Welcome to the Week 5 waiver wire watch!
Another weekend of action is in the books as we’re officially through the first month of the 2025 NFL season. Whether you won your fantasy league matchup or got absolutely smoked, you’re probably looking for ways to fortify your rosters ahead of next week. That’s where we come in.
We’ll go over some Week 4 WR performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 5. We’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in roughly 60% of leagues at maximum. Keep in mind that byes officially start this week, so you’ll have to put a little bit of extra thought into your lineup strategies in the coming weeks.
Week 5 byes: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (43%)
Robinson was quiet in New York’s surprise 21-18 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, catching just three of five targets for 14 yards. However, the Giants suffered a brutal loss during the game as star second-year wideout Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and is lost for the rest of the season.
With Nabers down, Robinson will presumably step in as WR1 for the G-Men and that boosts his value in fantasy. He has already outperformed his preseason ADP and exited Week 4 as a top-25 fantasy receiver despite being held in check for two straight weeks. Rookie starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is going to need reliable targets to lean on and Robinson will have to be that guy.
Week 5 matchup: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (31.3%)
Green Bay played the Dallas Cowboys to an unsatisfying 40-40 overtime tie on Sunday night and got a huge performance out of Doubs in the process. Six receptions for 58 yards and three touchdowns is what the fourth-year wideout produced, becoming the first receiver with a hat trick this season.
Doubs has been limited by the receiver committee nature of the Packers offense, but Sunday’s performance showed what it can look like when he’s fully locked in with Jordan Love in the red zone. The Pack are off on their bye this week, but it’s worth giving the wideout some waiver wire consideration.
Week 5 matchup: Bye week
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Dallas Cowboys (3.1%)
In that same game, Tolbert snagged one of the more ridiculous catches you will see all year to help set up a Dallas field goal in overtime. The Cowboys wideout also had himself a productive outing by reeling in four of six targets for 61 yards in the tie and he’s starting to get some more looks from Dak Prescott with CeeDee Lamb still sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
With George Pickens stepping up as the team’s WR1 for the time being, the door is open for Tolbert to get some easy grabs underneath while opposing secondaries lock in on Pickens. And with how bad the defense has been, the Cowboys may have to air it out in these games out of necessity and that definitely boosts Tolbert’s fantasy value.
Week 5 matchup: @ New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Tyquan Thornton, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (15.5%)
Kansas City is getting back on track with two straight victories and dominated the Baltimore Ravens in a 37-20 blowout win on Sunday. Xavier Worthy was the Chiefs’ leading receiver in his return from a shoulder injury, but Thornton still made his presence felt with an 11-yard touchdown grab in the hime victory.
Thee wideout held down the fort with both Worthy and Rashee Rice absent the weeks prior and he gained the trust of Patrick Mahomes as a deep-play threat for the offense. That trust carried over into Sunday’s outing as it marked his third straight game with a touchdown reception. Even with reinforcements arriving for KC’s offense, Thornton could still play a big role moving forward and is worthy of a waiver wire add.
Week 5 matchup: @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday night)
Luke McCaffrey, WR, Washington Commanders (1.1%)
Washington fell to the Atlanta Falcons 34-27 on Sunday, but it was another game where McCaffrey chipped in on offense. The second-year wideout caught two of three targets for 21 yards and a touchdown in the loss, marking the second-straight game where he’s found the endzone.
Many people including offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury were glowing about the wideout during training camp and it seems that he’s finally being incorporated into the offensive gameplan. The younger brother of Christian McCaffrey has caught both of his touchdowns from Marcus Mariota and we’ll see how he performs with the potential return of Jayden Daniels next week. If you’re willing to clear a spot on your bench, it could be worth it to take a cheap flyer on him.
Week 5 matchup: @ Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET
