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Good day, fantasy enthusiasts! Can you believe we're already five weeks deep into the 2023 NFL rollercoaster? Here's to hoping your fantasy squads are sitting pretty in the win column. With bye weeks on the horizon and the rough-and-tumble nature of this glorious game, having the foresight to spot the "next golden ticket" on the waiver wire can be your ride to a championship. Now, you might not need these potential stars to light up the scoreboard today or even tomorrow, but for those navigating the treacherous waters of 14-team leagues or those with mega benches, hitting the waiver wire jackpot could be your ticket to fantasy fame.
Titans RB Tyjae Spears was recommended in this article for the last several weeks, and he no longer qualifies as he is owned in 47% of Yahoo and 38% of ESPN leagues. While there is no guarantee of a Spears breakout, he has carved himself out enough of a meaningful role in the Titans offense that he should be on just about all fantasy rosters by now. If you're squinting skeptically at some of the names here, just remember: this ain't your typical roster roundup. Sure, not every guy on this list will morph into a fantasy phenom, but spotting that one diamond in the rough early could not only turbocharge your lineup but also save those precious FAAB bucks for when you really need 'em.
Brace yourselves, managers, because we're plunging into the bye-week bonanza of the fantasy football season. Coming up in Week 6 we've got the Packers and Steelers kicking back on their byes, but things will start ramping up again in Week 7. And hey, if you're currently wallowing at 1-4 or gasp, 0-5, don't wave the white flag just yet. Your draft may be a thing of the past, but your waiver wire wizardry? That's the present! So, let's roll up those sleeves and unearth the waiver wire gems that could catapult you to fantasy stardom! Shall we?
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Weekend Waiver Wire Stashes Before Week 6
D'Onta Foreman, (RB) Chicago Bears
40% rostered on Yahoo, 15% on ESPN
Foreman might be more of a Week 6 play if you need immediate RB production compared to a long-term stash player, but he is a more talented back than he has shown so far this year.
The Bears have had Foreman inactive on game day due to RB Travis Homer playing special teams, but with starters Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson out this week, Foreman has a chance to shine! He was a former third round pick of the Texans in the 2017 draft before tearing his Achilles as a rookie.
Finally healthy, Foreman rushed for 914 yards on 203 carries with 5 TDs (4.5 avg) in 2022 as a member of the Carolina Panthers. If the Bears' offense continues to improve, there could be some value in this backfield for fantasy as long as it doesn't split off into a three-headed monster once the other RBs return.
Sam Howell, (QB) Washington Commanders
37% rostered on Yahoo, 19% on ESPN
Howell has been largely inconsistent in his first 5 starts this season and has to get better at avoiding sacks, but there is some hope for him for fantasy purposes after his QB5 finish in Week 5.
Howell threw for 388 yards and 2 TDs, but the Commanders lost to the Bears 40-20 and dropped to 2-3 on the season. Howell is going to need to put together some big games the rest of the way and keep Washington out of the bottom of the standings in order to cement his future as the starting QB beyond 2023.
But for fantasy, he gets the Falcons and Giants the next 2 weeks before running into the Eagles in Week 8. Howell is not an amazing athlete, but he does have some rushing upside for fantasy and should be on your radar just in case you don't have a top fantasy QB.
Luke Musgrave, (TE) Green Bay Packers
19% rostered on Yahoo, 18% on ESPN
Musgrave will likely be available in a lot of leagues since the Packers are on a Week 6 bye. We've already seen some flashes of how good this 2023 rookie tight end class is, and Musgrave could be another in line for more production.
The Packers offense has been inconsistent, but there hasn't been someone in the pass-catching corps to carve out a No. 1 role for themselves just yet. RB Aaron Jones should be back after the bye which should help things improve for QB Jordan Love.
There aren't a lot of options available at tight end on the waiver wire, so you might as well go for the guy with the most upside. Don't be scared off from Musgrave just because he's a rookie.
Josh Downs, (WR) Indianapolis Colts
31% rostered on Yahoo, 29% on ESPN
Another player who has started to draw plenty of attention in the fantasy space, Downs is emerging in the Colts offense and could overtake WR Alec Pierce for the No. 2 role in the passing game.
Unfortunately, rookie QB Anthony Richardson will be sidelined for the next 4-8 weeks with a sprained AC joint, but backup QB Gardner Minshew has shown to be a viable fantasy asset for receivers in years past. Indianapolis will likely pass more with Minshew under center and Downs could benefit greatly from it.
