There were plenty of back-ups that shined, or players who’ve seen their role increase due to injury in Week 5 (and year, if we’re being honest). Whether you are looking at the season-ending shoulder injury that JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered in, or the entire Giants offense falling to injury in their brutal loss to the Cowboys. We will essentially discuss all of those who filled in for those unfortunate setbacks, and their fantasy football potential.
Outside of injury, there were some players that balled out in Week 5. Figuring out how to handle your fantasy football lineup during the season crisis is what you are here for. A part of the mid-season crisis is bye weeks, which start in Week 6. Be prepared to shift your roster around and pick up a few players. As always, all roster percentages are via ESPN Fantasy Football. The qualifying roster percentage to be on this list is 65% rostered or less.
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence JAX (42.6% Rostered) – He’s not off to a great start for his rookie campaign, Trevor Lawrence has a couple good matchups coming up. He’ll be facing the Dolphins and Seahawks, who are two bottom-five defenses in pass yards per game. Lawrence has every chance to be a startable fantasy football option. It’s likely they will be playing from behind in most of their games, so look for him to throw the ball a lot.
Jameis Winston NO (23.7% Rostered) – Although on a bye week during Week 6, Jameis Winston has an excellent upcoming schedule. His next four matchups include the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Falcons, and Titans. These are some of the worst pass defenses in the NFL,which means they’re good to play against in fantasy football. If you have the roster spot available, Winston is a hold for streaming purposes.
Teddy Bridgewater DEN (16.8% Rostered) – Coming off a concussion Teddy Bridgewater had a good game against the Steelers. The Raiders are a tough matchup in Week 6, but with Gruden resigning there could be an advantage to be had. After Week 6, the Broncos face the Browns, WFT, and the Cowboys. These three teams are bottom of the barrel in passing defense, ranking 29th through 31st in fantasy points given up to the opposing quarterback. Teddy is a nice stream for the next few weeks.
Geno Smith SEA (1% Rostered) – With Russell Wilson injured for multiple weeks, Geno Smith will take over the starting role. This will obviously be a downgrade from Russell Wilson, but that offense still has plenty of electric players – and a pretty favorite schedule for quarterbacks.
Honorable Mentions
Ben Roethlisberger PIT (20.8% Rostered) – vs Seahawks
- Seahawks are an awful pass defense.
Carson Wentz IND (5.5% Rostered) – vs Texans
- Texans shut down Mac Jones, but still a bottom-half defense against the pass.
Running Backs – Handcuff Edition
With all the waiver running backs being potential handcuffs to high draft capital running backs, I wanted to quickly mention how valuable it is to stash your star running back’s backup in case of injury. We have seen it more this year than any other how valuable a handcuff can be for your team.
Alexander Mattison MIN (64.2% Rostered) – It is not night and day between Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. When Cook goes down (which can be quite often sometimes), Mattison has filled his shoes as you would expect. Mattison is a must pick-up for the Cook manager.
Tony Pollard DAL (60.8% Rostered) – Tony Pollard has Flex potential any given week, but it goes to show how he would play if Ezekiel Elliott were to be injured. He is a must-have for the Zeke manager and a Flex play for anyone else.
AJ Dillon GB (55.5% Rostered) – AJ Dillon is averaging about 10 touches per game and he has shown he can move the rock. He is involved in the pass game and finally found the end zone this past week. Dillon is a nice replacement to Aaron Jones if he were to miss games for any reason.
Samaje Perine CIN (32.5% Rostered) – Joe Mixon scored while playing on limited snaps, but Samaje Perine still found a way to get it done for fantasy football. Perine contributed on the ground and through the air, adding in a touchdown as well. If given the workload of Mixon, he can surely be a valuable asset for your team.
Devontae Booker NYG (3.8% Rostered) – With Saquon Barkley going down to injury once again, Devontae Booker stepped in his role for this offense. He was not the most efficient, but he found the end zone twice on this injury-riddled offense.
Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Sanders BUF (60.2% Rostered) – Another multi-touchdown game for what seems to be the WR1 right now in Buffalo. Emmanuel Sanders has the ability to stretch the field and produce YAC. Having him on your roster is for the better.
Hunter Renfrow LV (55.2% Rostered) – Seemingly bust-proof, Hunter Renfrow has entered the category of a ‘set it and forget it’ type of player. Averaging eight targets and 14.1 fantasy points per game, Renfrow has earned the right to be in your Flex until further notice.
Marquez Callaway NO (39.1% Rostered) – Paired with Jameis Winston, Marquez Callaway should be a solid fantasy football option after the bye week. As mentioned previously, the Saints will be facing poor pass defenses four weeks in a row. Look for five or more targets a game for Callaway during that stretch.
Tim Patrick DEN (29.7% Rostered) – Tim Patrick has seen increased usage every week and slid into the WR2 role for this offense. His only game with less than 10 fantasy points was with Drew Lock. If Bridgewater can stay healthy, Tim Patrick can be productive.
Honorable Mentions
Kadarius Toney NYG (12.2% Rostered) – vs Rams
- Toney is facing possible suspension due to a punch he threw in Week 5. He is also dealing with an ankle injury that may sideline him for a couple weeks. If he was guaranteed to be on the field next week, he would be a MUST add.
Amon-Ra St. Brown DET (4.3% Rostered) – vs Bengals
- St. Brown has eight targets in two straight games. With injuries to multiple pass-catchers, St. Brown is a sneaky play in the right match-up
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry NE (35.7% Rostered) – With eight targets in Week 5, Hunter Henry has the chance to emerge as the TE1 on this team. Being touchdown dependent, seeing more opportunities as a tight end is the best case scenario. Look to stream him depending on the matchup.
Evan Engram NYG (30.5% Rostered) – I hate putting Evan Engram on here, but he will be the number one target going into Week 6. The ball has to be thrown somewhere and if Kadarius Toney is inactive, Engram should see upwards of 10 targets on the day.
Dan Arnold JAX (1.3% Rostered) – Dan Arnold is the true benefactor of DJ Chark being injured. Going six catches for 64 yards in just his second game on the team, Arnold shows why the Panthers paid up for him in the first place. Look for him to have a bountiful role in this offense.
Honorable Mentions
David Njoku CLE (1.6% Rostered) – vs Cardinals
- I do not like chasing points, but Njoku is a potential trade candidate to a tight end needy team. One of the teams are the Cardinals, who just lost Maxx Williams to a potentially season-ending injury.
D/ST Streamers
Arizona Cardinals (57% Rostered) – @ Browns
- Having such an electric offense will cause the Browns to throw the ball. The Cardinals are a top-10 defense against the pass. I like the Cardinals as a defensive play in week six.
Indianapolis Colts (43.7% Rostered) – vs Texans
- Facing one of the worst teams in the NFL, this top-8 total defense is sure to shut down the Houston Texans at home.
Cincinnati Bengals (17.1% Rostered) – @ Lions
- The Bengals are not known for having a good defense, but they are top-12 in yards per game as of Week 5. They should be capable of handling an injury rattled Lions team.
Kicker of the Week
The Bills have been on a roll lately and just recently beat the Chiefs. Playing in Prime Time in Week 6, I assure you Tyler Bass is going to have himself a game.
