There are some people who think this might be a bad week for the Fantasy football waiver wire. I couldn't disagree more. I'm excited about the players we can add this week, with several short-term and long-term option, you should be able to find help for your roster with the bye weeks officially starting in Week 5.
Green Bay and Detroit are off this week, but we also have to replace a few stars due to injury. The biggest losses are running backs Nick Chubb and Austin Ekeler. Chubb was placed on injured reserve after hurting his knee in Week 4, and he's expected to miss up to six weeks, while Ekeler hurt his hamstring and could also miss 4-6 weeks.
In Chubb's place, Kareem Hunt gets a huge boost in value, but we'll also talk about D'Ernest Johnson below. He could be great playing in tandem with Hunt in the best rushing offense in the NFL.
The Chargers will replace Ekeler with a combination of Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson. Kelley is already rostered in most leagues, but Jackson could be the better running back in Los Angeles until Ekeler is back. Read below for more on Jackson and the Chargers.
Two other running backs worth adding in all leagues are Damien Harris and Chase Edmonds. Harris made his 2020 debut Monday night at Kansas City after being out with a hand injury and was great after Sony Michel (quad) was placed on injured reserve. And Edmonds could be on the verge of a bigger role in Arizona with Kenyan Drake struggling.
There are a handful of quality receivers to target, including Tee Higgins, Scott Miller, Laviska Shenault and Alshon Jeffery. We'll talk about those guys and more below.
We also have some interesting quarterbacks to stream this week (Teddy Bridgewater and Kirk Cousins), as well as must-add tight ends in Dalton Schultz and Robert Tonyan. And of course we'll give you DST and kicker options to use in Week 5.
There might not be a name jumping off the marquee to add this week and break the bank with your FAB budget. But there are players who could impact your roster in a positive way, and you should plan to add them where available in your league.
More Week 5 Fantasy Prep: QB Preview | RB Preview | Trade Values | Cut List | Biggest Questions
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Week 5 Waivers
WAIVER WIRE
Quarterbacks
- Injuries of note: Cam Newton (illness), Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle), Drew Lock (shoulder), Tyrod Taylor (chest) and Sam Darnold (shoulder)
- On a bye: Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford
- Priority list: Teddy Bridgewater (38% rostered), Ryan Fitzpatrick (58%), Kirk Cousins (44%), Justin Herbert (35%), Daniel Jones (46%), Jimmy Garoppolo (42%) and Derek Carr (37%)
- Check to see if available: Gardner Minshew (78%) and Ryan Tannehill (73%). For Week 5, I would take Minshew as the No. 1 quarterback if he's out there, and Tannehill would be after Bridgewater and Cousins.
Quarterback
Week 5 Priority List
Bridgewater is coming off his best game of the season in Week 4 against Arizona with 30 Fantasy points, and that works out well with a matchup in Week 5 against the Falcons. Atlanta has allowed four touchdowns to quarterbacks in every game this season against Seattle, Dallas, Chicago and Green Bay. Bridgewater is worth up to 5% of your remaining FAB budget.
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Fitzpatrick didn't have a great game against the Seahawks in Week 4 with 315 passing yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, along with 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. But he did score at least 20 Fantasy points for the third game in a row. And in two of those he attempted at least 45 passes. The matchup in Week 5 at San Francisco isn't great, and the threat of Tua Tagovailoa replacing Fitzpatrick is looming. Still, I'd use Fitzpatrick as a low-end starter in all leagues this week. He's worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Cousins is always risky given his low volume of passes (27 attempts is his high this year). But his matchup at Seattle is tantalizing since the Seahawks have allowed every quarterback to pass for at least 315 yards this season. Only Fitzpatrick in Week 4 failed to score multiple touchdowns against Seattle, but Cousins has low-end starting appeal this week in deeper leagues. He's worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Herbert could lose his job once Taylor is healthy, but that would be a mistake for the Chargers given how well Herbert has played as the starter. He has at least 290 passing yards in all three games with Taylor out, and he's scored at least 23 Fantasy points in two of them. He could stay hot in Week 5 at New Orleans since the Saints are beat up defensively, but keep an eye on Taylor's status. As such, Herbert is worth just 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Jones has been awful for most of this season, and he has no touchdowns and three interceptions in his last three games. But the reason to consider using Jones in deeper leagues this week is his matchup against the Cowboys, who have allowed 12 passing touchdowns and no interceptions in their past three games. Jones is due for a breakout outing, and it could happen this week. He's worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Garoppolo will hopefully return in Week 5 after being out for the past two games with an ankle injury, and he could be a low-end starter in deeper leagues. Prior to getting hurt in Week 2 at the Jets, Garoppolo had already passed for two touchdowns in each of his first two games. The 49ers receiving corps is finally at full strength with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel back, and Garoppolo could be a sneaky Fantasy quarterback once he's back on the field. He's worth 1% of your FAB.
