It wouldn’t be a fantasy football season without the injury bug striking just as rosters start to settle. We’ve been hit hard through four weeks, with Malik Nabers tearing his ACL, James Conner done for the year, Joe Burrow and Trey Benson landing on IR, and Bucky Irving sidelined by a foot injury. That’s a brutal list of names to lose this early, and it leaves fantasy managers scrambling to find replacement production. Luckily, stashing the right players off the Week 5 Waiver Wire before Sunday’s kickoffs can be the difference between surviving and sinking in the standings.
This week’s stash list features a mix of under-the-radar rookies and veterans stepping into bigger roles. Whether it’s Michael Carter potentially walking into lead duties in Arizona, Darius Slayton emerging as the Giants’ new No. 1 option, or Sean Tucker and Malik Washington looking to take advantage of expanded workloads, sneaky league-winners are hiding on your waiver wire.
Let’s dive into the Week 5 stashes you’ll want tucked away before your league mates catch on.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 5 STASHES
RUNNING BACK STASHES
MICHAEL CARTER, ARIZONA CARDINALS (23% ROSTERED)
Michael Carter might be walking into the lead role for Arizona by default, but opportunity is opportunity in fantasy.
With James Conner done for the year and Trey Benson on IR, Carter himself hinted Wednesday that he’ll be “starting the next” game after going from the team’s Scout Team Player of the Week to first-team reps in just a matter of days. While head coach Jonathan Gannon mentioned Bam Knight could also get involved, all signs point to Carter handling the bulk of the early-down work.
It won’t be pretty because Carter isn’t Conner or Benson, but the usage trends say he has the inside track over Emari Demercado, who has been almost exclusively a two-minute drill and passing-down back. In a backfield this thin, Carter’s path to 12–15 touches per game is very real, and that kind of workload is worth stashing while the Cardinals figure out their rotation.
BRASHARD SMITH, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8% ROSTERED)
Brashard Smith is starting to look like the sneaky weapon the Chiefs hoped he’d become when they drafted him, and fantasy managers might finally be seeing the next Jerick McKinnon in the making.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports Smith is expected to have “more involvement in the offense” moving forward, which makes sense after he set season highs in snaps (19), carries (four), and targets (four) last week.
With Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both being wildly inefficient, Smith’s pass-catching chops give him a real chance to carve out a bigger role in Kansas City’s offense. Seventh-round rookies don’t always hit, but this one fits exactly what Andy Reid likes to do. If you’ve been waiting for the Chiefs’ backfield to produce a usable fantasy sleeper, this might be the time to stash Smith before he takes off.
SEAN TUCKER, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7% ROSTERED)
With Bucky Irving spotted on crutches with a sprained foot, Sean Tucker suddenly becomes one of the most intriguing stashes of Week 5. The last time Tucker was given real volume, he erupted for 192 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on his way to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The former Syracuse star went undrafted due to a rare heart condition, but his college résumé (3,000+ scrimmage yards, 27 TDs in his final two seasons) and explosive testing numbers prove the talent has always been there.
Rachaad White will still get a significant chunk of snaps, but Tampa clearly views Tucker as more than just depth. When he’s gotten touches, he’s flashed both power and versatility.
As Matthew Berry put it, “I mention Sean Tucker because I talked to a pretty good source from Tampa Bay, and he said internally, they believe that Sean Tucker is good enough to be an RB1 in this league. He’s just stuck behind Bucky Irving because Bucky Irving is also really good. I don’t know that they love Rachaad White.” That’s exactly the kind of upside stash worth sneaking onto your bench before the breakout happens.
OTHER RUNNING BACKS TO STASH: Tyjae Spears (32%), Kendre Miller (28%), Zavier Scott (3%)
WIDE RECEIVER STASHES
DARIUS SLAYTON, NY GIANTS (42% ROSTERED)
If you’re scrambling after the Malik Nabers ACL gut punch, Darius Slayton is the next man up in New York. He didn’t blow up the box score against the Chargers (3-44-0), but he quietly led the Giants in receiving during Jaxson Dart’s debut. With Nabers gone, Slayton steps in as the team’s primary downfield threat, which is not the sexiest role in the league’s flimsiest WR room, but volume is volume, and he’s about to see a whole lot more of it.
We’ve already seen what that looks like: in two Nabers-less games last season, Slayton posted a strong 14-179-1 line. He’s locked into full-time snaps, has a 9-135-0 line through four weeks, and now gets a QB with a rocket arm who trusts him. Wan’Dale Robinson will handle the underneath game, but Slayton’s vertical role offers the higher ceiling. With the Saints up next, he’s absolutely worth a waiver scoop as a WR3/FLEX streamer/stash who could sneak into weekly starter territory if you’re desperate.
MALIK WASHINGTON, MIAMI DOLPHINS (22% ROSTERED)
With Tyreek Hill lost for the season, rookie Malik Washington suddenly becomes an intriguing deep stash in Miami. Washington played 48% of the snaps in Monday’s win over the Jets, catching 2-of-3 targets for 13 yards and adding two carries for eight yards. The box score isn’t flashy yet, but the Dolphins have already been creative in finding ways to get him the ball — he’s logged eight carries for 60 yards on the year — and that versatility could earn him more touches as his role expands.
Jaylen Waddle will slide into the No. 1 role, and Darren Waller plus De’Von Achane are obvious passing-game winners, but Washington has sneaky upside as the next man up at wide receiver. Don’t expect Tyreek-level production, but if his snap share climbs north of 70% (which it should), Washington has the skillset to carve out a useful fantasy role. In deeper leagues, he’s the kind of forward-thinking stash that could pay off in a wide-open Dolphins target tree.
OTHER WIDE RECEIVERS TO STASH: Romeo Doubs (50%), Elic Ayomanor (32%), Troy Franklin (29%), Luther Burden (12%), Jalen Coker (10%), Isaiah Bond (5%)
TIGHT END STASHES
BRENTON STRANGE, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (38% ROSTERED)
Brenton Strange didn’t find the end zone in Week 4, but the usage continues to jump off the page. For the second straight game, he drew seven targets and turned them into six catches for 45 yards in the Jaguars’ upset of the 49ers. That line won’t carry you by itself, but steady TE volume like this is gold during the bye weeks.
Trevor Lawrence is clearly getting more comfortable leaning on his athletic tight end, and Strange has a friendly upcoming schedule with the Chiefs, Rams, and Seahawks on deck. If you’re scrambling at the position, his blend of usage and talent makes him one of the better Week 5 stashes at tight end.
OTHER TIGHT ENDS TO STASH: Isaiah Likely (12%), Theo Johnson (8%), Tommy Tremble (1%)
QUARTERBACK STASHES
JAXSON DART, NY GIANTS (34% ROSTERED)
Jaxson Dart’s first NFL start wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it got the job done. The Giants’ rookie QB led a 21-18 upset over the Chargers, throwing for just 111 yards and a touchdown while making his fantasy mark on the ground with 10 carries for 54 yards and a rushing score. Nearly 20 fantasy points later, and we may have ourselves a new streaming option with real Konami-code upside — think rookie Drake Maye.
The downside? Malik Nabers tore his ACL, a crushing loss for both the Giants and Dart’s passing outlook. That leaves Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton as his top targets, while rookie RB Cam Skattebo has flashed in the run game with Tyrone Tracy Jr. sidelined. For now, expect the Giants to lean on Dart’s mobility and Skattebo’s burst, giving Dart a sneaky rushing floor that could keep him in streamer conversations.
OTHER QUARTERBACKS TO STASH: Michael Penix Jr. (25%), Dillon Gabriel (4%)
