Waiver Targets 5.25

Your weekly roadmap to the wire. Each Tuesday, Tony Kneepkens highlights the top adds across positions — complete with FAAB recommendations and context to help you prioritize based on your league size and format.

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening). Priorities and FAAB recommendations are meant to differentiate between some of the options available and are assuming 12-team, single-QB, fantasy formats.

It’s the second week in a row with a high-priority RB to consider adding from waivers and now we have an exciting young QB with a possible rushing-oriented fantasy profile to consider as well. There are several players who might be afforded more opportunities in the wake of injuries to star WRs Malik Nabers and Tyreek Hill, as well as several familiar RB names to consider as we head into the first week of byes.

Week 5 teams on bye: Bears, Falcons, Packers, Steelers

QB Pickup of the Week

Jaxson Dart, NYG, Week 5 at NO

• Dart added some life to the Giants’ offense in his first career start, passing for 111 yards and a TD and adding a fantasy-friendly 10-54-1 rushing line in the teams’ first victory of the season. New York, unfortunately, lost second-year superstar WR Malik Nabers for the season to a knee injury in the win.
• Medium-priority add. The team had already announced Dart as their starter for the rest of the season but it was encouraging to see him perform well and look like a difference-maker with his legs. He’s the best widely-available QB pickup for me this week and I have no problem plugging him into my lineup at the Saints, if necessary.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority QBs to consider ::

• J.J. McCarthy (MIN) – He is no lock to play this week in a brutal matchup in Europe against the Browns, then the Vikings are on bye in Week 6. McCarthy has some rushing upside and incredible receiving options to pass to. Other than Dart, he’s my favorite widely available option if you’re looking for QB upside to cover a bye or play matchups later in the season.
• Bryce Young (CAR) – After Dart, Young would be the target for managers needing short-term QB help with home games against the generous Dolphins and Cowboys defenses coming up the next two weeks.

RB Pickups

Woody Marks, HOU, Week 5 at BAL

• Marks, a rookie fourth-round draft pick, had a breakout performance in Week 4 with 119 scrimmage yards. He had a rushing TD and caught another TD. He had more rushing attempts and targets last week than he had in the first three games combined and was afforded 22 of the teams’ 37 RB opportunities (59%) in their blowout win over the Titans. Veteran RB Nick Chubb has handled a pretty steady role all season, settling in with low-double-digit touches in four straight weeks. 
• High-priority add. Marks is an ascending rookie who has been one of the team’s few bright spots on offense this year. Woody may have already passed his veteran teammate on the depth chart. Even if Chubb maintains a slight majority of the work, it would seem logical for Marks to handle plenty of the valuable two-minute and receiving back snaps moving forward, with upside for more work than that if Chubb struggles or misses time.
• 20 – 40% of FAAB.

Blake Corum, LAR, Week 5 vs SF (TNF)

• Corum handled nine of 22 RB carries and half of the teams’ eight RB targets in their Week 4 win over the Colts. He has been afforded an increasing number of RB opportunities in each game of the season (2 > 5 > 8 > 13) as the team’s primary backup to starting RB Kyren Williams.
• Medium-priority add. Corum remains my favorite of the widely available backup/handcuff RB options to stash on benches. The team appears comfortable utilizing him in any game scenario and he would likely be afforded one of the best RB roles in the league if Williams were to miss any games.
• 10 – 20% of FAAB.

Ollie Gordon II, MIA, Week 5 at CAR

• Ollie has a legitimate role, including short-yardage and goal line situations, for the Dolphins to complement their star third-year RB DeVon Achane. He remains on waivers in the majority of leagues despite scoring a TD in Week 3 in a game he handled 43% of the teams’ RB carries.
• Medium-priority add. Miami has been pretty intentional about featuring another RB alongside Achane and Ollie looks like a natural complement. Gordon is a great bench stash for his combination of an existing role and contingent upside as a primary backup RB.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Kendre Miller, NO, Week 5 vs NYG

• Miller turned a season-high 11 carries into 65 yards and a TD in the Saints’ loss to the Bills. The third-year back has seen his touches increase each game of the season and looked awesome at times this past week, most notably on his tackle-breaking 18-yard TD run.
• Medium-priority add. Despite playing in his third season, Miller is younger than a handful of RBs drafted in this year’s class (Harvey, Tuten, Skattebo, Marks, JCM, to name a handful). The young RB appears to be gaining the trust of his new coaching staff and fits what we’re looking for in a fantasy bench-stash. He has an existing role and huge contingent upside on a fast-paced, if low-scoring, Saints offense.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Tyjae Spears, TEN, Week 5 at AZ

• Spears is set to begin practicing after his ankle sprain and could be activated from short-term IR as soon as this week. Tony Pollard has 68 of the team’s 73 RB carries this year for a 261-1 line and 3.8 yards per carry. 
• Low-to-medium priority add. Pollard is honestly performing admirably on an otherwise terrible offense but Spears will still be a welcome addition to a team starving for playmakers. He can be stashed in the hopes that Cam Ward and the passing offense start to find some success as the season progresses.
• 10% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority RB adds to consider ::