Fantasy football last-minute pickups for Week 5: Jaxson Dart, Brenton Strange among top options
At various points during the fantasy football season, injuries, bye weeks and breaking news can cause you to need reinforcements for your fantasy lineup. Every Friday throughout the 2025 NFL season, Matt Bowen will offer up some late-week pickup options to help fill those holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues.
Fantasy Football Insights
Need a boom-or-bust candidate for your fantasy football matchup? Here are some player outlooks, with help from AI-generated insights provided by IBM .
Kyler Murray against the Titans is one of the higher QB ceilings in Week 5, with a 26.6 FPTS high-end projection that ranks fifth-best at the position. He also has a 27% chance of booming above his projection.
This is a week to steer clear of Bo Nix, whose Broncos face the defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia. He has a low-end projection of 9.8 FPTS, with a 27% chance of busting beneath that number.
In a game that’s likely to be high-scoring, Javonte Williams has one of his position’s best ceilings. His 20.6 FPTS high-end projection is fifth-highest among RBs, and his 28% chance to boom beyond it is the most among clear starters.
Jordan Mason is the week’s greatest bust risk among RBs (28%), matching Quinshon Judkins’, and he has a low-end projection of 7.7 FPTS for the Browns’ overseas game against the Vikings.
The Saints’ advantageous matchup against the Giants elevates Chris Olave’s ceiling, as he has a 21.9 FPTS high-end projection that ranks sixth among WRs. He also has a 25.7% chance to boom beyond that.
Sam LaPorta has a 12.4 FPTS high end projection, as well as a 28% chance to boom above that projection, the latter the highest rate among TEs.
Because of that, this column will focus mostly on players rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.
With Jordan Love and Caleb Williams on byes this week, we’ll start at the quarterback position, where I have two signal-callers ready to be picked up for the Week 5 slate of games. There’s also a group of wide receivers to discuss, along with two potential replacements in Arizona at running back for injured Trey Benson. And we’ll wrap this up with multiple tight end options, plus an available defense that can hit the quarterback.
Quarterbacks
Jaxson Dart scored 58% of his fantasy points with his legs in his first NFL start last week. AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (36.6% rostered; at Saints)
Dart’s ability to produce as a runner — on both designed carries and scramble attempts — moves him up the Week 5 ranks against a Saints defense giving up 20.6 fantasy PPG (fifth most) to opposing quarterbacks. Dart threw for only 111 yards and a score in last week’s win over the Chargers, and we know that star wide receiver Malik Nabers is down for the season (ACL). But Dart finished with 54 yards rushing on 10 carries, adding a touchdown on a scripted draw scheme. Let’s lean on Dart’s mobility this Sunday, where he can distribute the ball as a passer to Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton and look for running back Cam Skattebo as an underneath outlet.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (12.9% rostered; vs. Buccaneers)
It has been really quiet on Darnold, but he has averaged 16.2 PPG over his past three starts, with multiple touchdown throws in two. Now, Todd Bowles’ defense has generated a pressure rate of 35.7% this season (seventh highest), which does give me some pause. The Bucs will speed up Darnold’s internal clock Sunday. But he has the mobility to extend plays (if needed), and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will set up his quarterback on shot-play throws. If you play in a deeper league, Darnold is worth a flier.
Wide receivers
Fantasy Football Insights
Need a boom-or-bust candidate for your fantasy football matchup? Here are some player outlooks, with help from AI-generated insights provided by IBM .
Kyler Murray against the Titans is one of the higher QB ceilings in Week 5, with a 26.6 FPTS high-end projection that ranks fifth-best at the position. He also has a 27% chance of booming above his projection.
This is a week to steer clear of Bo Nix, whose Broncos face the defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia. He has a low-end projection of 9.8 FPTS, with a 27% chance of busting beneath that number.
In a game that’s likely to be high-scoring, Javonte Williams has one of his position’s best ceilings. His 20.6 FPTS high-end projection is fifth-highest among RBs, and his 28% chance to boom beyond it is the most among clear starters.
Jordan Mason is the week’s greatest bust risk among RBs (28%), matching Quinshon Judkins’, and he has a low-end projection of 7.7 FPTS for the Browns’ overseas game against the Vikings.
