Tue Oct 6 12:23am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Coleman is capable of big game
We are going to call this week “turn back the clock week” on the waiver wire. There are some veteran players that make the list this week with the hopes of them showing flashes of good things one more time. We can hope, right? You just never know.
QUARTERBACKS
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (25.9% owned). Rodgers had his second straight three-touchdown game of the season last week. He has topped 26 fantasy points in two straight games. He looks to be getting more and more comfortable with his receiving options in the passing game. He is no sure thing at this stage of his career, but he is showing he might be worth some spot starts for fantasy teams.
Jameis Winston, Giants (16.2% owned). We finally got the Jameis Winston experience last week, seeing him score three touchdowns while turning the ball over twice. He still scored 22.5 fantasy points. He finally looked more comfortable as the starting quarterback for the Giants. You never know what you will get with Winston, but there is always a chance for him to go off any given week.
Deshaun Watson, Browns (29.1% owned). Watson keeps getting better each week. He had just a touchdown last week but threw for a season-high 268 yards. He has scored 21-plus fantasy points in two of three games. Watson is looking like a decent spot play in the right matchup for fantasy owners. This offense has plenty of exciting, young options for him to work with on a weekly basis.
RUNNING BACKS
Kimani Vidal, Chargers (12.9% owned). Vidal scored his first touchdown of the season last week. He got the most touches of the season as well, getting eight total touches for 36 total yards. The Chargers backfield is all over the place, so maybe Vidal starts to carve out a role. It seems new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is not a fan of starter Omarion Hampton.
Will Shipley, Eagles (2.7% owned). Shipley could be the last man standing for the Eagles. Both backs ahead of him on the depth chart are banged up. For now, Shipley seems to be the guy. Shipley catches the ball well, giving him some three-down ability. He might be worth some flex looks if forced into a starting role for the Eagles.
Austin Ekeler, Commanders (9.2% owned). Ekeler looked pretty good in his first game of the season. He was just signed but made an impact, rushing four times for 29 yards last week. Ekeler also had a catch for 11 yards. With the Commanders getting little from their running game, Ekeler could start to carve out a bigger role in the coming weeks. It was an encouraging first performance by him.
Joe Mixon, Seahawks (1.9% owned). Mixon missed all of last year with some sort of foot injury. He is apparently healthy and ready to make his return to the NFL. It isn’t known what type of back he will be upon his return, but he could get some chances in this offense until Zach Charbonnet is ready to go. Mixon might be worth a speculative pickup for fantasy owners.
RECEIVERS
Darius Cooper, Eagles (0.4% owned). Cooper had a two-touchdown game last week and has touchdowns in two of his last three games. He is getting some more chances with DeVonta Smith banged up. Cooper has some red-zone potential in this Eagles offense, an offense looking for pass catchers to step up.
Dohnte Meyers, Bengals (0.5% owned). Meyers had his best game as a pro last week, catching seven passes for 82 yards on nine targets. The injury to Ja’Marr Chase opened the door for Meyers to get a ton of snaps. If Chase has to miss any time, Meyers could be a good short-term replacement in this offense.
Malachi Fields, Giants (28.9% owned). Fields scored his first NFL touchdown last week. He had two receptions for a career-high 52 yards. Fields is a talented rookie that has multiple receptions in every game. He could start to take off in this offense as he gets more confident.
Keon Coleman, Bills (15.6% owned). An injury to DJ Moore opened the door for Coleman to grab some more looks last week. Coleman took advantage with a great showing, catching six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. His past history suggests he is no sure thing, but last week was encouraging. Plus, he has double-digit fantasy points in two of his last three games. His value is climbing.
Tyreek Hill, Free Agent (32.8% owned). Hill is yet to play this year, but there is all sorts of speculation he is nearing a deal to reunite with the Chiefs. You don’t know what type of shape he is in at this stage of his career, but if he is anywhere near his past self, the potential is there for good things in this offense. Hill is definitely worth a speculative pickup for fantasy owners.
TIGHT ENDS
Mike Gesicki, Bengals (18.8% owned). Gesicki has been a little more consistent this year than in years past. He has double-digit fantasy points in three of four games. He also has touchdowns in three of those games. Gesicki is a good pickup for any tight end-needy team looking for a spark. His floor has been pretty good to start the season.
