🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Target Acquired: Surprise Target Grabbers from Week 5 and Possible Breakouts for Week 6

Demetri Raftopoulos examines which NFL wide receivers and tight ends saw a surprisingly high number of targets in Week 5 of the fantasy football season and could become a desirable waiver target and add for Week 6.

Another week in the books, another list of surprise breakouts. Oh, and Tom Brady is back, if you haven't heard yet, or in case you missed him obliterate the Cleveland Browns. Pretty much anyone on the offensive side of the ball in New England is an option moving forward.

Here is a look at the surprise target grabbers from Week 5, and a look at possible breakout options for Week 6 based on the usage they are seeing in the passing game. You can ask me more waiver wire and game day questions on Twitter @DemetriRafto.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Surprise Week 5 Target Grabbers

Jeremy Kerley - (WR, SF)

Jeremy Kerley was the Niners' leading receiver for the second straight week against the Arizona Cardinals. A guy used predominately in the slot and on punt returns in New York, Kerley has found a new home on the opposite side of the country. A week after catching 6-of-9 targets for 88 yards and a touchdown, Kerley topped that in Week 5 with eight receptions on a career-high 13 targets for 102 yards and a score. His best overall performance, yardage-wise, came when he put up 120 yards against the then divisional rival New England Patriots in 2012.

Kerley will be one of the top waiver wire adds this week as he has certainly meshed well with Blaine Gabbert, and could potentially excel even more after the recent announcement of Colin Kaepernick taking over starting duties at quarterback. Most of Kerley's production has come during garbage time, but it's all the same in fantasy. Get used to the Niners playing from behind and throwing the ball often. He's a WR3 in deeper leagues against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

 

Cameron Meredith - (WR, CHI) 

Yeah, this one came out of nowhere. But, considering Kevin White was recently placed on injured reserve with a spiral fracture of his fibula, someone had to emerge in Chicago's surprisingly good, eighth-ranked offensive unit. In came Cameron Meredith who surpassed his yard total from all of last season in one game versus Indianapolis in Week 5.

Meredith also nearly topped his targets and receptions totals as well while scoring the first touchdown of his young career against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Meredith finished the day with nine receptions on 12 targets for a bloated 130 yards. He'll likely come down to earth in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but remains a red zone threat and a necessary waiver wire add. The Jaguars have allowed eight touchdowns through the air in four games played.

 

Brandon LaFell  - (WR, CIN) 

Goodbye, Tom Brady. Hello, Andy Dalton. Despite a disheartening loss to the Dallas Cowboys, LaFell and Dalton clicked for eight catches on 11 targets for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Although both scores came in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach due to Dallas' early offensive explosion, the fantasy points count all the same.

LaFell is hard to trust as a fantasy starter considering he failed to catch more than four passes and accumulate more than 45 yards in his previous three contests. It's also extremely hard to believe that he will outproduce and be targeted more times than A.J. Green consistently. LaFell gets a crack at his former team in Week 6, and shouldn't be started until he establishes a trustworthy flow of fantasy points.

 

Possible Week 6 Breakout Options

Kenny Britt - (WR, LA)

Kenny Britt should definitely see a rise in ownership after last week's efficient performance (mainly for PPR leagues). Britt caught five of six targets for 75 yards in a loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, marking his second straight week of productivity. According to Yahoo! Sports, Britt is reeling in 71.9% of his targets from Case Keenum, increasing his week-to-week floor. The accumulation of yardage is there, but Britt has yet to find the end zone this season.

With Tavon Austin failing to establish himself as a consistent threat, Keenum could continue to look Britt's way against a Detroit Lions defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Lions have also surrendered 14 touchdowns through the air, the highest total of any team in the league. Britt is a solid add, and should see plenty of opportunities against a shaky Lions defense. He's no more than a WR4, but holds solid value in deep PPR formats.

