Week 5 showed there is always time for a breakout. Early-season reveals waivers have been picked over in deeper leagues. Managers should look for injury situations and deep roster reveals this week. This article will run through deep league waiver additions, focusing on Dynasty league formats. 

Players will fall into four primary categories: 

• Short-term Starters - Players capable of providing immediate production in deep leagues. 
• Proactive Pickups - Players who need the depth chart to be clear before them but are more available than other players in a similar role. 
• Deep Darts - Speculative players who have a chance at value.
• Dynasty Buys - Players whose values have changed, and the market may not have caught up. 

Quarterback

Short Term Starters

QB Jake Haener, New Orleans (5% Sleeper rostered)
QB Spencer Rattler, New Orleans (65% Sleeper rostered)

Derek Carr was the story of the NFL through the first two weeks. He is on a three-game losing streak and left Monday night's game with an oblique injury he described as “not good.” An MRI is pending. 

Haener got the first chance to replace Carr. The results were unfavorable, though he entered trailing, and the Chiefs could pin their ears back and blitz him. Expect him to get the start. 

Rattler is the player most fantasy fans would like to see. 

Carr's level of play in the first two weeks was strong enough that there should not be a danger of losing his job. Haener and Rattler should be rostered in deep Superflex formats; we have seen young quarterbacks drafted by the coaching staff run with opportunities in the past. 

QB Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas (46% Sleeper rostered)

Antonio Pierce is starting to give the impression that he does not know what he will say before he starts talking. In his latest press conference, he declared the quarterback position at a “tryout” stage. 

It seems the Raiders already know the answer between O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II is neither. 

O'Connell looked passable at the end of 2023, playing turnover-free football with a 3-1 record over the last four games. He started 2024 by throwing an interception on his fourth attempt after replacing Minshew late. The lack of a dual threat to his game and the pending departure of Davante Adams gives him a low fantasy ceiling, but in some leagues, everyone who takes a snap is relevant. 

QB Joe Flacco, Indianapolis (56% Sleeper rostered)

The Colts lost, which is a massive caveat. But in over six quarters of football, Flacco has breathed life into a morbid passing attack, allowing players like Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. to flourish. 

This is still Anthony Richardson's team. Flacco has shown enough that perhaps the Colts will want to be sure Richardson is 200% healthy before going back. 

Proactive Pickups

QB Jameis Winston, Cleveland (37% Sleeper rostered)

Winston replacing Deshaun Watson feels like a “when,” not “if.” Watson looked to have made positive steps in Week 4 and completed 75% of his passes, but the wheels fell off in Week 5. He's attempted between 170 and 176 passes in his three seasons in Cleveland. His touchdown rate has fallen, and his 74.8 quarterback rating is a career low. 

Most importantly, he's 1-4 after a 5-1 record in games he started in 2023. 

With Joe Flacco starting Week 5 in Indianapolis throwing for 359 yards with three touchdowns while Watson again struggled to hit 200 yards, the Browns are out of goodwill. 

A telling factor is that players around the organization gushing about Winston when they get the chance. Winston has an upbeat, infectious personality, and this organization needs it. 

QB Mason Rudolph, Tennessee (17% Sleeper rostered)

Coach Brian Callahan quelled potential quarterback questions, saying if Will Levis is available, he is playing. But now Callahan also knows what the team looks like with Rudolph. 

The franchise is not ready to give up on Levis completely. However, its heavy investment in veterans shows that it is serious about trying to win immediately. Levis has to take care of the ball and keep the offense on schedule; otherwise, the number of questions will only increase. 

QB Tyrod Taylor, NY Jets (17% Sleeper rostered)
QB Mitchell Trubisky, Buffalo (10% Sleeper rostered)

Taylor and Trubisky are lumped together as Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen monitor injury situations. Conveniently, the Bills and Jets play each other on Monday night—Oy vey. 

Hypothetically, Allen had already cleared the concussion protocol because he had returned to the game. Hypothetically. The scrutiny over that decision will put the Bills under the microscope this week. 

Rodgers also returned to the game after suffering an ankle injury. Both teams feel pressure with back-to-back losses, and both quarterbacks will push to play. However, in leagues that do not allow same-day waiver moves, managers will need to be proactive in this situation.

Dynasty Buys

QB Daniel Jones, NY Giants (75% Sleeper rostered)

“I stopped reading after you said buy Daniel Jones.” 

I've made the low-hanging fruit joke for you. 

Jones was the fantasy QB9 in 2022, playing well enough to earn a significant contract extension. He started 2023 decent, posting a 31.7-point week in Week 2 before ineffective play and injuries combined to end his season. 

