We will have you covered throughout the 2023 fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top waiver wire targets for the week below. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 5.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Written by Pat Fitzmaurice

Washington Commanders: 25% rostered

• Next Opponents: CHI, @ATL, @NYG
• True value: $3
• Desperate need: $6
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: The Commanders don’t have a great defense, but it’s better than the Broncos’ defense, and the Broncos scored 14 fantasy points against the Bears in Week 4. This week it’s Washington’s turn to give those cuddly Bears a squeeze. Chicago QB Justin Fields is a sack magnet who’s been sacked 17 times in four games. Denver got him four times on Sunday, with one of those sacks resulting in a fumble that the Broncos returned for a touchdown. Fields has also thrown five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Bottom line: The Bears are the best possible matchup for a team defense. In addition to the great matchup in Week 5, the Commanders get appealing matchups against the Falcons and Giants in Weeks 5-6, so don’t be shy about spending an extra buck or two on the Commanders and riding with them for the next three weeks.

Detroit Lions: 10% rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, @TB, BAL
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Don’t look now, but the Lions suddenly have a shutdown run defense. Detroit’s run D ranked No. 5 in DVOA entering Week 4, and then the Lions stifled the Packers’ running game last Thursday night, holding Green Bay to 27 rushing yards on 12 attempts. The Lions also have a pass rush in 2023. They’ve notched 13 sacks, with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson responsible for 3.5 of them. The Lions are a strong play against the anemic Carolina offense this week, and you can also feel good about playing Detroit against Tampa Bay in Week 6.

Denver Broncos: 40% rostered

• Next Opponents: NYJ, @KC, GB
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Let’s start with the caveat that the Denver defense is not good. The Broncos gave up 70 points to the Dolphins in Week 3, then yielded 21 first-half points to the Bears’ wayward offense on Sunday. But the matchup against Chicago paid off eventually, as the Broncos collected four sacks, one of which resulted in a Justin Fields fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Denver also intercepted Fields once. The Broncos get another great matchup this week, returning home to high altitude to take on the Jets and their sputtering, gasping offense. You can feel good about using the Broncos this week before quickly ditching them next week before they get eaten alive by the Chiefs in Week 6.

Miami Dolphins: 48% rostered

• Next Opponents: NYG, CAR, @PHI
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: With 10 sacks and three interceptions so far, the Miami defense isn’t exactly piling up fantasy points. But the Dolphins’ elite offense is going to pile up points and force opponents to throw in order to keep up. It’s the same recipe that has made Kansas City an appealing fantasy defense in recent years. This week, the Dolphins have an attractive matchup against a Giants offense that has offensive line problems. After doing a better job of protecting the ball in 2022, Giants QB Daniel Jones has reverted to his turnover-prone ways in 2023. The Dolphins also get a nice matchup against the panthers in Week 6.

Green Bay Packers: 26% rostered

• Next Opponents: @LV, BYE, @DEN
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: After racking up 15 fantasy points against the Bears in Week 1, the Green Bay defense has scored 5 or fewer points in each of its last three games. But the Packers get a nice matchup against the Raiders this week. Veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo will most likely return to action for Las Vegas after missing Week 4 with a concussion, but this is still a decent matchup for Green Bay nevertheless.

Stash Candidates:

• Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ defense was impregnable for the first three weeks of the season. The Ravens managed to hang 28 points on the Browns in Week 4, but Cleveland’s defense is clearly still among the best in the league. The Browns are on bye this week, then have an unappealing Week 6 matchup against the 49ers. But if you can feasibly stash the Browns for a couple of weeks, you’ll eventually be rewarded.