C.J. Stroud Entering Borderline QB1, Waiver-Pickup Territory 31mLink copied!

Oct 6, 2026, 9:25 PM ET

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel is coming off his best performance of the season in Week 4. Noel hauled in all three of his targets for 85 yards in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Noel was barely seen during the two games that fellow wideout Nico Collins missed, but he made a splash during Collins' return this past weekend. The 24-year-old appears to be building chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. The two of them connected on a big 52-yard play this past Sunday. Noel has a chance to carve out a role as the No. 2 wideout in Houston. He's a decent dynasty stash and a possible deep league flex option for the Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Oct 6, 2026, 9:23 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned in his second performance in a row of over 23 fantasy points in a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers, despite his age, is still a productive passer, and has a trio of competent wideouts to throw the ball to as well as an offensive-minded head coach that has a history of aiding productive passing games. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has put together a good offensive scheme so far this season, and as a result, Rodgers has racked up nearly 600 passing yards across his last two games. On film, Rodgers is still able to get zip on the ball and find his targets downfield. Week 5 and Week 6 feature the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as opponents for Rodgers and co., and those two squads have among the NFL's worse pass defenses. Rodgers is hardly rostered, but is a legitimate waiver target even in 1QB leagues, and should be 100 percent rostered in 2QB leagues. He's a startable QB1 for the next two weeks as well.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 9:19 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had just to catches on three targets for 25 yards in his team's fourth loss in a row to start the 2026 season. The whole Bucs offense has been miserably unproductive, though -- WR1 Emeka Egbuka had only two catches for 13 yards last week, and the team's leading wide receiver, Chris Godwin Jr., managed only 31 yards on six receptions. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) was struggling earlier in the season before he picked up a thumb injury. He'll miss two more weeks. Undrafted free agent backup Jalon Daniels started in Week 4 and managed just 148 passing yards while distributing the ball around, which didn't leave much room for the receivers to produce. Hurst may see struggles in his next two games, but Mayfield's return should be a positive for his value. Hurst has been the starting X receiver for the team this year, though his snap share significantly declined in Week 5. Stashing him in deep leagues and waiting to see what happens when Mayfield returns isn't a bad idea. He looked to be on the verge of a breakout after Week 3, when he caught a 40-yard touchdown. Patience should be exercised here, but picking up Hurst could pay off.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 9:15 PM ET

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson posted a season-high in yardage during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson carried the ball eight times for 42 yards in their three-point victory. He also fumbled the ball in an important part of the game, so we'll see if that impacts his playing time going forward. The Packers don't have a legitimate lead back right now, so Johnson should remain in the picture. It's tough to know exactly what he's going to offer weekly in this three-back committee. The 23-year-old is worth holding in deep league and dynasty formats ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Oct 6, 2026, 9:13 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Cody White could see more opportunities in the passing game after Raiders WR2 Jalen Nailor (head) left his team's Week 4 contest with a concussion. Players with that injury typically miss at least one game while in the league's concussion protocol -- his absence would move White up to the second receiver spot, behind WR1 Tre Tucker. There isn't a lot of talent separating any of Vegas' pass-catchers this season, and White scored two touchdown in Week 2 and one in Week 3, so he could produce well when given more targets. He hasn't been very involved in the offense so far, as tight end Brock Bowers is the clear No. 1 pass-catcher and White was relatively unknown before this season started. A higher target share could see him become a starter in deep leagues. Outside of those deep leagues, he's probably not worth rostering, but in dynasty leagues and redraft leagues with 14 or more teams, any player with a reasonable chance at being productive should be rostered.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 9:04 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley saw his first regular season action in Week 4 due to WR Ja'Marr Chase (head) suffering a concussion and being forced to exit the contest. Tinsley caught three of his seven targets for 49 yards in a game that also saw Bengals WR2 Tee Higgins (adductor) get hurt. Tinsley could be the WR2 for the Bengals in Week 5 and see plenty of volume in a high-powered passing offense. It's unclear if Chase or Higgins will miss Week 5, but we won't know their status until much closer to the game. In deeper leagues, a chance to get a team's WR2 off waivers, even if they're not considered very talented, is one that shouldn't be passed up on. Cincinnati's quarterback, Joe Burrow, is capable of feeding a high volume of accurate targets to whoever he throws to. A matchup with the struggling Miami Dolphins next week could present the perfect opportunity for Tinsley to have a career game, especially if Higgins plays at less than 100 percent due to his injury. In leagues with 14 or more teams, he should be a priority pickup as a spot starter, even if it's only for one week. Cincinnati's second leading receiver last game was WR Dohnte Myers, who was targeted nine times. Both are good players to add off waivers, as Burrow is more than capable of fueling huge games for multiple of his pass-catchers.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 8:01 PM ET

