By Winsto (10/07/2025)
Before we get to the Waiver Wire edition, here are a few observations from Week 05:
- I really want to believe in Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB-Was), but the whole Woody Marks (RB-Hou) fiasco of Week 05 gives me pause. “Bill” had an amazing day in Week 05, but he still played less than 50% of the snaps at the RB position (47%). I do believe he will eventually take this backfield, but it may not be as soon as we hope. He has a nice matchup in Week 06 against Chicago, but we must understand that there is significant risk here.
- Dillon Gabriel (QB-Cle) threw 33 passes. Nine of those were directed at David Njoku (TE-Cle) for a 27% target share and a 6-67-1 stat line. He also played a season high 96% of the snaps. Harold Fannin Jr. (TE-Cle), who played 79% of the snaps, also had 4 targets and produced a 4-13-1 stat line, which is decent for a TE, but rumors of Njoku’s demise were apparently exaggerated.
- I do not see Tyquon Thornton (WR-KC) disappearing from KC’s offense, even with a Rashee Rice (WR-KC) return in Week 07. He will probably not see quite the number of targets, but he is going to be seeing plenty of snaps and some deep ball throws.
And now, for the waivers….
We now have a 5-week sample size. We still want to be careful in cutting slow starters who have proven themselves in the past, but we now have enough of a sample size that we should start reevaluating our expectations regarding those players. Do I think A.J. Brown (WR-Phi) will produce more fantasy points than he has thus far? I think so; however, expecting him to be a top 10 WR from this point forward is probably not being realistic.
As a reminder, Houston and Minnesota are on Bye Weeks in Week 06. Here are some players that can help your fantasy line-up:
NOTE: These are players rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
QUARTERBACK
Sam Darnold (Sea)–After a slow start in Week 01, Darnold has turned in three solid fantasy performances, averaging about 274 yards passing, 2.25 TDs, and 0.75 INTs during that span. Yes, the opposing defenses were not overly stout during that stretch and the schedule may get tougher in the next few weeks (Jax, Hou) before his bye week, but he has more passing yards than Josh Allen (QB-Buf) and more passing TDs than Justin Herbert (QB-LAC). He should be rostered on more fantasy teams.
Tua Tagovailoa (Mia)–Speaking of QBs with more passing TDs than Justin Herbert, Tua is tied for 3rd most passing TDs (10) in the league. Since Week 01, he has had at least TWO TD passes in each game. His yardage totals can be up and down and there is the increased risk with him regarding injury, but you could do worse.
Joe Flacco (Cin)–Right before publishing this, the news broke that Flacco has been traded to Cincinatti. Look, the Bengals offensive line is going to do him no favors, but he has high end pass catchers on the other end of his throws. In addition, after a Week 06 tilt against Green Bay, his remaining schedule is pretty delicious.
Mac Jones (SF)–If you are looking for a Bye Week fill-in and Brock Purdy (QB-SF) is ruled out, may I interest you in a former 1st round pick who seems to be turning a corner in SF. He has at least 1 passing TD in each of his three starts and has thrown for no less than 279 yards in those games. He could be involved in a potential shoot-out with Tampa Bay in Week 06 and may have more of WRs at his disposal if Ricky Pearsall (WR-SF) and Juan Jennings (WR-SF) can return from injury.
Jaxson Dart (NYG)–Not having Malik Nabors (WR-NYG) for the rest of the season really hurts his ceiling, but his rushing somewhat offsets that—he has at least 50 rushing yards in each of his two starts. He has also had 2 total TDs in each of his two starts. Yes, he had 3 turnovers in Week 05 (2 INTs and 1 fumble), but I do not expect 3 turnovers per game to be the norm. I would, admittedly, like to see his passing yards-per-attempt (YPA) improve, as he is currently sitting on only 5.2 for the season.
Deeper League Adds: Dillon Gabriel (Cle)–In his first start against a stout Minnesota defense, he fared okay (190 yards passing and 2 TDs). He has a much softer schedule for the next two weeks (Pittsburgh and Miami). There are weapons on this offense.
RUNNING BACK
Kimani Vidal (LAC) / Hassan Haskins (LAC)–Omarion Hampton (RB-LAC) may miss some time. Vidal and Haskins (RB-LAC) saw the same percentage of snaps (21%) in Week 05. Vidal, however, saw 3 Red Zone looks compared to 0 for Haskins in that game. I give the edge to Vidal for that reason. In addition, the Chargers face a Miami defense in Week 06 that just made Rico Dowdle (RB-Car) look like a 1st ballot hall-of-famer, as he had 234 yards rushing/receiving and a TD. If I was in need of a one-week starter, I think Vidal would be my top add.
Michael Carter (Ari)–In the first game without Trey Benson (RB-Ari), Carter led the backfield in touches (23) for a combined yardage total of 77 yards and 1 TD. He appears to be the back to roster here, though his ceiling may be limited by his usage (58% in Week 05) and his next two opponents (Indianapolis and Green Bay), who are both in the top 5 in terms of stingiest defenses against the RB position in fantasy football.
Kendre Miller (NO)–That is now two weeks in a row he has seen double-digit carries, and he has looked pretty good—averaging 4.3 YPC. I am not sure if he is a flex play just yet, but he looks like a pretty high end hand-cuff at the very least. In addition, if your league awards return yards, he is averaging 29.3 return yards per game. And, if for some reason Alvin Kamara (RB-NO) were to get traded, Miller would be in line for solid production.
Tyler Allgeier (Atl)–He has double digit carries in three of the four games Atlanta has played this season, and has scored a TD in two of those games. The 3.6 YPC is not great, but he seems clearly locked in as part of this offense and the hand-cuff to Bijan Robinson (RB-Atl).
Blake Corum (LAR)–He may have hurt himself when he fumbled a pitch from Matthew Stafford (QB-LAR) last Thursday, but Kyren Williams (RB-LAC) fumbling on the goal line probably made Corum’s mistake less noticeable. He is already a higher end hand-cuff, and he is seeing more use this season than last. I am not saying Kyren Williams’s (RB) job is in jeopardy, but Corum is one of those lottery tickets that could pay off. In addition, Baltimore’s defense is up next in Week 06.
Kareem Hunt (KC)-Hunt is not the same player as he once was, but while he has lost burst, he has not lost his vision. He does look like the preferred short-yardage option for KC. In TD heavy leagues, there is value here. He might be more fantasy relevant than Isiah Pacheco (RB-KC) at this point.
Deeper League Adds
Brashard Smith (KC)–I will mention him every week for the foreseeable future. The theme here is that while Isiah Pacheco is a solid RB, his vision and potential for explosive plays seem to have limitations. Kareem Hunt (KC) has vision, but not much burst. The 7th round rookie may have vision limitations, but he is also more explosive and better at catching the ball. He is already seeing an increase in snaps, and I suspect that will continue. For PPR leagues, he is worth a look if you have space. He is someone who may work his way into significant playing time here, though his ceiling may be limited as Hunt does seem to have a solid grip on short-yardage situations.
Isaiah Davis (NYJ)–The Jets are going nowhere fast. Breece Hall (RB-NYJ) is in the final year of his contract. There is a non-zero chance he could be traded in the coming weeks. Davis, in his 2nd season, would be the last man standing in this backfield (assuming recently signed Khalil Herbert does not throw his hat into the ring).
WIDE RECEIVER
Kendrick Bourne (SF)–This is contingent on the health of Ricky Pearsall (WR-SF) and Jauan Jennings (WR-SF). But if neither are able to play in Week 06, then Bourne has shown the ability to produce fantasy stats, going 10-142 on 11 targets in Week 05.
Ryan Flournay (Dal)–This is even more dependent on the WRs ahead of him. If CeeDee Lamb (WR-Dal) and KaVontae Turpin (WR-Dal) were to both miss Week 06 against Caroline, the 2nd year WR could see significant targets, as demonstrated by his Week 05 stat line (9 targets) and provide fantasy points (6 receptions for 114 yards).
Tyquan Thornton (KC)–The return of Xavier Worthy (WR) put a dent in Thornton’s snaps in Week 04, as mentioned above. Still, he is a WR4/5 in fantasy, as I still envision 1-2 deep shots directed towards him in each game.
Deeper League Add—Christian Watson (GB)–The Packers have designated Watson for return from the I.R., giving him a 21-day window to be activated. The 4th year professional has flashed in the past, but injuries have plagued him. This add is more about taking a “wait and see” approach, as injuries, competition for targets may very much be too frustrating for you to bear. But, the upside could be worth it, as demonstrated by a 4-game stretch in 2022 where he had 7 TDs and averaged 78 receiving yards a game.
TIGHT END
Theo Johnson (NYG)–Jaxon Dart (QB-NYG) has attempted 60 passes in his two games now as a starter. 12 of those passes have been directed at Johnson, for a 20% target share. That is not too shabby. Johnson has also scored 3 TDs in those two games with 5 Red Zone looks during that stretch, more than any other Giants skill position player not named Cam Scattebo (RB-NYG).
A.J. Barner (Sea)–Barner looks to have secured the primary TE spot on the team, playing over 80% in 4 of the 5 games thus far. He also has SIX Red Zone looks this season, which surprisingly leads all pass catchers on this team. He has scored in 3 of the 5 games and saw an uptick in target in Week 05 (7). He responded with a 7-53-2 stat line. If you are in need of a Bye Week fill in or have grown completely frustrated with your current TE situation, the 2nd year TE is not a bad option.
Jake Tonges (SF)–IF George Kittle (TE-SF) misses Week 06, Tonges, who saw 11 targets and produced a 7-41-1 stat line could be in for another solid week against Tampa Bay.
Harold Fannin Jr. (Cle)–I mention Fannin Jr. every week; he is still below 50%. The rookie BGSU product is a bit of a unicorn, and Cleveland has recognized it. He is 7th in targets (28) and 6th in receptions (21). I really like Fannin Jr., however; he is falling behind some of these other add options due to his relatively low yards per reception—among all TEs, he is 53rd in YPR (8.2). In PPR leagues, he is a top 12 TE, and I do foresee room to improve, considering his usage.
Deeper League Add—Taysom Hill (TE-NO)–In his first game back, he played 9 snaps. He touched the ball 7 times (6 rushes, 1 pass). He did not do much with those touches, but if those snaps increase, his touches will also.