Dillon Gabriel waiver wire Week 5: Should you add Browns QB? Fantasy outlook and projections explored

Dillon Gabriel is in, Joe Flacco is out, and fantasy football managers are left with a new question. Should they trust the rookie to deliver? After watching Jaxson Dart deliver a win in his first-ever start and players like Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels show up in fantasy football last year, the question is tougher than ever. Luckily, Sportskeeda is ready to tackle it head-on.

Should I add Dillon Gabriel for Week 5 Fantasy Football?

Dillon Gabriel at Cleveland Browns v Philadelphia Eagles - NFL Preseason 2025 - Source: Getty

Dillon Gabriel makes sense as an addition only in a few situations. One situation would be if you need a backup quarterback with bye-season on deck. Another situation would be if you had Lamar Jackson and are now desperate for a name that could theoretically give a surprise surge against everything on paper, as that is what rookies offer.

However, if you are thinking about benching Jalen Hurts or another top quarterback for the rookie, dreaming about the untapped potential, starting him is a relatively reckless endeavor. In many cases, first starts for rookie quarterbacks don't deliver in fantasy football.

That, coupled with the Browns facing a Minnesota Vikings squad that dominated backup quarterback Jake Browning in Week 3, makes him a must-sit in Week 5.

Dillon Gabriel fantasy outlook for rest of 2025 season

Dillon Gabriel (Center) at Los Angeles Rams v Cleveland Browns - NFL Preseason 2025 - Source: Getty

As Han Solo of Star Wars fame or Anakin Skywalker of Jaxson Dart fame has famously uttered, "This is where the fun begins." At this point, it's safe to say that Joe Flacco isn't going to start for this team anytime soon. Even if Dillon Gabriel gets injured and misses multiple games, going back to Flacco's two-touchdown, six-interception production long-term is incalculable.

Flacco is set to be second on the team's depth chart, per ESPN.

It would then make sense to start Shedeur Sanders, but that's getting pretty far ahead of ourselves. Gabriel seemingly has both hands on the starting job for the next month or two, almost no matter what happens in terms of production. If it doesn't work out at that point, the Sanders conversation could seemingly start up internally.

Start-worthy games left on the schedule for Gabriel are likely to be against the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cincinnati Bengals. Starting him outside of those matchups is a risky roll of the dice.

Overall, expect a slow start, occasional sparks, and plenty of mistakes. However, if the matchup is right and your need is great enough, Gabriel will make sense, but it is recommended to hold off at least until Oct. 19, when the Browns face the Dolphins.