NFL Waiver Wire: Week 5 Pickups

As the calendar turns to Week 5, there still hasn't been a big injury or emergence of a player worth throwing half to all of your budget on, though that week is likely coming. Players who were hurt and returned had a mix bag of results. Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette were busts for different reasons while Alshon Jeffery showed he's back and ready to be deployed every week. Typically, it's best to see a "show me" game with these players, of course it depends on the roster construction when considering using them.
If there are questions about the players mentioned or in general, feel free to hit up the comments section.

This week's byes: Chicago, Tampa Bay

This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based on both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. 

QUARTERBACK

Primary Targets

Alex Smith, WAS - Look, he's 55 percent owned in Yahoo leagues, so he usually doesn't qualify in this space. However, the Saints have given up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season even after Eli Manning struggled at home Sunday. Smith has had an extra week to prepare and one of his top receivers, Jordan Reed, has somehow stayed healthy. This game should be a shootout on Monday Night Football, and this recommendation is based on streaming him and using him week-to-week based on matchups. FAAB: $4-$8

RUNNING BACK

Primary Targets

T.J. Yeldon, JAC - Just when it seemed like Leonard Fournette was going to return and finally produce like the late first/early second-round pick everyone drafted him for, he re-injured his hamstring after 11 touches, paving the way for Yeldon's big game Sunday. Yeldon finished with 100 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, but it's also worth noting he fumbled once. He should handle the bulk of the workload in the Jaguars' backfield until Fournette returns (probably a multi-week injury), including the goal-line work. Yeldon's ownership is right at 50 percent in Yahoo leagues, meaning his availability is a coin flip. Corey Grant ($1-$2) is also under consideration especially if Yeldon keeps putting the ball on the ground. FAAB: $15-$25

Mike Davis, SEA - It's been impossible to handicap the touches in the Seattle backfield, and Week 4 was no different. Chris Carson was a bit of a surprise inactive (hip) Sunday, which suggested Rashaad Penny would get the bulk of the workload. However, it was Davis who got most of the work, finishing with 25 touches for 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals. Penny was relegated to backup duty once again, finishing with nine carries for 49 yards. Carson is expected to play this week, but it will be tough to read the tea leaves as to how the workload will be divided. Pete Carroll, who said Carson will start but that Davis will play, has been anything but predictable with his backfield. FAAB: $4-$8

Secondary Targets

Nick Chubb, CLE - Last week Malcolm Brown, Chase Edmonds and Ronald Jones II were mentioned as good lottery tickets to have on a bench. Chubb now gets his name thrown in there too, especially after his two ridiculous touchdown runs Sunday. He finished with an efficient three carries for 105 yards and two scores, showing the fantasy potential he'd have if Carlos Hyde goes down. There's probably an argument that Chubb is a more talented running back than Hyde, but the Browns aren't about to turn away from the more experienced player. FAAB: $2-$4

Alfred Blue, TEX - Blue falls into the same category as Chubb in that he's a capable backup but probably doesn't have quite the same upside. Blue took over as the primary running back in the fourth quarter and overtime Sunday from Lamar Miller, who had an undisclosed injury. Bill O'Brien said he doesn't think "the injury" is too severe, meaning Miller likely won't miss time. However, it's worth noting he's had 24 carries for 59 yards (2.5 yards per carry) over his last two games, so the absence of Miller could be due to a lack of production. Watch for updates on both this week. FAAB: $2-$4

Hail Mary

Robert Turbin, IND - With more high profile players like Julian Edelman and Mark Ingram returning off their suspensions, Turbin's return might be a little under the radar. Marlon Mack has been banged up and Jordan Wilkins has done little (3.6 yards per carry) when given the opportunity. While Turbin lacks upside and won't walk into a three-down role for the Colts, he could carve out a role as the team's goal-line back at a minimum. He had that role only two seasons ago when he had seven rushing touchdowns for the Colts (only 47 carries). FAAB: $1 or FCFS

WIDE RECEIVER

Primary Targets

Keke Coutee, HOU - Coutee made an immediate impact in his first professional start with 11 catches for 109 yards. His numbers were padded in a game that lacked defense and went into overtime, allowing him to pad his numbers. The biggest stat that stood out was Coutee's 15 targets, easily leading the team over Deandre Hopkins (12) or Will Fuller (5). He will continue to see soft coverage as the third receiving option behind Hopkins and Fuller, and it's obvious there's a good rapport between him and Deshaun Watson. Bump him up a couple of bucks in full-point PPR formats. FAAB: $4-$8