Reports circulated on Monday that the Seattle Seahawks were on the verge of signing veteran free-agent running back Joe Mixon (foot) to their roster in the wake of placing rookie first-round RB Jadarian Price (chest) on Injured Reserve over the weekend. However, the Seahawks elected not to sign Mixon to their practice squad in the end thanks to a troublesome foot issue that caused him to miss the entire 2025 season while with the Houston Texans, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Mixon is specifically dealing with a degenerative foot issue that could wind up putting a premature end to his NFL career. There are other RB-needy teams around the NFL, specifically the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is "up for debate" whether Mixon will actually sign with another team or play another down in an NFL game. Until Zach Charbonnet (knee) can make his 2026 season debut, the Seahawks will move forward with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani sharing touches in the backfield. Mixon, a former second-rounder by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, is a two-time Pro Bowler and reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in five of his eight NFL seasons.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

Oct 6, 2026, 7:27 PM ET

The New England Patriots had veteran free-agent running back Jamaal Williams in for a workout on Tuesday, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Williams remains on the free-agent market after he was released by the New Orleans Saints in early March. The 31-year-old had a visit to the Chicago Bears in early August, but he did not sign. If the Patriots sign Williams, he will provide them with additional RB depth behind TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Corey Kiner. Williams saw limited work with the Saints over the last two seasons behind Alvin Kamara, carrying the ball 154 times for 470 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in 27 games (five starts). He added 27 receptions on 31 targets for 119 yards as a receiver. The Patriots have a pretty solid one-two punch in their backfield with Henderson and Stevenson, so Williams should be left on the waiver wire in mostly all fantasy leagues if he ends up inking a deal with the Patriots.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov

Oct 6, 2026, 7:12 PM ET

The Washington Commanders officially placed second-year wide receiver Jaylin Lane (ankle) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Lane suffered a season-ending ankle injury in London's loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and had to be carted off the field. The injury came on a kickoff return in Week 4. The 24-year-old fractured and dislocated his left ankle and will need surgery. The former fourth-rounder in 2025 from Virginia Tech caught 16 of his 32 targets for 225 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games (four starts) in D.C. in his first year in the NFL, and he had just two catches for 25 yards for the Commanders in his first four games this year before getting hurt on Sunday. Lane was not on the fantasy football radar to begin with in single-year leagues in 2026. Now that he is out for the rest of the year, receiver Dyami Brown is expected to take over the team's primary kick-return duties on special teams.--Keith Hernandez
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson

Oct 6, 2026, 5:31 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson hasn't been very involved in his team's offense this season, even though he's the clear RB2 behind starter Javonte Williams. Cowboys RB Malik Davis (hip) was set for that role, but was placed on season-ending injured reserve, clearing the path for Goodson to be second on the depth chart. Williams rushed for three touchdowns and caught five passes in Week 4 in a narrow win over the Houston Texans. Goodson saw just three rushes and one target in the contest. Williams is the workhorse back for the team, but if he were to get injured, Goodson would be in line for a big role that would vault him into starting conversation. The Cowboys run game has been inefficient this season, but the return of their best run-blocking offensive lineman, Tyler Smith (thumb), is imminent. He was cleared to return to practice on Monday after offseason thumb surgery, and will give a big boost to the Cowboys endeavors on the ground. Were Williams to get hurt, Goodson would be set up in a productive offense with a good offensive line and a quarterback that's happy to feed significant targets to players in the backfield, making the former Indianapolis Colt a solid waiver wire addition in deeper leagues or as a pure handcuff add in standard leagues ahead of Week 5.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 5:25 PM ET

