RADIO
Tyler Goodson A Deep-League Waiver Option As Handcuff
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Marco Kasper Considered Week-to-Week
Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (upper body) was labeled week-to-week on Tuesday, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Kasper missed Sunday's loss to Winnipeg and was placed on Injured Reserve Tuesday morning. Mason Appleton (undisclosed) is also week-to-week, while J.T. Compher will miss Tuesday's clash against Ottawa. The injury bug has hit the Red Wings' forwards hard early in the season. At least the team is expected to have Dylan Larkin (upper body) available for the first time in 2026-27. The star forward could take on a heavy workload right away, given the injuries Detroit has suffered.
Source: Helene St. James
Source: Helene St. James
Geno Smith A Sneaky Waiver-Wire Target For Week 5
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mason Appleton Out Week-to-Week
Detroit Red Wings right wing Mason Appleton (undisclosed) is week-to-week, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. He will exit the lineup for Tuesday's contest against Ottawa, and it's unclear when Appleton will be ready to return. At minimum, he looks set to miss four games. With Appleton out, the Red Wings lose a big physical presence in the lineup. The 30-year-old has averaged three hits per game early this season. Detroit also won't have J.T. Compher (undisclosed) and Marco Kasper (upper body) on Tuesday, giving other forwards opportunities to step up.
Source: Helene St. James
Source: Helene St. James
Malik Willis a Potential Waiver Add If Dropped In Deep Two-QB Leagues
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
J.T. Compher Won't Play Against Senators
Detroit Red Wings center J.T. Compher (undisclosed) won't play in Tuesday's matchup with the Ottawa Senators, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. He's dealing with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day. Compher's first chance to return will come on Friday against the Seattle Kraken. Fortunately for the Red Wings, Dylan Larkin (upper body) is poised to make his season debut against Ottawa. His presence will be a big boost for the offense. Meanwhile, players like Emmitt Finnie
and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard could see more ice time due to Detroit's injury situation.
Source: Helene St. James
Source: Helene St. James
Dylan Larkin Set for Season Debut Tuesday
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (upper body) has been removed from Injured Reserve and is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators. Larkin sat out the first two games of the campaign due to an upper-body injury. During Tuesday's morning skate, Larkin worked on a line with Lucas Raymond and right wing Viktor Arvidsson. He will also join the first power-play unit. The Red Wings face tough opposition on Tuesday, as Ottawa has allowed only three goals in two games this season.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Sean Tucker A Deep-League Waiver Add, Should Be More Involved In Offense
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Seth McGowan A Waiver Target As Handcuff RB For Colts
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lamar Jackson Could Miss Multiple Games with Ankle Injury
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.
Source: ESPN - Ian Rapoport
Source: ESPN - Ian Rapoport
Ivan Demidov Ruled Out for 2-4 Weeks
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (lower body) will miss 2-4 weeks, the team announced before Tuesday's clash against Carolina. Just a couple of nights ago, Demidov picked up his first points of the season, but he now won't be able to contribute to his team's success for at least seven games. With Demidov out, Kirby Dach is expected to join the top six on Tuesday night. Dach has recorded one assist in two games this season. Montreal's frontline will also remain without Oliver Kapanen (lower body).
Source: Montreal Canadiens
Source: Montreal Canadiens
Jameis Winston A Must-Add Waiver Quarterback For Week 5
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ronald Acuna Jr. Battling Knee Soreness, Serving as DH in Game 3
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.'s knee has been sore since he slid during Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. As a result, Acuna will serve as the designated hitter and bat second for Atlanta in Game 3 of the series in Atlanta against Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Lane Thomas will now start in right field and bat seventh, with catcher Sean Murphy heading to the bench. Acuna has a history of knee injuries, so the Braves will get him off his feet as the series heads to Atlanta tied one game apiece. The former MVP has gone 2-for-9 with two runs scored and a stolen base at the plate in the first two games of the NLDS against the Dodgers. The Braves will need Acuna to be at his best for the remainder of the series in order to knock off the defending World Series champions. The five-time All-Star had two separate trips to the injured list during the regular season due to hamstring issues and ended up hitting .255/.345/.451 with 20 home runs, 55 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 61 runs scored across 408 at-bats.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
Sam Darnold Could Be a Top Quarterback Streamer in Week 5
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.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cyrus Allen An Intriguing Deep-League Waiver Option For Week 5
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.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
