As we march toward the halfway point of the fantasy football season, the waiver wire becomes increasingly important. It is an easy way to improve your roster due to injuries or if you need more depth. But the best waiver wire move is not always made on Tuesday night. Sometimes grabbing a player off the waiver wire before the games start can make or break your lineup. Here are three players to consider grabbing from waivers for Week 5.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Most people want to stay as far away from the Los Angeles Chargers as possible. With their offense looking so bad this season, they have little fantasy value. However, running back Keaton Mitchell has been a pleasant surprise the past couple of weeks. He is coming off back-to-back double-digit fantasy performances and led all Chargers running backs in touches last week. He is not just efficient on the ground, but in the air as well, catching eight passes the last two weeks.
It seems Mitchell is gaining more and more trust from the coaching staff every week. He keeps getting more work in both the run and pass game. If that trend continues, he should see a sizeable role against the Broncos this week. Even if Omarion Hampton or Kimani Vidal leads the backfield, Mitchell should be able to make the most of his opportunity, given how poorly the Broncos have fared against running backs. They have allowed the seventh most fantasy points to running backs. Mitchell should be a steal off the waiver wire.
Roman Wilson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Through the first few weeks of the season, few players have been as consistent, volume-wise, as Roman Wilson. He has caught six passes in every game this season. He has turned these consistent targets into 14 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for someone who was considered the third receiving option at the start of the season. But his fantasy production has increased, with him finding the end zone in back-to-back weeks. This kind of production is hard to find on the waiver wire right now.
Wilson should have no problem putting in another big performance this week. The Colts have allowed the 13th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Plus, the Colts’ defense leans on man-to-man coverage. Wilson has done very well against man this season, with a 26.7% target share and 2.21 fantasy points per target. This suggests Wilson should be a big part of the Steelers’ game plan again. He should be able to get at least six targets again, and potentially more.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
So far this season, Mike Gesicki has quietly been one of fantasy’s most efficient tight ends. Through four games, he has 11 catches on 15 targets for 155 yards and three touchdowns. He has posted double-digit fantasy points in three of his four games this season. Gesicki also averages 10.4 yards per target. This suggests that whatever usage he gets, he can put up solid numbers. With the tight end position so thin, this is like finding gold on the waiver wire.
But the best could be yet to come for Gesicki. The Dolphins have been one of the worst teams against tight ends in fantasy this season. There is also the fact that the Bengals ‘ receiver room is banged up right now. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Colbie Young are all questionable for this week’s game. This could make Gesicki one of Joe Burrow’s main targets. Even if they all play, they will not be at full strength, which will give Gesicki an opportunity to pick up where they left off.
