October 4, 2016

Nick Mariano analyzes Week 5 sleepers available on your 2016 fantasy football waiver wire. These NFL running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), tight ends (TEs) and quarterbacks (QBs) are fantasy football sleepers.

Waiver Wire Adds for Week Five

Welcome to the post-Week 4 installment of the Waiver Wire weekly series for the 2016 fantasy football season. This wasn’t a big injury week, as we actually got a few players back (Le’Veon Bell, Jamaal Charles), and now Tom Brady’s return looms as Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans and Seattle all hit their bye week.

Let’s check in on players that are owned in roughly 40% of leagues or less, so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad. You can also check out our weekly rankings and analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all options heading into Week 5.

Once you're done here, be sure to read about more Week 5 waiver wire recommendations, for all other positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

Week 5 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Carson Wentz (QB, PHI) – 49% Owned

Coming off of a week of rest and preparation, Wentz and the Eagles will get roll into Detroit to face a Lions team that just fell on its face against divisional rival Chicago. Brian Hoyer just totaled 302 passing yards and two TDs against Detroit, so we like Wentz’s chances of a strong game in Week 5. He’ll look to keep his permanent record clean, as he hasn’t turned the ball over yet across his first 102 passing attempts in the NFL. This is a man playing well beyond his experience to date, who seems to be gelling with the weapons in his arsenal to create a fluid offensive identity in 2016. His 8.03 adjusted net yards per passing attempt is also fourth-best in the NFL thus far, in case you enjoy those kind of stats. He then gets a nice matchup against Washington’s defense in Week 6 before a rough Week 7 date with the Vikings. Worry about that later though, as you should feel confident firing up the rookie in the present.

Dak Prescott (QB, DAL) – 48% Owned

Prescott didn’t even need to use his legs in Week 4, completing 23-of-32 passes for 245 yards and two TDs despite top receiver Dez Bryant being out. He still rushes five times for three yards, but he didn’t take chances and delivered strong strikes early before allowing Ezekiel Elliott to seal the game. He’s improved with each week that goes by, and while a home matchup against Cincinnati’s defense isn’t “ideal”, his floor appears pretty healthy at this point thanks to his legs and an increased comfort with the players around him.

Sam Bradford (QB, MIN) – 29% Owned* (yet to play on MNF in Week 4)

Bradford’s Week 3 wasn’t anything special, as he crawled through the first half against Carolina before going 14-for-17 in the second half. The Vikings are now 3-0, and while much is that is due to their defense, this is still a passing attack that popped off in Week 2 against Green Bay (286 yards, 2 TDs). And now they get to tangle with a Giants defense that just got skewered in by the Redskins, and saw two of their starting DBs go down with injuries (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple - who both traveled with the team, but whose statuses remain up in the air). Minnesota likely won’t be able to get much going with their rushing game against NYG’s stout line, leaving it on Bradford’s arm to deliver. Minnesota will face the Texans at home in Week 5. While Houston has done well against opposing QBs thus far, they've also only had to face Jay Cutler, Alex Smith, Jacoby Brissett and Marcus Mariota thus far.

Paxton Lynch (QB, DEN) – 12% Owned

Lynch looked decent out there in relief of the injured Trevor Siemian in Week 4, though it was against a horribly depleted (and already bad) Tampa Bay defense. Lynch completed 14 of his 24 attempts for 170 yards and a TD, and would be a nice streaming option against the Falcons in Week 5 should Siemian (day-to-day) be unavailable for Denver. Don’t burn any sort of important waiver on him, but do keep him in mind.

Week 5 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Terrance West (RB, BAL) – 44% Owned
West looked good against a Raiders defense that has been put to shame through their first four weeks, as he carried the load with 21 rushes for 113 yards and a TD. Justin Forsett (the highest-owned of the RB stable at 55%) was scratched (*10/4 UPDATE: Forsett has been let go, so no worries there) and Javorius Allen (26% owned) only touched the ball five times, as it was clearly West’s show out there. If you thought this matchup was good, just wait until Week 5 when he faces a Redskins run defense that ranks dead last according to FootballOutsiders’ DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). West’s strong effort comes at a good time for him, as rookie Kenneth Dixon appears on track to be activated for Week 5 and he had looked like a strong bet to take the reins with no one else stepping up to the plate. It doesn't get much better for T-West than how Week 5 is shaping up.

