Week 5 was kind in regards to not many fantasy relevant injuries occurring which is usually the life blood of waiver wire action. Despite the lack of injuries there are still some players out on the wire you should consider picking up to play in week 6 and others that are worth a bench stash. Two teams are on bye this week; Buccaneers and Vikings. Good luck!
Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.
Quarterback
Alex Smith (KC) - 18% owned - The Chiefs are coming off a bye-week and return to action against a Raiders defense giving up a league-worst 331 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. This means Smith should be a great streaming option if you're in need.
Running Back
James White (NE) - 46% owned - White has made the list two weeks in a row which means you're missing out if you haven't added him yet. With Brady returning White put up his best fantasy performance of the season with 26 yards on 5 carries and added another 63 yards on 4 catches. Most of his damage came in the first half so It's reasonable to assume his numbers would've been higher if the Patriots hadn't been dominating the entire game.
Devontae Booker (DEN) - 9% owned - The fourth round rookie ended up receiving only 4 fewer touches than the recently underperforming C.J. Anderson in week 5 which indicates the Denver backfield could be headed into a timeshare if Anderson continues to struggle. If you have the bench space available, Booker is worth an add and stash for a couple weeks to see how the situation shakes out.
Honorable mention: Kenneth Dixon (BAL) - 38% owned
Wide Receiver
Cameron Meredith (CHI) - 4% owned - Last week I thought Eddie Royal would see an uptick in production but instead it was the second year Meredith that exploded for 130 yards and a touchdown catching 9 of 12 targets. He should be locked in as the number 2 receiver behind Alshon Jeffery after this performance.
Jeremy Kerley (SF) - 9% owned - Kerley has put up back to back big games now catching 14 of 22 targets for 190 yards and two touchdowns over that span. What's most interesting is he is averaging 9 targets per game throughout the season which means he should have a decent floor week to week.
Honorable mention: Robert Woods (BUF) - 29% owned
Tight End
Jesse James (PIT) - 23% owned - James has now found the end zone in 3 of the last 4 games after scoring in week 5 on top of catching 6 of 8 for 43 yards. If you need a fill in for tight end this week look to James for a decent chance for a touchdown.
Honorable mention: Cameron Brate (TB) - 41% owned
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee Titans (TEN) - 6% owned - The Titans defense has been consistently average for fantasy purposes all season, but I knock them up a few pegs this week since they play against Cleveland.
The start of week 5 means we are nearly a third of the way through the fantasy regular season for most leagues. Hopefully, your team is sitting in a good position, but if it's not that just means you have higher priority on the waiver wire to use my advice try and turn things around! Four teams are on bye this week; Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars and Chiefs.
Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.
Carson Wentz (PHI) - 38% owned - Coming off a bye-week Wentz gets an amazing matchup against a Detroit defense giving up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. He's a great fill-in if your QB is on bye and even if your QB isn't you should still consider him as a plus streaming option.
Honorable mention: Joe Flacco (BAL) - 34% owned
Terrance West (BAL) - 29% owned - West ended up being named the starting running back for the Ravens in week 4 after they surprisingly announced Justin Forsett as a healthy scratch. He made the most of the opportunity by putting up 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He will have some competition for the starting position coming with Kenneth Dixon returning from injury, but has the first opportunity to separate himself in week 5 against a Redskins defense giving up an awful 133 rushing yards per game.
James White (NE) - 28% owned - White has thus far underwhelmed after taking over for the injured Dion Lewis but he's definitely worth a speculative add this week to see if the return of Tom Brady impacts his fantasy value.
Honorable mention: Kenneth Dixon (BAL) - 25% owned
Robert Woods (BUF) - 23% owned - With Sammy Watkins being placed on injured reserve Woods is now the number 1 receiver in Buffalo. While I don't see him as a great talent, I do consider him to be great depth and for your team as an every-week WR3 strictly based on the volume of targets.
Eddie Royal (CHI) - 13% owned - Royal has a long time history of being fantasy fool's gold, but it did look as though he and Hoyer had a connection last week against the Lions after he caught 7 of 7 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown. There are talks of Hoyer keeping the starting QB position in Chicago long term if he continues to play well which might mean more upside for the speedy Royal.
Honorable mention: Quincy Enunwa (NYJ) - 37% owned
Cameron Brate (MIN) - 10% owned - Brate has looked to take on a big role in the Bucs offense since Austin Seferian-Jenkins was cut, catching 10 of 18 targets for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The volume of targets should make him a high floor play if you need a TE fill in.
Honorable mention: Jacob Tamme (ATL) - 45% owned
Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo Bills (BUF) - 44% owned - The Buffalo defense is quietly is tied for the second most fantasy points through four weeks and they have a plus matchup against the LA Rams this week. They are my streaming defense of the week.
Week 4 is upon us which means one important thing, bye weeks have come! Only two teams on bye this week but they are the Packers and Eagles which both contain some very fantasy relevant players. If you need some fill ins, or just want to improve your teams depth, the below recommendations should be considered to help your team out.
Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.
Quarterback
Joe Flacco (BAL) - 29% owned - If you are looking for a bye-week fill in at the quarterback position this week, Flacco has an amazing matchup against a Raiders pass defense giving up 340 passing yards per game and the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks through 3 weeks.
