Last week, injuries and breakout performances created a laundry list of players to grab off waivers and help your Fantasy team advance.
This week, the list isn't quite so hot. And that's a bad thing given the injuries to guys like DeVante Parker, Sterling Shepard, Brandon Marshall, Charles Clay, Terrance West, and, of course, Odell Beckham. I wrote about your chances of replacing Beckham earlier Sunday, and well, it's not pretty.
Nonetheless, if you're hunting for lineup help, here's who's there for you.
Running back
If Week 5 is any indication, the 49ers are headed toward making a change at running back. Carlos Hyde dominated with 65 carries through the first four weeks -- no other 49ers runner had more than 20 -- but a slow start against the Colts led coach Kyle Shanahan to giving Breida a try. The rookie didn't disappoint, notching 49 yards on 10 carries and 22 yards on three catches. It was especially revealing when Breida, not Hyde, was on the field in crucial third- and fourth-down plays late in the game including deep in the Colts' red zone. Breida's speed and moves have been well documented since the preseason, and he put them on display in the OT loss.
The 49ers are in a tough spot on the road for the second week in a row next week against a rested Redskins defense. Hyde isn't going to be a great Fantasy option -- nor will Breida -- but at least Breida is starting to develop some long-term appeal given Hyde's inefficiency.
Mack outshined veteran Frank Gore against the Niners, gaining 91 yards on nine carries with a touchdown, his second of the season. Mack nearly scored a second touchdown in the fourth quarter but a replay showed he was down at the one-yard line. He also broke a 35-yard run in overtime to help set up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal.
Per Pro Football Focus, Mack played just 18 snaps with two in the red zone. By comparison, Gore took on 42 snaps including eight in the red zone. So the rookie hasn't quite wrestled more than chunk of playing time away from Gore, but it could be coming. Behind Breida, Mack is the second-best long-term add off waivers this week. The Colts have a juicy matchup at Tennessee in Week 6.
Javorius Allen looks like he's the Ravens' lead back after leading the team with 21 carries at Oakland. West left the game early with a left calf injury and did not return. Alex Collins, despite a fast start, rotated with Allen, but seemed to get one carry for every two Allen got. Add in Allen's work in obvious passing situations, and there's a clear leader here. Perhaps Baltimore's coaches are hesitant to trust Collins for a big workload, preferring Allen's experience. The Ravens host the Bears next week, a decent matchup for their ground game.
Wide receiver
When we've trusted Wallace in the past, he's disappointed. But as far as bye-week and injury replacement receivers go, Wallace might be the best guy you can get your hands on. In the past two weeks he's caught 9 of 13 targets for 188 yards and a touchdown, blowing away the weak stats he posted in Weeks 1 through 3. He's also steadily outperformed Jeremy Maclin in the past two games.
He gets the Bears next week at home and then has a pair of favorable matchups in Weeks 8 and 9 against the Dolphins and Titans before a Week 10 bye. Maybe we shouldn't be finished with Wallace after all.
The good news is, Kearse bounced back as one of the Jets' difference-makers. The bad news is that everyone looks like a difference-maker against the Browns. But the same could be said of receivers that play the Patriots, and that's Kearse's next opponent, followed by the Dolphins in Week 7. He's caught 22 of 28 targets on the year (about six per game), but is averaging just 10.0 yards per grab. A safer option in PPR leagues, Kearse is a good one-week replacement option who will need touchdowns to deliver big numbers.
After his game against the Cardinals, Agholor has more deep scores on the Eagles (two) than Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith combined! However, he still doesn't get a ton of targets on a week-to-week basis, finishing with five or fewer in each of his last four. Seemingly big-play dependent, Agholor will travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers in Week 6, with an up-and-down slate of matchups to follow.
With Odell Beckham expected to miss the rest of the season and the status of Brandon Marshall unknown, expect Lewis to get a golden opportunity in the Giants offense. On Sunday, the 6-foot, 190-pound receiver scored on his only catch, a 29-yard bomb down the sideline while in tight coverage by standout cornerback Casey Hayward. It was his third career touchdown on his 15th career reception. Lewis is worth an add in deeper leagues, but it's with a long-term view. The Giants next two matchups are at Denver and versus Seattle, and both squads will be coming off of a bye. His chances of making an impact are looking slim.
Tight ends
It looks like Seferian-Jenkins has a chance to be one of this year's breakout tight ends. Through three games he's caught 15 of 18 targets for 106 yards, complete with a touchdown at Cleveland in Week 5. Next week he gets the Patriots, who have struggled with tight ends as of late. Once upon a time, Josh McCown made Gary Barnidge a Fantasy Football hero with a big dose of looks game after game. It's setting up for ASJ to follow suit.
Dickson is going to get a ton of attention after a career-high 175-yard eruption at Detroit, but a lot of that had to do with busted coverage and mistakes made by the Lions defense. While he's become a resource for Cam Newton with Greg Olsen sidelined, this kind of production isn't expected to continue. His previous career-high for a game was 79 yards; he had less than 175 yards in each of his three previous seasons. And he's never landed more than five touchdowns in a campaign. He'll take on the Eagles in Week 6 on a short week and shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a streaming option.
The 49ers passing game reached new heights at Indianapolis. Pierre Garcon nearly had 100 yards, Marquise Goodwin exceeded 100 yards, and Kittle caught 7 of 9 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown to help advance the game into overtime. This was easily Kittle's best game in the pros and could be a sign of things to come given the lack of depth of offensive talent on the Niners. Best of all, Kittle ran only 29 routes according to Pro Football Focus, his third lowest total so far this season. He's got a chance to improve on his targets and become a bigger player at a thin Fantasy position. The 49ers are on the road again next week at Washington and could end up being forced to throw a bunch. That should suit Kittle.
Njoku's three grabs on Sunday helped him put up a career-high 48 yards, with his third touchdown in four games. It was also his second touchdown from quarterback Kevin Hogan, who might end up replacing DeShone Kizer as the Browns starting signal-caller. Until his workload improves, Njoku is a touchdown-or-bust Fantasy tight end best left to those who start tight ends based on weekly matchups. Cleveland's Week 6 matchup at Houston isn't so favorable.
Quarterbacks
If you've got Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson (or Andy Dalton, I guess), you're in need of a quarterback in Week 6 since they're on bye. These are the most desirable replacements.
I know. Not so desirable.
Hoyer has 26-plus Fantasy points in two of his last three games while Brissett has one on the season and McCown is saddled with zero. But all three have pretty solid matchups next week -- McCown is home against the beleaguered Patriots, Brissett will play at the Titans and Hoyer will travel to Washington to face the Redskins.
Brissett has the best receiving corps of the trio, and his offensive line is improving. Plus he's willing to run with the ball. He's the best of the bunch, followed by Hoyer, then McCown.