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Carr has been a decent Fantasy quarterback of late with at least 24 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, and he has seven passing touchdowns and no interceptions over that span. And he's doing this with Henry Ruggs (hamstring) and Bryan Edwards (ankle) banged up. He doesn't have an easy matchup at Kansas City in Week 5 and then a bye in Week 6, but he could be useful in deeper leagues. Carr is worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- Injuries of note: Austin Ekeler (hamstring), Nick Chubb (knee), Christian McCaffrey (ankle), Raheem Mostert (knee), Leonard Fournette (ankle), Cam Akers (rib), Le'Veon Bell (hamstring), Phillip Lindsay (toe), Sony Michel (quad), Zack Moss (toe), Tevin Coleman (knee), LeSean McCoy (ankle) and Carlos Hyde (shoulder)
- On a bye: Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, Adrian Peterson, D'Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson
- Priority list: Damien Harris (35% rostered), D'Ernest Johnson (0%), Justin Jackson (7%), Chase Edmonds (60%) and Ke'Shawn Vaughn (6%)
- Check to see if available: Joshua Kelley (82% rostered), James White (75%) and Malcolm Brown (72%). We'll talk about Kelley below, but he should be at 100% rostered. White's role in the passing game for the Patriots makes him a must-add in PPR, and Brown isn't going away for the Rams, at least until Akers returns.
- Handcuffs who matter: Alexander Mattison (61% rostered), Tony Pollard (51%), Brian Hill (47%), Benny Snell (36%), Giovani Bernard (35%), Boston Scott (32%), Darrel Williams (32%), Jamaal Williams (29%), Darrynton Evans (17%) and Jordan Wilkins (2%). These running backs could be great if the starter in front of them ever missed time. Stash them if you have an open roster spot.
- Potential drop candidates: Adrian Peterson (80%), Jeff Wilson (71%), Sony Michel (67%) and Carlos Hyde (61%). You can make a case to hold Peterson during his bye week, but he's far from a player you have to stash in all leagues. The rest of these guys are disposable, especially Michel and Hyde since they are hurt.
Running back
Week 5 Priority List
Harris made his 2020 debut in Week 4 against the Chiefs after missing the first three games with a hand injury and looked like the guy who was getting plenty of hype in training camp. Couple that with Michel being placed on injured reserve, and Harris could be in line for plenty of work moving forward. Now, it doesn't appear like he'll have a big role in the passing game as long as White and Rex Burkhead are healthy, but in his first game on the road at Kansas City he had 17 carries (the most for any Patriots running back this year) for 100 yards and showed his big-play ability with a 41-yard run. I'm hopeful this is just the start of something special, especially while Michel is out, and Harris is worth 20% of your remaining FAB budget.
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Johnson will help replace Chubb, and while Hunt is headed for a strong stretch run as the lead running back for the Browns, there is room for two running backs in this offense to get work. Cleveland leads the NFL at 204.5 rushing yards per game, and Chubb and Hunt each had double digits in carries in the first three outings of the year. Now, the talent gap is closer for those two than it is for Hunt and Johnson, but the Browns did give him 13 carries in Week 4 at Dallas when Chubb was hurt, which led to 95 yards. And should Hunt go down, Johnson would be a must-start running back in all leagues. I can see Fantasy managers adding Johnson over Harris, which is fine, and Johnson is worth 15-20% of your remaining FAB.
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The Chargers will use Kelley and Jackson to help replace Ekeler, and I would prioritize Kelley over Jackson if both are available. But Jackson could be the lead running back until Ekeler is back, and he's clearly available in more leagues. Jackson has only appeared in two games this season because of a quad injury, and he's struggled with eight carries for 13 yards, as well as two catches for 12 yards. Kelley did well in the first two games of the season in tandem with Ekeler, but he's struggled the past two weeks, including two fumbles. Whoever is the leader of this backfield is likely a flex option, but Jackson has plenty of upside now. He's worth adding for 15-20% of your remaining FAB.
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By the time you read this, Edmonds could be the No. 1 running back to add if Kenyan Drake's chest injury is anything serious. As of Monday, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Drake was fine, but he's also struggled with his play when healthy. We could see Edmonds start to take on a bigger role in Arizona, and he's already been more effective than Drake in the passing game. Even if Drake does play in Week 5 at the Jets, you should stash Edmonds in all leagues where he's still available. Edmonds is worth 10-15% of your remaining FAB.
