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Mason Miller Placed on Paternity List Ahead of NLDS Game 3
San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller has been placed on the paternity list and will not be available for his team's matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Miller blew a save opportunity in San Diego's Game 2 loss to the Brewers, allowing a walk-off, two-run single to Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio. Still, the hard-throwing right-hander was one of the best relievers in baseball in the regular season. Across 70 innings (66 games), Miller pitched to a 1.67 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 129 strikeouts and 38 saves. Without Miller, San Diego left-hander Adrian Morejon could be the next man up in the ninth inning for the Padres.
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune - Kevin Acee
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune - Kevin Acee
Jalen Royals is Moving up the Depth Chart
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals hasn't seen much action early in the season, but is expected to see an expanded role going forward. Fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton (ankle) is looking at a 3-4 month absence after suffering an injury during Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The expectation is that Royals will move into the third spot on the depth chart following the Week 5 bye. So far this season, Royals has recorded three receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown in four games. He could be someone worth stashing in deep leagues or dynasty formats with Thornton out for the foreseeable future.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Darnell Washington is a Worthy Deep-League Stash
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington found the end zone for the first time this season during last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Washington hauled in three of his five targets for 27 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. The big tight end drew an impactful penalty to set up his team to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Not everything Washington does shows up on the box score, but he's beginning to post decent numbers now. He finished with a season-high 67 receiving yards in Week 3. He draws a juicy matchup against the Indianapolis Colts defense in Week 5. A defensive unit that has given up over 200 receiving yards to tight ends this season. Fantasy managers should consider picking up Washington in deep leagues ahead of this matchup.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Al Horford Set for Bench Role Against Lakers
Golden State Warriors forward/center Al Horford is set to come off the bench Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard, who expects that setup to continue into the regular season. Gui Santos will join Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Draymond Green in the starting five. Horford averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.6 threes in 21.5 minutes last season. A reserve role limits his ceiling, but Kristaps Porzingis' (undisclosed) absence should keep Horford involved in the frontcourt rotation.
Source: Danny Emerman
Source: Danny Emerman
Michael Penix Jr. A Solid Two-QB And Deep-League Waiver Target
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has yet to eclipse 20 fantasy points in a game this season. But he's elevated the Falcons offense to new heights, and at least enabled the run game to thrive in his presence. He's a huge upgrade from QB Cooper Rush, who started the season while Penix recovered from a torn ACL last season. Penix has only thrown two touchdowns, and most of Atlanta's scores have come on the ground since he's returned to play, but he could be in line for some positive touchdown regression. The team has two big-bodied red zone threats in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. London has been targeted by Penix at a high rate while Pitts has been mostly quiet this season, but the veteran TE got more involved in Week 4, with 47 receiving yards. If Penix is able to get the ball to both effectively, we could see his touchdown numbers improve, in which case he could become an every-week starter in deep 2QB leagues. That's where you should target him as a waiver pickup, where talent is hard to come by after drafts gobble up most of the productive talent.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Deshaun Watson is Becoming a Priority Streaming Option
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has surprisingly been reliable through the first four games of the season. Heading into Week 5, Watson has thrown for 855 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 127 yards on 31 rushing attempts this season. Watson carries a 69.6 percent completion rate into this Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets. A defensive unit that has struggled to contain quarterbacks this season. Watson is currently the QB12 heading into this big road matchup against the Jets. Given that some teams are on bye, Watson is looking like a priority streaming appeal for this weekend while he enjoys a career resurgence.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Brian Robinson A Strong Waiver-Wire Option For Week 5
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson rushed 14 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns and caught one pass for five yards in his team's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4. It was surprising to see Robinson have so much standalone value when backing up elite starting RB Bijan Robinson, who's one of the best RBs in the league. Robinson (Bijan) only had two touchdowns. But the Falcons offense is rolling, and they did a good job slowing down New Orleans' offense. Atlanta built such a lead so quickly that they didn't have to keep their starting RB on the field as much as possible, which allowed Robinson (Brian) to have a big game. It's likely that in closer games, Robinson (Bijan) will still handle the majority of the touches while Robinson (Brian) only handles a handful of touches. But with how well Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is playing, more blowout wins could be in the future, and the potential for Robinson (Brian) to have league-winning upside is huge if Robinson (Bijan) gets hurt. So the former Washington Commander should be added in all leagues, at least as a handcuff, ahead of Week 5.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kristaps Porzingis Remains Away From the Warriors
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis remains away from the team because of an undisclosed health issue. "I haven't seen him yet," head coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday before calling the situation "definitely concerning" and adding that the Warriors will continue to support Porzingis. General manager Mike Dunleavy previously declined to rule the 31-year-old out for the Oct. 21 opener against the Lakers, but there is still no return timeline. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 23.7 minutes across 15 games with Golden State last season. Until there is more clarity, his availability makes him a risky fantasy pick, while Al Horford should handle more center minutes.
