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Unfortunately, the injury bug has come back to bite some big-name running backs. If you managed to add Alexander Mattison a couple weeks ago or Damien Williams last week and roll with them in your lineup, you were a happy GM in Week 5. Will replacements for Saquon Barkley and Clyde Edwards-Helaire be similarly productive in the coming weeks? Let's find out.
This column will identify the most relevant waiver wire targets at every position with a brief explanation of each player's current path to fantasy relevance.
All rostered percentages are taken from Yahoo and players are listed in descending order, not in order of priority. Only players who are rostered in approximately 40% or fewer leagues are considered.
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Running Backs - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks - 37% rostered
This is not an endorsement. It's worth mentioning that if Chris Carson misses time again, Collins seems to be the clear lead back. He was on Thursday night but managed just 72 scrimmage yards on 17 touches. The Rams presented a tough test but so will the Steelers in Week 6. Collins is a low-end RB2 at best if he is the starter but should be on fantasy benches if Carson returns.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears - 19% rostered
Damien Williams rewarded those who spent FAB to snag him last week with a nice game but did anyone notice that Herbert ran for 75 yards? He didn't score but he wound up with more rush attempts and yards than Williams. This could be a 50-50 split based on what we saw in Week 5, so those $1 bids for Herbert might wind up just as valuable as those $50 bids for Williams. It's tough to recommend starting Herbert with Green Bay up next but he looks like a smart stash with David Montgomery on IR.
Darrel Williams, Kansas City Chiefs - 9% rostered
The scene on Sunday night of Clyde Edwards-Helaire being carried off the field by teammates was a matter of adding injury to insult for the 2-3 Chiefs after getting blown out by Buffalo. Reportedly, CEH will miss a few weeks with a sprained MCL similar to the injury suffered by Jarvis Landry. Williams is now the RB1 for KC and carries flex appeal when they roll into Washington next week based mostly on touchdown upside and some semblance of PPR floor based on touch volume.
Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots - 9% rostered
It wasn't a big day for Bolden but he's the back who will benefit more from negative game script as a receiver. That means a matchup with Dallas next week might prove more helpful than facing Houston was this week. Bolden is an option in full PPR leagues only but one that could provide a double-digit point total, especially if he gets goal-line touches after Damien Harris fumbled away a TD that was taken away after instant replay.
Devontae Booker, New York Giants - 5% rostered
Ugh. Saquon Barkley had just started looking like his old self when a freak ankle injury away from the play caused him to be carted off the field in Dallas. Booker filled in with 42 rushing yards on 16 carries and three catches for 16 yards, including two touchdowns. He'll carry the load for the foreseeable future and becomes a must-add for desperate Barkley stakeholders. Early word is that Barkley suffered a low-ankle sprain and will be week-to-week beyond Week 6. That means at least one start for Booker but possibly not much more unless Barkley is slow to heal or suffers a setback.
Chris Evans, Cincinnati Bengals - 0% rostered
This was originally supposed to be a recommendation for Samaje Perine but he showed up on the COVID list on Monday morning. Some of the touches, mostly receptions, could go to Evans in Week 6. Joe Mixon wound up playing more than expected in Week 5 while nursing a leg injury but Samaje Perine was plenty involved as well. Mixon carried 10 times for 33 yards while Perine carried 11 times for 59 yards. Perine was more active as a pass-catcher, hauling in four of five targets while Mixon caught just one. This split was surely due to Mixon's limited activity in practice all week but Evans may be worked in to ease the load.
Others to consider: J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team (39% rostered); Giovani Bernard, Tampa Bay Bucs (16% rostered); DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks (0% rostered)
Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals - 40% rostered
Moore's production has been emblematic of the Cardinals' pass-catchers this season - unpredictable. You never know who will boom or bust any given week but they all have the potential to go off. In Week 5, Moore didn't explode like he did three weeks prior but he did account for 97 total yards and nearly had a touchdown before being ruled down at the half-inch line. Will the next game with Cleveland a similarly unpredictable defense, be a high-scoring or low-scoring affair? It's hard to say but Moore remains on the flex radar any given week due to his explosive ability.
Josh Gordon, Kansas City Chiefs - 39% rostered
Gordon caught his first NFL pass since 2019 when he hit the field on Sunday night in his Chiefs debut. With Kansas City suddenly struggling, maybe a little Flash is what they need to get back in the win column. A 200-yard game can't be far off...
