Waiver Wire Watch: Week 5

Oct 05, 2020

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This week was a test for the NFL and fantasy managers, as Covid-19 cases forced one game to be outright rescheduled (Titans-Steelers) and another to be postponed one day (Chiefs-Patriots). This was inevitable, but it’s a reminder of how strange this season can and will be. Hopefully your league made adjustments to weather this impending storm, such as with deeper benches. Another option may be to convert more normal positions in your starting lineups (RB/WR) into FLEX positions, that way teams can make more plug-and-play moves if/when future games get pushed back. The rest of Week 4 was a fun one though, with plenty of moves creating an interesting waiver wire for Week 5.

Recommendations are based on a PPR-scoring, four-point passing touchdown, 12-team league, with ownership percentages coming from Yahoo. I try to mention when a player is a better streaming play (short-term/one-week starter) versus a long-term addition. Free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestions are based on a $100 season-long budget. Lastly, the great John Paulsen will edit this article every week and adjust rankings and prices if necessary. Essentially, you’re getting two minds collaborating on this piece instead of one, so lucky you.

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Now, with that out of the way, here are some players to target heading into Week 5.

Quarterbacks

Gardner Minshew, Jaguars
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers
Daniel Jones, Giants

Gardner Minshew, Jaguars, 46% rostered ($3)

Minshew has thrown two-plus touchdowns in three of his four games this season, and thrown for 300-plus yards in two of those games as well. He’ll be a solid streamer this week against a Texans defense that allows over 30 points per game to opponents and has shown no signs of being able to stop anyone through four weeks.

Kirk Cousins, Vikings, 29% rostered ($2)

The Seahawks have allowed over 1,600 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks through the first four weeks of the season. The Vikings want to run the ball to win, but that is not how you beat the Seahawks and their high-powered offense. Kirk Cousins will have to air it out to keep the Vikings in this one, giving him some streaming appeal. Cousins has posted solid fantasy numbers this season in garbage time (Week 1) or a shootout (Week 3). He could find himself in either situation against the Seahawks.

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers, 19% rostered ($1)

Bridgewater could finish Week 4 as a top-five fantasy quarterback, thanks to three total touchdowns and 276 passing yards. Matt Rhule has a nice thing building in Carolina on offense, and the Panthers get to face an extremely beatable Falcons defense in Week 5. Those who are losing Aaron Rodgers or Matthew Stafford to bye weeks could look to Bridgewater for a one-week fill-in.

Daniel Jones, Giants, 35% rostered ($2)

Jones hasn’t lived up to his sleeper billing yet in fantasy, but good news for him is that he gets to face a Dallas defense that has succeed at stopping *checks notes* absolutely no one. If there were ever a week for Jones to put up solid fantasy totals, this would be it. There’s certainly risk, though, as Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since Week 1, and his TD-to-INT ratio sits at 2-to-5. Paulsen's Take: We knew Jones was going to have a rough start to the season given his schedule (PIT, CHI, SF, LAR) but things ease up considerably with DAL, WAS (x 2), PHI (x 2) in the next six weeks before his Week 11 bye. He then has CIN, SEA, ARI and CLE after his bye. Owners looking for help at QB should give Jones a look.

If healthy, Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. MIA) would be a good streamer in Week 5 and Justin Herbert (vs. NO) isn't a bad option either, given how beat up the Saints' secondary is.