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw for just 119 passing yards and one touchdown in Week 4, totaling under 8.8 PPR fantasy points just a week after dominating with 26.0 points. Smith's 14th season as an NFL QB has been a bumpy road, as at times he's looked like one of the NFL's better QBs and at other times like one of its worst. But he was missing his WR2, Adonai Mitchell (thumb) in Week 4. Mitchell is expected to be back in Week 5, and he was a huge part of the offense when he played. Having another legitimate threat as a separator across from WR Garrett Wilson, the team's WR1, helped the passing offense be much more productive, it seems. Week 4 also was a very odd game script for the Jets, as Smith attempted just 15 passes, of which he completed nine. His 7.9 yards per pass attempt was a very solid mark, it's just that he wasn't throwing the ball much. He attempted 41 and 37 passes in his previous two games, and a return to that volume at that efficiency rate would help him finish nicely in fantasy football. In deeper leagues, especially those with two quarterback spots or one superflex spot, Smith is a priority add if he's available on waivers.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 5:19 PM ET

The last fantasy performance from Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis may convince fantasy managers in two-QB and superflex leagues with lots of teams to drop him. If that happens, it could be a good idea to pick him up off waivers if available. In these leagues, every QB with a starting job should be rostered, at the bare minimum. Miami's receiving corps is struggling with injuries right now -- WRs Caleb Douglas (ankle) and Chris Bell (knee) are dealing with separate ailments, and Douglas didn't play in Week 4. Willis' fantasy point total of 2.5 points was dismal, and he was worse than many replacement-level players at other positions, even in those leagues. But he performed better when Douglas was healthy, and the rookie wideout could be the key to getting the offense going. Willis should be avoided in all 1QB formats, but in deep superflex leagues, he should be universally rostered. The Vikings defense shut him down well in his last game, but better days should be ahead.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 5:06 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker got his first touches of the 2026 NFL Season in Week 4, when he carried the ball three times for 10 yards and a touchdown. He only played five percent of his team's offensive snaps, and is still clearly the RB3 behind RB1 Bucky Irving and RB2 Kenneth Gainwell. Tucker likely won't carve out a significant standalone role for himself any time soon, as Tampa Bay has had him for years and still opted to sign Gainwell, who played for the Steelers last season. However, an injury to Irving would probably result in Tucker handling the majority of the team's carries. Gainwell is a pass-catching specialist with a nice pass-blocking acumen, but has never been a team's primary rusher aside from in cases of injury. Tucker's PPR upside will likely always be capped by his lack of pass-catching pedigree and Gainwell's talent in that area even in case of an Irving injury. In standard leagues and deep leagues, though, it's encouraging to see that Tucker hasn't been completely phased out of the offense, and that he's likely the next man up on early downs if Irving gets hurt. Tucker is also the heaviest back of the three, so more goal-line touches may be in the near future for him.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 5:00 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts running back Seth McGowan appears to have fully wrested control of his team's RB2 job away from DJ Giddens, the other RB on the roster aside from starter Jonathan Taylor. Giddens dealt with a knee injury in Week 2, but was a healthy scratch for Week 3, as the coaching staff decided to make Taylor and McGowan the team's active running backs. There is essentially zero chance that McGowan will push the coaching staff to hand him more touches at the expense of Taylor, who's one of the best backs in the league. But the rookie would step into a large role if Taylor got injured, meaning he should be added by fantasy managers who want to handcuff Taylor and in deeper leagues where all RB2s are rostered. McGowan is a nice lottery ticket in an offense that was highly productive last season before quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon. He's been active and starting for the first four games, but likely still needs time to heal. McGowan could see 20 or more touches in games that Taylor misses. He carried the ball six times for 31 yards and caught one of his two targets for seven yards in a dominant win over the Washington Commanders in Week 4 while Giddens sat on the sideline, so it's obvious McGowan is the target to pickup off waivers.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 4:58 PM ET

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) is "unlikely" to play in his team's Week 5 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and could end up missing multiple games, per ESPN's Ian Rapoport. Jackson suffered a sprained ankle right before halftime of Baltimore's Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans, which kept him from playing in the second half and now appears likely to lead to additional missed time. It's a tough blow for Jackson, who has recorded 967 passing yards and six touchdowns to go along with 144 rushing yards and a score across three-plus games in 2026. With Jackson sidelined, experienced backup quarterback Tyler Huntley will take over under center for Baltimore. Huntley appeared in five games (two starts) for the Ravens in 2025, throwing for 426 yards and two touchdowns. For as long as Jackson is unable to play, fantasy managers should likely downgrade expectations for Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers and running back Derrick Henry.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Ian Rapoport

