The fantasy football regular season has reached the quarter pole, and it is time to solidify position for the backstretch.
Welcome to Week 5 of the NFL season, when a coach already has been fired and injuries and suspensions already have riddled the league, and that has led to a pretty thin waiver wire in fantasy football.
Luckily, only the Miami Dolphins and the now Tony Sparano-led Oakland Raiders are on byes this week, and few of their players have much value in fantasy leagues.
It is worth considering trade options if you aren’t satisfied with your complete roster at this stage, but if you just need a little extra depth or a spot start, here are some players to consider:
Tight End
Count on Travis Kelce to continue to produce big games at tight end for Kansas City this season. A touchdown grab Monday night against New England gave him two in as many weeks, and he also had more than 80 yards receiving in Week 2. Kelce is a solid addition in all formats, as the Chiefs continue to trust Alex Smith to throw the ball in the redzone, and Kelce’s eight receptions Monday night is even more indicative of how much the Chiefs want to get him the ball.
Larry Donnell, mentioned after Week 1 in this column, still is available in more than 60 percent of leagues, but that will change after he scored three touchdowns for the New York Giants last Thursday night against Washington. Scoop him up before he is owned in every league.
Be cautious of starting Detroit’s Eric Ebron just yet. He did have his first touchdown last week against the Jets, but he only saw four passes come his way from Matthew Stafford, even with Calvin Johnson slowed with an ankle injury. He has potential and is worth a bench stash in deeper formats, but don’t expect consistent production.
Running Back
By default, Carolina Panthers running back Darrin Reaves will get some attention this week. Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert and DeAngelo Williams all are injured ahead of Reaves, and the Panthers can’t rely enough on their passing game without trying to maintain a running game. Reaves has just 37 total yards this season on 15 touches, but he is worth a late add if he is the starter come Sunday.
Jerick McKinnon has been hyped for weeks behind Matt Asiata after Adrian Peterson’s suspension in Minnesota. He finally had a big game Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, as he rushed for 135 yards on 18 carries. As a change-of-pace back behind Asiata, McKinnon is sure to see more touches going forward, especially if Teddy Bridgewater can keep the Vikings’ offense in games. Asiata will get more goal-line carries, but McKinnon could steal more of the work.
Andre Williams of the New York Giants also is worth a look behind Rashad Jennings in the Giants’ backfield, but Williams will see limited opportunities behind Jennings. Don’t get too excited about his 66 yards and touchdown last week in a blowout game against Washington.
Quarterbacks
Bridgewater tweaked his ankle but looked impressive in his debut for Minnesota. He added a rushing touchdown to 317 passing yards and gave the Vikings some life offensively. Though he is worth a roster spot provided he is healthy, don’t start him this week at Green Bay. Thursday-night games statistically don’t favor quarterbacks, and a short week to prepare and a bum ankle could lead to a Kirk Cousins-esque performance this week.
Drop Derek Carr if he had a roster spot. His injury Sunday in London didn’t look pretty, and the Raiders likely will be in disarray the remainder of the season after the coaching change.
Defense/Special Teams
Several fantasy owners dropped the Denver Broncos either during their bye in Week 5 or the week before when they made a trip to Seattle. Denver is back in action this week and should be added after coming through with three interceptions and eight sacks through three games against three quality opponents.
Also consider the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense this week if needed for a spot start. The Eagles will look to bounce back at home against Shaun Hill and the St. Louis Rams after being trucked by Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers on the road Sunday. Hill is expected to replace Austin Davis at quarterback for the Rams now that he is healthy again.
Oakland Raiders: All jokes about the continued coaching carousel in Oakland aside, the coaching change could help at least one player on the Raiders’ roster. Sparano likes his teams to run the football, and Darren McFadden could benefit from a few more touches. McFadden has started three consecutive weeks and now is ahead of Maurice Jones-Drew on the depth chart. McFadden hasn’t had a great start, but this is the most upside he has had in at least two years. Consider working him into the starting lineup in a few weeks when Oakland returns from bye.
Survivor Pool
Well, there goes this year’s survivor pool after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final seconds Sunday. Sorry to those I led astray on what seemed a lock. For fun, we will keep the picks coming. This week’s best bet is the Eagles at home against the Rams. Let’s see if we can get a new streak going.
John Livingston is a sports writer at The Durango Herald and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He can be reached at jlivingston@durangoherald.com or on Twitter @jlivi2.
