Waiver Wire Pickups Week 5

Welcome to another week of waiver wire targeting. We have a big week five approaching where many owners will be adding players as a one week fill-in. That’s because four teams are on a bye and crucial injuries to quarterbacks are going to impact how owners use guys like Larry Fitzgerald or Kelvin Benjamin.

Teams on a Bye:

Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Seattle

QB

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Carson Wentz (38% owned)

Coming off a bye, Wentz will look to pick up where he left off, and he’s got a great opportunity to do that against the Lions who have given up at least two touchdowns to every quarterback they have faced.

Brian Hoyer (5% owned)

Hoyer has been a better quarterback than Jay Cutler, so there isn’t much reason for the team to rush him back from his thumb injury. Hopefully Hoyer gets the start, which should bode well for the other fantasy options around him like Alshon Jeffery, Zach Miller, Eddie Royal, Kevin White, and Jordan Howard.

Joe Flacco (34% owned)

It seems like every week Flacco is a decent streaming option, and he will be another guy many turn to with the likes of Blake Bortles, Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson all on a bye. Not to mention there is a possibility Cam Newton and Carson Palmer don’t play this week. Flacco gets the Redskins at home.

Other names to look out for are Sam Bradford, Ryan Tannehill, and Derek Anderson.

RB

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Terrance West (29% owned)

Kenneth Dixon (25% owned)

The guy to add if you need a one week fill-in is West. But if you are looking for long term upside, Dixon is the guy who projects to take over the Baltimore backfield. They probably won’t use him too much in week five as he is coming back from an injury, but week six and beyond should see Dixon take over the majority of the shares.

Wendell Smallwood (12% owned)

Ryan Mathews is coming off an ankle injury and has a long history of injuries that fantasy players know all too well about. Smallwood will get the carries if anything else happens to Mathews, and he should be involved in the game plan for this week as well since the Eagles probably don’t want to rush Mathews back.

Bilal Powell (23% owned)

His usage in the pass game has increased over the last two weeks. Matt Forte is obviously still the lead back and will hurt Powell’s value, but he is still good to consider in PPR leagues.

Other candidates: Darren Sproles, James White.

WR

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Quincy Enunwa (37% owned)

Even before Eric Decker’s shoulder injury, Enunwa was getting a healthy amount of targets as the third wide receiver. Now, with Decker potentially headed for the IR, Enunwa is a must add.

Dontrelle Inman (2% owned)

Tyrell Williams was the man projected to be the second wide receiver in the Charger offense, but Inman may have jumped ahead of Williams with a big game this past week. He drew the most targets from Philip Rivers and broke a tackle to complete a big play that went for a touchdown.

Robert Woods (7% owned)

With Sammy Watkins being placed on IR, Woods is the next man up in Buffalo. He’s combined for 18 targets over his last two games and is a good add in PPR leagues.

Eddie Royal (13% owned)

He caught all seven of his targets to go with one touchdown from Brian Hoyer and gets another good matchup against the Colts. Royal has been a solid fantasy contributor through the first three out of four weeks.

Chris Hogan (24% owned)

If you can afford to stash a wide receiver, Hogan is a great candidate with Brady returning. He’s played in more snaps than Julian Edelman on the year but hasn’t done much with them. In his defense, neither have any of the other Patriots wide receivers.

TE

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The tight end position has been all over the place in 2016, so if Jimmy Graham is somehow on your waiver wire, he’s worth a good chunk of your FAAB. He’s owned in 83% of leagues and has looked like his old self over the past two games, and Russell Wilson has shown trust in him when he’s covered in a one-on-one situation. Unfortunately, he’s probably not out there for you to grab, so here are some other names.

Zach Ertz (63% owned)

After taking time off to recover from a rib injury, Ertz is expected to play in what looks to be a great matchup against the Lions. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has somehow worked with his receivers and should look to utilize the mismatch Ertz presents.

Jesse James (21% owned)

James is a quality option to stream with Travis Kelce, Coby Fleener, and Jimmy Graham all on a bye week. He had a rough week against the Chiefs defense, but they have been extremely tough on tight ends this year. He did manage to catch a touchdown pass to go along with his 15 yards in the game. The Jets are a little more lenient, so James should get more looks this week.

Hunter Henry (30% owned)

In both of his starts, Henry has gone for over 60 receiving yards on nine receptions. He caught a touchdown pass in his last game against the Saints defense, which isn’t saying much, but hey, it’s something! He’s a rookie with plenty of upside at a position where many owners are looking for someone to bust out. He could be the guy.

DEF

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Buffalo (44% owned)

They have been among the best defenses for fantasy purposes, just barely trailing Minnesota in standard scoring. Somehow, the Vikes are owned in over double the amount of leagues Buffalo is owned in. Rex Ryan’s Bills get the Rams, 49ers, and Dolphins in the next three weeks, so scoop them up while you can.

Philadelphia (52% owned)

They have scored 10 or more fantasy points through their first three games and are coming off a bye to face the Lions. Detroit hasn’t faced a defense as good as the Eagles yet, so their offense will be tested.

Tampa Bay (5% owned)

The Bucs defense has been one of the worst for fantasy purposes, but they could get a break if Cam Newton isn’t cleared to play in week five. Derek Anderson threw two interceptions and two touchdowns when he was called upon. Kansas City and Seattle owners will look for a defense to stream, and Tampa is a viable option if both Buffalo and Philly are unavailable.