Downs has seen a total of 21 targets in his three games and had an impressive production profile in college at North Carolina. He is a bit of an undersized receiver and will likely play more from the slot, but if you need a WR3 or Flex play this week, you can do worse than Downs.
Kyler Murray, (QB) Arizona Cardinals
24% rostered on Yahoo, 14% on ESPN
Murray should be rostered in all formats that allow for injured reserve spots. We still don't know when and if he may return after suffering a torn ACL at the end of the 2022 season, but the Cardinals offense has looked a lot better than advertised in 2023 and Murray could definitely have some fantasy value if he were to get on the field.
It's not likely that Murray will immediately regain some of his prior form when he rushed for over 800 yards in 2020, but he does have the athleticism to make plays with his legs, and we know that mobile QBs can be an absolute cheat code for fantasy.
Murray should be on your radar just in case he does return earlier than expected, especially if you don't have one of the top fantasy quarterbacks on your roster.
Kendre Miller, (RB) New Orleans Saints
16% rostered on Yahoo, 8% on ESPN
Another one of "my guys" you are probably sick of hearing about, Miller missed all of training camp and the first few games of the season as he was rehabbing back from a knee injury, so it's understandable that he would have a slower start out of the gate.
RB Alvin Kamara has cemented himself as the No. 1 RB in this offense, but Jamaal Williams is still on injured reserve, and Miller played more snaps last week having his best performance of the season. Kendre had 12 carries for just 37 yards, but he caught all 4 of his targets for 53 yards.
If Kamara doesn't regain his prior form, there is still a chance for Miller to take over this backfield, at least in early downs and potentially in the goal line. Stay patient, and don't be shy about keeping him rostered in deeper formats.
Chuba Hubbard, (RB) Carolina Panthers
43% rostered on Yahoo, 25% on ESPN
Someone else who has been on this list several times each week, it is now Hubbard's time to make moves in Carolina after starting RB Miles Sanders was ruled out this week.
Hubbard has arguably been more impressive than Sanders so far in the season and could begin carving out a larger role in the offense. The bad news? Carolina is 0-5 and their offense has looked anything but solid as rookie QB Bryce Young has struggled. Nonetheless, we always want to be looking for RB production in fantasy whenever we can find it.
The Panthers have a bye coming up in Week 7, but if you need immediate production, you could certainly do worse than throwing Hubbard in your lineup. He once rushed for over 2,000 yards in college at Oklahoma State and has enough pedigree that we should have some hope for him still.
Rashee Rice, (WR) Kansas City Chiefs
45% rostered on Yahoo, 30% on ESPN
Disclaimer: Since Rashee Rice already played on Thursday Night, he is only available for pickup in some leagues that allow it. Many leagues lock players from being added if they already played.
He's been on this list for several weeks and we are starting to see a breakthrough with Rice as he had a decent game on TNF this week against the Broncos. Rice only saw 4 targets, but finished with 4 receptions for 72 yards. He has only found the end zone twice this season, but Rice is continuing to be more involved in the offense and has all the makings of becoming the No. 2 target in the Chiefs offense the rest of the way.
You won't be able to pick him up until waivers run, but Rice is likely only going to get better as the season goes on and could be a nice asset for your squads down the stretch. Don't be afraid to spend a little FAAB on him if you are hurting at wide receiver either. The Chiefs might be 5-1, but it doesn't even feel like they are hitting their stride yet, especially on offense. Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice feel like the emerging skill players from the Chiefs to have in fantasy outside of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few players to also keep in mind as deeper stashes in bigger leagues (14 or 16 teams) or ones with larger bench spots just in case they should start seeing more playing time.
Quarterbacks
Jacoby Brissett (WAS) - 0% rostered, Malik Willis OR Will Levis (TEN) - 0% rostered, QB Jarrett Stidham (DEN) - 0% rostered
Running Backs
Zach Evans (LAR), 0% rostered, Pierre Strong Jr. (CLE) - 1% rostered, Chris Brooks (MIA) - 1% rostered
Wide Receivers
Curtis Samuel (WAS), 33% rostered, Michael Wilson Jr. (ARI) - 20% rostered, Jalin Hyatt (NYG) - 4% rostered
We hope you like these selections ahead of Week 6 and good luck in your leagues this season! Even if you don't have room to pick up some of these players, it's important to stay ahead of your league mates and preserve FAAB so that you have it at the end of the year when you need it. Feel free to follow me on Twitter for more waiver and player analysis throughout the season!
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