Week 5 gave us another dose of chaos. Injuries are shaking depth charts, rookies are earning more snaps, and coaches are quietly tweaking rotations behind the scenes. Smart fantasy managers aren’t just reacting — they’re predicting. That’s where stashing comes in.
The following players are still widely available but sit one opportunity away from relevance. If you’ve got the bench space, these are the stashes to grab before they blow up.
RB – Kyle Monangai (Chicago Bears)
Bears rookie Kyle Monangai runs like every carry could be his last — and that energy might soon earn him a real shot at D’Andre Swift’s starting job. Coming out of the bye week, Chicago’s offense is recalibrating, and Monangai’s physical, downhill style has stood out in limited work.
While Swift continues to flash as a receiver, his rushing efficiency has fallen off a cliff. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he’s averaging –0.39 rushing yards over expected per carry, one of the lowest marks in the league — the same issue that plagued him last season, when he ranked dead last among qualifying backs. Monangai, by contrast, has consistently generated positive yardage after contact and gives the Bears a tougher between-the-tackles presence.
If head coach Shane Waldron wants to stabilize the ground game and protect Caleb Williams, it makes sense to lean more on the rookie. Monangai already handled nearly 30% of snaps before the bye, and that number could rise quickly if the coaching staff gives him a longer leash.
He’s not just a handcuff — he’s an ascending rookie who could take over this backfield by midseason.
RB – Tyjae Spears (Tennessee Titans)
Tyjae Spears made his return from injured reserve in Week 5 and immediately reminded everyone why the Titans have been eager to get him back. He played 17 snaps in Tennessee’s upset win over Arizona, logging 4 carries for 14 yards in what was clearly a ramp-up game.
Head coach Brian Callahan has said since the offseason that he wants Spears more involved, and that opportunity is finally back on the table. With Tony Pollard struggling to find efficiency as the lead back and the Titans’ offense looking to add speed, Spears’ explosiveness gives this unit a new gear.
Tennessee’s upcoming schedule (Colts, Jaguars, Dolphins) features several defenses vulnerable to backs who can catch passes and create in space — exactly Spears’ skill set. If his snap share jumps back into the 30–40% range in Week 6, he’ll be one of the most popular waiver adds by next Tuesday.
Stash him now before his workload — and fantasy relevance — ramps up again.
RB – Brian Robinson Jr. (San Francisco 49ers)
Brian Robinson Jr. is the definition of a high-upside lottery ticket. After being traded from Washington, he’s now the direct handcuff to Christian McCaffrey, who continues to carry a massive workload for San Francisco. McCaffrey has logged over 80% of the team’s backfield touches this season — an unsustainable clip for a player with his injury history.
If McCaffrey were to miss time, Robinson would instantly inherit one of the most valuable roles in fantasy football. Kyle Shanahan’s system has a long track record of turning backup running backs into league winners — from Elijah Mitchell to Jeff Wilson to Raheem Mostert. Robinson’s physical, downhill style fits perfectly behind the Niners’ elite offensive line, and he’s already been mixing in for short-yardage and clock-killing situations.
He may not offer weekly standalone value yet, but as a pure contingency stash, Robinson is one of the best bets on the board.
RB – Ollie Gordon II (Miami Dolphins)
Rookie Ollie Gordon II is the next man up in one of fantasy’s most explosive offenses — and with De’Von Achane banged up again, his window could open sooner than expected. Achane’s speed is unmatched, but his durability has been an issue dating back to college and his rookie season. Miami has been cautious with his workload, and head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t shy about rotating backs when opportunity knocks.
Enter Gordon, the former Oklahoma State star who brings power and balance to a backfield built on speed. In limited work, he’s shown strong vision and contact balance, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and handling short-yardage situations over Jaylen Wright. His combination of size and burst adds a dimension Miami’s offense hasn’t had since Jeff Wilson’s 2022 stretch run.
If Achane misses any time, Gordon would immediately jump into the flex conversation. Even if he doesn’t, he’s the type of stash who can pay off in a single week — a potential league-winner in McDaniel’s system once the opportunity hits.
RB – Isaiah Davis (New York Jets)
With Braelon Allen sidelined for at least two months due to a knee injury, Isaiah Davis now stands alone as the clear backup to Breece Hall. The rookie has quietly earned the Jets’ trust with steady play and physical running, and his role is secure as the next man up.
Davis doesn’t carry much standalone value — Hall remains the focal point of this offense — but he’s now one injury away from a significant workload in a system that loves to run the ball. In limited snaps, Davis has flashed strong contact balance and decisiveness, averaging over 5 yards per carry on the season.