T.J. Hockenson, Vikings (58.6% owned). This is likely the last week to get Hockenson off waivers. He had a monster game his last time out, catching 13 passes for 119 yards. He is clearly the favorite target of Kyler Murray. As long as Murray is starting, Hockenson has good potential for fantasy owners.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has been relatively underwhelming so far this season, ranking as the QB27 in fantasy scoring with just four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The last two games have been particularly rough, featuring two total touchdowns and five interceptions from the former first-round pick. While the box scores have been pretty ugly, we can point to wide receiver injuries as a glaring reason why Jones has underperformed. Alec Pierce (heel) was less than 100% for the first two weeks, and he has missed the Colts' last two games entirely after being placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Keenan Allen (groin) missed Week 4 after being ruled out before kickoff. Allen could return this week and Pierce will be eligible to play in Week 7, which means that Jones will be getting some of his top weapons back within the next few weeks. Jones can combine his rushing upside and solidified receiver room to re-assert himself as a viable QB2 in fantasy football. After all, we saw his true potential last year, when he ranked as the QB7 in fantasy scoring before tearing his Achilles. Managers will have to be a little patient as Jones waits to get his top targets back, but he's a solid bench stash in deeper leagues, especially on quarterback-needy rosters.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (core) has officially been placed on injured reserve. This move was widely expected, according to a report from NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, but the Eagles made it official on Tuesday. Bigsby picked up a core muscle injury during the final minutes of Sunday's Week 4 loss against the Los Angeles Rams. He suffered the injury while handling a larger workload (48% snap share, 14 carries, and 55 rushing yards) in the aftermath of an injury to teammate Saquon Barkley (hamstring). Landing on IR will require Bigsby to miss a minimum of four games, but Rapoport reported that the 24-year-old will undergo surgery and has a timeline closer to six weeks. With Bigsby and Barkley both sidelined, the injury-plagued Eagles will now turn to Will Shipley to lead their backfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Josh Cameron continues to see his role grow early in his rookie season. After catching two touchdowns through his first three games, Cameron hit another milestone in Week 4 with a career-high 42 receiving yards. He has now played at least 33% of the offensive snaps in three of his four games so far. That's not a very large snap share by any means, but it's still a solid mark for a rookie, and it indicates that he'd be the next man up to handle a much larger role if any of Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, or Brian Thomas Jr. were to miss time. He's particularly appealing ahead of the upcoming trade deadline, as Thomas' name continues to come up as a trade candidate. If the Jaguars do move on from Thomas, it would be a clear sign that they believe Cameron is capable of handling increased responsibilities on offense. We've already seen him strengthen his rapport with Trevor Lawrence, and he's an intriguing option on the waiver wire, especially given the positive state of Jacksonville's offense.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, putting him on the fantasy radar in leagues with 12+ teams. Burks saw a season-high 59% snap share in Week 4, and his bigger role was a direct result of Terry McLaurin (hamstring) being inactive. The 26-year-old was targeted three times, and although he only caught one pass, it went for a 47-yard touchdown reception. He has now scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, totaling 21.0 fantasy points in PPR leagues during that two-week span. The reception volume has been quite low, but we like his chances of having more catchable balls thrown his way with Jayden Daniels (elbow) trending toward playing in Week 5 against the New York Giants. The biggest factor for Burks' outlook is the status of McLaurin, who remains up in the air for this week. It'll be a little while before we get more clarity on McLaurin's status. In the meantime, managers in 12+ team leagues should consider adding Burks as a high-ceiling fantasy receiver.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams has played at least 82% of the offensive snaps in each of his last three games, including a 94% snap share during Sunday's Week 4 loss against the Chicago Bears. Williams has taken on a large role as the Jets' No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson with Adonai Mitchell (finger) sidelined. Williams caught six passes back in Week 2 and found the end zone this past Sunday, giving him double-digit fantasy points in two of his last three games. His productivity has been a direct result of his larger role, so he should be viewed as a solid WR3/flex option this week if Mitchell doesn't suit up. We'll know more about Mitchell's status near the end of the week, but in the meantime, Williams should be a priority waiver wire target in 12+ team leagues because of his immediate streaming appeal.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III has defied the odds, going from a 2025 undrafted free agent to a meaningful fantasy football contributor this season. Chism has taken on a larger role over the last few weeks with AJ Brown (ankle) on injured reserve. There isn't a clear pecking order in New England, but the 24-year-old finished fourth on the team in targets (4) and receiving yards (42) against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. He also made a spectacular touchdown catch that led to an embarrassing postgame viral moment for Bills cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson. While fantasy leagues don't reward extra points for one-handed catches, the play itself was an encouraging sign that Chism is capable of making plays on trickier targets. In other words, he can catch passes on plays where some other receivers might not be able. His big-play and touchdown upside gives him waiver wire appeal in leagues with 12+ teams heading into Week 5, especially with Brown still on IR and Mack Hollins (calf) at risk of missing time. If Hollins can't play this week, Chism could be the Patriots' No. 2 wide receiver behind Romeo Doubs.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer caught eight passes for 82 yards on 10 targets in a close Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That's more involvement than we've ever seen the third-year tight end have in a game where he shared the field with TE Brock Bowers. The concussion injury to Raiders WR Jalen Nailor (head) likely played a part in this, but Mayer's performance was impressive nonetheless. Las Vegas' head coach, Klint Kubiak, indicated that he'd like to get both his tight ends involved in the passing game. Mayer has excellent value for a tight end that's just seven percent rostered in Yahoo leagues, as he caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown last week. We could be in the midst of his breakout, in which case it would be exceedingly difficult to pick him up in a few weeks. Finding weekly productive players at the TE position is rare, especially when they were largely undrafted in fantasy leagues, so Mayer should be added in all leagues with 12 or more teams ahead of Week 5.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington found the end zone for the first time this season during last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Washington hauled in three of his five targets for 27 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. The big tight end drew an impactful penalty to set up his team to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Not everything Washington does shows up on the box score, but he's beginning to post decent numbers now. He finished with a season-high 67 receiving yards in Week 3. He draws a juicy matchup against the Indianapolis Colts defense in Week 5. A defensive unit that has given up over 200 receiving yards to tight ends this season. Fantasy managers should consider picking up Washington in deep leagues ahead of this matchup.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals hasn't seen much action early in the season, but is expected to see an expanded role going forward. Fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton (ankle) is looking at a 3-4 month absence after suffering an injury during Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The expectation is that Royals will move into the third spot on the depth chart following the Week 5 bye. So far this season, Royals has recorded three receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown in four games. He could be someone worth stashing in deep leagues or dynasty formats with Thornton out for the foreseeable future.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has surprisingly been reliable through the first four games of the season. Heading into Week 5, Watson has thrown for 855 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 127 yards on 31 rushing attempts this season. Watson carries a 69.6 percent completion rate into this Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets. A defensive unit that has struggled to contain quarterbacks this season. Watson is currently the QB12 heading into this big road matchup against the Jets. Given that some teams are on bye, Watson is looking like a priority streaming appeal for this weekend while he enjoys a career resurgence.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has yet to eclipse 20 fantasy points in a game this season. But he's elevated the Falcons offense to new heights, and at least enabled the run game to thrive in his presence. He's a huge upgrade from QB Cooper Rush, who started the season while Penix recovered from a torn ACL last season. Penix has only thrown two touchdowns, and most of Atlanta's scores have come on the ground since he's returned to play, but he could be in line for some positive touchdown regression. The team has two big-bodied red zone threats in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. London has been targeted by Penix at a high rate while Pitts has been mostly quiet this season, but the veteran TE got more involved in Week 4, with 47 receiving yards. If Penix is able to get the ball to both effectively, we could see his touchdown numbers improve, in which case he could become an every-week starter in deep 2QB leagues. That's where you should target him as a waiver pickup, where talent is hard to come by after drafts gobble up most of the productive talent.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed 14 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns and caught one pass for five yards in his team's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4. It was surprising to see Robinson have so much standalone value when backing up elite starting RB Bijan Robinson, who's one of the best RBs in the league. Robinson (Bijan) only had two touchdowns. But the Falcons offense is rolling, and they did a good job slowing down New Orleans' offense. Atlanta built such a lead so quickly that they didn't have to keep their starting RB on the field as much as possible, which allowed Robinson (Brian) to have a big game. It's likely that in closer games, Robinson (Bijan) will still handle the majority of the touches while Robinson (Brian) only handles a handful of touches. But with how well Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is playing, more blowout wins could be in the future, and the potential for Robinson (Brian) to have league-winning upside is huge if Robinson (Bijan) gets hurt. So the former Washington Commander should be added in all leagues, at least as a handcuff, ahead of Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned in his second performance in a row of over 23 fantasy points in a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers, despite his age, is still a productive passer, and has a trio of competent wideouts to throw the ball to as well as an offensive-minded head coach that has a history of aiding productive passing games. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has put together a good offensive scheme so far this season, and as a result, Rodgers has racked up nearly 600 passing yards across his last two games. On film, Rodgers is still able to get zip on the ball and find his targets downfield. Week 5 and Week 6 feature the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as opponents for Rodgers and co., and those two squads have among the NFL's worse pass defenses. Rodgers is hardly rostered, but is a legitimate waiver target even in 1QB leagues, and should be 100 percent rostered in 2QB leagues. He's a startable QB1 for the next two weeks as well.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel is coming off his best performance of the season in Week 4. Noel hauled in all three of his targets for 85 yards in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Noel was barely seen during the two games that fellow wideout Nico Collins missed, but he made a splash during Collins' return this past weekend. The 24-year-old appears to be building chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. The two of them connected on a big 52-yard play this past Sunday. Noel has a chance to carve out a role as the No. 2 wideout in Houston. He's a decent dynasty stash and a possible deep league flex option for the Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Cody White could see more opportunities in the passing game after Raiders WR2 Jalen Nailor (head) left his team's Week 4 contest with a concussion. Players with that injury typically miss at least one game while in the league's concussion protocol -- his absence would move White up to the second receiver spot, behind WR1 Tre Tucker. There isn't a lot of talent separating any of Vegas' pass-catchers this season, and White scored two touchdown in Week 2 and one in Week 3, so he could produce well when given more targets. He hasn't been very involved in the offense so far, as tight end Brock Bowers is the clear No. 1 pass-catcher and White was relatively unknown before this season started. A higher target share could see him become a starter in deep leagues. Outside of those deep leagues, he's probably not worth rostering, but in dynasty leagues and redraft leagues with 14 or more teams, any player with a reasonable chance at being productive should be rostered.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson posted a season-high in yardage during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson carried the ball eight times for 42 yards in their three-point victory. He also fumbled the ball in an important part of the game, so we'll see if that impacts his playing time going forward. The Packers don't have a legitimate lead back right now, so Johnson should remain in the picture. It's tough to know exactly what he's going to offer weekly in this three-back committee. The 23-year-old is worth holding in deep league and dynasty formats ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had just to catches on three targets for 25 yards in his team's fourth loss in a row to start the 2026 season. The whole Bucs offense has been miserably unproductive, though -- WR1 Emeka Egbuka had only two catches for 13 yards last week, and the team's leading wide receiver, Chris Godwin Jr., managed only 31 yards on six receptions. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) was struggling earlier in the season before he picked up a thumb injury. He'll miss two more weeks. Undrafted free agent backup Jalon Daniels started in Week 4 and managed just 148 passing yards while distributing the ball around, which didn't leave much room for the receivers to produce. Hurst may see struggles in his next two games, but Mayfield's return should be a positive for his value. Hurst has been the starting X receiver for the team this year, though his snap share significantly declined in Week 5. Stashing him in deep leagues and waiting to see what happens when Mayfield returns isn't a bad idea. He looked to be on the verge of a breakout after Week 3, when he caught a 40-yard touchdown. Patience should be exercised here, but picking up Hurst could pay off.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley saw his first regular season action in Week 4 due to WR Ja'Marr Chase (head) suffering a concussion and being forced to exit the contest. Tinsley caught three of his seven targets for 49 yards in a game that also saw Bengals WR2 Tee Higgins (adductor) get hurt. Tinsley could be the WR2 for the Bengals in Week 5 and see plenty of volume in a high-powered passing offense. It's unclear if Chase or Higgins will miss Week 5, but we won't know their status until much closer to the game. In deeper leagues, a chance to get a team's WR2 off waivers, even if they're not considered very talented, is one that shouldn't be passed up on. Cincinnati's quarterback, Joe Burrow, is capable of feeding a high volume of accurate targets to whoever he throws to. A matchup with the struggling Miami Dolphins next week could present the perfect opportunity for Tinsley to have a career game, especially if Higgins plays at less than 100 percent due to his injury. In leagues with 14 or more teams, he should be a priority pickup as a spot starter, even if it's only for one week. Cincinnati's second leading receiver last game was WR Dohnte Myers, who was targeted nine times. Both are good players to add off waivers, as Burrow is more than capable of fueling huge games for multiple of his pass-catchers.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had his best game of the season in Week 4, scoring over 23 fantasy points by throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Since Week 1 he's played mistake-free football, as he hasn't turned the ball over a single time since Week 1. The return of wide receiver Nico Collins adds a lot to Stroud's upside, as he caught two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. Collins is one of the NFL's best receivers, and the offense is completely different when he's on the field. Stroud averages nearly 20 fantasy points per game in games Collins starts and finishes, and if he were to keep that same pace for the rest of the season, he would be one of the clear best QBs in fantasy football. He's still on waivers in a large portion of 1QB leagues, but just a few more games will Collins will likely make his rostership rise and make it much more difficult to pick him up. You may even be able to use your waiver claims on more highly-coveted players and wait for free agency to start to pick up the Texans starting quarterback. He's likely undervalued currently, and is one of the better QB pickups on waivers right now, despite the Texans being 0-4 and his poor fantasy performance last season.
From RotoBaller
Reports circulated on Monday that the Seattle Seahawks were on the verge of signing veteran free-agent running back Joe Mixon (foot) to their roster in the wake of placing rookie first-round RB Jadarian Price (chest) on Injured Reserve over the weekend. However, the Seahawks elected not to sign Mixon to their practice squad in the end thanks to a troublesome foot issue that caused him to miss the entire 2025 season while with the Houston Texans, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Mixon is specifically dealing with a degenerative foot issue that could wind up putting a premature end to his NFL career. There are other RB-needy teams around the NFL, specifically the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is "up for debate" whether Mixon will actually sign with another team or play another down in an NFL game. Until Zach Charbonnet (knee) can make his 2026 season debut, the Seahawks will move forward with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani sharing touches in the backfield. Mixon, a former second-rounder by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, is a two-time Pro Bowler and reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark in five of his eight NFL seasons.
From RotoBaller