Fantasy Football Week 5: Waiver Wire
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sorry about the Kirk Cousins advice, like most people I got caught up in his 427 yard debut as a starter this year. For the most part the rest of my waiver recommendations were spot on but for some reason most of them are still owned in less then 50% or Yahoo leagues. I guess not that many people are taking my advice! Only Ahmad Bradshaw, Larry Donnell (your welcome!) and Travis Kelce have graduated from the under 50% group, so there will be plenty of repeat waiver suggestions this week.
Besides Kirk Cousins, the only other pick I’ve changed my mind on is Khiry Robinson which I’ll touch on in detail in the Ogletree section. I don’t regret any of my Ogletree picks from last week; Hakeem Nicks is still and always will be a bum, Isaiah Crowell has a world of talent but he’s the 3rd back in Cleveland right now and Blake Bortles is stuck behind the worst offensive line in football.
Like I mentioned above there are plenty of familiar faces on the list this week but also a few new additions worthy of your attention and waiver dollars. I’ll list my recommendations below by priority and a few warnings on players to stay away from.
Every week on Tuesday, I will be posting my top waiver pick ups for the week. Only players owned in under 50% of Yahoo leagues will qualify. There are all sorts of leagues out there with different levels of competition and varying player pool depths, so I will have a few picks with under 50% ownership, a few under 30%, 15%, and at least one super sleeper under 5%. I’ll also be listing a few players that may be popular waiver adds that I think you should pass on (the Kevin Ogletrees) and I’ll give you my reasons why of course. If there are any players you have a specific question about feel free to hit me up in the comments or on Twitter
Week 4 Waiver Picks
Lorenzo Taliaferro, Ravens (38%) – Taliaferro is a much better inside runner than Forsett and has averaged 4.5 yards per carry so far in an impressive rookie debut. If he keeps running well, there is a chance Taliferro takes over as the primary back in Baltimore, they did spend a 4th round pick on him, and if he gets around 20 touches per game he is a legit RB2. He’s definitely worth a spot on your roster.
Justin Forsett, Ravens (42%) – With Pierce a healthy scratch last week, it looks like the Ravens might be moving forward with a Forsett / Taliaferro combo. Forsett is clearly the better receiver / blocker which means he will get a significant amount of touches even if Taliaferro is the more talented runner. Neither back is an ideal start, but they both are good enough to man your flex spot in a bye week or injury pinch.
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Jerick McKinnon, Vikings (15%) – Finally. I’ve been calling for the Vikings to give McKinnon a chance since AP got suspended because he is a more dynamic runner then Asiata. His pass pro needs to improve, but we saw a glimpse of what McKinnon can do this week (18, 135 yards including a 55 yarder) and his touches should increase moving forward. I think McKinnon will be a mainstay in my lineups by week 9.
Andre Hawkins, Browns (39%) – What does Baby Hawk have to do to get some roster love? I feel like I say that every week ( I do). Hawkins is the Browns best receiver until Josh Gordon comes back in week 12 or so. He’s been getting 10+ targets every week and is a solid flex start in PPR leagues.
Jordan Matthews, Eagles (35%) – Was targeted 7 times which is encouraging, but only managed to haul in 4 catches for 28 yards. Rookie WRs are usually inconsistent, so there will be some down weeks, but I think he’ll be a double-digit fantasy asset more often than not in the 2nd half of PPR leagues. Stash Matthews on your bench for now.
Allen Robinson, Jags (18%) – He wasn’t as impressive in his second week as a starter, but I still think Robinson is going to become Blake Bortles go-to possession receiver. He only had 5 for 38 last week, but had 7 targets and I think A-Rob will be a solid flex option by week 8.