Fantasy Football Week 5 Waiver Wire: Best Pickups At Each Position
The NFL has been all over the place through the first quarter of the 2018 season, which has made things awfully difficult for fantasy football owners.
We’ve seen historically dominant stars play well beneath their expectations, relative unknowns make impacts out of nowhere and everything in between. So, while you might not be crazy about your lineup at present, there’s plenty of time to shape things up.
Waiver wires still are rich with talent, which should allow you to fill any gap in your roster, regardless of position. With that in mind, here are the best waiver wire pickups heading into Week 5.
Quarterback: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (62 percent owned)
When the Bengals are firing on all cylinders, their offense can be downright frightening. That was the case Sunday when Dalton threw for 337 yards with three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s impressive 37-35 road win over the Atlanta Falcons. The veteran QB has thrown for multiple scores in every game thus far, and that trend is in line to continue in Week 5 when the Bengals host a Miami Dolphins team that was absolutely thrashed by the New England Patriots in Week 4. Dalton is worth adding for the long haul, too, as Cincinnati’s schedule features several opponents with porous defenses.
Other quarterbacks to target: Mitchell Trubisky (CHI), Derek Carr (OAK)
Running Back: Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears (62 percent owned)
There aren’t many players in the league more dangerous with the ball in their hands than Cohen. The speedster arguably had his best game as a professional Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hauling in seven catches for 121 yards with a touchdown to go along with 13 carries for 53 yards. Cohen isn’t exactly a touchdown machine, but his versatility allows him to be a lethal dual threat out of the backfield. Don’t let Jordan Howard’s presence scare you away from picking up the 23-year-old.
Other running backs to pursue: Nyheim Hines (IND), Nick Chubb (CLE), Austin Ekeler (LAC)
Wide Receiver: Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers (47 percent owned)
There’s no denying Davante Adams and Randall Cobb are Aaron Rodgers’ favorite two targets, but don’t sleep on Allison. The third-year receiver has been a pleasant surprise this seasonr, catching at least five passes in three of Green Bay’s first four games. At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Allison is a more-than-serviceable deep threat. With opposing defenders often focused on Rodgers’ other weapons, Allison should see a fair amount of targets on a week-to-week basis.
Other wide receivers to target: Dede Westbrook (JAX), John Ross (CIN), Quincy Enunwa (NYJ)
Tight End: Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccanneers (23 percent owned)
We’ll be honest with you: It’s very, very tough to find consistent fantasy points from tight ends. Outside of Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski, there really aren’t many fantasy beasts at the position. That said, Brate is among the best who likely are available in your league. The Bucs veteran has been solid of late, catching three passes with a touchdown in each of the last two games. Brate always has been a favorite target for Jameis Winston, who likely will be looking the tight end’s way plenty if he takes over the starting signal-caller duties in Week 5.
Other tight ends to pursue: Geoff Swaim (DAL), Josh Hill (NO)
