High-Upside Bench Stashes: Sneaky Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Before Week 5

Andy's must-have bench stashes and sneaky fantasy football waiver wire adds, sleepers ahead of Week 5 in 2025. Pick up these high-upside players before Week 5.

Hey RotoBallers! Week 4 taught us the importance of stashing upside players. We saw many high-end players suffer season-ending injuries, and even earlier this week, top players like Trey Benson (knee) were placed on the injured reserve.

As we approach Week 5, we will spotlight several players who have begun to carve out prominent roles in their respective offenses and could see their fantasy stock soar in the coming weeks. Get ahead of your league mates now and save your FAAB.

However, these suggestions are not meant to be your "one-week" replacement players. The vast majority of these players hold minimal standalone value but could become must-start players as soon as they receive a boost in the depth chart. All players suggested are available in at least 75% of all Yahoo! leagues. Let's dive in!

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Running Backs

Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8% rostered

With Bucky Irving dealing with a foot injury and seen with a boot and crutches earlier in the week, he is not expected to play in Week 5. In addition, his status could be in doubt for Week 6 per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. While Rachaad White is the likely candidate to take over RB1 duties, don't be afraid to take a flyer on Sean Tucker.

Sitting under 10% in all Yahoo! leagues, Tucker has an excellent opportunity to carve out a role, especially if Irving's injury lingers.

Through the first two games of the season, Tucker has had a minimal role, taking just one carry for two yards (back in Week 1). However, with Irving and White dominating the backfield, Tucker's role has been quite minimal, as expected.

However, in 2024, Tucker flashed when given opportunities and could be in store for a significant role in the near future. On 50 attempts, Tucker tallied 308 yards and two scores. Through the air, he caught 12 targets for 109 yards and a third touchdown. White has performed well this season, but he was very inefficient in the starter's role in 2023 and 2024, and could face similar regression if put in this role once again.

Given Irving's unknown timetable, Tucker is a priority stash this week. While Irving could return in Week 6, which would push Tucker back to a depth role, his upside would be immense if Irving were to hit the IR or miss an extended period.

Sean Tucker "Ready" for Larger Role https://t.co/aRnAHFEsBc

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 2, 2025

Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

5% rostered

My other running back is a repeat member of this column, but he is still widely available in standard leagues. This past weekend, Smith was finally given an opportunity in the crowded Kansas City backfield. After logging just 21 offensive snaps in Weeks 1 through 3, Smith was given 19 snaps in Week 4. He saw four carries and was targeted four times in the passing game.

While he totaled just nine yards on the ground, he caught three of his targets for 27 yards.

Given that Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco have continued to struggle, Smith could see how the workload gradually increases, as it did last weekend.

More importantly, he received the all-important stamp of approval from Head Coach Andy Reid earlier in the week. Reid noted that the team is actively trying to increase his opportunities and his workload in Week 4. This is true.

Similar to how Woody Marks just took over the backfield in Houston, this change could be much sooner than we expect. Another strong showing from Smith in Week 5 could put him in the lead role before the midway point of the campaign. Act accordingly.

"Matt Nagy is trying to increase (#Chiefs RB Brashard) Smith's reps every week & put him in a position where he can do some things" - Andy Reid

Snap %:
WK1: 13.8
WK2: 8.8
WK3: 10.4
WK4: 25.7

After giving up 92 rec yds to #49ers CMC, Jax may see more of the WR turned RB in wk 5 pic.twitter.com/SlnttXoim6

— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 🅓. ℍ𝕠𝕝𝕞𝕖𝕤 (@TravisDHolmes) October 2, 2025

Other RBs to Consider Stashing:

• Kyle Monangai CHI
• DJ Giddens IND
• Trevor Etienne CAR
• Isaiah Davis NYJ

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Wide Receivers

Isaiah Bond, Cleveland Browns

10% rostered

With Cedric Tillman (hamstring) hitting the IR, Isaiah Bond is slated to take over as the team's clear WR2 going forward. However, with the Browns turning to rookie Dillon Gabriel, Bond is still available in nearly 90% of leagues entering Week 5.

