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Matt MacKay's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and sleepers ahead of Week 5. He picks high-upside players to stash on your teams who can emerge.
Four weeks into the NFL season and injuries have piled up for key players on seemingly all 32 teams. As if these injuries weren't difficult enough to overcome, fantasy managers will now face an additional obstacle when bye weeks begin in Week 6. Roster depth is increasingly essential as players sitting on fantasy benches or league waiver wires are forced into starting lineups.
Get ahead of your league mates by acquiring and stashing available players whose usage is trending up due to their development, team depth chart, or upcoming schedule. It's a long season, and the obstacles will continue to surface, so be prepared before it's too late.
A few players can be stashed ahead of Week 5 to provide "insurance" for the remainder of the fantasy regular season, which extends into Week 14.
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David Johnson, Houston Texans
Gone are the days where David Johnson dominated the Arizona Cardinals backfield with his combination of power and speed. However, fantasy managers have left him on 63 percent of ESPN waiver wires because he's on the woefully inadequate Houston Texans. On the season, Johnson is averaging 39.8 percent of snaps and 9.5 percent of the Texans' target share, which are both marginally higher than either Mark Ingram II or Phillip Lindsay.
Consider the fact that Houston has seen a litany of elite defensive units after their Week 1 victory over Jacksonville, including Cleveland, Carolina, and Buffalo. This is a brutal stretch that will soon conclude with a softer schedule beginning in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the third-highest fantasy points to opposing running backs. So stash Johnson and hold him for bye weeks, as it's rare to find an RB1 on waivers a month into the season.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
Nick Sirianni is wasting no time utilizing his draft picks, as running back Kenneth Gainwell has been increasingly involved within the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Looking at the snap percentage between Miles Sanders and Gainwell in Week 4, one might think that the 63.5 percent Sanders saw compared to Gainwell's 39.2 percent would translate into a small outing for the rookie back. However, Gainwell had a 10.3 rushes per snap percentage, closing the gap considerably when looking at the 14.9 rushes per snap that Sanders earned.
Gainwell holds immense value moving forward and has excellent hands, which led to him seeing 18.2 percent of the Eagles' targets in Week 4, tied second alongside Zach Ertz. The receiving work Gainwell sees could elevate him into a consistent fringe-RB2 territory, especially if he continues to get valuable goal-line carries over Sanders. This is a player that can be rolled into lineups very soon, so make sure you stash Gainwell off of waiver wires, as he's available in 65 percent of ESPN leagues.
Elijah Moore, New York Jets
Rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore had quite a bit of offseason hype, but he's been limited to three games to start the 2021 season due to being in the concussion protocol. The good news is that when he's on the field, rookie quarterback Zach Wilson is targeting him, as he saw 14 combined targets in his last two games before suffering a concussion that kept him out in Week 4.
He has been the underneath route specialist, running shallow routes when targeted, averaging a meager 3.7 yards per target on the season. However, the return of Jamison Crowder from a groin injury in Week 4 saw him immediately garner nine targets, while Keelan Cole improved his play to finish with 92 receiving yards. Corey Davis is the WR1 within the offense, but Wilson has already attempted 139 passes, which means the volume will continue for Moore. So stash him and be patient, as he could see his stats surge in the upcoming weeks.
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
Rookie wideout Kadarius Toney took advantage of his increased opportunity without Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton in Week 4, leading the Giants with nine targets and yielding six receptions for 78 yards. But, of course, a lot of this production wouldn't be possible without the improved play of third-year quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw for over 400 yards during their overtime win against the Saints on the road.
With all three of the Giants' top wideouts dealing with various injuries, Toney could quickly become a permanent fixture within the offense. Stash him off of waivers, as the Giants seem to be unlocking their offense with a healthy Saquon Barkley. Toney could ascend to WR3 territory and becomes a viable flex option once bye weeks get underway.
Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots invested a lot of money into their offense during free agency, with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne being one of these pieces. While Jakobi Meyers enjoys a 25.8 percent target share through four weeks, Bourne has something Meyers has not yet found in his NFL career: a receiving touchdown. He's also fourth on the Patriots in target share with 11.9 percent, ahead of tight end Hunter Henry and just behind Jonnu Smith.
Bourne has top-end speed and has caught 73.7 percent of his targets, leading all Patriots wideouts who have seen at least double-digit targets this season. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones has thrown the seventh-highest pass attempts at 160, which is excellent news for Bourne's involvement moving forward. However, stash him and wait for the opportunity for him to potentially usurp the WR2 role from Nelson Agholor, as Bourne has seen 13 targets in his last two games compared to a total of six during the first two weeks.
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals
C.J. Uzomah is the only Cincinnati Bengals tight end involved in their passing game, which means that the limited volume he's seen through the first month of the season should not discourage fantasy managers from stashing him on their bench. Uzomah's targets have continuously increased week-to-week, yielding five receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant Week 4 performance.
He won't put up these monstrous numbers every week, but the Bengals' passing attack, led by Joe Burrow, is efficient and talented enough to warrant stashing Uzomah. Outside of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller, the tight end landscape is bleak and inconsistent. Tap into Uzomah's upside and collect him, as he could ascend into a stable TE1 for the duration of the fantasy season.
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team
Taylor Heinicke was again thrust into the spotlight in Washington after a hip injury sidelined veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1. Heinicke burst onto the scene in a gritty performance against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccanneers during the 2020 NFC Wild Card round and has picked right back up where he left off.
The fifth-year quarterback is 11th in passer rating (105.9) and is averaging 4.4 YPC on 20 carries, including a rushing touchdown. Heinicke's mobility and passing accuracy make him a high-end QB2, and he could soon ascend into a low-end QB1. Heinicke finished as the QB5 in Week 4 and has the offensive talent surrounding him to produce consistently, making him an excellent bench stash entering Week 5.
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