NFL · 1 year ago

Waiver Wire Fantasy Pickups at Every Position for Week 5

David Connelly

Host · Writer

TE: Tucker Kraft (4.7% rostered)
In a surprising turn of events, Tucker Kraft seems to have taken over as the starting tight end from Luke Musgrave thus far. He had six catches to Musgrave's three on Sunday and continues to dominate in snap share this season. As a reliable pass-catcher in a high-powered offense, Kraft must be rostered in all formats and provide some serious upside at a position that has been otherwise dismal to start the year.

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QB: Justin Fields (34.1% rostered in ESPN leagues)
The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their first loss of the season this past week, but Justin Fields is doing precisely what is asked of him. He has some solid rushing upside and displayed a higher passing ceiling than we expected. He threw for over 300 yards in the defeat while racking up 55 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He's got an elite ceiling and should be rostered in all leagues as long as he is under center.

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RB: Justice Hill (9.8% rostered)
Derrick Henry took the headlines on Sunday night with his dominant performance, but Justice Hill was quietly productive as his understudy in the backfield. The 26-year-old garnered 96 total yards on just ten touches, including a touchdown on the evening, showing that he can also have some fantasy value in this offense. With the lack of production from Baltimore receivers in the opening four weeks, it leaves enough room on the plate in the offense for Hill to be a fantasy viable back.
RB: Jaleel McLaughlin (30.3% rostered)
Jaleel McLaughlin's role looked a bit in jeopardy with the impressive performance from Tyler Badie in Week 3, but that came to a quick halt when Badie suffered a scary back injury that led to him collapsing on the sidelines. Badie is thankfully doing well, but it means that McLaughlin will be back to clipping at the heels of Javonte Williams in the backfield. If Williams continues to struggle, this could quickly become McLaughlin's backfield. He's a stash for now as a solid back with the chance at increased volume.
WR: Dontayvion Wicks (9.7% rostered)
We've been pounding the table on Dontayvion Wicks since the preseason, and it seems like he's finally paying off after a 13-target, two-touchdown performance in Week 4. On top of his elite separation and explosiveness, the injury to Christian Watson set Wicks up as the primary beneficiary. He seems a more popular target than Romeo Doubs for Jordan Love, leaving him as the team's WR2 behind Jayden Reed. If he can improve that catch rate and earn more trust from Love, he could be in for a breakout season.
WR: Josh Downs (8.9% rostered)
Josh Downs quietly racked up nearly 800 receiving yards in his rookie campaign, leading many to believe he could be in for a breakout sophomore season. A high ankle sprain in the preseason slowed down those claims, but he looked back to being healthy on Sunday. In his second game back, he hauled in eight of nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. If he can become the WR2 on this offense, there is zero reason he should be available on waivers with such a high target share.
WR: Jordan Whittington (3.8% rostered)
This is Jordan Whittington's second mention in our waiver wire piece, and we will continue to tout him as long as Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are on the shelf. He led the team's wide receivers with a 97 percent snap share and a 27 percent target share. He had more targets, catches, and receiving yards than Weeks 2 and 3 combined. He is slowly cooking and becoming more comfortable, and you do not want to be left empty-handed when he has a breakout performance.
TE: Tucker Kraft (4.7% rostered)
In a surprising turn of events, Tucker Kraft seems to have taken over as the starting tight end from Luke Musgrave thus far. He had six catches to Musgrave's three on Sunday and continues to dominate in snap share this season. As a reliable pass-catcher in a high-powered offense, Kraft must be rostered in all formats and provide some serious upside at a position that has been otherwise dismal to start the year.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
QB: Justin Fields (34.1% rostered in ESPN leagues)
The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their first loss of the season this past week, but Justin Fields is doing precisely what is asked of him. He has some solid rushing upside and displayed a higher passing ceiling than we expected. He threw for over 300 yards in the defeat while racking up 55 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He's got an elite ceiling and should be rostered in all leagues as long as he is under center.

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

Waiver Wire Fantasy Pickups at Every Position for Week 5

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