his touchdowns came on a 71-yard rush in garbage time.

However, his general involvement and productivity indicate that he could still be in line for a larger role going forward. Hill played more than 50 percent of the snaps in Week 3 and has 11 catches over his last three games. Last season, he scored at least 11.5 fantasy points (PPR) in one-third of his contests. Moving forward, he should be viewed as a mid-to-low RB4 with RB3 upside in PPR leagues.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings: 4

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Doubs caught six of eight targets for 58 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys. The 25-year-old led the Packers in targets and exploded for three scores in Sunday's tie. Doubs has seen at least four targets in three of the last four games and topped 50 receiving yards for the second time this season.

Green Bay spreads the ball around and relies on the ground game to make Doubs a weekly option. However, with the recent solid production and his knack for finding the end zone, Doubs is a great pickup for fantasy managers who need receiving help or have just lost Nabers. The Packers have a bye in Week 5 but draw an excellent matchup the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rostered in only 39% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, Doubs should be on the fantasy radar, especially with the tasty matchup against the Bengals on tap.

 

Running Backs - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name Pos. % Ros.
Woody Marks RB 31
Rachaad White RB 41
Kenneth Gainwell RB 23
Kendre Miller RB 5
Blake Corum RB 27
Bhayshul Tuten RB 64
Michael Carter RB 0
Ollie Gordon II RB 32
Brian Robinson Jr. RB 50
Kareem Hunt RB 41
Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB 13
Tyler Allgeier RB 35
Rico Dowdle RB 20
Brashard Smith RB 2
Emari Demercado RB 4
Justice Hill RB 4
Sean Tucker RB 2
Jeremy McNichols RB 7
Jaydon Blue RB 12
Kyle Monangai RB 9
Zavier Scott RB 1
Isaiah Davis RB 0
Antonio Gibson RB 1
AJ Dillon RB 0

 

Wide Receivers - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name Pos. % Ros.
Wan'Dale Robinson WR 49
Romeo Doubs WR 40
Darius Slayton WR 2
Elic Ayomanor WR 31
Marquise Brown WR 44
Tre Tucker WR 59
Christian Kirk WR 35
Troy Franklin WR 32
Josh Downs WR 52
Luther Burden III WR 15
Malik Washington WR 4
Isaiah Bond WR 0
KaVontae Turpin WR 15
Jalen Tolbert WR 4
Tory Horton WR 8
Kayshon Boutte WR 15
Marvin Mims Jr. WR 24
Dontayvion Wicks WR 3
Rashod Bateman WR 33
Sterling Shepard WR 3
Tyquan Thornton WR 31
Jayden Higgins WR 16
Luke McCaffrey WR 1
DeAndre Hopkins WR 14
Isaac TeSlaa WR 6
Adonai Mitchell WR 0
Jalen Coker WR 9
JuJu Smith-Schuster WR 3
Brandin Cooks WR 0
Jaylin Lane WR 0
Jimmy Horn Jr. WR 0
Tez Johnson WR 0
Tutu Atwell WR 0

 

Tight Ends- Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Player Name Pos. % Ros.
Kyle Pitts TE 66
Brenton Strange TE 28
Harold Fannin Jr. TE 37
Darren Waller TE 8
Isaiah Likely TE 16
Theo Johnson TE 5
Cole Kmet TE 3
Dalton Schultz TE 19
AJ Barner TE 1
Oronde Gadsden TE 3
Jake Tonges TE 2

 

Quarterbacks - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 5:

Player Name Pos. % Ros.
Jaxson Dart QB 23
Matthew Stafford QB 43
C.J. Stroud QB 55
Sam Darnold QB 21
Trevor Lawrence QB 42
Tua Tagovailoa QB 24
Jake Browning QB 13
Carson Wentz QB 8
Cooper Rush QB 0
Spencer Rattler QB 3
Dillon Gabriel QB 1

 

Defenses (D/ST) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 5:

Player Name Pos. % Ros.
Arizona Cardinals DST 17
Kansas City Chiefs DST 56
New York Giants DST 2
Seattle Seahawks DST 57
Indianapolis Colts DST 22
Cleveland Browns DST 8

 

More Waiver Wire Articles

After diving into the Week 5 rankings, read about 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 Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers and more throughout the week.

More Waiver Wire Analysis



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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.




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