Pigskin Papers: 2023 Waiver Wire Week 5
C.J. Stroud Has Arrived
(Published October 2, 2023)
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Welcome to the Waiver Wire, Week 5! The season is just about at the quarter pole in most leagues. Whether you’re off to a great start or a slow one, you need to keep working the Waiver Wire. Unfortunately, the free agent pool isn’t all that rich this week. However, this is the first week where teams have Byes, which along with injuries creates a need for fantasy managers. We’re probably at the point where some of you are growing pretty damn tired of running Joe Burrow, Daniel Jones, Dallas Goedert, Darren Waller, and Kyle Pitts (among others) out there every week, and getting no points in the process. You know how this works - the second you bench them, they’ll go off. Like, without fail. With that said, there are definitely some attractive QB and TE options to consider if you’re in need.
*****WEEK 5 BYES: BROWNS, CHARGERS, SEAHAWKS, BUCS*****
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short and long term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I endeavor to find streamers who might help you in a pinch. Note that this advice is primarily intended for Season-Long leagues, and NOT Dynasty leagues.
Some of the players I’ll talk about won’t be available in your league. As a general rule, I list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10 team league with 6 bench spots will have a much larger free agent pool than a 14 team league with 8 bench spots. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.”
Guess What? Josh Dobbs is Putting up Fantasy Points
Week 5 Waiver Wire:
QB: If your second QB in a Superflex is Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young, or Desmond Ridder, you should be looking for an upgrade. Or you might be looking for someone to start until the Bengals or Giants start scoring more than 10 points per game. Here are some options to consider:
C.J. Stroud and Brock Purdy have been listed in this column multiple times already, and at this point they should be rostered in all Superflex leagues and in more than 50% of 1-QB leagues. If either one is available in your league and you don’t have a clear Top-10 option who’s performing up to your satisfaction, I don’t know what more you need to see. Stroud’s first 4 pro starts have been as good as just about any QB in the last 5 decades. He has it, and the Texans are much better this season. And Purdy just keeps churning out solid performances, and wins. Neither one is likely to finish the season as a Top-10 QB, but they should both be borderline Top 15, and can give you some Top-10 weeks along the way. There is plenty of value in having that on your roster.
Josh Dobbs. I’m listing him for 4 principal reasons: (1) The Cardinals are feisty, and aren’t the dumpster fire that was predicted; (2) Dobbs has been running a decent amount, which helps his floor; (3) Dobbs has averaged 22 fantasy points per game (FPPG) over the last 3 weeks and that includes games against both DAL and SF; and (4) Kyler Murray apparently isn’t anywhere close to returning. Like Stroud and Purdy, Dobbs can help you out right away if you’re in need at QB. Fun fact - the only QBs who’ve started all 4 games and haven’t thrown a pick are the 3 guys I just recommended.
Taylor Heinicke and Bailey Zappe are 2 longer-term stashes to weigh, if you’ve got the bench space and especially if you’re in a Superflex where just about every starting QB is rostered. Both could get a chance to start sometime soon, and both have shown some spark as spot-starters in the past.
RB: For the first time this year, there are no high priority RB adds this week, but still, there are some names to consider.
Jaleel McLaughlin is the hot RB name this week, with Javonte Williams leaving the Broncos’ Week 4 game with a hip flexor and McLaughlin getting base more work than Samaje Perine in his absence. This one is hard to handicap. It sounds like Williams may not miss much time (if he even misses any) and with the Broncos having an awful start to their season, it’s hard to know what Sean Payton will do with the RB usage going forward. Williams hasn’t exactly set the building on fire so far in his return from a serious knee injury (he’s averaging less than 4 YPC), and McLaughlin looked very good this past weekend (albeit against the Bears). Given how valuable RBs can be, he’s definitely worth a speculative add if you’ve got the space. I wouldn’t use too much FAAB on him - maybe 20% tops. You can also consider picking up Perine, but he has less appeal.
A few depth adds to consider, if you’ve got the space: Tank Bigsby, Devin Singletary, Melvin Gordon, and Chuba Hubbard. None of these players are going to be league-winners, but to varying degrees they could have value down the road.
WR: As always, there are players to consider claiming at the deepest position in fantasy. If any of Josh Palmer, Romeo Doubs, or Tank Dell is somehow still available in your league, they’re the top adds at the position. But I’m assuming they’ve been gobbled up. Others to consider:
Braxton Berrios is a player I’d think about adding not just for depth, but also as a potential flex play. There are some stars in the Miami offense, but that doesn’t mean that a useful and versatile player like Berrios can’t have value. We started to see that this week, including a TD catch. He had a nice run of productive games with the Jets in 2021, and the creative Miami scheme is a good one for him to get some looks in the 3rd WR role. If your league awards points for return yardage, he has even more appeal.
I’ve said it for a few weeks - pick up Adam Thielen. He’s going to continue to be the target leader on a bad team that’s often trailing, and while he’s 33 years old, he still can get open and make plays in the red zone. He’s flex-worthy and especially in deeper leagues.
Cardinals rookie Michael Wilson had a breakout 2-TD game in Week 4, and it’s hard to know if it was a fluke. The Arizona offense is better than expected (see what I wrote about Josh Dobbs, above), and they figure to be trailing a lot. Whether he carves out a meaningful role that you can count on is an open question. He’ll be a popular pickup this week, but I wouldn't spend too much to try to get him.
Jameson Williams is probably rostered in most leagues. His suspension was shortened by 2 weeks and he can suit up this week. I’m not sure what to expect here, but you can definitely add him, and then wait to see what happens.
Injuries to Tee Higgins and Mike Evans could lead to increased opportunities for Tyler Boyd and Trey Palmer, respectively, but I’m not overly excited about either one. Of the 2, I’d favor Boyd.
Curtis Samuel is inconsistent, but he does get opportunities including in the run game, and is a fine add for WR depth.
Can Cole Kmet Repeat the Success of 2022?
TE: TE continues to be a very thin position, made even thinner by the injury this past Sunday to Pat Freiermuth. Here are some players to target if you’re looking for help.
Cole Kmet. He’s rostered in a little over 50% of leagues, but the first 3 games were so bad, he got dropped in some places. He then went off this week (7-85-2), and fantasy managers are reminded of what happened last year: The Bears’ offense got off to an atrocious start, then heated up, and Kmet got hot with it, scoring 7 TDs over the final 10 games of the campaign. He has talent, and is worth grabbing for the upside at a bad position, if you can get him.
The disappointment of the Kyle Pitts experience is profound (I can see the Pitts managers out there, nodding somberly - I was one of you last season and learned my lesson the hard way). What makes it even worse is that there is a TE on the Falcons who is making some noise, but it isn’t Pitts. I’m leery of recommending Jonnu Smith, given the presence of Pitts, and the fact that the Falcons don’t throw much, and aren’t particularly effective when they do. Smith led the Falcons in targets, catches and yards this past week. Ay Caramba.
A fee upside TEs I’d consider over Smith, for depth and/or streaming: Jake Ferguson (who I’ve recommended several times), Cade Otton, and Gerald Everett.
PK Streamers, Week 5: Joey Slye (vs. CHI), R. Patterson (vs. CAR), M. Prater (vs. CIN)
D/ST Streamers, Week 5: DET (vs. CAR), ARI (vs. CIN)
Good luck with your waiver wire claims.
DH
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