With the bye weeks in full swing, it’s time to start making real adjustments around your stud players. Four teams are on bye in Week 5, as opposed to two last week, so more fantasy owners will be impacted this time around.
Fantasy football waiver wire advice: Week 5 bye week replacements for Vikings, Dolphins, Jets, Panthers
Four teams are on bye this week, rendering some important fantasy players unavailable. We look at potential one-week replacements on the waiver wire.
The Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and New York Jets are all getting the week off. That means that valuable fantasy contributors like Adrian Peterson, Cam Newton, Brandon Marshall, Chris Ivory and Greg Olsen won’t be available in Week 5.
To help cover for those losses, we take a look at potential waiver wire options for each position this week. All players are owned in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! leagues.
Quarterbacks
Players on bye: Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Waiver wire options
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: QB2 value should stabilize once Alshon Jeffery comes back.
Michael Vick, Pittsburgh Steelers: Low ceiling, but the returning Martavis Bryant will give him a red zone presence. Has a good matchup with the San Diego Chargers’ 28th-ranked pass defense.
Kirk Cousins, Washington: Is a reasonable QB2 play if he avoids turnovers.
Josh McCown, Cleveland Browns: Had his best game of the season in Week 4, but the Baltimore Ravens will be a tougher test.
Running backs
Players on bye: Adrian Peterson, Chris Ivory, Lamar Miller, Jonathan Stewart
Waiver wire options
Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks: Will stay on the RB2 radar if Marshawn Lynch is forced to miss another week.
Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos: C.J. Anderson continues to underwhelm. Hillman is a higher-upside flex play in this committee.
Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns: Finally getting involved in the passing game, Johnson blew up for nine catches, 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. Is a must-own in PPR formats.
Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys: Should see increased volume with Lance Dunbar out, but his ceiling remains low in a muddled committee.
Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans: If you have to pick a Titans running back (and nobody is forcing you to), Andrews is probably the one to own.
Wide receivers
Players on bye: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews, Kenny Stills, Ted Ginn, Philly Brown
Waiver wire options:
Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles: Finally woke up in Week 4 with 64 yards and a touchdown on three catches, and now gets the New Orleans Saints’ porous defense. Could be a good post-hype sleeper for the rest of the year.
Eddie Royal, Chicago Bears: Boosted by the return of Cutler, Royal should be back in WR3 territory even when Jeffery comes back.
Leonard Hankerson, Atlanta Falcons: Has replaced Roddy White as the No. 2 option behind Julio Jones, but has a tough matchup with an underrated Washington defense.
Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars: Is getting tougher to ignore with 186 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks. Has a plus matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on tap.
Dorial Green-Beckham, Tennessee Titans: Hopefully the Titans used the bye week to devise ways to get DGB the ball. He’s too talented to keep off the field for long.
Tavon Austin, St. Louis Rams: We’ve been burned by Austin’s teases in the past, but he’s done enough to merit a bench stash in deeper leagues.
Tight ends
Players on bye: Greg Olsen, Jordan Cameron, Kyle Rudolph
Waiver wire options:
Larry Donnell, New York Giants: Should see more snaps at tight end with Darren Fells done for the year.
Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts: Will be an every-down player again if Dwayne Allen misses Thursday night’s game.
Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns: Might this be for real? Has 12 catches, 180 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks.