 

Sammie Coates - (WR, PIT)

It wasn't just the inability of the Jets to cover the deep ball, or any ball thrown for that matter, that led to one of his touchdowns in Week 5. Coates showed some noteworthy talent as a receiver on his 72-yard scoring bomb, blowing right past Marcus Williams down the field. He should continue to see a high target volume with Big Ben throwing him the ball. Big game aside, the dude has some pretty slippery butter fingers, transferring his status as a WR3 into more of a boom-or-bust play.

Coates dropped four passes against the Jets, three of which, yes three, would have gone for a score. Coates still managed to find the end zone twice, reeling in six passes on a team-tying 11 targets (Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, big surprise) for a team-leading 139 yards. The Steelers will likely work with Coates on his inexcusable drops heading into one of the most favorable matchups any team has this week. Pittsburgh visits Miami for a showdown against a Dolphins team that has given up the fifth-most points to wideouts.

 

Jesse James - (TE, PIT) 

James is the second Pittsburgh Steeler to make the cut. Rightfully so, when you have Ben Roethlisberger throwing you the football. James is coming off his best performance of the aging season against the New York Jets (seems like a familiar trend for opposing teams facing Gang Green) and like Coates, should see a similar amount of targets versus the Miami Dolphins. James caught six passes on eight targets against New York, reeling in his third touchdown in four contests. James is a touchdown-dependent option considering he's only tallied 18 receptions in five showings. He's a TE2 facing a Dolphins team that loves gifting fantasy points to opposing players.

Other Options: Quincy Enunwa (WR, NYJ) @ARI, Will Fuller (WR, HOU) vs IND, Charles Clay (TE, BUF) vs SF

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mike Trout

Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026
Victor Wembanyama

Coming off the Bench on Tuesday Night
Rudy Gobert

Not on the Injury Report for Wednesday
Anthony Edwards

on the Injury Report Again for Wednesday Night
Ja Morant

Questionable for Wednesday's Meeting With Timberwolves
Saquon Barkley

Misses Practice With Stinger
RJ Harvey

Dealing With Rib Injury
Josh Jacobs

Intends to Play Against Bears on Saturday
Zach Bogosian

Misses Tuesday's Game
Marcus Johansson

Unavailable Tuesday
Artyom Levshunov

Scratched for Tuesday
Mathew Barzal

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Joseph Woll

Returns to Action Tuesday
Mike Matheson

Won't Play on Tuesday
Rasmus Ristolainen

Makes Season Debut Tuesday
Bam Knight

Cardinals Place Bam Knight on Injured Reserve
CFB

Kansas State's Jayce Brown Intends to Transfer
CFB

Nation's Leading Passer Drew Mestemaker to Enter Transfer Portal
Justin Crawford

Phillies Planning to Start Justin Crawford in Center Field
CFB

Jayden Maiava Signs New Deal to Return to USC
CFB

Aidan Mizell Won't Return to Florida, Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

East Carolina Targeting Jordan Davis as Next Offensive Coordinator
Patrick Mahomes

Targeting Week 1 Return in 2026
Cutter Gauthier

Scores Twice at MSG
CFB

Michigan QB Jadyn Davis Set to Enter Transfer Portal
CFB

Travis Williams Joining Texas A&M Defensive Staff
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Records Three Assists in Dramatic Win
Filip Forsberg

Nets 11th Career Hat Trick
Sam Reinhart

Pots Two Goals Against Lightning
Darcy Kuemper

Hurt Versus Stars
Gustav Forsling

Injured in Monday's Win
Brandon Hagel

Makes Early Exit Monday
Cooper Flagg

Becomes Youngest 40-Point Scorer in NBA History
Victor Wembanyama

May Come Off the Bench Again Tuesday
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic to Undergo MRI Tuesday
Sam Hauser