Bilal Powell (RB, NYJ) - 44% Owned

You may have seen some reports floating around that Matt Forte was seen riding a cart on the sidelines, which combines with a loose report that he had entered Week 4 with a knee injury (though he was not on the Injury Report) to create a bit of a scare for Forte's owners. Perhaps you don't even care about that news, and are just noticing that Powell played on 37 snaps to Forte's 34 in their ugly Week 4 tilt (which may or may not be injury-related, of course). Through the first two weeks of the season Forte looked like the workhorse, but it's clear that there's a shift occurring. From Week 2 to Week 3 we saw Forte's snap percentage go from 81% to 60%, while Powell went from 23% to 41%. Week 4, as we mentioned, saw Powell cross the 50% mark. Don't overreact and think you've got the new clear-cut starting NYJ RB, but he's certainly worth a scoop -- especially in PPR formats.

Kenneth Dixon (RB, BAL) – 30% Owned

Speaking of Dixon, that certainly doesn’t mean he isn’t worth the add. West had only collected 119 yards on 33 carries (3.6 YPC) in Baltimore’s first three games, and while his strong Week 4 should secure him some leash, Baltimore drafted Dixon for a reason. The 2016 fourth-round selection likely won’t hit the ground running with 15+ touches, but makes for a good speculative add should he dazzle or have West get injured in front of him. Justin Forsett has clearly fallen out of favor, as he joins Javorius Allen in the after-thoughts heap in Baltimore.

James White (RB, NE) – 26% Owned

Just in case he’s been forgotten about in your league, don’t overlook how much this guy can thrive with Tom Brady back at the helm. Even in Week 4’s watered-down attack, he caught all five of his targets for 50 yards while collecting 12 rushing yards on four totes. The whole offense is going to take a gigantic step forward, with their pass-catching back likely to find plenty of value along the way.

Wendell Smallwood (RB, PHI) – 21% Owned

All Smallwood did in Week 3 was rush for 79 yards and a score on 17 carries against the Steelers, which prompted lots of buzz heading into Philly’s bye week. This culminated in an ESPN report from Tim McManus that said Smallwood should see “plenty of opportunities”, though he’d still be the complementary back to Ryan Mathews with Darren Sproles also mixing in on passing downs. Still, Mathews isn’t the most durable fellow and Smallwood makes for a nice stash.

Zach Zenner (RB, DET) – 5% Owned

Zenner didn’t do much of anything in Week 4, rushing three times for 12 yards and adding in a 22-yard catch, and he hadn’t put up any stats in Detroit’s first three games…so what gives here? Well, Dwayne Washington left Week 4’s game with a pretty bad limp and there is no way that Theo Riddick can bear the entire load should Washington miss any real time. While Zenner is listed as fourth on the depth chart behind Michael Burton, Burton hasn’t recorded a single touch and so Zenner stands to gain here.

Week 5 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Steve Smith (WR, BAL) – 41% Owned

Baltimore players everywhere! Smith caught eight of 11 targets for a second consecutive week, besting last week’s 87 yards with 111 yards that were fueled by a 52-yard TD. This is not a man who is ready to retire. This is not an offense that will let him walk away. He has accrued an impressive 37 targets over Baltimore’s first four games, with his yardage totals increasing with each passing week. It will be interesting to see how he does against Josh Norman in Week 5, but this is a guy who will put up healthy numbers as long as he’s on the field. His quarterback clearly loves him, and with Baltimore's rushing attack not being the most effective unit, Smiff and company are usually a good bet to do some heavy lifting. Fantasy owners will prosper accordingly.

Cole Beasley (WR, DAL) – 36% Owned

With Dez Bryant inactive, Beasley actually saw a season-low four targets. Of course, he still turned in 66 yards on three catches and even sprinkled in a seven-yard rush for good measure despite the low volume. He has now topped 65 yards in each of Dallas’ first four games, and is clearly Dak Prescott’s cozy safety blanket. While he’s a much better PPR asset, it appears as though he’s even a viable low-end flex option in standard leagues at this point.

Eddie Royal (WR, CHI) – 24% Owned

Royal turned a season-high seven targets into a season-high seven receptions for a season-high 111 yards and a TD. Not bad at all. Chicago’s slot man has provided his QBs with reliable hands and steady route-running alongside Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White. Royal has totaled 22 targets in the Bears’ first four games, and while it would be unwise to lean on him for 100-yard games, he should still be a nice flex play in PPR formats. .

