Week 5’s Best Waiver Wire Options
We’re turning the corner on the quarter-mark of the season which means bye weeks are in full effect. Four teams – the Bucs, Vikings, Steelers, and Redskins – are taking a much need breather this week. The good news for owners is that only Adrian Peterson will be an obvious blow. But that doesn’t mean the Doug Martin, Antonio Brown and RGIII owners of the world have it easy.
Let’s get to Week 5’s best options. All players listed are available in more than 50% of FleaFlicker leagues.
Nate Washington, Titans WR (17% owned): Washington is coming off of two straight 100 yard receiving efforts. Additionally he found the end zone last week. Jake Locker’s injury is a blow but Ryan Fitzpatrick is about as good as it gets for a backup quarterback. In fact, one of Washington’s touchdowns, a 77-yarder, was via Fitzpatrick. Buyers beware: Kansas City, Seattle and San Francisco present three tough matchups in the weeks ahead.
Alshon Jeffrey, Bears WR (48% owned): With 107 receiving yards and a touchdown, Jeffrey is coming off his most productive fantasy day of the season. You can see Jay Cutler getting more comfortable with him each week, particularly as Brandon Marshall receives extreme coverage.
Justin Blackmon, Jaguars WR (51% owned): OK, I’m cheating, but Blackmon comes off his suspension this week and it appears some owners are unaware. Talent-wise Blackmon has all the makings of an elite receiver. In his rookie campaign, he finished with 888 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Of course I’m avoiding the elephant in the room – Blaine Gabbert – so set expectations accordingly.
Brian Hoyer, Browns QB (11% owned): Believe in Hoyer who has infused the Browns offense with 590 passing yards and five touchdowns in two starts. (And two wins, not that it’s relevant for fantasy purposes.) This week’s opponent, Buffalo, has allowed back-to-back 300-yard passers.
Charles Clay, Dolphins TE (41% owned): Unless your tight end is named Graham, Cameron, Gonzalez or Gates, you may be looking for a change of pace. Clay isn’t a sexy, explosive option. He does, however, lead the Dolphins with 20 catches and has typically provided solid production.
Rashad Jennings, Raiders RB (5% owned): Jennings was a Sunday replacement for Darren McFadden who left the game with a hamstring injury. McFadden’s status this week is still unknown but if he’s out Jennings is a nice addition. He only rushed for 45 yards, but those eight catches for 71 yards sure were pretty, especially for PPRers.
Danny Woodhead, Chargers RB (41% owned): Woodhead’s two scores in Week 4 were certainly a pleasant surprise. Moving forward, Philip Rivers will probably look his way in the end zone on a more regular basis. Even without the touchdowns, Woodhead has consistently been putting up between 60-80 all-purpose yards.
Roy Helu, Redskins RB (24% owned): Helu had 13 carries Sunday as an injury replacement for Alfred Morris. Helu looked better than his 3.2 yards per carry, particularly when he waltzed into the end zone. Washington has a bye this week but nice upcoming matchups against Dallas and Chicago in Weeks 6 and 7. Helu won’t save your season, but if Morris remains out (which is iffy considering the ribs are not broken), he makes a nice bye week replacement for those planning ahead.
