The Friday Waiver Report is usually the place to find replacements for players who are in danger of sitting out, as well as getting a head start on players who could be hot commodities next week. So far this season, we have been pretty successful getting the jump on some relevant pickups. Last week we had Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy and Wayne Gallman, and the week before we identified Jaron Brown and Ryan Griffin. Let’s hope we can keep the good times rolling in the Week 5 edition. The players below are in no particular order, though they are listed along with their ownership percentage in Yahoo! leagues.
Darren McFadden, RB, DAL (12%) and Alfred Morris (9%) – I just traded McFadden away in a 16-team league, which means there is a 100 percent chance Ezekiel Elliott will serve his six-game suspension this season. The good news here is we should get some clarity on the situation within a week, and if it looks at that point like Elliott will not serve his suspension this season, you can drop his backups. McFadden hasn’t played yet this season, but the fact they have kept him on the roster makes me think they are saving him for when they need him. He is more versatile than Morris, and of the two, I would prefer to own McFadden.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, MIN (21%) – I have always thought of McKinnon as a poor man’s Giovani Bernard, and he will get thrust back into that role so long as he is not limited by his ankle injury. Latavius Murray will likely get more carries and more touchdowns, but McKinnon should catch more passes, and that has value, especially in deeper leagues.
Jamaal Williams, RB, GB (9%) – After initial reports had Jamaal Williams missing Week 5, he has practiced fully the past two days. It looks like Williams will play Sunday, and if Ty Montgomery is out, Williams and Aaron Jones (51%) are both flex considerations. Williams got the first crack at replacing Montgomery Sunday, but there is no guarantee that happens again after Jones looked pretty good against the Bears. Of the two, I would rather own Williams.
New York Jets DEF (34%) – The Browns have turned the ball over 10 times and have allowed 13 sacks through four games. New York’s defense may not be great, but it is good enough to get to DeShone Kizer and force a couple of turnovers, which is all you really need.
Nick Boyle, TE, BAL (0%) – Last week, Benjamin Watson missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before practicing fully Friday and then playing on Sunday. We are likely headed toward the same outcome this week, but if Watson doesn’t practice Friday, Boyle would be a nice pickup, especially in deep leagues. Boyle Caught five passes for 36 yards in Week 4 while Watson also caught five for 43. This would be a great situation if one of these tight ends would just go away.
Sam Bradford, QB, MIN (16%) – Bradford returned to a limited practice Thursday, and while he may not play this week, he has a pretty good chance of playing Week 6 against Green Bay. If your starting quarterback has a bye in Week 6, you should think about picking up Bradford now.
Kenjon Barner, RB, PHI (0%) and Corey Clement (1%) – Wendell Smallwood has not practiced yet this week, which would leave Barner and Clement to split backfield touches with LeGarrette Blount. Barner is probably the best pass catcher of the three, and he would be an interesting replacement for Smallwood in deep PPR leagues.