Week 5 gave rise to a whole host of injuries, with easily the most notable one being Jay Ajayi’s ACL tear. Other ailments that captured our attention were Matt Breida’s ankle sprain along with Brandin Cooks’ and Cooper Kupp’s concussions. As tough as wading through the fallout of these injuries will be, we still witnessed our fair share of surprise performances and frustrating positional logjams that have us heading into Week 6 with more questions than answers. Is Robby Anderson’s newfound fantasy relevance sustainable? Can any Titans and Raiders receivers be trusted in fantasy on a weekly basis? What the heck do we make of the running back quagmires in Green Bay, Seattle, and Philadelphia? Where has this version of Isaiah Crowell been all season?
With all the impactful injuries and unclear situations, this week’s waiver wire may have more long-term difference-makers than you may realize. The next fantasy free agent star could be waiting for you to snag him right now. Maybe it’s Mohamed Sanu, Jameis Winston, Corey Clement, or one of several other overlooked names? With that being said, our featured experts have come to share their insight on which widely available players and defenses can offer you the most assistance.
View your league’s top available players with My Playbook 
Featured Experts:
Mike Tagliere – FantasyPros
Derek Lofland – Fantasy Football Maniax
Andrew Gould – FantasyPros
Bobby Sylvester – FantasyPros
*Ownership % derived from a consensus of Yahoo & ESPN leagues
Q1. How much are you willing to spend (FAAB %) on your favorite waiver wire target (or two) and why do you like him?
Keke Coutee (WR – HOU) | Ronald Jones II (RB – TB)
“There are two players that I really like this week on the waiver wire. Coutee has been fantastic in two games and even as the third option in the Texans passing game, I think he can have a good fantasy role the rest of the way. It depends on how much your leaguemates are spending, but given WR Will Fuller’s tendency to be hurt and Coutee’s fast start, I would be willing to spend 10-15% of my FAAB to acquire him. I would not want to blow my entire budget on him this early in the season, but you could be picking up a WR3 for the rest of the year.
Jones should come out of the bye week with a much larger role, and on an explosive offense, he could be worth a flyer. I like Jones because I think he will be cheaper than some of the other running backs. I think you can bid 5% of your budget or less and safely acquire him, depending on the waiver wire depth at running back in your league.”
– Derek Lofland (Fantasy Football Maniax)
“Keke Coutee has played 137 of 166 snaps and caught 17 of 22 targets in his first two NFL games. He has received a red zone target in each game, including a one-yard touchdown on a flip throw Sunday night. More NFL offenses are fostering three viable fantasy wideouts, so the 5’11” speedster is a high-upside play behind DeAndre Hopkins and Fuller. I’d be willing to bid up to 10 percent of my FAAB on a potential difference maker.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
Mohamed Sanu (WR – ATL)
“I’d be willing to spend roughly 20 percent of my FAAB budget in Ronald Jones, though you can likely get away with less if he’s still on your waiver wire. While the Bucs haven’t officially named him the starter, they have to see what they have in their second-round pick because Peyton Barber isn’t the future. Running backs are too hard to find to pass up this type of upside. Many will be considering the Eagles running back duo of Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood as the top adds after the Jay Ajayi injury, but it’s likely going to be a full-blown timeshare between those two and Darren Sproles, leaving you with some serious volatility. I wouldn’t be shocked if they traded for or signed a running back.
Sanu should also be owned in every league. Did you know there were just 11 wide receivers who had more WR3-type performances in PPR formats last year? He’s worth 8-10 percent, as he’ll be at least a WR4 for the remainder of the season.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
Alfred Morris (RB – SF)
“Almost every week, we are either talking about the top streamers or players with the potential to eventually be startable on a good fantasy team. This week, we have someone who is already startable in Morris. With Breida likely missing time with an ankle injury, Morris fills in as a high-end RB2 during that entire stretch. Remember, Carlos Hyde, who is a similar player, was a top-12 fantasy running back last season in the same role. I’d spend around 20% FAAB to acquire him unless we learn that Breida needs surgery, in which case I’d spend around 60% to acquire Morris.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 6, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target and why?
“When looking for a streaming defense, you ideally get one who is at home, preferably a favorite, and should at least present a solid floor. The Jets should have just that against the Colts, who may be without T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle again. While Andrew Luck will make some plays, he’ll also make some mistakes, as he’s now thrown five interceptions through five games. He’s also been sacked 10 times and the Jets have shown the ability to get after the quarterback the last three weeks, racking up 10 sacks.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
“This is a rough week for widely available streamers, so Seattle is a risky choice on the road against an up-and-down Oakland offense. However, David Carr has thrown five picks and suffered nine sacks in the last three games, and the Seahawks have already accrued 11 takeaways. I could also see using the Jets at home against the battered Colts.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
“I’m willing to use the Bengals’ surprisingly impressive defense even against the Steelers this weekend. Cincinnati has had a difficult schedule so far and has still managed to rack up 13 sacks and force eight turnovers while missing their best defensive player for the first four games. They take on the Steelers this week, who have dominated the three worst defenses in football, but struggled versus both the Ravens and Browns. Ben Roethlisberger has looked shaky on tape, so I’m willing to bet on several turnovers here.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
“The Cleveland Browns are one of the best fantasy defenses in the NFL this year, and they go against a Los Angeles Chargers team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this year. Cleveland forces enough turnovers and sacks that they should be owned in all leagues and they have a great matchup this week.”
– Derek Lofland (Fantasy Football Maniax)
Thank you to the experts for naming their top waiver targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.
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