Bond joined the Browns later in the offseason as an undrafted rookie, as he had looming legal charges following an arrest back in April. Bond has suited up in all four of their games, but his role has seen a dramatic increase as of late.

In Weeks 1 and 2, the former Texans standout caught just two combined passes for 11 yards. However, in Week 3, he caught two of his four targets for 16 yards. Then last weekend, Bond enjoyed a "mini-breakout" catching three of his six targets for 58 yards.

Before his legal issue, Bond was projected to be an early Day 2 and potentially within the group of the first WRs selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. During his final season in Texas, Bond found the back of the end zone five times and posted an elite 15.9 YPR.

While Gabriel may take time to develop, given his elite speed, Bond could see his production soar with more opportunities. Their top wideout, Jerry Jeudy, has not been overly productive as well, which could even keep the door open for Bond to emerge as the "1B" in this WR room.

Isaiah Bond Sees Increased Workload https://t.co/0dnLd3mMtr

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 29, 2025

Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks

10% rostered

The other wide receiver I will spotlight this week is also a fellow rookie. However, unlike Bond, Horton has already begun to flash immense upside in Seattle and could be in the driver's seat to take over the No. 2 WR spot.

In Weeks 2 and 3, Horton caught five of his nine total targets for 64 yards and two touchdowns. While he had a disappointing showing in Week 4, catching just one pass for zero yards, he continued to see a similar snap share, sitting just behind Cooper Kupp.

However, Kupp has been far from impressive throughout the opening month and has yet to carve out a prominent role in the offense. Outside of his seven-catch effort in Week 2, Kupp has brought in just eight receptions for a mere 72 yards through Weeks 1, 3, and 4.

Seattle is providing Horton looks downfield, evident in his eye-catching 15.0 aDOT and 1.42 Air Yards per Snap. Seeing Sam Darnold look his way downfield is an excellent sign for his long-term outlook. He has a path to become this team's primary deep threat.

Other WRs to Consider Stashing:

• Luther Burden III, CHI
• Malik Washington MIA
• Jalen Coker CAR
• Luke McCaffrey WSH

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Tight Ends

Theo Johnson, New York Giants

5% rostered

While many of your leagues likely ran on the waiver wire to pick up Darius Slayton once Malik Nabers (knee) went down for the season, do not sleep on right end Theo Johnson. In Dart's first career start, Johnson actually tied Wan'Dale Robinson for the team lead in targets. Johnson also caught Dart's first TD pas of his career and finished his day with a three-catch 17-yard performance (on five targets).

In Weeks 1 through 3, Johnson caught just six of his 10 targets for a modest 49 yards.

However, with Nabers out of the picture, the rookie QB could look Johnson's way quite often as he did in his debut. With the open targets, Johnson is a priority stash for those looking for help at the tight end position.

Other TEs to Consider Stashing:

• Oronde Gadsden LAC
• Isaiah Likely BAL

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Quarterbacks

Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

5% rostered

The final player we will look at is for superflex formats. While Rattler's statistics have not been overwhelming, he has surprisingly attempted the fifth-most passes this season, which bodes well for his fantasy value.

While he did see his lowest passing yards of the season in Week 4 (attempting only 27 passes), he did have his most productive day as a rusher, which should keep his production relatively stable. Facing the Bills, Rattler took six carries for a season-high 49 yards.

Overall, he has averaged a modest 17.1 PPR points per game. However, if his passing volume can remain high, Rattler could continue to develop in the Kellen Moore system and possess solid QB2 upside, thanks to his added rushing ability. With Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed leading his WR room, Rattler has the potential to push for high-end QB2 status by the end of the season, given his massive workload.

Other QBs to Consider Stashing:

• Jake Browning CIN
• Dillon Gabriel CLE

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