Fantasy football is a full-time job. The best owners look to fine-tune their rosters every day, but waiver day is the most important. Those of you in deeper leagues looking for an edge should consider the following players, who are available in more than 80 percent of Yahoo leagues. Without further ado, here are the top five waiver wire pickups for Week 5, with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:
- Mike Davis, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Davis is coming off a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance and has earned a spot in Seattle’s rotation, according to Pete Carroll. But he makes the bottom of the list due to the lack of stability in the Seattle backfield. Will Chris Carson get the starting job back this week? Will Rashaad Penny start to get extra work? Can anyone start any of them with confidence against the Rams this week? Davis is worth adding just in case, but he isn’t worth using in Week 5 as much as the other players on this list.
Related: NFL Betting Guide
- Paul Richardson, WR, Washington Redskins
Richardson increased his fantasy point total in each of his three games before the bye. Now he gets the Saints, who are one of the best wide receiver matchups in the league. They’ve given up an astonishing 10 touchdowns to wideouts in their first four games. As Washington’s best deep threat, Richardson could feast on this secondary much like DeSean Jackson did in Week 1. If you’re an underdog looking for upside, Richardson would make a great FLEX this week.
- Keke Coutee, WR, Houston Texans
It’s tough to ignore a debut as impressive as Coutee’s. The rookie turned a whopping 15 targets into 11 receptions and 109 yards. He has long-term upside as Deshaun Watson’s safety valve and could become Houston’s second receiver if Will Fuller adds to his lengthy injury history. The Texans draw the Cowboys this week and, as Houston’s slot receiver, Coutee is primed for a big game after Dallas gave up 132 yards and two touchdowns to Golden Tate on Sunday.
- Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have the 29th-ranked rushing offense and have just one touchdown on the ground. But Hines proved he could be effective in the passing game, catching two touchdown passes against the Texans. They were impressive touchdowns, too. The first was an acrobatic catch behind coverage from Tyrann Mathieu. The second was a nine-yard angle route that sent the game into overtime, despite a big hit from Mathieu. There aren’t many decent running backs to be had and Hines is making a case as Indy’s go-to-guy for the rest of the year.
Related: NFL Opening Odds
- Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Westbrook leads the Jaguars in receptions, targets and yards — yet he is owned in just 18 percent of Yahoo leagues while fellow Jacksonville receiver Keelan Cole is owned in 65 percent. Westbrook is a playmaker after the catch who could become an every-week start now that bye weeks have arrived. Even better, Westbrook gets the atrocious Chiefs defense this week. Only the Buccaneers are giving up more passing yards per game than Kansas City.
Honorable Mentions
Malcolm Brown, RB, Los Angeles Rams & Rod Smith, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Imagine being one of the Leonard Fournette owners who didn’t add T.J. Yeldon. Yes, handcuffing has gone out of style in recent years, but it’s a strategy to consider if you have a roster spot to burn. Either of these guys would top the waiver add list if anything happened to Todd Gurley or Ezekiel Elliott, respectively. It wouldn’t hurt to get ahead of the curve.
CJ Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Tyler Eifert’s season-ending injury is CJ Uzomah’s gain. Uzomah doesn’t project as a superstar, but those in deep leagues who need to replace a tight end who’s injured (Eifert, Rob Gronkowski), on bye (Trey Burton, Cameron Brate) or both (O.J. Howard) ought to view Uzomah as a respectable fill-in.