Ryan Grant, Chester Rogers, IND - Both players were discussed here during preseason as to who would be the No. 2 option to T.Y. Hilton. With the short week it sounds as if Hilton has a decent chance of missing Thursday's showdown with the Patriots, putting both Rogers and Grant in line for more targets. Grant has been the more valuable fantasy commodity this season (22 targets, 33.8 fantasy points), while Rogers isn't far behind when it comes to chances (21 targets, 23.4 fantasy points). The Patriots have given up the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers; both are in play if Hilton is out this week. FAAB: Grant $4-$8; Rogers $3-$6

Secondary Targets

Taylor Gabriel, CHI - Gabriel earns a mention after his big game Sunday in which he caught seven passes for 107 yards and scored twice. However, there are a few reasons to pump the brakes on Gabriel. First, the Bears have a bye this week. Outside of Sunday's game his next best game was Week 2 when he had seven touches for 47 yards, which means he's not a reliable weekly starter, especially considering his big week was against a bad Tampa Bay defense playing on the road in a short week. On the bright side, this is a creative offense under coach Matt Nagy, and it looks like the Bears are making an effort to get the ball in his hands. FAAB: $2-$4

Hail Mary

Zach Pascal, IND - Pascal wasn't on anyone's fantasy radar entering the season even in deeper formats. A second-year player out of Old Dominion, Pascal was signed off waivers back in June. He played a big role Sunday as the fourth wide receiver, finishing with 10 targets that he turned into six catches for 56 yards and his first professional touchdown. Pascal would be elevated to the third wide receiver spot if Hilton is out, and appears to have some chemistry with Andrew Luck. FAAB: $1 or FCFS

Kendrick Bourne, SF - Marquise Goodwin is banged up again and with Dante Pettis already ruled out for Week 5, Bourne will once again have fairly decent role in the passing game. He had four targets Week 4, turning those into three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown and will at easily fill the No. 3 wide receiver spot this week. This is a situation where C.J. Beathard likely has a good rapport with Bourne working together as backups during practice. There may be an uptick in targets for him this week with Patrick Peterson likely shadowing one of the other wide receivers. FAAB: $1 or FCFS

TIGHT END

Primary Targets

Tyler Kroft, CIN - Tyler Eifert, who broke his ankle on a gruesome looking play, has another season-ending injury. Kroft filled in nicely for Eifert last season when he was injured, finishing with 42-404-7. The Bengals have played in a lot of high-scoring games, and Andy Dalton has shown a tendency to target his tight ends when getting in the red zone. FAAB: $4-$8

Cameron Brate, TB - Brate finds himself atop the tight end depth chart for the Bucs after O.J. Howard sprained his MCL. The timetable for his return is 2-4 weeks, meaning Brate should get all of the tight end targets while Howard is out. Brate has touchdowns in his last two games and Howard leaves behind more than four targets per game, including Sunday against Chicago when he left early. FAAB: $4-$8

Vance McDonald, PIT - McDonald has his second straight decent game Sunday night, finishing with five catches for 62 yards, though he fumbled. He's the better option than teammate Jesse James and now has exactly five targets in each of his last three games. The Steelers have had much more success with their passing game, and a porous defense should keep them in high-scoring games. FAAB: $3-$6

Secondary Targets

Jeff Heuerman, DEN - The starting tight end job is Heuerman's after Jake Butt was placed on IR. He had a nice game Monday night with four catches (seven targets) for 57 yards and has the monopoly of targets now that Butt is out. Butt had 13 targets through the first three games while Heuerman had eight, meaning the seven targets Heuerman had Monday night (think more like five to seven) should be consistent week-to-week. FAAB: $2-$4

Hail Mary

Hayden Hurst, BAL - This is a tough spot to predict for Hurst as the Ravens have a plethora of players at the position who have already seen meaningful snaps (Nick Boyle, Mark Andrews and Maxx Williams). It's unlikely Hurst immediately steps in and gets the lion's share of targets, but he was a first-round pick this year (25th overall). Hurst has the best pedigree of the group and is worth picking up now for the upside in the coming weeks, especially with all the injuries at the position. FAAB: $1-$2

Nick Vannett, SEA - The season-ending injury to Will Dissly cements Vannett's place as the top tight end in Seattle, though it's debatable how much fantasy value he'll have. The Seahawks just got Doug Baldwin back and it would make sense to project the wide receivers seeing an extremely high percentage of targets. Still, in two-tight end leagues Vannett will have value and Dissly won't be around to vulture targets. FAAB: $1 or FCFS

DEFENSE

Tennessee Titans - This week, the Titans get the Bills, who outside of the Minnesota game, have been anemic on offense. In only three starts this season Josh Allen has four interceptions, four fumbles (one lost) and has been sacked 12 times. The only hesitation is the Bills are playing at home where they played the Chargers tough for the second half of that game. FAAB: $2-$4