Remember when I told you NOT to drop Justin Fields? You’re welcome!
Here we go again. We saw some massive performances from the likes of Stefon Diggs, AJ Brown, Christian McCaffrey, and two of my flag plant guys heading into the season, Nico Collins and Puka Nacua.
As much fun as all those points are to watch pile up, we also saw some injuries in Week 4. We know they are going to happen, and we just hope they do not happen to our team(s). This week saw Jimmy Garappolo (concussion) and Deshaun Watson (shoulder) sit while also losing Javonte Williams (hip), Tee Higgins (rib), Mike Evans (hamstring), and Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) during the Sunday slate.
If that is not enough, we had a serious scare when Davante Adams was taken to the locker room with what appeared to be a significant shoulder injury. The former Packers and current Raiders WR and captain came back to “nut it out” (his words) and finished with 15 PPR points in the second half after only having one first-half target. In that same LVR/LAC game, we had another frightening moment when Justin Herbert had his non-throwing hand middle finger injured and splinted. This is one we will need to keep an eye on moving forward. The good news for Herbert owners is the Chargers are heading into their Week 5 bye, so there is plenty of time to work this out.
All of that to say this…it is that time again. We need to address some bye week, injury, and under-performance roster concerns to keep your squads competitive.
Week 5 byes: LAC, TB, CLE, SEA
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WAIVERS:
QB: Both Deshaun Watson and Justin Herbert will take the week off. Each needs the week to get healthy and come back to make a difference for your teams. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield will also sit this week. I will make mention of Baker as he is performing at a level requiring us to sit up and take notice. With Baker being off this week, this is a prime opportunity to snatch him up and stash him for the week you need to replace your bye week QB. At only 18% rostered, Baker checks in with 882 passing yards and a very nice 7-2 TD-INT ratio. He is the perfect bye week option, and my recommendation is to prepare for your bye week at least one week ahead of said bye week so you are not chasing free agents with all the clowns in your league. Be early. Be smarter. Be better! Now, for a QB who can help you this week is C.J. Stroud (1,212 yards, 6-0 TD-INT), who is rostered at 47%. The kid is getting it done down three offensive linemen and without a significant running game to help him out. Add him regardless of your bye situation, as he appears to be a viable weekly starter.
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Russell Wilson, DEN: Tied for second in the NFL with 9 TD passes. Russ appears to be cooking again. I do not love the guy but I am coming around to the fact that he is playing much better than he did in 2022 (57% rostered)
Matthew Stafford gutted it out on Sunday (hip) and found rookie sensation Puka Nacua 9 times for 163 yards and a walk-off TD in OT. Stafford looked good throwing the ball, but we need to understand how the hip injury will affect him. He vows to play Sunday, so keep an eye on the situation and understand he is currently rostered in only half of leagues (50%). If you need a little push to consider Stafford, how does this sound…Cooper Kupp might be back in Week 5, Week 6 at the latest (in my humble opinion).
Joshua Dobbs, ARI: He just keeps putting up points, and the Cardinals should be trailing most of the season, meaning Dobbs will continue to throw and scramble for points. (5% rostered)
RB: This position appears to be getting more and more thin each week. Trust me when I say I do not love any of these names, but we need to be realists right now and ensure our roster is full of players who can/will play, especially some that may be on the rise. With the Javonte Williams injury (mentioned above), we need to pay attention to Samaje Perine (52% rostered) in Denver. You will need to burn a little FAAB to acquire Perine while tempering your expectations, as Denver appears to want to throw more than run. Also consider Jaleel McLaughlin, who has stolen a couple of TDs that probably should have gone Williams’ way. McLaughlin is only 3% rostered, so you do not need to waste any FAAB or your waiver priority to acquire his services. Wait until waivers are done and check in on the Williams injury news to determine if you need to dive deep enough for McLaughlin.
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Jaylen Warren, PIT: Your time is running out, so you need to acquire Warren now! Trust me, his role is increasing each week, and he is a better player than Najee Harris for the long term. (55% rostered)
Cam Akers, MIN: We finally had a Cam Akers sighting. Keep an eye on him in case someone is tired of his lack of production or if he is dropped to add a bye week fill-in at QB, TE, or DST. At 80% rostered, he will undoubtedly be first on a lot of release lists for filler players.
WR: Michael Wilson, ARI, reeled in his first TD of the season and is certainly trending north for a Cardinals team appearing more competitive than most thought heading into the season. Sure, they got blown out by the 49ers, but let’s be honest here. We are playing fake football, and this ‘sport’ does not require a team to win for its players to be successful on our teams. So, while Marquise Brown collects the top DB, we can add Wilson for pennies on the dollar and use him during the bye weeks and maybe even sneak him into a FLEX spot at times. Shout Out to one of my readers “Shadow” for the Wilson recommendation!
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Tyler Boyd, CIN: Tee Higgins will miss time. In fact, with a fractured rib, my non-expert medical opinion has Higgins missing the next two games, followed by the bye week. That means we should consider Boyd for at least two games. (37% rostered)
Romeo Doubs, GB: If last Thursday against the Lions was not enough, then it is possible Doubs’ production will never be enough for you. I am admittingly a Packers homer, so take all of my comments about the Packers with a grain of salt. Jordan Love looks solid, and with Christian Watson back, Doubs should continue to gain more traction. (54% rostered)
Josh Downs, IND: Downs passed the eye test for me. Fantasy owners will need to be careful about starting Downs with the amount of running Anthony Richardson is doing. Do not pay FAAB for Downs. Look to grab him as a potential bye week filler for free after waivers. (11% rostered)
TE: The position is still a mess right now and will continue to be this way for the remainder of the season. I am looking at two TE names to stop the bleeding in my home league since I punted TE, and my streaming options have been much more like steaming options (insert poop emoji here). Zach Ertz checks in with 20 receptions and is only 26% rostered, and Cole Kmet just had his 2023 coming out party game with 2 TDs and is rostered at 53%. Both are adds for any owner currently streaming the position. I will focus 5% FAAB on Kmet with 1-2% on Ertz as the backup plan.
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-Mitch-
