Top Week 5 waiver wire pickups: Why Cardinals' Joshua Doubs cannot be ignored much longer
The purpose of a waiver-wire column should be to spotlight players who may be on the verge of a breakout. After all, trying to land that player after his breakout is exponentially more difficult. Additionally, waiver-wire moves should always be made to add high-upside depth for later in the season or improve your chances of winning the upcoming week.
Not all of these columns will feature a future stud or no-brainer add, but we can usually find help for our fantasy teams if we try hard enough. Furthermore, I will try to avoid recommending players coming off a 10-catch or three-touchdown game because it should be incredibly obvious to most that they need to be on a roster at that point.
The players listed below are available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues and stand at least a decent chance of making some kind of impact in the coming weeks.
Week 5 Top Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterbacks
Joshua Dobbs, Cardinals
Week 4: 265 yards passing, two touchdowns and 48 yards rushing
It is getting harder to dismiss Dobbs, who has finished as the QB5 and QB8 in two of the last three weeks - the last of which came against a very talented San Francisco defense in Week 4. A big part of his recent fantasy success is the product of his ability to be a threat as a runner, as he has run for at least 40 yards in three straight contests.
Perhaps the most impressive part of his recent stretch of play is that three-game stretch came against three of the 10 stingiest defenses for fantasy quarterbacks (Giants, Cowboys, 49ers). That fact alone should give fantasy managers confidence as the Cardinals prepare to face a Bengals defense that gave up 20-plus fantasy points to dual-threat quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson in Weeks 1 and 2.
At worst, Dobbs can be used as a bye-week alternative for Watson, Justin Herbert or Geno Smith. He also makes sense as an option for managers who have suffered through Joe Burrow's awful start.
ESPN ownership: 2.1 percent
Other potential strong add(s): Kyler Murray, Cardinals (15.6 percent - should already be stashed in leagues with multiple IR spots); Sam Howell, Commanders (8.9)
Week 5 Top Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs
Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos
Week 4: Seven carries for 72 yards and three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown
McLaughlin may not have entered the league with much fanfare - mostly because he is a 5-foot-7, 187-pound undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State - but his lack of ideal size did not keep him from becoming college football's all-time leading rusher. He saw his first significant NFL action in Week 4 after Javonte Williams (hip) exited early due to injury and enjoyed the finest fantasy performance from a Denver running back this year on only 10 touches.
While Williams is not expected to miss many - if any - games with his injury, head coach Sean Payton acknowledged the day after the game that he will likely have to reevaluate McLaughlin's role in the offense. In a worst-case scenario for McLaughlin right now, the rookie has pulled even with backup Samaje Perine for backup duties. In a best-case scenario, he has already passed Perine on the depth chart, emerged as Williams' primary backup and would serve as Denver's lead back if Williams misses time moving forward.
ESPN ownership: 2.3 percent
*** Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins (30.8 percent). Wilson exceeds the 25 percent threshold I use for this column, but he needs to be added in all leagues. He is eligible to come off injured reserve this week.
Other priority add(s): Tyjae Spears, Titans (20.2 percent); Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (5.7)
Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (17.8); Latavius Murray, Bills (3.7); Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (2.3)
Week 5 Top Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers
Michael Wilson, Cardinals
Week 4: Seven catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets
Wilson was selected at the end of the third round in April's draft in large part due to bad luck (three significant injuries limited him to 14 games over his final three years at Stanford). The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder has been able to avoid any significant setbacks in the desert early in his professional career and has flashed over the last two games, finishing with 86 yards on two catches in a Week 3 upset of the Cowboys before scoring both of his team's touchdowns versus the 49ers.
There will not likely be enough volume in Arizona's passing game (Week 4 marked the first time the Cardinals attempted more than 31 throws) for Wilson to reward fantasy managers every week on a team that already features Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz - so he is not a plug-and-play option yet. What he does have is the size and athleticism to be a consistent threat in the red zone and as a field-stretcher, which should give him a high ceiling for fantasy purposes.
While the lack of consistent volume figures to keep Wilson in the WR4 range for most of 2023, his star is on the rise. It is a matter of when - not if - the rookie will be a regular fantasy starter.
ESPN ownership: 0.9 percent
Other priority add(s): Robert Woods, Texans (20.8 percent); Marvin Mims, Broncos (17.2); Jameson Williams, Lions (16.3); Josh Downs, Colts (12.7)
Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Rashee Rice, Chiefs (10.9); Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants (1.5); Trey Palmer, Buccaneers (1.4); Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers (0.4)
Week 5 Top Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends
Jake Ferguson, Cowboys
Week 3: Seven catches for 77 yards on seven targets
This one is getting a bit embarrassing, folks; Ferguson should have been scooped up off waivers in most leagues after Week 1 at the latest. He is the TE8 for the season and has attracted at least seven targets in three of four games. After a slow start to the season statistically (11 yards in each of his first two games), his catch and yardage totals have started to reflect his usage, as he has 12 grabs for 125 yards over his last two outings.
Even better for Ferguson's current and future investors is his underlying usage: he is drawing a target on 29.5 percent of his routes and Week 4 represented a new season high in terms of how often he was in the slot (37.9 percent). He is tied with Davante Adams for the league lead in red zone targets and tied with Jakobi Meyers for the league lead in targets inside the 10. No one should be surprised if a two-touchdown game is coming soon.
ESPN ownership: 24.6 percent
Other priority add(s): Logan Thomas, Commanders (7.7 percent)
Other potential strong add(s): Greg Dulcich, Broncos (9.8); Tyler Conklin, Jets (9.8); Noah Fant, Seahawks (2.8); Cade Otton, Buccaneers (1.7); Kylen Granson, Colts (0.8)