Fantasy Football ‘24: Waiver wire, Week 5 edition

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 5! Injuries continue to pile up around the league, and for the first time this season we’ve got Bye weeks to contend with too. So that’s fun. I’ll put it in economic terms: The Waiver Wire now shifts from shopping for luxury items to buying the necessities, depending of course on how damaged your roster is and how well you’ve survived (and navigated) the first four weeks of the season.

Here’s a tip for the Bye weeks, that I also noted last week: If you’ve got the roster space, plan ahead, and especially at the “onesie” positions of QB, TE, PK and D/ST, where you’re often going to roll with a streaming option as opposed to playing someone off your bench. Example: If you know you need a tight end in Week 6 because your starter is on a Bye, peek ahead at the Week 6 matchups and grab that player now, ahead of the competition that might be looking for a Bye week or injury replacement a week from now.

The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch (this is usually more important during Bye weeks). Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the TWO Week 4 Monday night games.

Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Kareem Hunt, or Bucky Irving this week. They probably aren’t available in any of your leagues. If they are, they’re priority adds.

Let’s look at what’s available this week.

WEEK 5 BYES: DET, LAC, PHI, TEN

Week 5 Waiver Wire

Quarterback:

Justin Fields. I was surprised to see that his roster percentage on the major platforms is below 50%. Any starting quarterback who can run like Fields should be rostered in all leagues. Will he lose the job to Russell Wilson at some point? Maybe. But for now, the team is 3-1 and Wilson hasn’t dressed for a single game, so I’d roster Fields and especially as we head into the Bye weeks.

Geno Smith. I’ve been listing Smith each week. He’s got good weapons and is playing well, in a new offense that’s a lot more QB-friendly than the old one. I won’t be surprised if he finishes the season as a borderline QB1.

Andy Dalton. Dalton has thrown for multiple TDs in both of his starts. He’s also attempted a whopping 79 passes in his two starts—the red rifle is firing off a lot of rounds, friends. That’s what you want in fantasy. The Panthers have one of the league’s worst defenses and he’ll have to keep chucking it. His weapons aren’t the best, but they’re good enough. The team is calling Bryce Young’s benching “temporary”, but they’re playing much better with Dalton running the show and I think you can count on him for at least another 4-5 starts, and probably more. BUT: If you’re looking for a Week 5 streamer only, I’d steer clear as Dalton has a very tough matchup at the Bears.

Daniel Jones. I’ll mention him again this week. Yes, I saw the game Thursday night – thankfully from my couch and not my seats in Section 133. His deep ball is terrible, and he couldn’t get his team into the end zone for a full 60 minutes. I’m not blind. Still, if you’re stuck, he’s not such a bad option. He’s throwing a lot, his weapons are decent, and he’ll usually add some points with his legs. That said, he absolutely needs Malik Nabers in the lineup to be worthy of consideration as a streamer this week, and hopefully the long layoff from Thursday to next Sunday will give him enough time to clear concussion protocol. Jones and the Giants travel to Seattle on Sunday—not the best matchup.

Joe Flacco. It’s unclear as of this writing whether Anthony Richardson will be able to give it a go in Week 5. Richardson left Sunday’s game with a hip injury and Flacco came in out of the bullpen and did his usual stud reliever thing, completing 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards with two TDs and zero INTs. He also led his team to a win. I could swear I’ve seen this movie before, just with a different cast. Flacco is a risky add as he may not start in Week 5 (or beyond). But if he does, the Jaguars are a very favorable matchup and he’s an excellent streamer.

More QB Streamers. If you’re stuck and need a Week 5 streamer, consider Matthew Stafford (vs. GB). Sam Darnold just carved up the Packers’ secondary, which could again be without standout cornerback Jaire Alexander. Deshaun Watson will be at the Commanders. He’s been awful, and I can’t in good conscience recommend him, but it’s a great matchup.

Speculative adds to consider in a Superflex, if you have the space: Drake Maye, Jameis Winston, Will Levis, and Snoop Huntley. Maye and Winston are stash plays that may or may not pan out this season. Levis is an enigma who is struggling but has the physical tools to score fantasy points. Keep an eye on how Huntley does on Monday night vs. the Titans. I’m skeptical, but there’s value to be had with Miami’s skill position players and Head Coach.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Running Back

Chase Brown. After seeing seven or fewer carries in each of the first three games, Brown got 15 totes on Sunday and made the most of it, with 80 yards and two TDs. He also got three of the team’s four red zone carries. So he’s a popular name this week. Surely, a big part of what he did this week was the favorable game script and weak opponent. But the expectations for him this season were high so maybe this is the start of something positive. Zach Moss also got 15 carries Sunday, and the Bengals have one of the lowest run rates in the NFL. Bottom line: Running back help is hard to find, and whether this was a breakout or a fake-out, Brown is definitely worth adding if he’s available in your league. I’d even go so far as to call him a priority add.

Roschon Johnson. D’Andre Swift had a rough start to his Bears career, but a huge game against the Rams on Sunday likely re-secured his starter status, at least for now. Johnson appears to be the clear No. 2, and he got a goal-line carry on Sunday which he converted. He’s worth an add.

Braelon Allen. I’ve listed Allen for several weeks running. The Jets got nothing going against the Broncos in the rain, but Allen has proven that he’s got some stand-alone value to go with massive handcuff value. I said this a week ago: He should be rostered in all leagues, ideally by the manager who used a Top-5 pick on Breece Hall.

