Read Nate Hamilton’s Week 5 Waiver Wire picks for fantasy football.
Week 5 Waiver Wire for Fantasy Football
DomiNate the Waiver Wire for Week 5
The beauty of fantasy football is that every week, players will come and go on our rosters. It’s a revolving door. There will always be options available for you to add to your team, even if it’s just for one week.
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Week 4 left us with some more talent from the player pool to consider tossing in our Week 5 lineups and beyond.
I will include a dollar range of your free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) you should bid for each player.
(Note: Roster % is as listed for Yahoo! Fantasy leagues. FAAB bid range is based on a $100 budget.)
Week 5 Waiver Wire for Fantasy Football
D’Ernest Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns (3% rostered)
Nick Chubb was injured in the first quarter of Sunday’s game vs. the Cowboys. It appears to be an MCL injury, and the Browns are placing Chubb on injured reserve. He will miss as many as six weeks.
D’Ernest Johnson took full advantage of his touches, rushing for 95 yards on 13 carries — an impressive 7.3 yards per carry. With Chubb out for a significant time, Johnson will share carries and playing time with Kareem Hunt.
- D’Ernest Johnson FAAB bid range: $20- $25
Scotty Miller, WR, Tampa Bay Buccanneers (16%)
Scotty Miller has been one of Tom Brady‘s favorite targets, regardless of who else is on the field to catch passes. Miller now has 5 or more targets and 70+ receiving yards in 3 of 4 games this season. He’s combined for 166 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks, and there is no reason for his production to decrease.
With Chris Godwin expected to miss Week 5, it’s a good time to grab Miller off waivers and insert him in your Week 5 lineups.
- Scotty Miller FAAB bid range: $10-$15
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (2%)
Tim Patrick is coming off back-to-back productive weeks from a fantasy standpoint. In Week 3, Patrick caught all 4 of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown. Last week, Patrick had his best game of 2020, catching 6 of his 7 targets (both season-highs) for 113 yards (another season-high) and a touchdown.
Broncos tight end Noah Fant will miss Week 5 with an ankle injury, and KJ Hamler could also miss some time. Patrick has earned more target share in this offense.
- Tim Patrick FAAB bid range: $5-$8
Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (5% rostered)
Austin Ekeler is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
Joshua Kelley saw the majority of touches when Ekeler was removed from the game but didn’t do much with it, totaling 33 yards on 12 touches (7 rush yards on 9 carries, 3 receptions for 26 yards).
Justin Jackson will see more opportunities while Ekeler is sidelined.
- Justin Jackson FAAB bid range: $3-$6
Greg Olsen, TE, Seattle Seahawks (22%)
If you are hurting at the tight end position, you may want to throw a bid at Greg Olsen. He’s caught 10 balls on 13 targets in the past two weeks.
I know there are other options in the Seahawks offense you’d prefer to have, but they are unlikely on the waiver wire. Now that Russell Wilson has finally been unleashed, he’s throwing the ball at considerably higher rate than he was in 2019.
Olsen is seeing a healthy target share and has touchdown potential in this potent air attack.
- Greg Olsen FAAB bid range: $3-$6
Jeff Smith, WR, New York Jets (0%)
Jeff Smith had a great 2020 debut last week, catching 7 of his 9 targets for 81 yards. This isn’t a name most are familiar with, but any time a player earns 9 targets, your ears should perk up.
Smith finds himself in an offense that has been littered with injuries and is expected to throw a ton. I wouldn’t break the bank on Smith, but he’s worth consideration while you can get him on the cheap.
- Jeff Smith FAAB bid range: $2-$4
David Moore, WR, Seattle Seahawks (1% rostered)
As I said in regards to Greg Olsen, “I know there are other options in the Seahawks offense you’d prefer to have, but they are unlikely on the waiver wire." The same is to be applied to David Moore.
Moore has been a reliable target for Wilson, catching all but one of his targets on the season. Moore already has two games with a touchdown in 2020. He’s a great depth piece to roster and throw in as a flex option if needed. He also becomes an every-week starter should Lockett or Metcalf miss any time.
- David Moore FAAB bid range: $2-$4
