Waiver Wire Targets Week 5 2017

By Armando Marsal
Armando Marsal We are headed to Week 5 and the first week of byes. The Falcons, Saints, Broncos, and Redskins are all on bye this week. In addition, many key players suffered injuries in Week 4, some of which could miss some time. Therefore, fantasy owners may need to rely on the waiver wire to help them get through this week and the upcoming weeks. With that said, let’s take a look at some waiver wire targets for Week 5.

Quarterback

Deshaun Watson – Texans: Watson has been impressive in the last two games, scoring over 20 fantasy points in each of those contests. With injuries to Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota this week, Watson could fill in a huge void for fantasy owners. He is owned in just 27 percent of ESPN leagues and that should not be the case at this time. The matchup in Week 5 is not the most ideal one, but it is not one too complete avoid either. He has shown the ability to accumulate fantasy points using both his arm and legs, making him a dynamic quarterback that offers nice upside.

Others to consider: Jared Goff - Rams

Running Back

Latavius Murray – Vikings: Dalvin Cook is out for the season and Jerick McKinnon left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, so Latavius Murray could be in for a heavy workload. The only concern with Murray is that he does not consider himself 100 percent recovered from offseason ankle surgery. That being said, he should see high volume in this offense and considering that the bye weeks are starting, along with so many injuries, he can be an instant help to many fantasy owners.

Alvin Kamara– Saints: I have had Kamara under others to consider just about every week, but it is about that time that he becomes a priority to fantasy owners off of waivers. He is averaging seven targets per game and has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, yet is owned in just 21 percent of ESPN leagues. The Saints are on a bye this week, but they do get a couple of favorable matchups when they come out of the bye. Kamara should continue to have a solid role as a pass catcher on this offense, offering a nice floor in PPR formats, as well as decent upside.

Aaron Jones - Packers: Jones stepped in on Thursday night for the injured Ty Montgomery and rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Williams is also dinged up, so Jones could see an increased role this upcoming week. Although Ty Montgomery has not been ruled out for Week 5 and could play according to reports, it is not guaranteed, and even if he does he will likely be less than 100 percent. Jones could be of big help for fantasy owners who lost a running back to injury or have players on bye in Week 5.

Others to consider: D’Onta Foreman – Texans; Wendell Smallwood – Eagles; Alex Collins – Ravens; Jamaal Williams – Packers; Andre Ellington – Cardinals; Eddie Lacy - Seahawks

Wide Receiver

Devin Funchess – Panthers: I wrote him up last week and will do so one more time as he is still just 13 percent owned in ESPN leagues. Funchess has at least six targets in each of the last three games, totaling 25 during that stretch. He also accounts for 19.7 percent of the Panthers red zone targets. Lastly, he is coming off of his best game of the season, catching seven passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns and has some favorable matchups in the upcoming weeks.

Will Fuller V - Texans: Fuller wasted no time to have a big impact for the Texans, scoring two touchdowns in his season debut against the Titans in Week 4. He received six targets, coming down with four of them for 35 yard. We saw his ability to have big games last season as he started off hot, but quickly cooled down. Consistency may be an issue here, but the upside warrants adding him to your rosters. He is just nine percent owned in ESPN leagues at this time.

Tyrell Williams – Chargers: It was only a matter of time before Williams had a big game. He has played in over 90 percent of the Chargers snaps and has been peppered with 24 targets. In addition, he accounts for 16.7 percent of the team’s red zone targets. Opportunity has not been the issue for him this season, it’s been executing and we finally saw him execute. He should continue to have a solidified role on this offense moving forward and can be helpful to fantasy owners during bye weeks and to those dealing with injuries.

Others to consider: Jaron Brown – Cardinals; Geronimo Allison – Packers; Tyler Lockett – Seahawks; Taylor Gabriel – Falcons; Zay Jones - Bills

Tight End

Charles Clay - Bills: Clay continues to be very efficient for Buffalo, scoring double-digit fantasy points in all but one game this season. He has scored two touchdowns, while averaging 4.5 receptions, 56.8 receiving yards, and 13.9 fantasy points per game (PPR formats). Even though that is the case, he is only owned in 51 percent of ESPN leagues. In a position that is so volatile, he should be owned almost everywhere, considering how consistent he has been through the first month of the season.

Others to consider: Evan Engram – Giants; Cameron Brate - Bucs

For any questions, feel free to reach out to me on the Twitter machine @Armando_Marsal. Best of luck to all.