In larger leagues or deeper formats, he’s a must-stash handcuff. If anything happens to Hall, Davis would instantly become a priority waiver add with RB2-level upside.
WR – Luther Burden III (Chicago Bears)
Luther Burden remains frustratingly bottled up in Chicago’s offense, running routes on just around 20% of dropbacks behind veteran Olamide Zaccheaus. Even with the limited usage, he’s been highly efficient — posting 3.19 yards per route run and 0.76 fantasy points per route, according to Fantasy Points Data. Simply put, he’s doing a lot with very little.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been reluctant to expand the rookie’s role, but that may not last forever. Burden’s combination of physicality, after-the-catch ability, and separation skills makes him one of the most intriguing breakout bets on the roster. If Johnson ever decides to unleash him, Burden could immediately become a fantasy mainstay alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
For now, he’s a pure stash — but the efficiency metrics are screaming for more opportunities.
WR – Isaiah Bond (Cleveland Browns)
The Browns’ wide receiver room keeps thinning out, and Isaiah Bond is quietly taking advantage. With Cedric Tillman and DeAndre Carter both on injured reserve, the undrafted rookie has stepped into a steady role opposite Jerry Jeudy in Cleveland’s frequent two-tight-end sets.
In Week 5, Bond’s route participation climbed to 72.2%, and he maintained a solid 15.2% target share on five looks. More importantly, he’s starting to emerge as the team’s primary deep threat — leading the Browns in air yards (69) and commanding a 39.2% share with a 13.8-yard average depth of target. That’s meaningful in an offense that ranks top-three in overall pass rate (over 65%), particularly with Dillon Gabriel favoring shorter throws to Jeudy underneath.
Bond’s ability to line up both inside and outside gives him real staying power in this offense. With Cleveland’s receiving corps banged up and reshuffling weekly, he’s one of the more quietly valuable stashes for the second half of the season.
WR – Jalen Coker (Carolina Panthers)
The Panthers are finally getting help at wide receiver, as Jalen Coker has been designated to return from injured reserve this week. That’s a welcome boost for an offense that’s been scraping the bottom of the depth chart, leaning heavily on Brycen Tremayne and Hunter Renfrow, who’ve combined for just 5.58 yards per target this season.
Coker brings exactly what this group has been missing — athleticism, after-the-catch juice, and the ability to separate. As an undrafted rookie in 2024, he quietly flashed real upside, averaging 1.68 yards per route run, a figure that climbed to 1.75 when Adam Thielen was sidelined. That efficiency dwarfed fellow rookie Xavier Legette’s 1.19 YPRR, which has since cratered to 0.36 in 2025.
Coker’s versatility allows him to line up both in the slot and on the perimeter, giving him a path to immediate playing time — and possibly a chance to leapfrog Legette if the struggles continue. For now, he’s a deep-league stash with sneaky upside, but Carolina’s desperation for offensive playmakers could turn him into a fantasy factor sooner than later.
RB – Brashard Smith (Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs’ offense hasn’t looked quite like the well-oiled machine of years past — and a lot of that stems from a stagnant running game. Both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have struggled to create big plays or sustain efficiency. Among all qualified running backs, Pacheco ranks near the bottom in yards after contact per attempt, while Hunt has been even less explosive, averaging under 3.5 yards per carry.
That lack of juice on the ground has forced Andy Reid to get creative — and Brashard Smith might be part of the solution. The rookie’s speed and short-area burst make him a natural fit for jet sweeps, screens, and motion plays designed to stretch defenses horizontally. In Week 5, he logged a season-high in snap share and drew two designed touches, flashing the acceleration Kansas City has been missing.
With Rashee Rice suspended and Xavier Worthy commanding attention deep, Smith could see his gadget role expand quickly. He’s the type of player Reid loves to weaponize when the offense needs a spark — and right now, Kansas City does.
Smith isn’t a startable fantasy option yet, but the opportunity is building. If the Chiefs continue searching for ways to generate easy yardage, don’t be surprised if Smith becomes a late-season sleeper in one of the league’s most dynamic passing attacks.
Final Thoughts
Week 6 is the time to stash before the bye weeks hit hard.
- Running backs: Monangai, Spears, Robinson, Gordon, and Davis offer real contingent value with upward-trending usage.
- Receivers: Burden and Bond headline the youth movement, while Coker represents deeper-league upside stashes.
Getting ahead of the market now is how championship rosters are built — don’t wait until these names show up in next week’s waiver columns.