Jeremy McNichols. McNichols was this week’s “player nobody has heard of, who went off”. He took advantage of Austin Ekeler’s absence (concussion) and ran for 68 yards and two TDs. He looked great, but this feels like a one-off performance that won’t often repeat. The Commanders were running away with the game against a bad defense, and McNichols only had one touch on the season before today. My guess is Ekeler will be back in Week 5.

Trey Sermon. Here’s another instance where a pickup might end up being fairly worthless if the injury to the starter doesn’t cause him to miss time. The Colts’ win on Sunday was costly. Not only did Richardson go down, but Jonathan Taylor suffered a high ankle sprain as well. That usually means at least one missed game if not more. Sermon has never shown much at the NFL level, but he’s the No. 2 option there and a start against the Jaguars this week would have appeal.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He’s eligible to come off IR and is likely to rejoin the team. Whether he’ll get much run is another story, but given the state of the Chiefs’ offense at the moment, he could be worth a speculative swing if you’ve got the roster space. Carson Steele has fumbled in back-to-back games and is likely to fade into oblivion. Kareem Hunt appears to be in line for the biggest role until Pacheco returns, but you never know, and CEH is the only running back on the team who was a Chief last season.

Others: It’s always hard to find difference-making running back help on the wire. If you need immediate help or added depth for the Bye weeks, consider Justice Hill, Ty Chandler, Tyler Allgeier, Emmanuel Wilson, Tank Bigsby, Tyrone Tracy, Jr., and Alexander Mattison. Each one is plenty involved as the second running back in the offense, and is one injury away from a much bigger role. At least one or two of these backups should be available in your leagues.

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Wide Receiver

Dontayvion Wicks. The skinny on Wicks this offseason was that he’s a really talented outside receiver, but given how crowded the Packers’ wide receiver room is, probably needs an injury to be a factor in fantasy. That’s why he’s only about 20% rostered on most platforms (at the moment). Well, the injury happened, so that’s about to change. With Christian Watson likely to miss time Wicks is a must-add, as he could and should earn more playing time even when everyone is healthy. The Packers won’t often be in major catch-up mode, but he stepped in and delivered a massive 2-TD performance on Sunday.

Josh Downs. I like him more if Flacco is his quarterback, but either way, he’s worth an add now that he’s fully healthy. His 8-82-1 line on Sunday came against a good defense, and he has a shot to be a legitimate WR2/3 or Flex play the rest of the way. The Colts are also going to have to keep throwing, given the state of their defense and the injury to Jonathan Taylor.

Wan’Dale Robinson. He makes the column for the third straight week. He’s got at least 6 catches or a TD in every game so far this season, and has solidified a role as the team’s top short-area target. He saw 14 targets on Thursday, and that was his second game with double-digit targets. In Full PPR, he’s a good Flex option. If Malik Nabers can’t make it back this week, he’d have added appeal but either way, he’s the clear No. 2 option on an offense that’s throwing a lot.

Xavier Legette. Andy Dalton is raising all boats in the Carolina harbor. That includes Legette, who took advantage of Adam Thielen’s absence and broke out with a 6-66-1 line on 10 targets. With Thielen likely to miss a few more weeks, Legette is a decent add to your wide receiver corps.

Ladd McConkey. He got dropped in a number of leagues, but appears to be emerging as a fairly reliable option in the Chargers’ offense. They’re on a Bye this week, so if you’re thinking about him it’s for the longer-term.

JuJu Smith-Schuster. I don’t expect big production from JuJu, but the injury to Rashee Rice opens the door for him to have more of a role and especially on shorter and intermediate routes, where he still can still be an OK weapon. Of the healthy receivers on the roster not named Xavier Worthy, JuJu is the one I’d want first, followed by Justin Watson. It’s conceivable that the Chiefs will trade for a receiver.

Others to consider for WR depth: Brandin Cooks, Tre Tucker, and Demario Douglas.

Tight End

Tucker Kraft. He’s the clear TE1 in Green Bay by both usage and production, and there’s value to that and especially with Christian Watson going down on Sunday. Kraft leads all TEs in scoring for the week heading into the Monday games, and has a decent shot to end the season as a Top-15 TE, which means he should be rostered.

Zach Ertz. He’s got an OK floor, and has caught at least three balls in each contest. Unfortunately, he hasn’t caught more than five passes in any game. Still, the Washington offense is humming and he’s not a complete afterthought.

Tyler Conklin. He followed up his best game of the season with a dud, but the entire offense did nothing against what is shaping up as a really good Denver defense. Conklin is a safe bet for a few catches each game and especially with the Jets’ WRs struggling.

Cade Otton. The Bucs’ passing game is deep with options, and Otton isn’t at the top of the pecking order and tends to be a bit boom-or-bust. Still, it’s a good passing game to invest in.

Others. If you need help at tight end, or a streamer for an upcoming week, consider these dart throws, in whatever order you like them (good luck picking the right one): Noah Fant, Chig Okonkwo, Theo Johnson, and Hunter Henry. Also note that T.J. Hockenson could be back in a fwe weeks. If you have the space (ideally in an IR spot), now would be a good time to stash him if he’s available.

PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 5 (ranked outside the Top-12 for the season):

PK: J. Myers (vs. NYG), A. Seibert (vs. CLE), E. McPherson (vs. BAL)

D/ST: SEA (vs. NYG), DEN (vs. LV), LV (@DEN), MIA (@NE), NE (vs. MIA).

Good luck with your waiver claims!

***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here. ***