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos - 31% rostered
Until Jerry Jeudy returns, Patrick will serve as the No. 2 target for Teddy Bridgewater. He nabbed a season-high seven receptions for 89 yards in Week 5 but he's gone three straight without scoring after reaching the end zone in the first two games. Patrick is serviceable in PPR leagues at least another week or two.
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants - 17% rostered
Let's spare the boxing jokes and get to the nitty-gritty. Toney finally showed up in a big way with 10 receptions for 189 yards in Week 5 before being ejected for his overzealous competitive nature. Of course, this came with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton still sidelined so if both those receivers return to the field soon, it could throw cold water on the Toney breakout. Then there's the fact he could face suspension for his punch to the helmet of a Dallas player or that he apparently suffered some sort of leg injury as well. That shouldn't take away from Toney's impressive performance, however, as he seems to have proved why he was selected in the first round. He may not help in Week 6 but he's certainly worth adding everywhere.
Kadarius Toney put the moves on Trevon Diggs 👀
pic.twitter.com/akh70NWrY3— PFF (@PFF) October 10, 2021
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions - 3% rostered
Slowly but surely, the rookie's target share has grown to the point where he is the leading receiver in Detroit, whatever that's worth. He was the Lions' leader across the board with eight targets, seven receptions, and 65 yards. That follows up Week 4 when he also led the team with six catches and eight targets. He is yet to score a touchdown as a pro and doesn't have a particularly high ceiling but we've seen that he can procure a double-digit PPR total and should only get better as the season progresses. With Quintez Cephus out with a shoulder injury, it solidifies his role further.
James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers - 2% rostered
Washington didn't play in Week 5 due to a groin injury but it doesn't appear to be something that will keep him out long-term. On the other hand, JuJu Smith-Schuster's injury might end his season. Washington has been sparsely used, seeing 13 targets over the first four games after requesting a trade in the preseason and being denied. He has big-play ability but is a poor man's DeSean Jackson and nothing more. There may be more passes thrown toward Ray-Ray McCloud as he takes over JuJu's role catching balls at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns - 1% rostered
This Cleveland passing game is a bit schizophrenic so it's hard to count on a secondary or tertiary option like Peoples-Jones. He is a deep threat and will occasionally boom as he did last weekend in the shootout with the Chargers when he came away with five catches for 70 yards. Rookie Anthony Schwartz hasn't caught a pass or seen more than one target in a game since Week 1 so he no longer threatens DPJ for target share.
Preston Williams, Miami Dolphins - 0% rostered
With two of Miami's starting receivers injured, Williams suddenly appeared with 60 yards in Week 5. If DeVante Parker (hamstring) misses another game, Williams has deep-league intrigue. If Parker returns for the tilt with Jacksonville, he will remain irrelevant as he was before.
Chris Conley, Houston Texans - 0% rostered
This team suddenly looks like it has a passing offense, although we shouldn't get carried away after one good game. That said, Houston recently released Anthony Miller which entrenched Conley as the WR2. He responded with 84 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. It's unlikely he becomes a consistent producer but he will occasionally flash with a big game or a score.
Others to consider: Jamison Crowder, New York Jets (29% rostered); Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (24% rostered); DeSean Jackson, Los Angeles Rams (5% rostered); Adam Humphries, Washington Football Team (1% rostered); Ray-Ray McCloud, Pittsburgh Steelers (0% rostered)
Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Evan Engram, New York Giants - 31% rostered
The emergence of rookie Toney and the inevitable return of the Giants' injured WRs would seem to be another blow to Engram's prospects of being relevant but Saquon Barkley's injury leaves room for him to have a role. Engram hasn't done much this year but did come away with a season-high 55 yards on four catches against Dallas (cue confetti). The G-Men may need him as a check-down option in Week 6 when the Rams come to town, as they have a habit of shutting down opponents' wideouts.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns - 3% rostered
Now, this is the David Njoku we've been waiting for! After multiple trade requests, injuries, and disappointments, we may be seeing the emergence of a stud tight end in his fifth season. That seems hyperbolic but remember that he was a first-round pick back in 2017 and is one of the more athletic tight ends out there. With Jarvis Landry sidelined and Odell Beckham becoming less of a factor, Njoku led the Browns with seven catches for 149 yards in a shootout with the Chargers, posting one of the best fantasy days by a tight end this season. Austin Hooper didn't register a single catch outside of a two-point conversion, so it's Njoku who has seized the opportunity to shine. It's hard to call him a must-add but in this TE wasteland, most GMs should have at least some interest.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team - 2% rostered
As a former RSJ truther, it pleases this author to see him relevant once again. With Logan Thomas out for a couple of weeks, Seals-Jones is the starting TE in Washington and led the team with five receptions in Week 5. He didn't cash in with a score but he continues to get critical end zone targets. If the upcoming contest with KC turns into a shootout, Seals-Jones has top-12 TE upside.
Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars - 1% rostered
With D.J. Chark sidelined, it's Laviska Shenault's time to shine! Except Urban Meyer's plan was a little different - get the ball to Tavon Austin, Jamal Agnew, and Dan Arnold. Shenault caught exactly one ball in Week 5 whereas Arnold and Agnew tied for the team lead with eight targets and six receptions apiece. It's impossible to explain but all we can say is that Arnold seems to have some fantasy value in this "offense" in PPR formats.
Others to consider: Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings (13% rostered); Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans (7% rostered); Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers (1% rostered)
Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers - 23% rostered
Big Ben hasn't been recommended in this column yet in 2021 but he gets Seattle in Week 6 and their pass defense has been that bad. They've given up the most passing yards in the league at 1,608 and could see their defense on the field for longer stretches with Russell Wilson on the shelf and Chris Carson banged up. Roethlisberger doesn't have the ceiling he once did but he was adequate against a tough Broncos DEF with 253 yards and two TD in Week 5 and should have a safe floor in Week 6.
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team - 16% rostered
What's that sound? It's the siren song of garbage time points forthcoming. Heinicke played his worst game of the year against New Orleans, tossing two picks and completing less than half of his passes over 41 attempts. The Saints rank as a top-10 pass defense vs quarterbacks whereas the upcoming opponent Kansas City yields the third-most FPPG to quarterbacks. If the Chiefs have a lead (count on it) then Heinicke could produce points through sheer volume alone.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins - 15% rostered
Even the most ardent Tua disbelievers have to admit it's time for him to come back and inject life into this Miami offense. The Dolphins have scored 17 points the past two weeks under Jacoby Brissett but they'll get their starting QB back from IR in Week 6. The timing couldn't be better as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, a bottom-five pass defense. He won't have the highest upside despite the matchup but he's startable in two-QB leagues.
Davis Mills, Houston Texans - 1% rostered
Naturally, after putting up 357 yards with a 2-5 TD-INT rate in his first three NFL starts, Mills went off for 312 yards and three TD against the Patriots. So much for Bill Belichick owning rookie quarterbacks. Tyrod Taylor will be returning soon so it's unclear whether the Texans will go back to him or give Mills a shot to hold onto the job after this performance. Despite his Week 5 breakout, he's an unstable long-term proposition and at best a Superflex streaming option in Week 6 on the road at Indianapolis.
Others to consider: Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos (18% rostered); Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts (13% rostered)
Team Defense (D/ST)- Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Carolina Panthers Defense - 52% rostered
After being exposed a bit by the Cowboys last week, Carolina came back with a strong showing against Philly. They held Jalen Hurts under 200 passing yards with no touchdowns and an interception, although they allowed him to sneak into the end zone late to lose the game. The additions of C.J. Henderson and Stephon Gilmore will start to pay dividends and make this pass defense even harder to pick apart. Henderson played in Week 5 and Gilmore will be eligible to return from PUP in Week 6. Their opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, have scored a total of 26 points the last two weeks without Dalvin Cook at full capacity.
Indianapolis Colts Defense - 43% rostered
As of this writing, the Colts have yet to play their Week 5 contest on Monday Night Football. It may be a lackluster output against the Ravens but they'll get Houston in Week 6. Although Davis Mills was spectacular in nearly defeating New England, we'll bet it doesn't carry on for another week. Even with his best, the Texans scored 22 points which is the most they've put up since Mills took over.
Miami Dolphins Defense - 15% rostered
It's tough to wholeheartedly recommend a defense that just gave up 45 points on a team that has lost four in a row. But the Jaguars are next on the schedule. Trevor Lawrence threw his eighth interception of the year and the Jags couldn't even put up 20 on a struggling Titans defense. Miami's turnover streak may have ended but they'll likely get back on track.
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