Fun fact: Week 4 is the point in the fantasy football season where current production becomes more predictive of rest-of-season production than preseason rankings. Of course, we still want to consider the context that has led to each player’s early-season stats.
But, as a general rule, we can trust what we’ve seen through four weeks more than what we expected to see before the season. With that in mind, here are the top early fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5.
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Early Week 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT) | 27.8% Rostered
In the least surprising event of all time, we had a surprise late scratch in the first European game of the season, as Jaylen Warren was ruled out late with a knee injury. In his absence, Kenneth Gainwell exploded for a huge game: 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus six catches for 35 receiving yards.
Of course, Warren could return as early as Week 6 (the Steelers are on bye in Week 5). While this performance was excellent, I don’t think it will be enough for Gainwell to steal the No. 1 RB job in Pittsburgh. With that said, he was already solidly involved even when Warren was available in Weeks 1-3. He’s not as high a priority as you might think, given his stat line, but he’s worth adding.
Woody Marks (RB – HOU) | 30.6% Rostered
Woody Marks has steadily marched his way up the pecking order in the Texans’ depth chart. In Week 1, the fourth-round rookie was fourth among the team’s backs in snaps. In Week 2, Dameon Pierce was a healthy scratch, so he moved up to third. In Week 3, Dare Ogunbowale didn’t play an offensive snap, so he moved up to second.
This week, Marks finished his climb up the depth chart by outsnapping Nick Chubb, 40 to 30. He made the most of his opportunities, finishing with 25.9 half-PPR points on 17 rushes and four receptions (he scored both a receiving and a rushing touchdown). Even if he didn’t have the big numbers, Marks would be a must-add as a rookie taking over as the lead back in his team’s offense. Given he also has the production, he is the top add of the week (so far).
Jaxson Dart (QB – NYG) | 25% Rostered
With a win in his first NFL start, Jaxson Dart is probably the story of the week. He certainly wasn’t perfect: He only threw for 111 yards. But he made some good plays through the air and, hugely importantly for his fantasy value, was constantly on the run. He finished with 54 rushing yards on 10 rush attempts (a mix of designed attempts and scrambles), as well as a rushing touchdown. This helped him to a very solid, near-20-point day.
Going forward, Dart isn’t in the QB1 conversation just yet. The rushing production is excellent, but you need at least some sort of passing floor to go with it. Dart’s chances of having that floor also go down if, as feared, star sophomore wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL. Without his alpha No. 1 WR, Dart’s passing production might hold back his fantasy status for the foreseeable future. But he’s still worth stashing in deeper formats, as his potential is massive if he eventually puts it all together.
Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG) | 43% Rostered
Let’s stick with the Giants. With Malik Nabers likely done for the season, Wan’Dale Robinson becomes New York’s de facto No. 1 WR. Robinson has already had a solid start to the season, including a massive performance in Week 2.
As long as Nabers is out, he is a potential Flex option, especially in leagues with any PPR scoring setting. In deeper formats, Darius Slayton (3% rostered) is also worth a look, as he should be the Giants’ primary outside receiver going forward.
Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC) | 59.8% Rostered
Quentin Johnston is above my usual threshold of 50% rostered, but it’s simply absurd that he is still available in over 40% of leagues. The third-year wideout was the half-PPR WR5 for the season coming into this week, and he had another huge day with eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
With Ladd McConkey struggling, Johnston genuinely seems to be the Chargers’ No. 1 WR. He should be rostered (and is startable) in all formats.
Kendre Miller (RB – NO) | 5.8% Rostered
Kendre Miller is still clearly behind Alvin Kamara in the New Orleans backfield. But the third-year back is seeing decent work, with at least five carries in every game. Today, he carried the ball 11 times for 65 yards and a touchdown. The Saints’ offense is playing fast, meaning a small share of their backfield is worth more than it would normally be.
With that said, Miller is still not startable while Kamara is healthy, outside of super-deep leagues. But he has value as the handcuff to the 30-year-old vet, plus upside if his role continues to expand. Those two factors combined make him worth adding in deeper formats.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
