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Nicklaus Gaut looks at the most added and dropped players of the week on Fleaflicker's waiver wire transactions list to help fantasy football owners evaluate player values and who to stream in Week 5.
Before we get into the waiver wire analysis, I want to state that the Patriots have put together a football dynasty like none we've ever seen. However, I think we should all agree that a 16-game season is a whole lot less taxing when six of them every year are against the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets. How hard does Bill Belichick laugh when he sees whatever the latest iteration of the AFC East has put together to try and stop him? I like to imagine him letting out great big belly laughs..."This year they're going with Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen? Baha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Division champs again, baby!"
Enough AFC East talk though, let's talk about some football divisions that aren't currently possibly passing around mono and look at some risers and fallers in the fantasy world.
First, let's review last week's action and take a look at some of the biggest risers and fallers that might be available in Fleaflicker leagues entering Week 5.
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Week 4 Recap
Alert! Alert! We have a Nick Chubb sighting. I repeat, we have a Nick Chubb sighting! Seeing that Chubb had an ADP of 13 overall in NFBC leagues heading into the season, one touchdown through three games wasn't exactly cutting it for his owners. It all came together for him in Week 4 with Chubb totaling 183 yards with three touchdowns in a 40-25 win over Baltimore. Those 183 yards didn't lead running backs for the week, however, with Leonard Fournette rushing for 225 yards and adding 20 yards on two catches, but also failing to score for the fourth week in a row.
Austin Ekeler made the most of his last game without the presence of Melvin Gordon, totaling 122 yards and two touchdowns, while Christian McCaffrey continued to pile up distance, totaling 179 yards as the Panthers beat Houston 16-10.
It was all the usual suspects at the top of the quarterback leaderboard, with Aaron Rodgers, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, and Joe Flacco pacing the field. Wait...what? Goff had 517 yards, Joe Cool had 303 yards and three touchdowns, and Jameis Winston ate all of the W's - finishing as the top fantasy quarterback in Week 4 by putting up 385 yards and four touchdowns in the defensive showcase that was the Bucs' 55-40 win over the Rams.
No surprise then to see Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin as the week's top wideout, finishing with 172 yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions. We already spoke of a Nick Chubb sighting, but good god! Is that Jarvis Landry's music? The former Dolphin finished with 167 yards, and while you may automatically assume he would need around 150 receptions to finish with that many yards, Landry actually accomplished the feat on just eight catches. Wow.
Now, let's move on to some Week 5 action and take a look at three of the biggest risers and fallers on Fleaflicker.com. A full list of the most added and dropped players on Fleaflicker can be found here.
Most Added in Fleaflicker - Week 5
Auden Tate (WR, CIN vs. ARI), 2421 Adds – 18% Owned
Already limited by the presence of quarterback Andy Dalton, Cincinnati's offense took another hit with the news that John Ross will miss at least eight weeks with a shoulder injury. Combine that news with A.J. Green also still out for at least the next two weeks and it's no surprise that Auden Tate is rising so quickly. To be fair though, Tate's stock had been rising prior to Ross's injury after his snap-rate more than doubled from Week 2 to Week 3 when he was targeted 10 times in Cincinnati's 21-17 loss to Buffalo.
Ross did little in a 27-3 loss to the Steelers in Week 5, catching four of his six targets for 50 yards but was once again on the field for 90% of the Bengals total plays. In Week 6, the Bengals welcome in Arizona and their 23rd-ranked pass defense, making Ross a low-end flex play but one with some upside given the volume of targets he's seeing and the defense they're facing.
Jordan Howard (RB, PHI vs. NYJ), 1974 Adds – 86% Owned
Howard jumped in the way-back machine in Week 4, finishing with 115 total yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 win at Green Bay. The former Bear is still in a committee with 2019 second-round pick Miles Sanders but it is notable that his snap-rate has risen every week - cresting at 53% last week. Lately, he seems to be the Eagles preferred option at the end of drives, leading the team last week with six red-zone touches. Sanders will remain at the top of the committee but given how the Eagles have used Howard inside the 20, it makes him a viable Flex option for the time being.
Diontae Johnson (WR, PIT vs. BAL), 1700 Adds – 32% Owned
It was supposed to be James Washington who was going to ascend to the Steelers' number-two wide receiver behind JuJu Smith-Schuster but Washington has just 88 yards on six catches through his first four games and was targeted just one time in last week's 27-3 win over the Bengals. Rising to take his place has been Johnson, who has seems to have found some chemistry with new quarterback Mason Rudolph. Johnson caught all six of his targets in Week 5, including a 46-yard touchdown and now has a score in back-to-back games. The Steelers offense may still be suffering since the loss of Ben Roethlisberger but Johson is an intriguing flex play as long as his volume continues to increase.
Most Dropped in Fleaflicker - Week 5
John Ross (WR, CIN vs. ARI), 2873 Drops – 61% Owned
With the news that Ross will miss at least eight weeks with a collarbone injury, it's no surprise to see him as Week 5's biggest drop. Ross started the season off like a house on fire, will 11 receptions for 270 yards and three touchdowns through the first two games. Weeks 3 and 4 were not as kind though, with only two and three receptions, respectively, before his injury occurred. Considering that he is out for at least two months and was seeing his targets dip prior to his injury, there is little reason to stash Ross for the foreseeable future.
Nelson Agholor (WR, PHI vs. NYJ), 1260 Drops – 51% Owned
Remember in Weeks 2 and 3 when Agholor has double-digit targets in each game and hauled in three touchdowns? In more recent history, Agholor was targeted once in a Week 5 win over the Packers and finished with zero catches. Agholor is a fine streamer but only when Eagles are injured, so when Alshon Jeffery returned last week, it was fairly obvious to see the attention paid to Agholor tumble. Even against a soft New York Jets Defense, Agholor in nothing but a WR4 with some theoretical touchdown upside. But only if he doesn't drop them.
Adrian Peterson (RB, WSH vs. NE), 690 Drops – 73% Owned
After totaling just 62 yards through his first two games, last week seemed like a prime opportunity for Peterson to prove he was still worthy of a fantasy roster spot, as the Redskins were taking on a suspect New York Giants Defense. Peterson was given opportunities but only managed 28 yards on his 11 carries and was targeted zero times in the passing game. With three consecutive games of around 30 yards per, there are becoming fewer and fewer reasons to even consider Peterson as a flex option. While a juicy matchup with Miami waits in Week 6, a matchup with the New England Patriots - who have yet to give up a rushing touchdown - awaits in Week 5. It's officially time to give up the ghost and send Peterson to the fantasy pasture where he belongs.
