Waiting or Waivers 15 Week 5 Waivers

I enjoyed dining at the famous Mrs. Wilkes in Savannah, Georgia this past weekend. While we had heard raving reviews about their fried chicken, the daunting task of a two-hour wait left us wondering if any fried chicken could be worth the wait. Despite skeptics in our group, my uncle and I held our place in line. After enduring two and a half hours, we were rewarded with a feast of fried chicken accompanied by mouthwatering sides, including mashed potatoes, collard greens, grits, and corn - a whopping 26 side dishes in total, fit for royalty. Was it worth the wait? Would I do it again? Absolutely.

In today's fast-paced world, where many crave instant gratification from the likes of fast food, it's rare to find something worth waiting for. This same impatience has crept into the realm of fantasy football. We underestimated the recovery time needed for Joe Burrow's calf strain, and it's become evident that he's been playing through discomfort. In hindsight, it might have been better for him to sit out the season's first four weeks. Joe Burrow is averaging 8.8 fantasy points per game, a letdown for fantasy teams invested in him, as well as for Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals.

I've been bombarded with questions about Burrow vs Stroud or Stafford versus Burrow and every time, I've leaned towards Burrow. The fear of missing out on a massive performance from Burrow on my bench would be terrible. However, the time has come that I can no longer confidently recommend him until he returns to peak form. It's evident that Joe Burrow is not operating at one hundred percent, and we all feel his struggles' repercussions. Joe Burrow will be back at some point, and I don’t know if your fantasy team will be in playoff contention by the time he is back. Until then, I would try to stream quarterbacks and hold him. Be patient with Burrow and Trevor Lawrence their times will come.

Now that we're all a bit frustrated and perhaps a little hungry for better fantasy performance let's explore some top waiver wire additions for Week 5. Below are all my favorite waiver wire options with roster percentages below 68% on Sleeper. If you want the ultimate fantasy football experience, consider switching your league to Sleeper today. They also have some exciting picks; if you use the promo code Dudes100, they'll match you up to $100. Rankings are HPPR with the help of PFF before MNF

 

Teams on bye this week: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, and Buccaneers. Some of these teams might have some good players get dropped in your league, be sure to double check the waiver wire.

Quarterbacks

1. C.J. Stroud, 55% rostered, threw 300-plus yards in a win over the Steelers. His 2nd 300-yard game this season. He is a high-end QB1 this week as the Texans head to Atlanta.

2. Sam Howell 20% rostered, had a solid performance this week vs. the Eagles and has a string of great matchups with Chicago, Atlanta, and the New York Giants. Howell is a solid streaming option for the next couple of weeks.

3. Joshua Dobbs, 9% rostered, has been a viable streaming option. See the tweet below. He just put up 25 fantasy points against the 49ers. He takes on the struggling Cincinnati Bengals this week.

Notable streams available: Matt Stafford against the Eagles and Russell Wilson vs. the NYJ.

 

Running Backs

1. Khalil Herbert, 65% rostered. He had a 100-yard rushing vs. the Broncos and caught a touchdown. This performance should put Herbert ahead of the rookie Johnson.

2. Jaleel McLaughlin, 2% rostered. Javonte Williams went down with an injury, and should miss some time. McLaughlin led the way in the Broncos backfield 100 total yards of offense and had a 18 yard TD catch. Should be a popular waiver claim this week.

   -HOLDS

   • Jordan Mason, 2% rostered. Was elevated as #2 on the 49ers depth chart Sunday. All CMC owners should roster him.

   • Latavius Murray, 11% rostered. Has some TDs on the season, nothing more but a handcuff right now.

   • Keaton Mitchell, 11% rostered. Could come off of IR soon. No one in Baltiomore has emerged as a lead back.

   • Keaontay Ingram, 4% rostered. Always good to hang onto James Conners backup. Keantay had 5 attempts for 13 yards on Sunday.

     ---

Wide Receiver

1. Michael Wilson, 6% rostered. The rookie out of Stanford caught all 7 of his passes on Sunday for 76 yards, and 2 TDs. He seems to have passed Rondale Moore on the depth chart. Dobbs is a servicable QB.

2. Romeo Doubs, 62% rostered. Despite the return of Christian Watson, Doubs was still Love’s favorite target last Thursday night. He has a good matchup this week vs. Las Vegas.

3. Jameson Williams, 53% rostered. The NFL reinstated Williams after changing their gambling policy last week. He is eligible to return this week. I might not play him until they ease him into the scheme more.

   ---

Tight Ends

1. Jake Ferguson, 51% rostered. There was a play in Sundays matchup that Ferg got aboslutly destroyed. But held onto the ball. He is getting better each week. Tough matchup this week vs. the 49ers but I still think you can play him. Dont worry eventually he wont be on this list. He is TE8 on the season.

2. Cole Kmet, 57% rostered. Cole found the endzone twice on Sunday, we will see if Justin Fields keeps looking for him this week when they take on the Commanders. This past weeks finish puts him at TE3 on the season.

3. Zach Ertz, 36% rostered. It scares me how many Cardinals are on this list. Dobbs looks fine. Ertz is TE10 on the season.

   ---

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our weekly fantasy football podcasts or check us out on YouTube. Dont miss our week 3 preview on Thursday. Give us a follow on Twitter!