Fantasy Football Week 5 QB and TE FAAB Bids: Jaxson Dart, Darren Waller and More

Now a month into the season, we can start taking what we see seriously. Small samples play tricks with our minds, and guys who have had a big week or two fall back to the pack, temporarily standing out only because of the lack of information.

That also makes the waiver wire a little less interesting. In those first few weeks, anything is possible. Any positive performance is a reason to consider picking up a lesser-known player who could break out. With more reps to go on, though, it's easier to spot players who had a lucky week and will probably regress to the mean.

Let's look at some of the hottest QBs and TEs on the waiver wire this week and what reasonable FAAB bids might look like. Your numbers might vary based on your roster needs and remaining budget, but this is a good baseline to start from. All numbers are based on a $100 FAAB budget.

Check out FantasySP's waiver wire tool to see which players are being added most each week by fantasy owners.

Quarterback

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Dart won his first start over the Los Angeles Chargers 21-18; great success, right? Well, a closer look at Dart's performance doesn't paint as pretty of a picture, and New York took advantage of several LA miscues to put enough points on the board to win.

It counts as a win, and that's all that matters, but I'm not looking at Dart as a big fantasy play. He threw for 111 yards on just 5.6 per attempt, while his touchdown was a shovel pass near the goal line after an interception set New York up on the five-yard line. Dart was also sacked five times and lost his top receiver to injury.

Where he really did work was running the ball; that's where his biggest impact will come in fantasy. Dart ran 10 times for 54 yards and a touchdown, good volume and efficiency. That helped put him at QB9 before Monday's games. There is intrigue because of his running.

I've been talking about the upcoming schedule being really tough, as the Giants play the Saints this week but then the Eagles twice with the Broncos in the middle. Dart won't be a fantasy option during those weeks, so if you pick him up for Week 5, he'll be a one-week player unless you are OK using a bench spot for the young QB.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Penix had the best game of his career in Week 4, completing 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards (12.0 per attempt) with two touchdowns and an interception. Penix had been average or worse in the first three games of the season, so it was a surprise to see him come out with such a big performance against Washington.

The question is whether you think he'll put up more big games or show more of his previous work, which was that of a below-average quarterback working as a full-time starter for the first time. There's likely to be more inconsistency moving forward.

Atlanta has a few tougher matchups the next two weeks against the Bills and 49ers before things lighten up against the Dolphins and Patriots, so Penix probably isn't a good option for the first couple of games if you do pick him up here. I must recommend you look elsewhere for a savior at QB.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings

Wentz had a good game on Sunday, throwing for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. It took 46 attempts to get there, a 7.6-yard average, which is a bit above average, so Wentz showed a lot of positives, though the two turnovers and six sacks set back his offense.

I wondered if head coach Kevin O'Connell would look to throw more with Wentz in the lineup than J.J. McCarthy, who is essentially a rookie; Wentz threw more passes in this game than McCarthy did in the first two weeks combined. Part of that might be because the Vikings were trailing most of the game, but they were also losing a lot during Weeks 1 and 2 and didn't take to the air with McCarthy.

More volume means more fantasy potential, so games like Week 4 would portend good things for Wentz. There's a little intrigue here, but I want to see more before I really count on him, especially after an efficient but very low-volume day in Week 3 when Minnesota blew out the Bengals.

There's also a really tough matchup next, as the Vikings face the Cleveland Browns in London, a team that has been among the best at stopping the pass. Even while they lost 34-10 to the Lions, Cleveland allowed just 168 passing yards on 6.2 per attempt, continuing a string of strong performances.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Tight End

Theo Johnson, New York Giants

Johnson showed a few flashes as a rookie last season, catching at least three passes and gaining at least 30 yards in seven of his final eight games before going on IR to end his season in late November. That made him a name to watch moving forward, as he was involved and modestly productive.

It hasn't been a good start to 2025: Johnson has averaged around two catches and 16.5 yards per game. He caught a touchdown pass in Week 4, but it was the shovel pass that I mentioned Dart throwing above. Johnson hasn't found a real place in the passing game.

On top of getting into the end zone, Johnson is here because he might be one of the players to see more volume with Malik Nabers out for the season with an ACL injury. Wide receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton will soak up targets, but a young tight end who showed some promise last year could also help ease the burden.

I'm still not counting on Johnson until we see more, but his name is being thrown around a bit. If we see him get more involved, he could be a future FAAB add. For now, he's just a name to watch.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers

When George Kittle went on IR after Week 1, the immediate fantasy questions were which player would take over the majority of the snaps (Luke Farrell or Tonges) and whether either guy was a worthy fantasy add. Tonges has played about 15 more snaps per game than Farrell in the ensuing three weeks and been more productive, but neither guy has been a fantasy asset.

Farrell caught a touchdown in Week 2, but he has combined for just five catches and 39 yards. Tonges has been better, with 12 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. His first fantasy-worthy game was in Week 4, when he turned three receptions into 58 yards and a touchdown.

Is this a sign of things to come? Probably not. Tonges has only been lightly involved, and it will take scoring a touchdown to make him successful on any given week; that's not a player to count on.

Kittle could also return in Week 6, and when he does, both Tonges and Farrell will lose any shred of fantasy value. Spending FAAB value on guys who won't help for more than a week or two is bad business, especially when it's a low-ceiling and low-floor player in question.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins

Waller missed the first three games but returned to play on Monday night and announced his presence with authority. The former Raiders and Giants tight end finished with just three catches for 27 yards, but two of them were touchdowns, making for a big fantasy day.

Tyreek Hill is out for the season after suffering a gruesome leg injury on Monday. That means there's now a severe lack of pass catchers on a team that relied heavily on Hill and Jaylen Waddle, so Waller might be the guy to pick up the biggest part of the slack with Hill out.

It has been a bad start for the Dolphins; their playoff hopes might already be dashed. Their win in Week 4 moves them to 1-3, still not in great position, but it's better than 0-4. Hill's injury takes away one of the team's best players, so hoping for anything big feels unrealistic.

Waller's fantasy value is independent of their team outlook, and it seems like he will have some kind of role. That's worth throwing a few bucks at if you have a need a tight end, though hoping for a weekly option is probably asking for a little too much.

Conservative Bid: $2-3

Need Bid: $4-6

Desperation Bid: $8-11