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Vaughn could benefit if Fournette remains out in Week 5 at Chicago, especially with passing downs back McCoy also hurt. With the game Thursday night, it could be difficult for both to play, and Vaughn could be the No. 2 running back behind Ronald Jones as a result. In Week 4 against the Chargers, Vaughn saw his first action of the season with three carries for 4 yards, as well as two catches for 22 yards and a touchdown on three targets. He's worth adding in deeper leagues and could be a flex option against the Bears, especially if Fournette doesn't play. Vaughn is worth 5% of your remaining FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Wide Receivers
- Injuries of note: Chris Godwin (hamstring), Michael Thomas (ankle), Davante Adams (hamstring), Julio Jones (hamstring), A.J. Brown (knee), Diontae Johnson (concussion),
- Allen Lazard (abdomen), Alshon Jeffery (foot), DeSean Jackson (hamstring), Henry Ruggs (hamstring), Bryan Edwards (ankle), Sterling Shepard (toe), Mike Williams (hamstring), Michael Pittman (leg), Parris Campbell (knee), Steven Sims (toe), K.J. Hamler (hamstring), Adam Humphries (illness), Breshad Perriman (ankle) and Jalen Reagor (thumb)
- On a bye: Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones
- Priority list: Tee Higgins (52% rostered), Scott Miller (21%), Laviska Shenault (61%), Alshon Jeffery (22%), Mecole Hardman (47%), Tim Patrick (1%), Cole Beasley (64%),
- Christian Kirk (48%), Tre'Quan Smith (31%), N'Keal Harry (52%), Brandon Aiyuk (57%), Zach Pascal (8%), Olamide Zaccheaus (2%), Darnell Mooney (2%), Isaiah Ford (1%) and Jeff Smith (0%)
- Check to see if available: Jamison Crowder (83% rostered), Deebo Samuel (81%), Emmanuel Sanders (76%), Hunter Renfrow (70%), Russell Gage (68%) and Corey Davis (66%). Crowder would be the No. 1 receiver to add if he's out there, and I would put Samuel behind Higgins. Sanders is interesting if Thomas is still out for the Saints, and I like Renfrow a lot if Ruggs and Edwards remain out for the Raiders. Jones is hurt again for the Falcons, so don't give up on Gage yet. And Davis will lose value if Brown returns for the Titans, but he's worth picking up to see what happens in Week 5.
- Potential drop candidates: Brandin Cooks (75% rostered), Henry Ruggs (70%), Preston Williams (61%) and Anthony Miller (60%). Cooks isn't someone to stash right now with his lack of production, and the same goes for Williams and Miller. Ruggs will hopefully be healthy soon, but you might need to drop him for a roster spot.
Wide receiver
Week 5 Priority List
Even though the Bengals have a crowded receiving corps with A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, Higgins is getting targets and producing. And as you're likely aware, he's been better than Green this season. Higgins has 22 targets in his past three games and has recorded nine catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles and Jaguars the last two weeks. Joe Burrow has attempted at least 36 passes in all four games this year, so Higgins should continue to be involved, and he has the chance to be a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver on a weekly basis — with the potential to do more. Higgins is worth 10-15% of your remaining FAB budget.
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Miller is more of a short-term Fantasy option because he should lose value when Godwin is back. But maybe he'll stay more involved now that O.J. Howard (Achilles) is hurt for the Buccaneers, and Miller has scored at least 11 PPR points in three of four games. It's doubtful Godwin will play in Week 5 at Chicago since the game is Thursday, so Miller can be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver against the Bears. And he just had his best game of the season in Week 4 against the Chargers with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Miller is worth 5-10% of your remaining FAB budget.
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Shenault may show up on the injury report this week since he appeared to get banged up toward the end of his Week 4 outing at Cincinnati, but no injury was reported. It's just something to monitor for now. Against the Bengals, Shenault had five catches for 86 yards on six targets, and he now has six targets in consecutive games against Miami and Cincinnati. He was second on the team in targets behind D.J. Chark (nine targets), which is what will hopefully happen on a weekly basis. While Keelan Cole will continue to be a factor, I like Shenault as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for the foreseeable future. He's worth 5-10% of your remaining FAB.
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Jeffery is hopefully going to make his 2020 debut soon after being out all year with a foot injury, and he will immediately become the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles given the state of their receiving corps right now. That should be a great thing for his target share moving forward, and Carson Wentz will definitely lean on Jeffery. Keep an eye on his injury status, but Jeffery is worth adding for 5-10% of your remaining FAB.
