Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 5
Injuries piled up in Week 4. Also, the dreaded bye weeks have arrived to complicate matters. A good rule of thumb is that we know who teams are after four games. That can help us make better Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 5 picks.
It’s not too late to turn around a slow start. However, time is running out. Let’s review FullTime Fantasy‘s top fantasy football waiver wire Week 5 options that can help you win this week and moving forward.
FAAB denotes Free Agent Acquisition Budget
Week 5 Byes: Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameson Wiliams (WR) Detroit Lions (13% FAAB) – He’s Baa-aaack! The NFL reduced Williams’s suspension from six games to four. That puts the dynamic wideout in line to suit up this week against the Panthers. However, it’s unknown how ‘game-ready’ William is, or how many snaps he could play. However, Williams should emerge as Detroit’s No. 2 wideout, making him worth a solid waiver wire bid now. Teammate Jayden Reed (6%FAAB) has also locked up the slot role, making him worth a decent bid in the few leagues he’s a free agent.
Romeo Doubs (WR) Green Bay Packers (10% FAAB) – The return of Christian Watson didn’t affect Doubs’s momentum. In fact, Doubs enters Week 5 as a top-20 fantasy wideout. Yet, he’s still available in a large percentage of fantasy leagues. Like I said in the intro, teams are who they are after four games. If that holds true, Jordan Love is a viable fantasy signal caller. Also, that means Love’s top two or three wideouts should be rostered. Doubs is on pace to earn 140 targets as Green Bay’s No. 2 receiver. He is a priority add anywhere he is available.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB) Denver Broncos (10% FAAB) – College football’s all-time leading rusher, McLaughlin took advantage of Javonte Williams’s absence to turn 10 touches into 104 yards and a score on Sunday. If Williams misses time, McLaughlin will be in a timeshare with Samaje Perine. With the kind of games Denver has been involved in so far, McLaughlin has RB3/flex appeal as long as he’s involved. The rookie is worth a healthy FAAB bid.
Chuba Hubbard (RB) Carolina Panthers (8% FAAB) – Miles Sanders only played 44% of Carolina’s snaps on Sunday. Hubbard managed to out-snap Sanders, who is dealing with a groin injury. Hubbard is averaging 7.2 PPR points per game. He’s a good target for Sanders managers looking for insurance.
Michael Wilson (WR) Arizona Cardinals (8% FAAB) – Don’t overspend based on Wilson’s two scores on Sunday. Instead, see an emerging player with a 20.7 aDOT who leads his team with a 29.3% share of Arizona’s receiving yards. Wilson now is a top-25 fantasy wideout who is widely available everywhere. That is about to change.
Tyler Boyd (WR) Cincinnati Bengals (7% FAAB) – Boyd should see an increase in targets with Tee Higgins (ribs) out for multiple weeks. As poorly as Joe Burrow has looked through the first month of the season, Boyd doesn’t offer a ton of upside. However, he is a reliable slot receiver who should see 6-8 targets per week.
C.J. Stroud (QB) Houston Texans (6% FAAB) – Fair to say Stroud is exceeding expectations. The No. 2 overall pick ranks fourth in the league with 1,212 passing yards. Also, Stroud is one of three starting quarterbacks that has not thrown an interception this season. Firmly a QB1 one-quarter of the way through 2023, Stroud will be tested in the next three games. However, the schedule eases up considerably after that. He’s a solid streamer to proactively add before that stretch of games against the Cardinals, Jaguars, and Broncos.
Curtis Samuel (WR) Washington Commanders (5% FAAB) – I was one of the highest analysts this summer on Samuel. He posted WR33 numbers last season with haggard quarterback play. Right on schedule, Samuel is a top-45 fantasy wideout and once again is widely un-rostered. With all the injuries occurring, Samuel can be a reliable source of targets as a fantasy WR3. Also, he won’t cost much FAAB.
Latavius Murray (RB) Buffalo Bills (5% FAAB) – Murray remains widely available even though he’s a top 36 running back entering Week 5. Of course, that production is based on favorable game scripts. Murray is averaging just over five touches per game. However, they are high-value red-zone touches. He’s worth adding but I would be cautious with how much FAAB I used. When the Bills play in closer games, Murray won’t see a consistent snap share.
Mitchell Trubisky (QB) Pittsburgh Steelers (5% FAAB) – Kenny Pickett will miss multiple weeks with a knee injury. Trubisky will fill in as Pittsburgh’s starter. Considering how poorly Pickett has looked, it’s possible Trubisky could retain that job. However, Trubisky isn’t the type of signal caller fantasy managers want to rely on. He’s simply a bye-week stop-gap in Superflex leagues.
Trey Palmer & Deven Thompkins (WR) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3% FAAB) – Mike Evans exited Week 4 with a hamstring injury. That led to Palmer and Thompkins seeing increased usage. Also, both wideouts found the end zone in New Orleans. If Evans misses time, both young wideouts could be fantasy-relevant weekly. The Bucs are on bye in Week 5, so be cautious with how much you bid for a player that won’t help you this week.
Keaton Mitchell (RB) Baltimore Ravens (3% FAAB) – If you’re looking for a proactive running back to add for the rest of the season, Mitchell is your guy. An undrafted free agent out of East Carolina, Mitchell earned first-team reps this summer. Mitchell produced 1,704 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns for the Pirates in 2022. Also, he stood out as a receiver. The rookie is eligible to return from IR at any time. No other Baltimore running back has taken control of the backfield, leaving the door open for Mitchell to earn some reps. He’s a no-lose stash that can be acquired on the cheap.
Jonnu Smith (TE) Atlanta Falcons (2% FAAB) – Don’t overreact to Smith’s big Week 4 showing. This low-volume Atlanta passing attack won’t produce consistent targets for anyone. However, Smith has racked up 20 targets in the last three games. Also, he enters Week 5 as a fantasy TE1. Streamers without a tight end this week could do worse than throwing out a minimal bid on Smith, who gets a home matchup against the Texans on Sunday.
Allen Lazard (WR) New York Jets (1% FAAB) – Betting on another solid game out of Zach Wilson is inadvisable. However, Lazard has seen a consistent role. He’s scored 6.6 or more fantasy points in 3-of-4 games. This week, New York travels to Denver to take on the NFL’s worst defense. That gives Lazard some bye-week appeal as a cheap flier.
Nelson Agholor (WR) Baltimore Ravens (1% FAAB) – Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman are banged up, so Nelson Agholor is seeing an increased role. Agholor leads all of Batlimore’s pass catchers in air yards share (22.9%) and is the only Ravens’ wideout to see an endzone target all season. Seeing as Baltimore faces a Steelers’ secondary that has yielded an NFL-high six touchdowns to wideouts so far in 2022, Agholor has some streaming value this week. Also, he’d be really inexpensive.
Streaming Defense options: Commanders vs. Bears, Lions vs. Panthers, Saints at Patriots, Texans at Atlanta, Packers at Raiders
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