TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 5 Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups: Standard Leagues

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome to my deeper standard league sleepers column for Week 5 of the NFL season. In this weekly article we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for standard leagues, who could help out your team in this upcoming week.

For reference's sake, we are looking at standard scoring leagues and will be using ownership percentage data from Fleaflicker. In order to qualify as a deep sleeper, a player must be 20% owned or less.

Let's get to the picks!

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about more Week 5 waiver wire recommendations, for all other positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

 

Quarterback

Paxton Lynch (DEN) vs. Atlanta Falcons
(Ownership: 12%)

While we are still unsure about Trevor Siemian's status heading into Week 5, early reports are that he suffered an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. If Siemian is not ready to suit up in Week 5, rookie Paxton Lynch can be expected to make his first career start. Lynch looked good against the Buccaneers in Week 4, zipping passes around and field and showing nice mobility on several plays.

Lynch would draw a favorable matchup for his first career start as he is set to take on a Falcons pass defense that ranks just 31st in the league in DVOA according to Football Outsiders (through Week 3). Add in the talented duo of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who can make any quarterback look good, and you have a decent option as a QB2 in deep leagues.

 

Running Back

Kenjon Barner (PHI) @ Detroit Lions
(Ownership: 5%)

This play is mostly dependent on Ryan Mathews' status heading into Week 5, but either way, Barner makes for an interesting deep-league sleeper. The fourth-year back has shown some explosiveness in his limited work this season, averaging 6.1 yards per carry on his 14 touches. If Mathews can't play, Barner would likely split work with Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. Smallwood himself was another consideration for this space, but he is 21% owned, just missing the cutoff for this column (arbitrary cutoff number aside, you should still consider Smallwood as a deep sleeper this week).

The Lions' defense is shaping up as one of the worst in the league, ranking 27th in run defense DVOA (through Week 3) and allowing 100-yard games to opposing running backs in two straight weeks. Barner's unknown workload makes him the definition of boom/bust, but when searching for deep sleepers, that is the kind of player to target.

 

Wide Receiver

Robert Woods (BUF) @ Los Angeles Rams
(Ownership: 14%)

Woods finished Week 4 as Buffalo's leading receiver, pulling in seven catches for 89 yards against the Patriots. With Sammy Watkins sidelined indefinitely, look for Woods to remain an integral part of the Bills' passing game. With 18 targets over the past two games, it appears that Woods has become Tyrod Taylor's new favorite target in Buffalo.

A matchup against the Rams should lead to another strong showing for Woods in Week 5. Los Angeles has been getting smoked by opposing teams' wide receivers over the past two weeks. They allowed Mike Evans to rack up 10 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 before coughing up 10 catches for 144 yards to John Brown on Sunday. While Woods isn't on the level of those two, this matchup still sets up nicely for him.

 

Tight End

Austin Hooper (ATL) @ Denver Broncos
(Ownership: 10%)

Hooper isn't seeing enough targets to be considered a safe play, but as far as deep sleeper options go at tight end, he's not a bad choice. The rookie tight end caught a 42-yard touchdown in Week 4 against the Panthers on his only target of the game.

The Broncos have a fearsome defense, but they have proven to be susceptible in the middle of the field over the past few seasons. With Atlanta's outside receiving threats likely to be locked up by the Broncos' tough cornerbacks, Matt Ryan could lean on his rookie tight end to keep the chains moving.

 

Defense/Special Teams

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
(Ownership: 18%)

The 49ers' defense finds itself in a favorable position for Week 5 as they have several factors working in their favor. It appears the Cardinals will be without Carson Palmer, who suffered a concussion in Week 4 and will be hard-pressed to get cleared in time for Thursday night's kickoff. If you remember two years back when Palmer tore his ACL, the Cardinals' offense did not look very good with Drew Stanton under center. Second, Thursday night games tend to be lower-scoring than usual, which doesn't help Arizona's outlook much. Lastly, San Francisco's defense might actually be sneaky good this season. Through Week 3, they are ranked as the ninth overall defense in DVOA according to Football Outsiders.