Honorable mention: Carson Wentz (PHI) - 20% owned (on bye week 4 but nice matchups weeks 5/6)
Running Back
Jordan Howard (CHI) - 25% owned - Jeremy Langford was carted off the field in week 3 with what is reported to be a high ankle sprain, which means Howard will be leading the Bears backfield for at least the next 3 weeks and potentially permanently if he performs well enough. The Bears matchups the next 3 weeks are against average to below average rushing defenses in the Lions, Colts and Jaguars. I consider Howard the waiver add of the week.
Orleans Darkwa (NYG) - 3% owned - With Rashad Jennings sitting out, Darkwa split carries with Shane Vereen in week 3 and ended up with 53 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as well as a reception for 9 yards. It was reported today that Vereen will now miss the rest of the season with a triceps injury which means Darkwa will be the lead back for however long Jennings remains out. Whenever Jennings returns Darkwa should still hold some minor fantasy relevance.
Honorable mention: Cameron Artis-Payne (CAR) - 19% owned
Wide Receiver
Terrelle Pryor Sr. (CLE) - 23% owned - Pryor was putting up fantasy points every way imaginable against the Dolphins catching 8 out of 14 targets for 144 yards, rushing 4 times for 21 yards and completing 3 out of 5 passes for 35 yards. I'm expecting these kind of stat lines won't be showing up after Josh McCown and Josh Gordon get back in the lineup, but he's definitely worth an add and start in all formats for week 4.
Steve Smith Sr. (BAL) - 39% owned - Although he didn't make it into the end zone in week 3, Smith caught 8 of 11 targets for 87 yards. He has a great matchup against an Oakland defense giving up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers so you can expect a big game here.
Honorable mention: Cole Beasley (DAL) - 21% owned
Tight End
Kyle Rudolph (MIN) - 42% owned - Rudolph looks to be a focal point of the Vikings offense this season which is shown by his 166 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 of 26 targets. These stats make him good for second most fantasy points and targets at the tight end position behind only Greg Olsen.
Honorable mention: Cameron Brate (TB) - 2% owned
Defense/Special Teams
Washington Redskins (WAS) - 7% owned - Recommending the Redskins as a streaming defense this week since they go up against Cleveland who still will be starting their 3rd string rookie quarterback in Cody Kessler. Look for a few freebie turnovers to come the Redskins way this week.
Two weeks of football are now behind us in this young season and injuries impacting the fantasy playing field are already starting to pile up. I know this first hand after getting burned by early game injuries to Jonathan Stewart and Arian Foster just to name a few! Regardless of if you've been unfortunate to lose key players on your fantasy team to injury or not, this advice is geared to help better position yourselves with waiver picks for both the short and long term.
Note: all waiver picks listed here will have only been owned in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues at the time of publication.
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill (MIA) - 29% owned - Tannehill was involved heavily last week against the Patriots, netting 389 yards and 2 TDs on 45 pass attempts while also adding another 35 yards on the ground from 6 carries. With Foster's status up in the air for week 3 you should expect similar results from Tannehill against a beatable Cleveland defense.
Honorable mention: Joe Flacco (BAL) - 29% owned
Running Back
Jerick McKinnon (MIN) - 24% owned - It's been announced that Adrian Peterson suffered a torn meniscus in week 2 which should leave him sidelined this coming week if not longer. This makes McKinnon a must add as the favorite for early down work in the Vikings backfield. The only downside is history has shown McKinnon will lose goal-line touches to Matt Asiata which limits his touchdown potential.
Fozzy Whittaker (CAR) - 5% owned - After Jonathan Stewart injured his hamstring last week Whittaker entered the game and put up 100 yards rushing on 16 carries while adding another 31 yards on 3 receptions. Stewart is expected to miss either one or two games with his injury which makes Whittaker a good bet to start while he is sidelined. The matchup isn't ideal against a tough Vikings defense, but if you are in a bind and need a starting running back for the week Whittaker is available.
Honorable mention: Matt Asiata (MIN) - 2% owned
Wide Receiver
Tyrell Williams (SD) - 48% owned - Williams looks to be the number two passing option in San Diego after the season ending injuries keep piling up to the Chargers skill players; Danny Woodhead was the latest victim after they already lost Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson. As long as he can avoid the injury curse going around he is a good bet for week to week fantasy production on a pass happy team with a terrible defense.
Victor Cruz (NYG) - 37% owned - Cruz has been showing signs of life after missing the last season and a half from a patellar tendon tear, putting up 8 catches on 12 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. I still think he needs to show a little more before I would trust him in my line up, but I also think this is the week to invest and put a waiver claim since it could pay off big if he can return to his old form.
Honorable mention: Jamison Crowder (WAS) - 6% owned
Tight End
Dennis Pitta (BAL) - 11% owned - Pitta has had an extremely injury-riddled career but he is healthy (for the moment) and looks to have a big role in the Ravens offense after grabbing 9 receptions for 102 yards on 12 targets. This type of volume would put him in the weekly TE1 conversation if it were to continue so he's worth a grab.
Honorable mention: Jacob Tamme (ATL) - 6% owned
Defense/Special Teams
Miami Dolphins (MIA) - 7% owned - The Dolphins defense are an interesting streaming play this week since Cleveland is forced to start their rookie 3rd string quarterback Cody Kessler. History shows Kessler is likely to make mistakes in his first start which means Miami is a good bet to rack up fantasy points