Daily Dr. Roto — October 1, 2019
Week 5 Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Kyle Allen, CAR
Allen will get another start in Week 5, and so long as he can throw the ball umpteen times to Christian McCaffrey, he should be worth a look in two-QB leagues at a minimum.
Gardner Minshew, JAX
Minshew heads on the road this week to Carolina who played great defense against Houston in Week 4. I have been underrating him all season, but he has a knack for getting about 220 yards and a TD in every start. Pencil him in for that again in Week 5.
Chase Daniel, CHI
Daniel will start against Oakland on the road with Trubisky on the shelf. It’s a prime matchup, and although the Bears will try to run the ball heavily, there’s a good chance Daniel can get about 230 passing yards and a TD if you need him.
Matt Barkley, BUF
Josh Allen will be a game-time decision with his concussion, so it might be in the best interests of his fantasy owners to stash Barkley just in case Allen doesn’t play. Barkley looked decent against the Patriots, but he faces a tough task in Week 5 against the Titans on the road.
Marcus Mariota, TEN
Mariota played exceptionally well in Week 4 against Atlanta, but in Week 5 he draws the tough Bills defense. I can see this being a low scoring game, so don’t overpay for Mariota’s last week’s stats.
Running Backs
Kenyan Drake, MIA
Miami is on a BYE this week, but that is always a good time to stash a player for a few dollars cheaper than usual. Drake is probably owned in most leagues, but if his owner got impatient and dropped him, grab him now as he is the only Dolphins RB worth rostering.
Ito Smith, ATL
Freeman hasn’t looked great all season and Ito had a short-yardage carry for a TD in Week 4. If Freeman were ever to go down for any length of time, Smith would have solid value.
Ryquell Armstead, JAX
I know that he was playing against the porous Broncos run defense, but if you watched Armstead closely, he showed a lot of power and speed and is the obvious handcuff to Leonard Fournette. Now is a great time to stash him.
Jordan Wilkins, IND
Wilkins is still just a guy who touches the ball 4-5 times a week, but it appears that he is the clear backup to Marlon Mack and needs to be owned as a stash and cash in all deeper formats.
Chase Edmonds, ARI
Edmonds saw more touches this week as the Cardinals used David Johnson more as a receiver than a runner. If this continues, look for Edmonds to get about 6-8 touches a week as the clear handcuff to DJ and someone who can have stand-alone value as well.
Wide Receivers
Keke Coutee, HOU
Deshaun Watson is getting hammered every time he throws, so it would behoove him to throw shorter, quicker pass patterns that are perfect for Coutee. Coutee has struggled with injuries thus far in his career, but he is talented and is worth holding onto just in case Watson can play better.
Albert Wilson, MIA
The Dolphins are on BYE in Week 5, but Wilson will be their most productive receiver (for whatever that is worth) from Week 6 through the end of the season.
A.J. Brown, TEN
The Titans don’t pass the ball a lot, but when they do, Brown is one of their chief targets. It’s hard to rely on a player who is so game flow dependent, but I love his skills and think that he could morph into a reliable threat.
Geronimo Allison, GB
Could Allison’s TD in Week 4 be a sign of good things to come? I am not so sure about that, but I am sure that I want to own as many good players as I can who play with top QBs. As a rule, it’s good advice to draft players (and pick them up on waivers too) who play for the better offensive teams. Allison is a marginal talent now, but he could be super productive if Adams misses time with his toe injury.
Robby Anderson, NYJ
I highly doubt that he is available in your league, but with the Jets on BYE in Week 4 and Sam Darnold still not ready to come back, there might be a league or two where Anderson was dropped. If he was, go pick him up right now. He is still one of the fastest players in football, and when Darnold returns, his value will go up significantly.
Preston Williams, MIA
Williams is a nice, young talent who will undoubtedly get an opportunity to play for a team that has no incentive to win. If you need a player in dynasty, I like him as well as I think there is good upside here for 2020 and beyond.
Also consider: Golden Tate, NYG (returns from suspension this week)
Tight Ends
Chris Herndon, NYJ
Herndon will be back in Week 5 after his suspension, and although Sam Darnold is out, he is a legitimate threat at what has become an awful position.
Dawson Knox, BUF
Knox is slowly growing into a reliable threat for the Bills. I am slightly down on him this week if Barkley is the starter, but he could be worth a stash for later in the season as Allen seems to like throwing to him.
Ben Watson, NE
Watson returns to the Patriots lineup in Week 5 and is worth owning for sure. He will never be a huge contributor to the team, but he could be a safe and reliable 6-8 points per week. It’s sad to say, but at this point in the season, that is good production for a tight end.
Ricky Seals-Jones, CLE
I am not sure that the Browns will continue to use RSJ as they did against the Ravens, but he has shown flashes previously with the Cardinals and has decent hands for a player of his size. Worth a flier, but don’t overspend.