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Paul George

Resting Versus Charlotte
Joel Embiid

Won't Play on Monday Night
Kawhi Leonard

Will Face Brooklyn on Sunday
Norman Powell

is Cleared for Sunday's Contest
Kasparas Jakucionis

Upgraded to Available
Jalen Green

is Ruled Out for Sunday's Game
Aaron Wiggins

to Suit up on Sunday
Jose Alvarado

is Making his Return on Sunday
Trey Murphy III

is Available for Sunday's Game
Ja'Kobe Walter

is Returning on Sunday
Immanuel Quickley

is Cleared for Sunday's Game
Norman Powell

is Upgraded to Probable on Sunday
Davion Mitchell

is Downgraded to Out
Philipp Kurashev

Joins Sharks for Road Trip
Charle-Edouard D'Astous

Placed on Injured Reserve
William Nylander

Doesn't Have Timeline for Return
Teuvo Teravainen

Remains Out Sunday
David Kampf

Scratched on Sunday
Kris Letang

Expected to Return Sunday
Linus Ullmark

Dresses as Backup Sunday
Matthew Stafford

Plans to Return in 2026
Jonathan Kuminga

is Dealing with Bone Bruise
Norman Powell

Holds Questionable Tag for Sunday
Davion Mitchell

Tagged as Doubtful for Sunday
Noah Clowney

is Downgraded to Out
Caris LeVert

Won't Suit up on Sunday
Cade Cunningham

is Available on Sunday
CFB

Arthur Smith to Become Ohio State's Offensive Coordinator
Zach LaVine

Iffy for Sunday Against Detroit
Bo Nix

Sidelined for 12 Weeks With Broken Ankle
Stephen Curry

De'Anthony Melton Could Sit Sunday vs. Minnesota
Jose Altuve

to Mainly Play Second Base
Nicolas Hague

Out Week-to-Week
Yu Darvish

Considering Retirement
Simon Edvinsson

Misses Second Straight Game
Alexandre Texier

Cleared for Original Six Matchup
Anze Kopitar

Still Out Saturday
Drew Doughty

Set to Rejoin Kings Lineup Saturday
Matt Boldy

Expected to Return Saturday Night
Brad Marchand

Available Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Finalizing Deal to Make Mike McCarthy Their Head Coach
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Signs Seven-Year Extension With Guardians
Gunnar Henderson

is Fully Healthy Heading into Spring Training
Bo Horvat

Rejoining Islanders Lineup Saturday
Dylan Holloway

Out Friday
Ross Colton

Won't Play Friday
Filip Chytil

Ready to End Three-Month Absence
Mason McTavish

Misses Second Straight Game Friday
Anthony Stolarz

Returns to Action Friday
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Available Friday
Tyreek Hill

Dolphins Expected to Release Tyreek Hill
Paddy Pimblett

Set For Interim Lightweight Title Fight
Justin Gaethje

An Underdog At UFC 324
Song Yadong

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Sean O'Malley Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Derrick Lewis

Returns At UFC 324
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Philip Rivers

Interviewing for Bills Head-Coaching Job
NFL

Fernando Mendoza Officially Declares for NFL Draft
CFB

Arch Manning Undergoes Foot Surgery
Dalton Kincaid

Played Through Torn PCL
CFB

College Football Playoff Expected to Remain a 12-Team Field in 2026
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as Their Head Coach
Indianapolis Colts

FBI Investigating the Death of Colts Owner Jim Irsay
MacKenzie Gore

Rangers Acquire MacKenzie Gore From the Nationals
Brandon Sproat

Dealt to Brewers in Four-Player Trade
Jett Williams

Brewers Acquire Jett Williams From Mets
Freddy Peralta

Mets Acquire Freddy Peralta From Brewers
Kyle Tucker

Expected to Bat Second or Third in Dodgers' Lineup
Brandon Aiyuk

has "Played his Last Snap as a Niner"
Cody Bellinger

Signs Five-Year, $162.5 Million Contract With Yankees
Adam Scott

Looks to Overcome Putting Woes at American Express
Billy Horschel

Looking to Rebound at The American Express
Josh Allen

Might Need Foot Surgery
Russell Henley

Looks to Build on Strong Start at The American Express
Jason Day

Looking to Start 2026 Strong at The American Express
Wyndham Clark

Looking to Regain Form at The American Express
Sam Burns

Looks to Continue Success at The American Express
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looking to Build on Strong Fall in Season Debut
Kurt Kitayama

Hopes To Continue Strong Start to 2026 Season at American Express
CFB

Princewill Umanmielen Expected to Sign with LSU
Scottie Scheffler

Returns To American Express After Missing Last Year's Edition
Robert MacIntyre

Keeps Momentum Rolling Heading Into American Express
Brian Harman

Can Challenge at American Express if His Putter Stays Hot
Ben Griffin

Outstanding Form Continues Heading Into American Express
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Following Outstanding Finish to 2025 Season
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Get a Jump Start on His 2026 Season
Blades Brown

Set to Make First PGA Tour Appearance of 2026
Kevin Roy

Has Some Confidence Heading to Southern California
Min Woo Lee

Poised to Make Bigger Impact in 2026
Max Homa

Needs a Better Start for 2026
Tony Finau

Trying to Reverse Disturbing Trend
Cam Davis

Aims for More Accuracy at American Express
Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuna Sent to White Sox in Trade
Luis Robert Jr.

Mets Acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel Expected to Become Chargers Offensive Coordinator
Carlos Beltran

Andruw Jones Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Expected to Land at Georgia Tech
Malik Nabers

Giants Hope Malik Nabers Will be Back for Start of Training Camp
CFB

Duke Suing Quarterback Darian Mensah
Cam Skattebo

Should be Ready by OTAs
George Kittle

Expects to Return "Well Before November"
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Entering Transfer Portal
Mookie Betts

Plans to Retire at the End of his Current Contract
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP