Fantasy Sports

Early Waiver Wire Report Week 5: Woody Marks Emerges as League-Winning Pickup

These four players should be key targets for your fantasy football roster ahead of NFL Week 5.
Michael Rovetto|
Sep 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Houston TexansNew York GiantsPittsburgh SteelersNew Orleans Saints

The fourth week of the NFL season delivered no shortage of surprises, making the waiver wire as crucial as any other for fantasy football managers.

Whether it was a rookie flashing upside, a veteran carving out a bigger role or an injury opening the door for a new opportunity, these early adds can influence one’s fantasy football outlook for the rest of the season.

From emerging backfield options to pass-catchers commanding surprising volume, here are the top waiver wire targets heading into Week 5.

*Percentage denotes roster rate on ESPN and Yahoo*

Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans (ESPN: 33% Yahoo: 30%)

Marks made my list of early Week 4 waiver wire adds. I cited his usage and uptick in snap count, hinting that a breakout performance was coming soon. For managers who listened, they now have a potential league-winner on their roster. Marks commanded 20 touches on the ground and through the air and netted 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Texans’ 26-0 win over the Titans. It was the first time this season that the rookie out-touched veteran Nick Chubb. From now on, the Texans' backfield will likely be more of a 50/50 split, with Marks having more upside in PPR leagues because of his pass-catching ability. 

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN: 36% Yahoo: 22%)

News broke early this morning that Jaylen Warren (knee) was out for the Steelers' contest vs. the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. The news made Gainwell the de facto RB1 in the Steelers' backfield, and he delivered a monster performance. The former Eagle rushed 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 6-of-6 targets for 35 yards while posting 31.4 PPR fantasy points. Kaleb Johnson saw just six carries and only managed 22 yards. The Steelers have a Week 5 bye, which will likely give Warren enough time to recover. However, Gainwell is a worthwhile pickup as a handcuff with potential to split Pittsburgh’s backfield going forward.   

Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants (ESPN: 21% Yahoo: 23%)

The Chargers were my risky survivor pool pick in Week 4, and a significant reason for that was the element of unknown with Dart under center for the Giants. Dart did enough to help the Giants complete an upset win. The rookie passed for just 111 yards on 13-of-20 passing, but added 54 yards rushing and scored two total touchdowns. It wasn’t a dominating debut, but rather a strong showing against one of the league’s top defenses this season thus far. The potential loss of Malik Nabers (knee) looms and will undoubtedly impact Dart’s value, but it was encouraging to see him use his legs. Quarterbacks with rushing ability will always have fantasy football value. 

Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints (ESPN: 6% Yahoo: 5%)

Although the Bills blew out the Saints, 31-19, Miller recorded a season-high 11 touches. He rushed for 65 yards and also found the end zone. However, there’s optimism that his usage wasn’t tied to the Saints trailing by a significant margin. His TD occurred in the first quarter while they trailed by only seven points. Miller has seen a snap rate increase in every game so far this season. In Week 4, he saw a 41% snap rate in the first half and was even on the field for five of seven red zone plays. The third-year pro may have established himself as a weapon for the struggling Saints.  

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Michael Rovetto
MICHAEL ROVETTO

Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.

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