The Dynasty community responded by dropping him to QB35 on KeepTradeCut. There are 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Something funny happened on the way to getting kicked out of the NFL. The Giants added talent, specifically wide receiver Malik Nabers. Jones is suddenly better, placing as QB12 from Weeks 2 through 5 after a problematic Minnesota matchup in Week 1. The Giants are 2-3 and a fluke kicker injury away from being 3-2 and tied at the top of the NFC East. 

Dynasty has responded by moving Jones up to QB28. At least there are no longer three quarterbacks not playing football they would rather have. Jones is a 27-year-old to whom the franchise has a financial commitment. He now has players around him capable of supporting him and is playing some of the best football of his career. 

Chances are the person in your league who has him realizes he has not been awful. But given the market around him, it is worth inquiring. 

Running Back

Short Term Starters

RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota (86% Sleeper rostered)

Chandler is tricky. Aaron Jones is the clear starter, earning that role by outplaying Chandler after the backfield started in a timeshare. He picked up a hip injury in Week 5 that caused him to miss the second half, with the Vikings leading by 17 at the time. Chandler profiles as a Bellcow based on prior usage in a similar situation with this coaching staff.

There are reasons to be hesitant about putting in a big bid. 

Chandler effectively took over the Vikings' backfield in Week 10 of 2023. From that point forward, he was RB34, topping 13 half-PPR points once. 

The Vikings have a bye in Week 6. 

Chandler struggled with just 30 yards on 14 carries. The Vikings offense stalled without Jones, allowing the Jets back into the game. Jones is hopeful to miss no time, while the Vikings have a brutal run game matchup against the Lions in Week 7. Absent a stint on injured reserve, Chandler should be approached with caution. 

RB Dameon Pierce, Houston (76% Sleeper rostered)
RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston (24% Sleeper rostered)

Cam Akers has had three weeks as the top back in Houston. He is RB33 in full PPR over that stretch. Ogunbowale is RB25 over the same window. 

Joe Mixon's return is shrouded in mystery. Meanwhile, Pierce was able to return to practice before Week 5. Pierce is the priority add. He should get the early down work at a minimum. 

Ogunbowale could break out in a three-down role if Pierce and Mixon miss another week. He could also stick as the receiving down back in a committee with Pierce. 

Proactive Pickups

RB Kendre Miller, New Orleans (85% Sleeper rostered)

The ability to stash Miller on IR, combined with the optimism surrounding him this offseason, prevented Miller from shaking free in many leagues.  Miller is back on the practice field, and Dennis Allen said something nice about him. That is dramatic progress. 

Jamaal Williams has gradually been phased out of the Saints offense, dropping below 20% snap share and five touches in the last three games after playing heavy mop-up duty in the team's two blowout wins to start the season. Miller can knock him off the spot as the back to hold behind Alvin Kamara if he performs to his ability. 

Deep Darts

RB Kendall Milton, Cincinnati (4% Sleeper rostered)
RB Trayveon Williams, Cincinnati (4% Sleeper rostered)

We are monitoring an ankle injury for Zack Moss. The cleanest, most exciting path would be Chase Brown taking over in a feature role. Given the reluctance to play Brown on passing downs, the Bengals stepping out of their committee is a question. 

Trayveon Williams has been a Bengal for six years. He has exceeded six touches just twice. One of those games was a meaningless Week 18 game started by Brandon Allen. Never say never. But if Zack Moss's ankle injury forces him to miss time, Milton feels like the upside swing. Milton ran well with Philadelphia before landing on the Bengals practice squad in the preseason. He represents a power complement to the “lightning” of Chase Brown. Williams may get the nod for reps if the team does not believe in Brown's ability to pass protect. However, essential special teams players like Williams often remain in their roles, and a back gets called up to see offensive work.   

Dynasty Buys

RB Khalil Herbert, Chicago (68% Sleeper rostered)

Herbert is cratering out of fantasy relevance. A year ago, he was dynasty RB34. Now, he is RB70. And that may be dropping. 

Herbert has proven himself to be an explosive and efficient runner. Players like this tend to get chances somewhere else. The Bears attempted to pigeonhole him into a power complement role next to D'Andre Swift. That is not his skillset, and he predictably failed. 

Do not try to trade assets 1 for 1 for Herbert. But as contenders and rebuilding teams separate and increase trade activity, he is an under-the-radar name to slide into a deal. 

Wide Receivers

Short Term Starters

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City (49% Sleeper rostered)

The Chiefs do not have to make a trade for a wide receiver if they can simply channel prime Smith-Schuster for the Rashee Rice role. 