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Hardman only had four targets in Week 4 against New England, but he caught all four of them for 27 yards and a touchdown, a 6-yard shovel pass that he took into the end zone. Still, that's 10 targets in his past two games, and he could be explosive if his role somehow increased. Hardman is worth stashing on your bench in all leagues for at least 5% of your remaining FAB.
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We might have to start calling Patrick the No. 1 receiver for the Broncos with Courtland Sutton (ACL) out for the year, Hamler hurting, and Jerry Jeudy not quite ready for the role. In two games without Sutton, Patrick has 11 targets for 10 catches, 156 yards and two touchdowns, and he's scored at least 14 PPR points in each outing. Hopefully, Lock will return soon for the Broncos and improve their quarterback play, but Patrick is worth adding in all leagues to see if the past two games are a sign of things to come. Add him for at least 5% of your remaining FAB.
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All Beasley does is produce, and you want him on your Fantasy roster, especially in PPR, with how well Josh Allen is playing. It's now three games in a row where Beasley has scored at least 12 PPR points, and he's averaging six targets a game for the season. There will be some down games since he shares the field with Stefon Diggs and John Brown, but he's a safe No. 3 PPR receiver for the foreseeable future and worth at least 5% of your remaining FAB.
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Kirk has been a disappointment so far this season and has struggled in a secondary role behind DeAndre Hopkins. But he scored in Week 4 at Carolina while finishing with five targets for three catches and 19 yards, and Hopkins was hobbled with an ankle injury prior to facing the Panthers. If Hopkins misses any time then Kirk would see a spike in targets, and he's worth speculating on now if you have an open roster spot. He's worth up to 5% of your remaining FAB.
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Smith is more of a handcuff for Thomas at this point because Smith will lose value once Thomas returns for the Saints. In three games without Thomas, Smith has at least 13 PPR points in two of them, and he just had four catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns on four targets against the Lions. Keep an eye on Thomas heading into Week 5 against the Chargers, but Smith would be a quality No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues if Thomas is out again. Smith is worth up to 5% of your remaining FAB.
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Harry now has at least six targets in three of four games this year, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points the past two times that's happened, including Week 4 at Kansas City. We hope to see Newton back in Week 5 against Denver, but that's probably not going to happen since the Patriots have a bye in Week 6. Harry's touchdown against the Chiefs came from Jarrett Stidham, and hopefully the two connect well again against the Broncos if Stidham starts. Harry is worth up to 5% of your remaining FAB. And in deeper leagues, take a flier on Damiere Byrd (2% rostered) since he has at least nine targets in two of his past three games and has scored 13 PPR points in both of those outings.
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Aiyuk has scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past two games, and hopefully Garoppolo will return soon to help San Francisco's passing game. Now, Aiyuk likely won't post consistent production with Deebo Samuel and Kittle healthy, but the 49ers are trying to get Aiyuk the ball through the air and on the ground. He's worth adding in all leagues with up to 5% of your remaining FAB.
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Pascal saw a team-high eight targets in Week 4 at Chicago, and hopefully he continues to be heavily involved moving forward. The Colts are down Pittman and Campbell, and Pascal should be the No. 2 receiver opposite T.Y. Hilton. Now, he only had three catches for 58 yards against the Bears. But you should stash Pascal in deeper leagues in case he continues to see this level of target share moving forward. Pascal is worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Zaccheaus has seen a spike in targets the past two games with the Falcons receivers banged up, and now Jones is hurt again. Against Chicago and Green Bay, Zaccheaus had 12 catches for 127 yards on 15 targets. Keep an eye on Jones' status heading into Week 5 against Carolina, and Zaccheaus could be a low-end starter in deeper, three-receiver leagues if Jones is out. Zaccheaus is worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Mooney is doing what I thought Anthony Miller would be doing by now, operating as the No. 2 receiver opposite Allen Robinson. Mooney has 14 targets in his past two games against Atlanta and Indianapolis, and he just had five catches for 52 yards on nine targets in Week 4 against the Colts. Miller, meanwhile, has 10 targets over that span for five catches, 57 yards and a touchdown. In deeper leagues, Mooney is worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Ford is doing what I thought Preston Williams would be doing by now, operating as the No. 2 receiver opposite DeVante Parker. Ford has at least nine targets in two of his past three games, and he had 14 PPR points in Week 2 against Buffalo. Williams, meanwhile, only has 10 targets combined in his past three games. In deeper leagues, Ford is worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Smith did a nice job in his season debut in Week 4 against Denver with seven catches for 81 yards on nine targets, and we'll see what happens with Perriman's health moving forward. Denzel Mims (hamstring) also could return soon, which would impact Smith, and Darnold could be out in Week 5 against the Cardinals. Still, Smith showed flashes of being a productive receiver against the Broncos, and he's worth speculating on in deeper leagues for 1% of your remaining FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Tight End
- Injuries of note: Noah Fant (ankle), Jared Cook (ankle), Dallas Goedert (ankle), Jordan Reed (knee), O.J. Howard (Achilles), Rob Gronkowski (shoulder), Tyler Eifert (concussion), David Njoku (knee) and Jordan Akins (concussion)
- On a bye: T.J. Hockenson and Robert Tonyan
- Priority list: Dalton Schultz (63% rostered), Robert Tonyan (53%), Eric Ebron (36%), Ian Thomas (10%), Mo Alie-Cox (47%), Austin Hooper (46%) and Cameron Brate (1%)
- Check to see if available: Evan Engram (82% rostered). Engram just had 10 targets in Week 4 at the Rams, and he should continue to get plenty of chances for the Giants. He has a great matchup in Week 5 at Dallas, and the Cowboys have allowed a tight end to score in each of the past three games.
