Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: NFL Week 5

• Kareem Hunt sees double-digit carry numbers in season debut: Hunt is one of the few running backs available who could be his team's primary starter for the remainder of the season.

• Dontayvion wicks scores twice: Christian Watson's injury opened the door for Wicks to become the Packers' leading outside wide receiver.

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Estimated reading time: 26 minutes

With Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season almost complete, here are the key players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. Here we'll go over options for both minor and major leagues, as well as highlight players to avoid.

Jump to a position group:

QB | RB | WR | TE

quarterback

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (Listed in 33.7% of leagues on ESPN)

Fields has been the top quarterback on this list every week this season, and hopefully this will be the last time. His fantasy potential has always been high thanks to his rushing ability, but he has improved significantly as a passer this season. This led to him posting a fantastic 32-point performance in Week 4, which was the best performance by a quarterback this season.

He completed 22 of his 34 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown and ran 10 times for 55 yards and two touchdowns. This season, Fields has the fourth-most fantasy points among quarterbacks. He was able to maintain his place in the top 5 for the rest of the season.

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (43.2%)

Darnold is one of three quarterbacks who have scored more fantasy points than Justin Fields this season. Darnold finished among the top 13 fantasy quarterbacks in all four weeks, including a 275-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers.

His receiving group took a step in the right direction this week with the return of Jordan Addisonand it could soon take another step TJ Hockenson returns. Darnold is also getting to the point where he should be in the fantasy starting lineup every week. This is ideally the last time he will be placed on the waiver wire as he should be acquired in most leagues.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (33.3%)

Lawrence was playing in most leagues to start the season, but then had three straight games outside the top 20 quarterbacks, causing him to fall behind in many leagues. He began to turn things around in Week 4 with 15.7 fantasy points. Touchdowns fueled his fantasy production this week, but it's worth noting that his two outside receivers are new. Gabe Davis is currently dealing with an injury and a tight end Evan Engram has missed three of four games this season.

Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. And Christian Kirk had their best fantasy performances of the season this week. We've seen Lawrence have cold and hot streaks throughout his career, and for some reason he played better in the second half of the season. There's a good chance Lawrence can turn things around, making him worth taking in leagues where Darnold and Fields aren't available.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (28.9%)

Smith remained one of the top 12 quarterbacks in fantasy points through the first three weeks despite a loss in Week 3. He completed more than 75% of his passes for nearly 300 yards but threw one touchdown and two interceptions.

While the touchdowns haven't always been there, Smith ranks third in passing yards through three weeks in the Seahawks' new pass-friendly offense. All of his receivers have had at least one good week this season and the offense should even improve with more time together. Smith can be used in fantasy starting lineups if the match is right.

Smith will have the opportunity to climb the rankings on Monday Night Football while competing against the Detroit Lions.

Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (8.7%)

As a starter, Dalton was a top 12 fantasy quarterback in both weeks. This week he had to throw the ball 40 times, but the Panthers are 1-3 and will likely play from behind more often. He'll need to continue to put up top-12 performances before most fantasy managers will trust him in the starting lineup in single-quarterback leagues, but among quarterbacks still widely available, he's clearly the top-tier option. Waiver to waive.

Run back

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs (21.5%)

The Chiefs signed Hunt off their practice squad before Week 4 and replaced him Keaontay Ingram on active roster.