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Anthony breaks down his must add fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.
RotoBaller analyst Anthony Aniano drops his top 2025 fantasy football Week 5 waiver wire pickups for RB, WR, TE, and QB. This week's top picks include a rookie running back who has taken over his backfield and two wide receivers who appear to have secured the WR1 role in their respective offenses.
This week's must-add fantasy football free agents -- potential waiver wire winners heading into Week 5 for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. Win more in 2025 with RotoBaller!
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2025 Fantasy Football: Week 5 Waiver Wire Adds
Anthony Aniano drops his top adds for Week 5 of the 2025 fantasy football season:
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Week 5 Waiver Wire Outlooks
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
After losing their first three games of the season, the New York Giants decided to turn to their first-round pick, Jaxson Dart, to lead the offense. In his NFL debut, Dart faced a tall task, lining up against the 3-0 Los Angeles Chargers. Despite this, he was able to lead them to the first victory of the season.
In this contest, Dart went 13-for-20 with 111 passing yards and a score. However, he flashed elite fantasy upside with his legs, totaling 54 yards and an additional touchdown on 10 attempts.
While Dart's ceiling will not be as high as the Giants lost their top WR, Malik Nabers (knee), to a season-ending injury, given his rushing upside, Dart carries low-end QB1 upside in a Week 5 title game against the struggling New Orleans Saints.
Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
Woody Marks saw his opportunities slowly climb over the first three games of the season, but he still sat behind the presumed starter, Nick Chubb. However, in their Week 4 victory over the Tennessee Titans, their roles were dramatically shifted. In this game, Marks was given the lead role as he took 17 carries for 69 yards and a score. Through the air, he caught four of his five targets for 40 yards and his second touchdown.
This is worth noting as Chubb took only 13 carries and saw only two targets through the air.
While the Texans will likely still involve Chubb in their game plan and adopt a 1A/1B committee approach, given the upside Marks flashed last weekend, he appears to have claimed the top spot. The fourth-round rookie is a must-add in all formats as he could eventually become Houston's clear three-down running back.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
With Jayden Reed (collarbone) sidelined indefinitely and rookie Mathew Golden sitting, Romeo Doubs has taken control of the WR1 role in the offense. During their 40-40 tie to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend, Doubs enjoyed a career game. The lead wide receiver in Green Bay caught six of his eight targets for 58 yards and three touchdowns.
Throughout four games, Doubs has found the back of the end zone four times, tallying 179 yards and accounting for 17.3% of the team's targets. While Golden could eventually see his role increase and Christian Watson (knee) figures to have a role once he returns from IR, for the time being, Doubs should continue to lead the team in targets.
He carries high-end FLEX upside in a Week 6 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals (Packers are off in Week 5).
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
With Nabers being shut down for the remainder of the season, Darius Slayton could be poised to carve out a lead role in the offense. While Wan'Dale Robinson also figures to see a high target share, Slayton was more productive in Dart's first start, which is a promising sign.
In this contest, Slayton led the team in yards, catching three of his four targets for 44 yards. Robinson saw five targets, but was only able to catch three of four for a mere 14 yards. Slayton will see most of his opportunities downfield, which will raise his ceiling, while Robinson will remain the team's primary slot option and carry a safer floor.
If looking for an upside wide receiver who could emerge as a must-start FLEX option, target Slayton.
Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins
After missing the first three games of the season due to a ligament injury, the veteran tight end wasted little time making an impact in Miami. During his first NFL game in two years, Waller caught three of his four targets for 27 yards and two touchdowns. Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa consistently looked his way in the red zone, which is a great sign of his outlook.
In addition, the Dolphins lost their top pass catcher, Tyreek Hill, to a season-ending knee injury, which could open up even more targets for Waller. While he has not entered must-start stats yet, Waller is a top target if you need a tight end, as he could eventually become the team's No. 2 pass catcher alongside Jaylen Waddle.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, Jaxson Dart, Kenneth Gainwell, Darius Slayton, Woody Marks, Tyquan Thornton, Isaiah Bond, Dalton Schultz, Romeo Doubs, Darren Waller. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, Jaxson Dart, Kenneth Gainwell, Darius Slayton, Woody Marks, Tyquan Thornton, Isaiah Bond, Dalton Schultz, Romeo Doubs, Darren Waller. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, Jaxson Dart, Kenneth Gainwell, Darius Slayton, Woody Marks, Tyquan Thornton, Isaiah Bond, Dalton Schultz, Romeo Doubs, Darren Waller:
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