- Potential drop candidate: Jared Cook (77%). We hope Cook is back in Week 5 against the Chargers, but you might have to drop him if he's out again. And the Saints have a bye in Week 6, so New Orleans might be cautious with Cook to make sure he's healthy for the remainder of the season.
Tight End
Week 5 Priority List
We've been talking about Schultz since Week 2 after Blake Jarwin (ACL) got hurt, and he's been awesome over his past three games. He's averaging 15.3 PPR points over that span, including 24 targets combined in those outings. You can argue he's the No. 1 player to add this week where still available, and I consider Schultz a top-10 Fantasy tight end for the remainder of the season. He's worth at least 15-20% of your remaining FAB budget.
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We told you to add Tonyan last week with his matchup against the Falcons in Week 4, and he was dominant with six catches for 98 yards and three touchdowns on six targets. He's now scored five touchdowns in his past three games, and he's worth stashing during Green Bay's bye in Week 5. He should continue to benefit with Lazard out. Tonyan is worth at least 10-15% of your remaining FAB budget.
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Ebron was building momentum prior to the Steelers impromptu bye in Week 4, and hopefully he can stay hot in Week 5 against the Eagles. It's a good matchup since Philadelphia has struggled with Tyler Higbee in Week 2 (28 PPR points) and George Kittle in Week 4 (39 PPR points), and hopefully Ebron can do damage as well. In Week 3 against Houston, Ebron had five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, and Pittsburgh could be without Diontae Johnson (concussion). Ebron is worth 5-10% of your remaining FAB.
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Adding Thomas is strictly about the matchup with the Falcons in Week 5. Atlanta has allowed a tight end to score in every game this year, with seven touchdowns allowed to the position in four games. Thomas just scored his first touchdown in Week 4 against Arizona with a season-high five targets, so hopefully his involvement is about to improve moving forward. He's worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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I wish Alie-Cox was more involved, and the healthy return of Trey Burton won't help things with Jack Doyle also around. But Alie-Cox has either a touchdown or 100 receiving yards in three games in a row, and this is a great matchup for him in Week 5 at Cleveland since the Browns have allowed a tight end to score in three of four games. His targets are down — five combined in the past two games — but I wouldn't be surprised if he scored in Week 5. He's worth 1% of your remaining FAB.
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It was good to see Hooper get seven targets at Dallas in Week 4, and he had his best game with five catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. The matchup was great, so take that into account, and he could struggle in Week 5 against the Colts. Njoku also could return soon, which could continue to impact Hooper in a negative way. But hopefully the Browns continue to give Hooper around seven targets weekly, and if that happens then he could turn around his bust 2020 campaign. Hooper is worth adding for 1% of your remaining FAB.
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Brate might benefit with Howard out, and Gronkowski is also banged up heading into Week 5. Along with Godwin banged up, we could see a spike in targets for Brate. Now, he only has two for the season, so there's only one way to go, but Brate is worth speculating on in deeper leagues for 1% of your remaining FAB if you need a tight end.
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WAIVER WIRE
DST
- Browns (24%) vs. IND
- Cowboys (32%) vs. NYG
- Texans (13%) vs. JAC
WAIVER WIRE
KICKERS
- Jason Myers (56%) vs. MIN
- Rodrigo Blankenship (43%) at CLE
- Stephen Gostkowski (20%) vs. BUF