Source: Joseph Dycus
Source: Joseph Dycus
Michael Mayer A Key Waiver Target Despite Teammate's Return
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer caught eight passes for 82 yards on 10 targets in a close Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That's more involvement than we've ever seen the third-year tight end have in a game where he shared the field with TE Brock Bowers. The concussion injury to Raiders WR Jalen Nailor (head) likely played a part in this, but Mayer's performance was impressive nonetheless. Las Vegas' head coach, Klint Kubiak, indicated that he'd like to get both his tight ends involved in the passing game. Mayer has excellent value for a tight end that's just seven percent rostered in Yahoo leagues, as he caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown last week. We could be in the midst of his breakout, in which case it would be exceedingly difficult to pick him up in a few weeks. Finding weekly productive players at the TE position is rare, especially when they were largely undrafted in fantasy leagues, so Mayer should be added in all leagues with 12 or more teams ahead of Week 5.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Stephen Curry Set for Around 20 Minutes Against Lakers
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be limited to around 20 minutes in Tuesday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater. Curry also won't travel to Portland for Wednesday's game. The 38-year-old played 13 minutes in Sunday's opener against the Clippers, scoring 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting with two threes. Curry averaged 26.6 points and 4.4 threes across 43 games last season, so Golden State's cautious preseason plan comes as no surprise. His production remains elite, but workload management is worth factoring into his fantasy outlook.
Source: Anthony Slater
Source: Anthony Slater
Jaylin Noel Could Earn Himself a Larger Role
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel is coming off his best performance of the season in Week 4. Noel hauled in all three of his targets for 85 yards in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Noel was barely seen during the two games that fellow wideout Nico Collins missed, but he made a splash during Collins' return this past weekend. The 24-year-old appears to be building chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. The two of them connected on a big 52-yard play this past Sunday. Noel has a chance to carve out a role as the No. 2 wideout in Houston. He's a decent dynasty stash and a possible deep league flex option for the Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Aaron Rodgers A Waiver-Wire Target In All Formats For Week 5
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned in his second performance in a row of over 23 fantasy points in a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers, despite his age, is still a productive passer, and has a trio of competent wideouts to throw the ball to as well as an offensive-minded head coach that has a history of aiding productive passing games. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has put together a good offensive scheme so far this season, and as a result, Rodgers has racked up nearly 600 passing yards across his last two games. On film, Rodgers is still able to get zip on the ball and find his targets downfield. Week 5 and Week 6 feature the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as opponents for Rodgers and co., and those two squads have among the NFL's worse pass defenses. Rodgers is hardly rostered, but is a legitimate waiver target even in 1QB leagues, and should be 100 percent rostered in 2QB leagues. He's a startable QB1 for the next two weeks as well.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ted Hurst III Still Worth Waiver Consideration For Week 5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had just two catches on three targets for 25 yards in his team's fourth loss in a row to start the 2026 season. The whole Bucs offense has been miserably unproductive, though -- WR1 Emeka Egbuka had only two catches for 13 yards last week, and the team's leading wide receiver, Chris Godwin Jr., managed only 31 yards on six receptions. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) was struggling earlier in the season before he picked up a thumb injury. He'll miss two more weeks. Undrafted free agent backup Jalon Daniels started in Week 4 and managed just 148 passing yards while distributing the ball around, which didn't leave much room for the receivers to produce. Hurst may struggle in his next two games, but Mayfield's return should be a positive for his value. Hurst has been the starting X receiver for the team this year, though his snap share significantly declined in Week 5. Stashing him in deep leagues and waiting to see what happens when Mayfield returns isn't a bad idea. He looked to be on the verge of a breakout after Week 3, when he caught a 40-yard touchdown. Patience should be exercised here, but picking up Hurst could pay off.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Gui Santos Joins Warriors' Starting Lineup Against Lakers
Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos is set to start Tuesday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Draymond Green, according to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard. Al Horford will come off the bench, a setup Emerman expects to continue into the regular season. Santos averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals across 30 starts last season. With Jimmy Butler (knee) and Moses Moody (knee) still sidelined, Santos remains firmly in the mix for a starting role and meaningful fantasy production.
Source: Danny Emerman
Source: Danny Emerman
Kaleb Johnson Remains a Deep-League Stash
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson posted a season high in yardage during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson carried the ball eight times for 42 yards in their three-point victory. He also fumbled the ball in an important part of the game, so we'll see if that impacts his playing time going forward. The Packers don't have a legitimate lead back right now, so Johnson should remain in the picture. It's tough to know exactly what he's going to offer weekly in this three-back committee. The 23-year-old is worth holding in deep league and dynasty formats ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