The Saints’ advantageous matchup against the Giants elevates Chris Olave’s ceiling, as he has a 21.9 FPTS high-end projection that ranks sixth among WRs. He also has a 25.7% chance to boom beyond that.
Sam LaPorta has a 12.4 FPTS high end projection, as well as a 28% chance to boom above that projection, the latter the highest rate among TEs.
Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (16.0% rostered; at Panthers)
Tyreek Hill’s season-ending knee injury opens the door for Washington to see a bump in reps and overall usage. In Mike McDaniel’s offense, Washington has already been deployed as a motion/movement option, with at least two carries in each of his past three games — manufactured touches on screens, backfield alignments and more. Now, let’s get him more target volume in the route tree, especially on catch-and-run concepts. Washington fits as a deeper-league WR3/flex this week against the Panthers.
Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (42.3% rostered; at Eagles)
Franklin gets a Philly defense that ranks in the middle of the pack against opposing wide receivers, giving up 32.2 fantasy PPG. Franklin has had at least eight targets in two of his past three games, and his route tree (33.0% verticals, 13.4% crossers, 8.0% screens) creates opportunities for both big plays and numbers after the catch.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (26.2% rostered; at Saints)
With Nabers out, Slayton’s role will increase in the Giants pass game. But I’d still temper some of the expectations here in a game script that could be more run-heavy with Dart under center. Slayton does have the straight-line speed to test the third level of the defense from boundary alignments (he had a 52-yard catch against Dallas in Week 2), so you want to see some vertical throws Sunday. Plus, Slayton can work underneath in the quick game on hitches and pivot routes. He feels like a boom/bust WR3 this week against a Saints defense that has given up nine touchdown passes (tied for second most in the NFL).
Running backs
Emari Demercado (50.5% rostered) and Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (24.9% rostered; vs. Titans)
If you roster Trey Benson (IR), both Demercado and Carter are viable fill-ins this week. I would prefer to pick up Demercado first, as he brings more juice on tape as a ball carrier, plus there’s upside here as the third-down back. Demercado had two receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown last week against Seattle. But if Demercado has already been claimed in your league, Carter could be in line for a heavier workload on early downs. Carter averaged 3.5 YPC on 35 attempts last season for the Cardinals, and he can give you enough out the backfield as a receiver on checkdown throws.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (17.8% rostered; vs. Giants)
Miller’s weekly usage is climbing, so let’s take a look at the Saints’ No. 2 running back ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Giants. Miller had 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown last week in the loss to the Bills, and he has now posted back-to-back games with at least nine touches. Though Alvin Kamara remains the lead back in New Orleans, Miller’s volume bump puts him in the mix as a deeper-league flex play.
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Tight ends
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (34.7% rostered; vs, Chiefs)
I mentioned Strange last week, so let’s give him a full write-up here, as the Jags’ tight end continues to post quality numbers. Strange has double-digit points in his past two games, with seven targets in each. And he runs the full tight end route tree in Liam Coen’s offense. It’s a tougher matchup this week against the Chiefs, but if Trevor Lawrence has to throw with more volume, Strange can produce top-12 numbers. Good pickup here if you roster Tucker Kraft or Kyle Pitts Sr., who are both on bye weeks.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins (36.9% rostered; at Panthers)
Waller played his first game of the season in the Week 4 win over the Jets, catching three of four targets for 27 yards, with two of those grabs accounting for touchdowns (17.7 points). Waller played in only 25% of the snaps, so we are betting on an increase in usage Sunday. But with a positive matchup against the Panthers, Waller can operate as a seam stretcher/red zone option for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. And there are targets available with Hill out for the season.
D/ST New York Giants (23.4% rostered; at Saints)
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Let’s roll with this unit against Spencer Rattler and the Saints. This Giants defense can get home to the quarterback, with at least two sacks in every game played, and they want to challenge in man coverage. New York has played man coverage on 55.6% of coverage snaps — single-high and 2-man here. And the Giants have at least one interception in two of their past three games. The idea is to pressure Rattler and squeeze the throwing windows. That can lead to impact plays on the defensive side of the ball.