There is comfort here, with Smith-Schuster gaining 933 yards for the Chiefs in 2022. Injuries have robbed him of his explosiveness and upside, but he is “still” just 28. 

Rice has been announced out for the season, and no other receivers on the roster match his or Smith-Schuster's skillset. Absent a significant trade, there is plenty of reason to believe he can produce as a Top 36 wide receiver for the rest of the season. 

WR Jonathan Mingo, Carolina (67% Sleeper rostered)

The Panthers receiver room is starting to look like the Willy Wonka tour. Adam Thielen is on IR, and Xavier Leggette picked up an injury in Week 5 that knocked him out of the game. Mingo is now an every-down player with these absences. 

Mingo was a training camp riser but found himself fourth in the order to begin the year. His physical skillset complements Diontae Johnson well, and the Panthers will find themselves in trailing game scripts.  Mingo has yet to translate his potential into production, but the Panthers will give him a chance. 

WR Darius Slayton, NY Giants (52% Sleeper rostered)

Slayton was called upon with Malik Nabers out with a concussion and responded with a six reception, 122-yard game, his highest total in five seasons. 

Slayton is well past his window as an exciting dynasty stash. However, as Nabers raises the tide and makes Jones a passable quarterback, coverage will create opportunities for Slayton downfield. He has a deep league Bestball format value.

Deep Darts

WR Malik Heath, Green Bay (49% Sleeper rostered)

Without Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in Week 5, we gained some clarity about the depth of the Packers receiver room. Surprisingly, Heath tied Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks for the most snaps in the room, relegating Bo Melton to WR4 status. 

Heath is a physical receiver at 6'2” and 213” who can play on the outside. He would need significant development to become fantasy-relevant, but the Packers have proven adept at developing young receivers. If the Packers like him, he's a name to monitor. 

WR Jalen Coker, Carolina (49% Sleeper rostered)

Coker went undrafted in April but made the final 53-man roster out of camp. He made his first impact on Sunday, with the Panthers far behind and Leggette getting knocked out. 

Coker is an explosive downfield playmaker who posted a class-high 42.5-inch vertical jump at the combine and graded out to a 9.46 out of 10 in Kent Lee Platte's relative athletic score. At Holy Cross, he recorded multiple completed Hail Mary passes in his career as his athleticism outshone his competition level. 

As the Panthers enter a likely lost season, expect them to test whether a player like Coker is capable of being a long-term contributor. 

Dynasty Buys

WR Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati (83% Sleeper rostered)

Iosivas climbed to WR56 in KeepTradeCut but has trended downward with the return of Tee Higgins, currently sitting at WR66. 

His snap share has remained constant in the high 70% range. His targets spiked at seven, with a five-catch, 52-yard game with Higgins back in Week 3. He paired that with a two-touchdown performance in Week 2, ending both weeks as a fantasy WR2 inside the top 24 scorers. He has shown himself as both a red zone threat, with three touchdowns on the season, and as a downfield playmaker, recording 29 and 39-yard receptions in Weeks 4 and 5. 

Nothing has changed with Higgins's long-term standing on the Bengals. Iosivas is cementing himself as the top option to play in two receiver sets after Higgins leaves. 

Iosivas is a rare opportunity to obtain a player attached to a good quarterback that we know has a great chance to gain value in the market. Moving for players like him before the “move we all know is coming” happens reaps value. 

Tight Ends

Short Term Starters

TE Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina (83% Sleeper rostered)

Tommy Tremble left Week 5 with a scary head injury, casting doubt on his immediate future.

I am still determining what category Sanders should be in. I am skeptical he is a short-term starter, as the production has yet to happen once. But Tremble's absence creates opportunity.

At TE26 in KeepTradeCut, his value has never hit buy territory. 

He needs to be on radars and is a player who could emerge to realize high Dynasty value. 

Deep Darts

TE Charlie Kolar, Baltimore (2% Sleeper rostered)

Kolar was “the other tight end” drafted in the 2022 Draft with Isaiah Likely. Technically, Kolar was THE tight end drafted, going off the board before Likely. A finalist for the John Mackey Award, Kolar was highly productive in college, but a sports hernia robbed him of most of his rookie year.

He played sparingly in 2023 and Likely enjoyed a breakout, but his performance in Week 5 puts him on the map. He broke out with 64 total yards, a 55-yard chunk reception, and a touchdown on a red zone target. Mark Andrews has one reception over 51 yards in his career, a 74-yard catch in his rookie season in 2018. Andrews is also two years out from unrestricted free agency and posting the most disappointing season of his career. 

Kolar must post multiple similar efforts to hit starting lineups in fantasy. But he is worth stashing.