Fantasy Football, Week 5: Waiver wire pickups

Week 4 was another rough one for injuries to big name players, especially running backs. If your team was hindered by these injuries, theres plenty of options to boost your bench.

Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals

25.2 percent rostered
Last Week: 9 touches; 40 yards 1 touchdown

While Edmonds isn’t a very high volume running back he does provide value because of the receptions he gets out of the backfield. For PPR, Edmonds is worth adding to your bench for future use.

Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

8.6 percent rostered
Last Week: 8 touches; 21 yards

Austin Ekeler suffered a major injury in the Chargers last game, making Justin Jackson one of the best available backup running backs. While it’s probably too late to add Joshua Kelly, you can still add Jackson and get some production from a team that loves to use multiple running backs.

Damien Harris, RB, New England Partiots

15.4 percent rostered
Last Week: 17 touches; 100 yards

Sony Michel was another big name that went down with an injury this past week, thrusting Damien Harris into the spotlight. In one of his first games as a key contributor, he went over 100 yards rushing against a very good Chiefs defense. While the Patriots running back situation is very unpredictable Harris will still have productive games while Michel is out.

Laviska Shenault, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

35.7 percent rostered
Last Week: 5 receptions; 6 targets; 88 yards

Rookie wide receivers are not always reliable, but it is worth stashing players who have upticks in production on your bench. Shenault is one of the few examples, making him a great player to have on your bench to monitor how they do the rest of the season.

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

1.0 percent rostered
Last Week: 6 receptions; 7 targets; 113 yards; 1 touchdown

Similar to Shenault, Higgins increased in his production, especially this last week. While it’s not much of a guarantee that you’ll become a consistent option for Joe Burrow, it’s still worth having Higgins in the rotation if you need him later on in the season.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

36.6 percent rostered
Last Week: 4 receptions; 7 targets; 77 yards

The Broncos receiving group was killed by injuries over the past few weeks, leaving a lot of ambiguity for who would take over the majority of targets. While Jerry Judy will still be one of the primary options, Tim Patrick had a huge game against the Jets on Thursday Night Football. Based on the circumstance for a team that has been decimated by injuries, Patrick could turn into a quality player.

Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers

7.9 percent rostered
Last Week: 6 receptions; 6 targets; 98 yards; 1 touchdown

One of the most unexpected names this season has to be Robert Tonyan. He’s had quiet production, but on Monday Night Football he burst onto the scene with three touchdown receptions. This game could be a fluke however, you don’t want to take that risk if you desperately need a back up tight end.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

15.8 percent rostered
Last Week: 290 passing yards; 3 touchdowns

Surprisingly if you haven’t claimed Herbert yet, there’s still time for you to grab him. Herbert looks better and better each week, and against average, to below-average defenses, he’s going to put up a lot of production. Rookie quarterbacks are never a great option for your starting quarterback but having someone to step in the case of an emergency, Herbert fits the bill.