Tweaks Left Ankle Monday
Peyton Watson

Not Expected to Be Out Long-Term
Ja Morant

Injures Ankle in Monday's Win
Darren Waller

Hauls in Two Touchdowns in Monday Night Loss
Brandon Clarke

Still Out Monday
Rome Odunze

Considered Week-to-Week With Foot Injury
James Harden

Officially Active on Monday Night
Ja Morant

to Remain Under Minutes Restriction Monday
James Harden

a Game-Time Call Monday
John Konchar

to Be Re-Evaluated in Three Weeks
Julian Strawther

Active on Monday
James Harden

Good to Go Monday
Tari Eason

Remains Out Monday
Daniel Gafford

to Be Limited to 17-20 Minutes Monday
Davante Adams

Considered Week-to-Week With Hamstring Injury
Kyle Filipowski

Starting Against Mavericks
Brandon Williams

Out Monday
Jaylen Warren

to Play Through Illness on Monday Night
Will Smith

Sharks Place Will Smith on Injured Reserve
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Expected to Return Before Christmas
Dylan Holloway

to Miss Six Weeks
Patrick Kane

Expected to Miss at Least Two Games
Quinton Byfield

Ruled Out for Monday
Mika Zibanejad

Won't Play on Monday
Connor Bedard

Out Until 2026
Bhayshul Tuten

to Miss a Few Weeks With Finger Injury
Joe Burrow

Will Start the Rest of the Season
Jayden Daniels

to be Shut Down for Final Three Games
Philip Rivers

Will Start Again in Week 16
Drake London

Falcons "Very Hopeful" Drake London Can Return in Week 16
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
Micah Parsons

MRI Confirms Torn ACL for Micah Parsons
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Jaylen Warren

Questionable for Monday Night Due to Illness
Bam Knight

has "Bad Sprain," Unlikely to Play in Week 16
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
New York Jets

Jets Fire Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Christian Watson

Avoids Long-Term Injury, Status for Week 16 Unclear
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Teddye Buchanan

Ravens Linebacker Teddye Buchanan Believed to Have Torn ACL
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dallas Goedert

has Third Two-Touchdown Game on Sunday
Kenley Jansen

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Tigers
Merrill Kelly

Returns to Diamondbacks on Two-Year Deal
Jorge Polanco

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Mets
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Return to South Carolina in 2026
CFB

Washington State Expected to Hire Kirby Moore as Next Head Coach
CFB

Kyle Whittingham Stepping Down as Utah Head Coach
Manel Kape

Set For UFC Vegas 112 Main Event
Brandon Royval

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Set For His Third UFC Fight
Giga Chikadze

In Dire Need Of Victory
Cesar Almeida

Set To Welcome Cezary Oleksiejczuk To The UFC
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Maikel Garcia

Royals Agree on Five-Year Extension
Melquizael Costa

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Looks to Win Second Consecutive Fights
Marcus Buchecha

Looks To Bounce Back
CFB

Sherrone Moore Charged with Home Invasion, Among Other Charges
CFB

Freddie Kitchens Fired from North Carolina Coaching Staff
CFB

Bryce Underwood Could Leave Michigan Without Buyout
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Padres Not Considering Trading Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tarik Skubal

Tigers Engaged in "Serious Talks" Around Trading Tarik Skubal at the Winter Meetings
CFB

Chris Brazzell II Declaring for NFL Draft
CFB

Fernando Mendoza Named AP College Football Player of the Year
Raisel Iglesias

to Remain the Braves Closer
Robert Suarez

Agrees on Three-Year Deal With Braves
CFB

Sherrone Moore Remains in Police Custody
Si Woo Kim

Closes 2025 With Strong Finish Among Putting Woes
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Rebound in 2026 After Down Year Off the Tee
Brian Harman

2025 Season a Step Back Despite Spring Win
Sam Burns

' Elite Putting Headlines a Solid 2025 Season
Sepp Straka

Ends Stellar 2025 Campaign on a High Note
Robert MacIntyre

Closes Out a Steady 2025 Campaign

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP