QUARTERBACKS:
Andy Dalton (DAL): Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome injury against the Giants last week and is expected to be out for the rest of this season. Dalton is the next man up in Dallas. We know Dalton is not an elite option, but the situation is much better for him in Dallas as opposed to Cincinnati. Dalton has three number one wide receivers, a top five running back, and a rising player at tight end as well as better coaching at his disposal in Dallas. He has a chance to be a top 12 quarterback for the rest of the season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (MIA): From the way this season has gone for the Dolphins, I am not expecting to see rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa any time soon. With that being said, let’s ride the hot hand in Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has scored the seventh most fantasy points among all quarterbacks over the last two weeks and has another great matchup against the Jets in Week 6, before a Week 7 bye.
RUNNING BACKS:
Alexander Mattison (MIN): Dalvin Cook went down in the Sunday Night Football game with a groin injury. Reports on early Tuesday suggest that Cook avoided a serious injury, but regardless, we told you to roster Mattison anyway because the value was just too good to pass up. If he’s somehow on your waiver wire, add him now.
Matt Breida (MIA): I was completely surprised when Miles Gaskin took over the starting running back job in Miami this year. However, I was even more surprised to see backup Jordan Howard to be a healthy scratch last week. That being said, the number two back on the Dolphins now is Breida. Can’t hurt to add a back like him to the back of your roster at a reasonable price.
Brian Hill (ATL): Todd Gurley has performed way better than I anticipated in Atlanta this season, but it’s only a matter of time before some sort of injury catches up to him. We want to be ahead of the curve and get the backups before they cost us all of our FAAB. Hill is that guy.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
Chase Claypool (PIT): You missed the big Chase Claypool game this season. There will not be another big game like it, so don’t go spending FAAB on previous results. However, I expect Claypool to remain involved this year after seemingly passing James Washington on the depth chart, and with the consistent injuries to Diontae Johnson. Claypool could very well be a nice number three wide receiver or better in fantasy for the rest of the season.
Travis Fulgham (PHI): Speaking of missing big games from receivers, another name who broke out over the last few weeks has been Eagles wide out Travis Fulgham. I’m not expecting much from him long-term, especially with returns of Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson expected in the near future, but he could be a solid plug and play for the next few weeks as a flex option for you if you’re desperate.
Nelson Agholor (LVR): Agholor has found some new life in Vegas with quarterback Derek Carr this season. Over the last two weeks, Agholor has scored double digit fantasy points while rookie Bryan Edwards has been out. Agholor was a former Eagles first round pick not that long ago and was a free agent who signed on a team who badly needed receiver help. Considering the state of the Raiders receivers, Agholor as a fifth receiver in fantasy isn’t a terrible idea.
TIGHT ENDS:
Cameron Brate (TB): This guy continues to find ways to get on our radar. Heading into the season, Brate was as low as the third tight end on his own team, which was also loaded with receivers in Godwin, Evans, Gronkowski, Howard, Miller, and Johnson. Well, Howard is out for the season now, and Gronkowski has been mostly a blocking tight end to this point. Enter Brate, who has been a fine backup for the Buccaneers for awhile now. Considering the bye weeks are coming, and the lack of options at tight end this week, Brate has some upside as an injury fill-in.
Darren Fells (HOU): Houston fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien last week, and that is going to bring some positive changes for the offense as a whole. DeShaun Watson and company will try to get their touchdown threat Darren Fells involved more. In previous years, O’Brien’s scheme didn’t really focus on throwing the ball to the tight end all that much, except when the time was right for it. I’m not expecting elite numbers by Fells by any stretch of the imagination, but as a backup tight end with bye weeks and injuries coming up, you can do worse.
Gerald Everett (LAR): Rams backup tight end Gerald Everett has been playing a lot more snaps lately and he’s been producing. He had 90 receiving yards last week, and a touchdown the week prior. He’s still Higbee’s backup but monitor this situation for the future.
DEFENSES:
Los Angeles Rams (LAR): The Rams head to San Francisco to take on the struggling 49ers this week on Sunday Night. The 49ers benched Garoppolo last week, who did not look good in a return to injury, for CJ Beathard. As of this writing, it is unclear who the starter will be for this week, but either way I’m expecting the Rams defense to play well against a team who couldn’t score more than 20 points against the Miami Dolphins of all teams.
Washington Football Team (WAS): The Football team heads to MetLlife Stadium to face the Giants this week. The Giants continue to turn the ball over, as Jones just can’t hold on to the ball. The Football Team has one of the under rated defenses in the NFL, and with Chase Young leading the way, there could be problems for the Giants offense this week. The following week, the Football Team faces the Cowboys and backup quarterback Andy Dalton.
KICKERS:
Matt Prater (DET): Any time you can add a kicker off the waiver wire who has already had his bye this early in the season is a good thing. It means you won’t have to worry about a bye week at this position, so you can just set your kicker and forget it for the rest of the way. Prater has been a consistent top 12 kicker for years now and faces a Jaguars team next week in a good matchup.
Rodrigo Blankenship (IND): Speaking of good matchups, the Colts kicker faces the Bengals this week as the Colts try and fix their problems on the offensive side of the ball. Rivers has been underperforming to say the least, and that has not led to many scoring drives. However, the Bengals are a team to pick on in Fantasy, and I expect even the Colts to have a solid 20+ point outing. Whether or not those points are scored via touchdown or field goal remains to be seen, but Blankenship should be busy this week. He does have a Week 7 bye though, so keep that in mind. I’d prefer to add Prater for now.
WEEK 5 MONDAY INJURY REPORT
QUARTERBACKS:
Dak Prescott (DAL) (Ankle Fracture) – Expected to be out for the season after a brutal ankle injury that was tough to watch.
Kyle Allen (WAS) (Arm) – Left the game early in the first half against the Rams in Week 5, which led to the remarkable return of QB Alex Smith, who suffered a near career threatening injury not too long ago. Smith finished the game, but it looks like Kyle Allen is expected to start as of this writing for the Football Team.
RUNNING BACKS:
Dalvin Cook (MIN) (Groin) - Missed the second half of Sunday Night’s game but appears to have avoided a serious injury.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
D.J. Chark (JAC) (Ankle) - Uncertain status for Sunday against the Lions at this time. Not looking good.
Sammy Watkins (KC) Hamstring) - Is expected to miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
A.J. Green (CIN) (Hamstring) – A.J. Green is hurt again. What else is new.
Diontae Johnson (PIT) (Back) – Not expected to have a long-term injury, could return versus the Browns.
TIGHT ENDS:
Tyler Eifert (JAC) (Neck) – Left the game on Sunday versus Houston, uncertain status for the future. Eifert has been known to be an injury prone tight end for a while now.
(Cover Photo: Don Wright/Associated Press)
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