Week 5 Waiver Wire: Examining Fantasy Football Lineup Options After Injury Reports

New York Giants rookie phenom Malik Nabers is one of several key players across the NFL out of commission in Week 5 due to injury, forcing fantasy managers to look elsewhere for players who can replace his production or even contribute just enough to earn them a victory in their league.

Enter two burgeoning stars who have seen their production increase in recent weeks amid undeniable potential, and a veteran tight end benefiting from one of the most proficient rookie seasons ever.

Who are the three players managers should look to for assistance while their stars remain unavailable?

Find out with this preview of Week 5 in fantasy football.

The revelation that Jonathan Taylor and Joe Mixon are out of action Sunday surely left some fantasy managers scrambling to find a running back that can produce and make up for the large void those absences will cause.

While he does not have the name recognition of Ezekiel Elliott or Dalvin Cook, Rico Dowdle is quickly emerging as the best and most productive running back in the Dallas backfield. He has also seen his touches increase in recent weeks, too, giving managers more reason to consider picking him up.

Dowdle rushes 11 times for 46 yards and added a reception for 15 in Week 4's win over the New York Giants.

He has enjoyed a 53 percent snap share over the last two weeks, playing 43.4 percent of pass plays and 55.6 percent of rushing plays. He has a tough assignment Sunday against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that ranks second against the run but is still yielding 16.03 points to the position.

He is not a player who will make up for either Taylor or Mixon's contributions, but he is a threat to receive out of the backfield, with 9 total catches on 12 targets through the first four games.

Considering the pressures the Steelers defense creates, do not be surprised to see his receiving numbers increase in Week 5 as quarterback Dak Prescott looks to get rid of the ball as quickly as he can, including checkdowns to his backs.

Dowdle is available in 44 percent of Yahoo and 48 percent of ESPN leagues.

Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers remains in concussion protocol and will miss Sunday's game against Seattle, leaving managers with a void at a key position in any fantasy lineup.

Enter fellow rookie Jordan Whitting of the Los Angeles Rams.

After tallying just two and three receptions respectively in the second and third weeks of the season, Whittington gave the first inclination that he could be a breakout star for a hobbled Rams receiving corps against a tough Chicago Bears defense in Week 4.

The sixth-rounder out of Texas was on the field for 96.7 percent of the team's offensive snaps, caught six of eight passes for 62 yards, and scored his first double-digit points day in PPR leagues.

Sunday, Los Angeles plays a Green Bay Packers defense that is 21st against wide receivers, allowing 35.75 points to the position per game. Green Bay also has allowed one receiver from each team this season to score at least 15 points, per Pro Football Focus.

In Week 4, the Pack allowed Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to accumulate more than 20 points.

There will be opportunities for Matthew Stafford to find Whittington and let him work his magic. If he could do so in the red zone, where the rookie had just one target against the Bears, it would make managers even more confident in starting Whittington in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua's absence.

The former Texas Longhorn is available in 90 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

With TJ Hockenson out for the Minnesota Vikings and Evan Engram's status for Sunday's game against Indianapolis in doubt, managers needing a tight end to fill that void should look no further than the Washington Commanders' Zach Ertz.

Ertz has yet to score a touchdown this season but the volume has been there, making him an asset to those in PPR leagues.

Through the season's first four games, he has tallied 15 receptions for 150 yards and finished in the Top 20 among tight ends in every one of them.

He has a tough match-up against a Cleveland Browns team giving up the 12th fewest points to his position. Still, the electric Commanders' offense under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and his incredible completion percentage of 82.1 reflects a signal-caller who finds his wide receivers and allows them to make the play.

Ertz will not wow anyone with his stat line and is probably not worth starting every week once more prolific tight ends return to the field, but he is a quality start in their absence this week against a Browns team teetering on the brink of a lost season.

The veteran is available in 70 percent of Yahoo and 51 percent of ESPN leagues.

All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise stated.