The bye week blues are upon as fantasy stars like Cam Newton, Adrian Peterson, Chris Ivory, Brandon Marshall, Jarvis Landry and Greg Olsen will all be on a bye in Week 5.
In most cases, fantasy owners will already have a plan for when one of their players is on a bye, but for some they will be scouring the waiver wire for a replacement. In this addition of Waiver Flavor we take a look at some players who are a solid weekly play, as well as some players who should carry some fantasy value for the remainder of the year.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco, BAL – Ok, I get it. Flacco is coming off a miserable performance on Thursday night against the Steelers and the team’s leading receiver Steve Smith has already been ruled out for Week 5. That leaves the likes of Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and maybe even newly acquired Chris Givens as the team’s likely receiving options.
But even with all of that negativity the Ravens find themselves with a home contest against a Browns defense that has allowed back-to-back 300-yard passers and has given up nine passing touchdowns this season—the fourth-most allowed in the NFL. A potential return of Crockett Gilmore in Week 5 would also boost the Ravens passing attack. While I can agree the name is not exactly ideal, the matchup certainly is intriguing if you find yourself in need of a QB in Week 5.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Blake Bortles, JAC – The Jaguars, as a team, are not very good. But their struggles should not be blamed entirely on Bortles, as the second-year QB has thrown for 996 yards and six touchdowns through the first four weeks of the season. Bortles has great playmakers at wide receiver in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, who are both capable of making the big play at any moment. In Week 5 the Jaguars match up against the horrid Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a secondary that has not really been tested since allowing four touchdowns to Marcus Mariota in Week 1. Bortles will likely be taking many shots downfield in this contest which should result in a multi-touchdown effort and a good chunk of passing yards.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Sam Bradford, PHI – Finally Bradford put up the fantasy performance many were hoping for, as he threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Redskins. The Eagles’ offensive struggles are well-documented this season, but with some momentum Bradford will enter Week 5 against a Saints secondary that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season. While there is certainly some risk with Bradford given his early season struggles, the offense and matchup makes him an intriguing bye week plug with the potential for something greater if he can turn his season around.
FAAB Bid-$10-$15
Running Backs
Ronnie Hillman, Den – Hillman has been a popular waiver wire addition over the past few weeks due to the impending doom of C.J. Anderson. While both Hillman and Anderson saw 11 carries on Sunday, it was Hillman who showed his home run talent, as he took one of those touches for an explosive 72-yard touchdown.
Hillman has now found the end zone in back-to-back weeks and the Broncos find themselves with favorable matchups over the next two weeks against the Raiders and Browns, who both struggle against the run. While Anderson is still the starter, Hillman’s performance has likely earned him a bigger role in Week 5 if Anderson struggles again out of the gate.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Andre Williams, NYG – Williams is the Giants’ goal-line back but has also lead the team with 25 carries over the past two weeks after getting just 12 carries over the first two weeks. There is a definite time share at the running back position with the Giants as both Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen are seeing a similar workload. But as a bye week replacement, Williams offers the best chance to find the end zone.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Duke Johnson Jr., CLE – Isaiah Crowell still leads the Browns backfield, but Johnson has come on over the past two weeks as a solid PPR threat, catching 15 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. Johnson is certainly the more explosive player between he and Crowell, but the Browns currently seem intent on the latter leading their rushing attack. In Week 5 the Browns face off against a Ravens squad that has been stingy against the run, which could lead to the Browns using Johnson more in the passing attack to move the ball rather than running Crowell head first into Baltimore’s strong front seven.
FAAB Bid- $10-$15
Wide Receivers
Allen Hurns, JAC – Hurns saw a team-high 15 targets on Sunday and hauled in a season-best 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Hurns is a true deep threat for Jacksonville, averaging 14.3 yards per catch over the first four weeks of the season. In Week 5 the Jaguars face off against the Buccaneers, who are generally susceptible against the pass. Hurns should be in line for another strong week as he finds himself as one of Blake Bortles’ favorite targets.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Kamar Aiken, BAL – Aiken is now the Ravens’ No. 1 receiver after Steve Smith suffered a back injury in Week 4 that has already ruled him out for Week 5. Aiken caught five-of-seven targets for 77 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens’ Week 4 contest against the Steelers, and two weeks prior he caught five-of-eight passes for 89 yards against the Raiders. Aiken is averaging 15.0 yards per catch this season and with a favorable matchup against the Browns coming up in Week 5, he and Joe Flacco could be in for a productive day.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Leonard Hankerson, ATL – Hankerson has seemingly supplanted Roddy White as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver as he has caught 17-of-28 targets for 241 yards and two touchdowns through the first four weeks of the season. With Julio Jones not 100 percent, Hankerson pulled down six catches for 103 yards and a score in the Falcons’ Week 4 win over the Texans. In Week 5 the Falcons will face off against the Redskins, who have allowed seven passing touchdowns over the first four weeks of the NFL season. The Falcons own one of the league’s top passing attacks, which should benefit Hankerson immensely.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Tight Ends
Antonio Gates, SD – He’s back! Gates was suspended for the first four weeks of the season due to a PED violation but will return to the Chargers in Week 5 and finds himself still available in over 50 percent of standard leagues. In 2014 Gates finished the season with 69 catches for 821 yards and 12 touchdowns which ranked him among the top five fantasy tight ends and often found himself as Philip Rivers’ main target. The Chargers saw Stevie Johnson go down with a hamstring injury in Week 4, which could open the door for Gates to be productive right out of the gate for San Diego in Week 5 as they face off against a Steelers team who had allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends entering Week 4.
FAAB Bid- $10-$15
Gary Barnidge, CLE – Barnidge was on this list last week after catching six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the Raiders. Barnidge proved the performance was no fluke in Week 4, as he caught all six of his targets for 75 yards and a touchdown. With four teams getting the bye in Week 5 you may find yourself in need of a replacement at tight end and Barnidge will likely be one of the higher-added players this week given how shallow the position is.
FAAB Bid- $0-$5