Week 5 of the NFL season is here and with it are the first byes of the year. The Chargers, Browns, Seahawks, and Buccaneers are all off the board this week. If you’re looking to replace Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Ken Walker there are a few streaming options below.
Week 4 was filled with more injuries, too, as Tee Higgins, Kenny Pickett, Mike Evans, and Javonte Williams all left with injuries and did not return to their games. Thankfully, it does not appear that any of these injuries are season-ending, and a few of these players may be back as soon as next weekend, but it’s good to have some insurance just in case.
With that in mind, here are some targets for this week’s waiver wire, for both short and long-term options.
Jaleel McLaughlin, Running Back, Broncos
Should Javonte Willams miss time, McLaughlin should see more work in the run game alongside veteran Samaje Perine. The undrafted free agent rushed seven times for 72 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown vs. the Bears on Sunday. Perine is the bigger back and will likely see more goal-line carries, but McLaughlin is an option if you are thin at the position.
FAAB up to 6%
Jameson Williams, Wide Reciever, Lions
In a surprising move last week, the NFL changed its sports betting policy for players, and now Williams is eligible to return in Week 5. This announcement was made after waivers had already been locked last week (the Lions played on Thursday night), and that means you should have a chance to grab him if you’re willing to spend your FAAB. Williams has seen limited play at the NFL level due to injury and the suspension, but he joins an offense that is one of the most explosive in the league. The former Alabama standout and first-round pick has also been nursing a hamstring injury, so you may have to hold him for a few weeks.
FAAB up to 16%
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C.J. Stroud, Quarterback, Texans
Stroud remains my top claim at the position, and he will continue to make this list until he is at least 50% rostered. Stroud is now the QB10 for the season after another impressive start on Sunday. The young passer has yet to throw an interception through for NFL starts, and his 151 pass attempts this year rank third in the NFL. His 1,212 passing yards rank fourth behind only Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, and Tua Tagavailoa.
FAAB up to 7%
Joshua Palmer, Wide Receiver, Chargers
Palmer is on bye this week, but that could mean it’s an excellent time to pick him up when your league-mates aren’t paying attention. Palmer clearly answered what the Chargers would do without Mike Williams. He led the team in targets on Sunday and had three grabs for 77 yards vs. the Raiders. This Kellen Moore offense is vertical and explosive, and Palmer should be a priority add.
FAAB up to 16%
Michael Wilson, Wide Receiver, Cardinals
Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Network
Wilson was one of my favorite late-round rookie targets heading into the season, so naturally he had a massive game on all of my fantasy benches last Sunday. Ah, well! The receiver out of Stanford caught all seven of his targets for 76 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. The previous week, he caught both of his targets for 86 yards, and he now has the second most yards per route run this year among rookies (2.30 yards per route run) behind only Puka Nacua. The best part? He plays for a team that will likely be in many negative game scripts and is available on 98% of waiver wires. Go get him.
FAAB up to 6%
Justice Hill/Gus Edwards, Running Backs, Ravens
Hill is the less-rostered of the two, but one of these guys will likely go off in any given week in this Ravens offense. On Sunday, Gus Edwards dominated the snaps, including playing most of the third-downs. However, Hill was recovering from a foot injury, so he could have been limited.
FAAB up to 7%
Chuba Hubbard, Running Back, Panthers
Miles Sanders has been dealing with a groin injury, which could explain why Hubbard and Sanders evenly split touches (16 each), with Hubbard taking over mostly in the second half. Hubbard was the more efficient of the two, gaining 54 yards to Sanders’ 32. If Sanders continues to be limited in practice, Hubbard is worth an add.
FAAB up to 6%
Kenneth Gainwell, Running Back, Eagles
Just when you thought De’Andre Swift had this job locked down, tricky Nick Sirianni kept mixing it up. Swift does appear to be the leader of the backfield still, but Gainwell took over on the first drive of the second quarter and played all 10 snaps of that drive. Even if he’s the number two option, Gainwell should be rostered. The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines, and should anything happen to Swift, Gainwell looks to be next in line.
FAAB up to 7%
Marvin Mims, Wide Receiver, Broncos
I will continue to bang this drum until Sean Peyton hears me. Mims caught both of his targets for 47 total yards on Sunday, and he leads the team with 242 receiving yards, despite having only eleven targets this season. That’s bonkers. Russell Wilson remains an excellent deep-passer, and Mims’ big day has to be coming.
FAAB 5%
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Tyler Boyd, Wide Receiver, Bengals
I don’t know how exciting the Cincinnati offense is with a hobbled Joe Burrow. No team has scored fewer points per game this year than the Bengals (12.3). Still, we know it can only go up from here, and Tee Higgins could be missing time. Boyd is the receiver who will likely move into the outside role in Higgins’ absence.
FAAB 5%
Romeo Doubs, Wide Receiver, Packers
Tired: Christian Watson. Wired: Romeo Doubs. Doubs had nine grabs for 95 yards on Thursday Night Football, and his 33 targets and 2- catches lead the team despite being limited in the first two weeks of the season. Sure, Watson will see more playing time moving forward, but Doubs is a starter with Jordan Love.
FAAB 11%
Jake Ferguson, Tight End, Cowboys
Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY Network
Ferguson made this list last week and delivered for those of you who nabbed him. Facing the Patriots on Sunday, the tight end had seven catches for 77 yards. Ferguson has seen a higher target share than Michael Gallup and Brandon Cooks this season.
FAAB 5%
Logan Thomas, Tight End, Commanders
Thomas makes the list again after another solid day on Sunday. Thomas has scored no fewer than seven PPR points in each game played this season, averaging nearly five targets per game. This week’s matchup with the Bears is a good one, too.
FAAB 3%
Matt Stafford, Quarterback, Rams
Speaking of Matthew Stafford- did I mention his 1,229 passing yards are second only to Tua Tagavailoa? The downside for Stafford is that he has only thrown three touchdown passes. Sure that will regress to the mean, though, especially with Cooper Kupp, his favorite red zone target, returning in the coming weeks. This week’s matchup with the Eagles is a good one, too. The Eagles have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game and the fourth-most passing yards to opposing QBs this year.
FAAB up to 3%
Zach Wilson, Quarterback, Jets
Yeah, I just typed that. Hear me out. No, I don’t think Wilson will be replacing Justin Herbert in your 1QB leagues, but if you’re in a Superflex league, you could be desperate. Wilson was Week 4’s QB13 heading into Monday Night Football, after nearly upsetting the Chiefs, passing for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns with a 72% completion rate. He also threw in another 14 yards on the ground. Here are the two things Wilson has going for him this weekend: he’s got four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers in his ear, and he’s facing the Denver Broncos. No team has allowed more yards than the Broncos this season, who have surrendered more than 461 yards per game. Even Justin Fields passed for a career-high four touchdowns vs. the Broncos last week.
FAAB 1%
Other Players to Consider Adding
Quarterbacks: Sam Howell-Commanders, Mitch Trubisky-Steelers, Joshua Dobbs-Cardinals
Running Backs: Tyjae Spears-Titans, Roschon Johnson-Bears
Wide Receivers: Zay Jones-Jaguars, Jayden Reed-Packers, DJ Chark-Panthers
Tight Ends: Luke Musgrave-Packers, Jonnu Smith-Falcons
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