Waiver Favors: 2019 Week 5 Fantasy Football Pickups

By Ha Kung Wong  Week 5 Fantasy Football Pickups

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

As I do every year over the last 7 years, I’m back to help with some waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors article!  I’m assuming if you’re a returning reader, you won your fantasy football championship last year, so congratulations!

But it’s a new year, so I’ll make a couple suggestions after Week 5 of the 2019 fantasy football season.  You’re welcome.  Again.

As usual, all pickups are available in at least 50% of Yahoo standard fantasy football leagues (with some minor exceptions) as of Sunday evening.

Sam Darnold

QB – New York Jets – 13% Owned

The New York Jets suck.  There’s no two ways about it.  But Sam Darnold has recovered from mono and practiced with the first team offense coming into Week 5.  And we know that the Jets can only get better, so Darnold is worth stashing in 14-team leagues or deeper (particularly two QB leagues) in hopes of a turnaround, particularly with Chris Herndon coming back from suspension.

Ito Smith

RB – Atlanta Falcons – 14% Owned

Everyone drafted Devonta Freeman expecting great things after Tevin Coleman left Atlanta, but that hasn’t come to pass.  Instead, Ito Smith is essentially in a 60/40 timeshare with Freeman, with Freeman only out-snapping Smith 41 to 33 in Week 5.  Ito Smith rushed five times for 19 rush yards and had 6 receptions for 45 receiving yards.  It isn’t ground breaking, but the pass game involvement bodes well for PPR leagues.  Feel free to take a look in 14-team PPR leagues and deeper.

Jonathan Hilliman

RB – New York Giants – 0% Owned

What a tough run for Giants RBs.  First Barkley and now Wayne Gallman out with a concussion.  Jonathan Hilliman got most of the backfield snaps with 9 carries for 20 yards, adding one reception for 4 yards.  It’s not great, and the Giants have a Thursday night game coming up, but if Barkley doesn’t suit up, there’s really not many options for the Giants, so feel free to grab him as a desperation RB in 16-team leagues.

Mohamed Sanu

WR – Atlanta Falcons – 41% Owned

It seems everyone loves to overlook Mohamed Sanu.  Sure, he’s not exciting, but he’s pretty reliable and is averaging over 7 targets per game.  In Week 5, he grabbed all 5 of his targets for 42 yards and a TD.  He makes a decent bye week replacement in all 12-team leagues or deeper, and particularly in PPR leagues.

Demaryius Thomas

WR – New York Jets – 3% Owned

As I mentioned earlier, Darnold is coming back soon.  And Demaryius Thomas finally got a healthy game (back from a hamstring injury) on the field in Week 5 catching 4 of 9 targets for 47 yards from Luke Falk.  You’d have to believe he can do better once Darnold returns, so feel free to stash him as a WR5/Flex in 14-team leagues or deeper.

Chris Herndon

TE – New York Jets – 28% Owned

At this point, the Jets are just looking for play makers.  Chris Herndon was drafted in the 4th round in 2018 and showed flashes last year with 502 yards and 4 TDs.  There’s definitely room for targets, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets try to get Herndon involved as one of Darnold’s primary targets going forward.  Since the TE position has been particular weak this year, Herndon is worth a stash in 12-team leagues and deeper.

Gerald Everett

TE – Los Angeles Rams – 8% Owned

There are tons of mouths to feed on the Rams offense, but Gerald Everett is starting to make a name for himself, catching 7 of 11 targets for 136 yards in Week 5.  That’s now 19 targets over the last two weeks, and seeing as how shallow the TE position is, I don’t mind grabbing him in 14-team leagues and deeper.

UPDATE for Sunday and Monday Night Football

Byron Pringle

WR – Kansas City Chiefs – 0% Owned

Sammy Watkins went out early with a re-aggravated hamstring injury, leaving it open for yet another previously unknown WR to step up, and this time it was Byron Pringle.  Pringle hadn’t seen more than one target per game before this week, but ran away catching 6 of 9 targets for 103 yards and a TD in Week 5.  Clearly, if Tyreek Hill or Sammy Watkins returns, Pringle’s value is likely to evaporate, but for now, he’s worth a stash in 14-team leagues or deeper.

Check back later for Monday Night Football updates!

And here’s who I’ve recommended in previous weeks that I still think deserve a look:

10-Team Leagues

WRs – John Brown, Marquise Brown 

12-Team Leagues

QB – Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew

RBs – Carlos Hyde, Raheem Mostert

WRs – Cole Beasley (PPR), DJ Chark Jr., Mecole Hardman, DK Metcalf, Terry McClaurin, Demarcus Robinson, Auden Tate, Golden Tate

TE – Will Dissly

14-Team Leagues

QB – Kyle Allen, Daniel Jones

RB – Ronald Jones II, Adrian Peterson, Jalen Samuels

WR – Phillip Dorsett. Diontae Johnson, DeVante Parker, Preston Williams

TE – Noah Fant, Dawson Knox

16-Team Leagues

QB – Chase Daniels

RB – Darrel Williams

Check back every week for more Waiver Favors!