Week 5 of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with the Monday Night game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
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We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline entering Week 5.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (67 percent ownership)
Dalton continues to thrive in the Bill Lazor Era, posting his first 300-yard passing game and hitting A.J. Green for another touchdown, giving Dalton seven TD passes in the past three weeks. Some unlucky bounces resulted in a pair of picks, but overall Dalton is a new man in this new offense and he should be considered a fantasy starter the rest of the way. If he’s still out there in your league, get him.
The latest word is that Andrew Luck could be out until November, and at some point the Colts might just shut him down for good and try again in 2018. Brissett hit the 300-yard passing mark for the first time this season and picked up his third rushing touchdown of the season. It’s nothing spectacular, but he’s definitely a viable option for a spot start as we head into the teeth of the bye weeks.
When the matchup is right, as it was against the poor Colts defense, Hoyer is still capable of a big game. Hoyer threw for 353 yards — his second 300-yard passing game in his past three — and two touchdowns and has now thrown the ball 95 times over the past two games. With that kind of volume, Hoyer can help you survive the bye weeks and maybe more than that.
Josh McCown, New York Jets (14)
The Jets are 3-2. Considering the talk before the season was about challenging for 0-16, this is arguably the most remarkable story in the NFL right now. And McCown is a big part of it, throwing for a pair of touchdowns. If you need a bye-week fill-in this week, the Jets get the Patriots at home, and we know how generous the Pats defense has been this season. There are worse options.
DeShone Kizer was yanked at halftime, the second game in a row the rookie was benched, and you have to wonder if it’s going to be permanent, especially after Hogan came in and completed 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. This is a situation to monitor, as Hogan could be a factor as the season wears on.