Oct 6, 2026, 4:53 PM ET

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston assumed the role of starter after the season-ending injury to Giants QB1 Jaxson Dart in Week 2. Winston struggled the next week, but racked up 20 PPR fantasy points (in four-point passing TD PPR leagues) by throwing three touchdowns and 250 passing yards. He also tossed two picks, but he's a gunslinger that isn't afraid of pushing the ball deep even if it means turning it over. In 2QB leagues where he's not rostered, he's an absolute top priority on waivers and an every-week starter for the rest of the season. In 1QB leagues, he's also an excellent player to add, as he has top-8 upside at the QB position due to his raw productiveness. He's a talent elevator, but having wide receiver Malik Nabers to throw to certainly helps his passing output. A game with the porous Washington Commanders pass defense is coming up, and Winston will be a good start to make in all leagues for that contest. He can be vulnerable to poor games against tough defenses, but he absolutely should be rostered in all leagues with 12 or more teams and those with superflex spots that allow a second QB in their starting lineups.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 4:51 PM ET

Since returning from the hip injury that knocked him out of his team's season opener, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has completed 65.7% of his pass attempts for 547 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. Darnold was not forced to throw much in Seattle's Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers after the Seahawks opened up a big lead early in the game. However, the 29-year-old proved he can put up huge numbers when the game script calls for it, throwing for 379 yards and four touchdowns in Seattle's Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders. In Week 5, the Seahawks could be forced into another high-scoring affair with the San Francisco 49ers. Particularly in deeper league formats, Darnold carries waiver-wire appeal as a quarterback streamer heading into Week 5.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Oct 6, 2026, 4:49 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen could see more playing time in the coming weeks due to two of the Chiefs top receivers suffering injuries in Week 4. WR Tyquan Thornton (ankle) suffered a season-ending ankle dislocation, and WR Rashee Rice (hamstring) picked up a hamstring issue. Rice will return, but it's unclear when. If he doesn't play in Week 6, we could see a significant uptick in Allen's usage. Thornton's absence will bump him up the depth chart anyway, which could potentially force the Chiefs to start throwing him the ball more. Allen has just two targets and zero catches through four games this season. He's a late-round rookie pick, so that's not much of a surprise. He flashed in training camp, though, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is known for incorporating his rookies into the offense very slowly. In leagues with 14 or more teams, Allen is a nice speculative stash, though his upside will likely be very limited, especially if KC signs a free agent veteran like WR Tyreek Hill.--John Johnson
Source: ESPN

Oct 6, 2026, 4:40 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin (groin, hip) was added to the Week 5 injury report on Tuesday after missing practice due to groin and hip injuries, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. It is unclear how serious McLaughlin's injury is, but especially on a short week, a mid-week downgrade is not a good sign. The Buccaneers play the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 5 action. If the 30-year-old veteran's injury is serious enough to keep him from kicking this week, the Buccaneers will likely make a move to add a kicker quickly. McLaughlin has been a top-10 fantasy kicker through the first four weeks, but he was limited to just two points in the Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the first game without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb). McLaughlin's short-term fantasy value has taken a big hit with Mayfield injured, and he is expected to miss at least two more games. Fantasy managers should be looking elsewhere at the kicker position, even if McLaughlin is able to play on Thursday.--Keith Hernandez
Source: FOX Sports - Greg Auman

Oct 6, 2026, 4:37 PM ET

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright disappointed fantasy managers in his team's first game since losing star back De'Von Achane (knee) to a season-ending knee injury, recording just seven rushing yards on five carries in a Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Wright was significantly outperformed by fellow Dolphins back Ollie Gordon II, who racked up 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Going forward, Wright may end up playing a secondary role to Gordon II in the Miami backfield. However, Wright may have another chance to make an impact in an easier matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5. Even if Gordon II takes over as the lead back, Wright carries some fantasy value as a handcuff option. In deeper league formats, Wright could still be worth stashing off the waiver wire heading into Week 5.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller