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Week 5 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Woody Marks, Kenneth Gainwell, Chris Rodriguez Jr. in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
During the fourth week of the NFL season, fantasy managers saw many running backs emerge as the top options in their receiving backfields. As a result, all three of these players will be highly sought after on the waiver wire
These running backs took over the backfields for several reasons, including a decline in the level of play or injuries to the presumed starter.
So, should fantasy managers add Marks, Gainwell, and Rodriguez in Week 5? Let's dive in and find out.
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Woody Marks Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 50% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in All Leagues
Woody Marks has been an intriguing stash candidate throughout the opening month of the season and finally took his long-awaited lead in the Houston backfield. During their Week 4 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Marks finally emerged as the team's top option.
In this contest, Marks took 17 carries for 69 yards and a score. Through the air, Marks added four receptions with 50 yards and an additional score (on five targets). He logged 58% of the snaps, which is a significant difference compared to Nick Chubb, who logged only 40% of the team's snaps.
Through the first three games, Marks was given just 12 carries. Seeing him now only overtake the starting job this weekend, but given a full starter's workload is an excellent sign for his rest of season value. Chubb has operated as the team's starter but has not been very productive, averaging just 4.0 YPC and only surpassing 50 rushing yards once (back in Week 1).
Given that Marks flashed elite efficiency both as a ball carrier and a pass catcher, he should be viewed as a top target on the waiver wire. He may have already claimed the starting job and, as a result, will carry solid RB2 upside in all matches going forward.
He is a priority target on the wide receiver and is worth spending at least 50% of your FAAB on.
Woody Marks Breaks Out, Scores Twice in Winhttps://t.co/3nPnL1GLEO
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 28, 2025
Kenneth Gainwell Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 40% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12-team leagues
While Marks was able to take the starring role through his level of play, Gainwell was left to carve out a larger role due to injury. While Jaylen Warren (knee) was initially expected to suit up in Dublin when the Steelers faced the Vikings, he was a late scratch due to his lingering knee injury. As a result, the Steelers turned to the veteran Gainwell to lead the backfield.
Gainwell did not disappoint as he was given a heavy workload during their victory. The former Eagle enjoyed a career game, taking 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Though the air, Gainwell caught all six of his targets for an additional 35 yards.
During this game, Gainwell was given full control of the lead role, seeing 77% of the team's snaps, while Rookie Kaleb Johnson was deployed as the clear No. 2, seeing just 21% of the snaps. Johnson was given only six carries and tallied a modest 22 yards.
While Warren will likely reclaim the starting job if he can return following their Week 6 bye, Gainwell is a worthwhile stash option as he has earned the trust of the coaching staff to occupy the No. 2 spot. In the first three games, Warren averaged 14.2 attempts per game with 4.0 targets per game and saw at least 59% of the snaps in two of his three games.
While Gainwell will not have the standalone value that Marks possesses, he is still worth adding in all 12-team formats ahead of Week 5.
Kenneth Gainwell to See Increased Role https://t.co/DgSo2qHWUX
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 28, 2025
Chris Rodriguez Jr. Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 25% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12-Team Leagues
The final player we will look at is Chris Rodriguez Jr. of the Washington Commanders. The Washington backfield has been one of the toughest to analyze through the penning month, given the revolving door nature of a running-back-by-committee. However, with Austin Ekeler suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 2, fantasy managers have begun to identify the potential top options in the offense.
Seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt gained the most hype during the offseason and has remained the favorite to lead the backfield. In Week 1, he dominated the backfield, logging 10 carries for 82 yards and a score. However, in his following three games, Croskey-Merritt would fail to hit the double-digit carry mark and saw his role decline.
This has allowed Jeremy McNichols and Rodriguez to take on a more prominent role. While McNichols appears to be the clear No. 3, Rodriguez is making a strong case to take the "1A" role from Croskey-Merritt. During their Week 3 victory over the Raiders, Rodriguez took 11 carries for 39 yards while Croskey-Merrit took only eight for 26 yards.
Then in Week 4, Rodriguez matched Croskey-Merritt's seven carries, but he was more efficient with them, totaling 59 yards, while the rookie tallied just 47.
While Croskey-Merritt will limit Rodriguez's upside on a weekly basis, he is gaining traction in this backfield and is slowly emerging as the top option. He is worth adding in all 12-team leagues ahead of Week 5 as he could see his role gradually increase throughout the campaign.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. in Line For Lead Back Duties on Sunday? https://t.co/UdcanZXrTU
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 26, 2025
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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