Week #5 Waiver Watch Of Truth
Welcome back to the Waiver Watch Of Truth! Things were shaken up quite a bit this past week as the injury count is continuing to add up at a rapid pace. Let’s dive right in and navigate what should be one of the busier waiver weeks of the young season.
QB
Geno Smith, Seattle (19% rostered) – After the Seahawks traded away Russell Wilson and seemingly admitted a rebuilding year ahead, the world expected Seattle to be one of the favorites to get the first overall pick. Through 4 games the Seahawks are 2-2 and look to have a somewhat competent offense led by QB Geno Smith. Geno has been extremely efficient, completing 77% of his passes for 1,027 yards, 6 TDs and only 2 picks. Geno should be a Top 15 ranked QB after this past week against the Lions, and while he won’t get the luxury of Detroit’s defense each week, he has a favorable schedule the next several weeks.
Jared Goff, Detroit (51% rostered) – I’ve mentioned Goff a few times this year and it seems important to bring him up again. Only rostered in about half of leagues, Goff has been extremely solid at minimum with a few spike weeks so far. The Lions quietly have the #1 scoring offense in the NFL, and Goff is the engine behind it. We saw Goff go to battle missing his top 2 weapons in Deandre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown but shrugged it off for his best performance of the season. Goff has earned low QB1 status and should be started more often than not.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (14% rostered) – The Steelers’ offense continued its sluggishness against the Jets in a Week 4 loss. They were especially sluggish through the first half of the game while Mitch Trubisky was under center, prompting Mike Tomlin to sub in the first round rookie Kenny Pickett. Although they didn’t win, the offense got somewhat of a spark when Pickett entered, and Tomlin has already committed to Pickett moving forward. I don’t expect Pickett to perform as a Top 5 option, but he can’t be worse than Trubisky, which should benefit the entire Steelers’ offense.
Teddy Bridgewater, Miami (2% rostered) – This is a deeper add more geared towards Superflex or 2QB leagues. In single QB leagues I can’t imagine anyone would trust Bridgewater over other options, but he could be a serviceable second QB in those other leagues. Bridgewater has been in the NFL a while now and you pretty much know what you’re going to get; a low ceiling QB with a decent floor.
RB
Mike Boone, Denver (0% rostered) – The injury bug strikes again this season as Denver confirmed today a torn ACL and LCL for RB Javonta Williams. Melvin Gordon is certainly the main beneficiary, but he is most likely owned in most leagues. Double check the wire to see if Gordon is there, and if so, he is far and away the #1 add this week worth a large chunk of FAAB. If Gordon is gone, we know the Broncos will implement some type of committee at RB, so Mike Boone makes a nice speculative add to throw on the bench. After Williams went down, Boone got 6 opportunities this week and he should see 10-12 opportunities a game going forward, with upside for more if he performs well.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay (38% rostered) – One of the more certain handcuffs in fantasy, White got more run on Sunday night and showcased some of his ability. He played 38% of snaps, his highest of the season, and was given 8 opportunities, including 5 targets, and turned it into 56 yards and a TD. I don’t imagine White will turn into a surefire starter with Fournette around, but if Tampa decides to lighten Fournette’s work a touch, we could see White get into the FLEX mix. White also adds value in case anything were to happen to Fournette and he misses time, White would be an instant starter.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta (32% rostered) – I’ve also mentioned Allgeier a few times this season, and now he will certainly be a top add this week if he’s available. Cordarelle Patterson landed on the IR today and Allgeier has been the direct back up all season thus far. He’s showed decent production in his limited opportunities, and should see a decent boost to his volume for a few weeks with Patterson on the sideline. After Patterson left in Week 4, Allgeier turned 11 opportunities into 104 total yards and should be seen as a FLEX while Patterson sits.
Caleb Huntley, Atlanta (0% rostered) – While the whole league scrambles for Allgeier, you can throw a small bid on Huntley, and there’s even a high chance he’s available for free Wednesday morning. Huntley got into the mix once Patterson went down and got 10 carries, which he turned into 56 yards. The Falcons have been using a quasi-committee this season with Patterson getting the majority, and now I imagine the work might get split more evenly. If that’s the case, Huntley can serve as an emergency FLEX option in deeper leagues.