Adam Humphries (WR, TB) – 18% Owned

Humphries, and the entire Tampa Bay offense, predictably flopped in Week 4 against a powerful Denver defense. The slot receiver only caught one ball for four yards on four targets, but Week 5 provides a Monday night matchup against a Carolina secondary that just got torched at a historical level by Atlanta. This week should be viewed as the outlier for Humphries and many of the Bucs, as his 25 targets and 18 catches from the first three games should be more indicative of life moving forward (despite the reports that Tampa wants to scale back Winston’s throwing attempts).

Robert Woods (WR, BUF) – 14% Owned

Woods is going to be Buffalo’s primary receiver with Sammy Watkins on the shelf, which showed itself to yield some nice results in Week 4 to tune of seven catches for 89 yards. This is no fluke, as he had also caught six balls for 51 yards in Week 3, but this is much more bankable now that Watkins is officially on the IR. Woods makes a nice, albeit uninspiring, add in all formats.

Jeremy Kerley (WR, SF) – 7% Owned

Kerley has now seen at least six targets in each of San Francisco’s first four games, though two of those games have still yielded yardage totals of under 30 yards. That said, this most recent game saw him notch his first TD as a 49er alongside 88 yards on six catches. With San Francisco’s high-tempo offense heading into a tough battle with Arizona (who still has a decent defense despite recent events) in Week 5, Blaine Gabbert may very well go back to his highest-rated receiver per PFF.

Dontrelle Inman (WR, SD) – 5% Owned

Inman blowing up was bound to happen sooner or later, though a matchup against the Saints was probably the most likely environment for such a game. Luckily for those who missed the seven-catch, 120-yard boat (that had a TD sprinkled on top), Inman and the Chargers have another nice matchup on tap against the Raiders in Week 5. San Diego will tangle with Denver in Weeks 6 and 8 though, so plan accordingly.

Week 5 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Cameron Brate (TE, TB) – 26% Owned

Even in a tough matchup against Denver, Brate saw eight targets in a rainy no-good day for Tampa Bay. He ended up tallying five catches for the second-straight week, as he’s taken quite well to being the Buccaneers’ featured pass-catching tight end. Jameis Winston clearly values him a big safety blanket in the middle of the field, and he doesn’t even have to block often with Luke Stocker and Brandon Myers dealing with that dirty work. The Bucs do battle with a Panthers secondary that just allowed a TD to each of Atlanta’s tight ends in Week 5, and it certainly won’t get much more difficult than Denver.

Hunter Henry (TE, SD) – 23% Owned

Henry has looked the part in relief of the injured Antonio Gates, as he followed up his five-catch, 72-yard effort in Week 4 with his first touchdown in Week 5 against the Saints. The score also came with 61 yards on four catches, as San Diego has enjoyed facing Indianapolis and New Orleans’ subpar defenses these last two weeks. The fun shouldn’t stop next week, as Henry and the Chargers draw a favorable matchup against the Raiders in Oakland. Keep an eye on Gates’ status of course, but he’s still on the wrong side of questionable heading into Week 5 as of now.

Week 5 Defense (D/ST) Waiver Wire Pickups

Buffalo Bills, D/ST – 42% Owned

The Bills just provided New England with its first shutout since 2006, and its first shut out at home since 1993. Injury-hampered offense be damned, that’s impressive. Even if one doesn’t want to put much stock in that, this is a Bills team that now gets to face a Rams offense that is plenty questionable. The Bills have recorded at least three sacks in three out of their first four games, with 13 on the season (third-best in the NFL), and have eight turnovers to boot. While one may have plenty of trust issues when it comes to the Ryan brothers as coaches, this sounds like a pretty good setup.

Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST – 40% Owned

Not feeling the whole Buffalo Bill thing? How about a Steeler team that is riding high off of a Sunday-night shellacking of the Chiefs on primetime television? After recording only one sack over their first three games, the Steelers (namely, Cameron Heyward) turned in four sacks alongside two turnovers at home. They’ll stay at home in Week 5 to tangle with a Jets team that has just looked downright awful in the past two weeks. With nine interceptions in their past two games, the Jets and Steelers could not be trending in more opposite directions.