WR
George Pickens, Pittsburgh (58% rostered) – A popular sleeper target this year in drafts, Pickens had been pretty disappointingup until Week 4. The targets were going up each week, but we finally saw it translate on the field as Pickens totaled 6 catches for 102 yards. The best part is a large portion of his production came with Kenny Pickett at QB, which will be the case going forward. We see this happen all the time, where the back-up QB has a natural connection with the secondary WRs, and Pickens has the talent to capitalize if Pickens favors him.
Josh Reynolds, Detroit (33% rostered) – With St. Brown and Swift out of the lineup, the Lions needed someone else to step up, and Josh Reynolds did in a major way, cashing in 8 targets for 7 catches, 81 yards and a TD. It needs to be noted WR DJ Chark also missed this game which led to extra opportunity for Reynolds. He’s worth grabbing and stashing on the bench in case we see more missed time from St. Brown and/or Chark.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo (3% rostered) – This is a deeper add for larger leagues, and someone who will certainly be available for free Wednesday morning in most leagues. Jamison Crowder has a broken ankle and will miss significant time and Isaiah McKenzie is in concussion protocol. While it’s likely McKenzie returns sooner than later, Shakir would be the primary slot WR for one of the NFL’s best offenses if he misses time, and we already saw the Bills rotate Crowder and McKenzie on the field. Shakir could see a boost in snaps even with McKenzie available, and it’s worth a shot given the offense he plays on.
Corey Davis, New York (29% rostered) – A boring but solid addition for your line-up could be Corey Davis of the Jets. He most likely won’t provide a huge week-winning performance, but he’s had 5 or more targets and 74 or more yards in 3 of 4 games this season. He turned in his best fantasy performance of the season with Zach Wilson back under center, and we’ve seen a rapport between Wilson and Davis last season. If you’re hurting at WR, Davis could at least be a reliable option to get you 8-10 points most games.
TE
Will Dissly, Seattle (5% rostered) – Dissly has shown flashes in Seattle before, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy so far in his career. He’s been on a roll this season and as long as he stays on the field, he’s as good as any other Tight End streaming option to roll the dice on. He’s scored in 3 games so far this season and saw his highest percentage of snaps in Week 4.
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati (30% rostered) – Hurst has been a decent streaming option this season with 7 or more fantasy points in 3 of 4 games. He fits the mold of most waiver wire tight ends in the sense you’re just looking for a few points, but he’s been producing this season even without touchdowns, which is a positive sign. He scored in Week 4, but provided 7 and 9 points the first two weeks where he got 15 targets over those two games. The targets have fallen the last two weeks, but he’s connected to a good offense and is worth a dice roll.
Tyler Conklin, New York (53% rostered) – Conklin benefitted from the Jets’ pass-happy approach the first three weeks, and with Zach Wilson back in Week 4, he received his lowest target total this season. The talent of Conklin turned those 5 targets into 3 catches for 52 yards, a respectable line for a streaming TE. The dip in targets should be expected as Zach Wilson pushes the ball downfield much more than Flacco, but the Jets should be in negative game scripts all season and even 5 targets a game puts Conklin towards the front of the streaming line.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay (40% rostered) - Tonyan’s opportunity has been up and down this season, receiving 5+ targets in 2 games, and just 2 targets in the others. He’s a dicey play at TE and I would prefer the first 3 games over Tonyan, but he’s connected to by far the best QB of the bunch and there isn’t a player like Adams commanding a large share of targets.
DST
Jacksonville Jaguars (8% rostered) – The biggest surprise of the season has to be the emergence of Jacksonville. New HC Doug Pederson has the Jaguars headed in the right direction as they sit at 2-2 coming off a tough loss to the undefeated Eagles. This week the Jags are at home against the Texans who have been a great matchup for DSTs. Houston is near the bottom of the NFL in points scored, and allow almost 3 sacks per game.
Minnesota Vikings (26% rostered) – I expected a better outing in Week 4 against Andy Dalton, but the Vikings were average in London. They’re worth another shot if most DST options are owned as 4.5-point home favorites against the Bears. Chicago only averages 16 points per game, while allowing 4 sacks and almost 2 giveaways per game.
Kansas City Chiefs (95 rostered) – Kansas City has been solid yet unspectacular and could make a decent desperation stream this week. They’re 4.5-point home favorites against the Raiders in a game many would have pegged as a shootout before the season, but Las Vegas has been struggling this season. They got their first win in Week 4, but I expect that to be short lived in Arrowhead this week.
Happy hunting all and as always, stay true.