Looking at your waivers, wondering who to add? Look no further!
Here are six players I’m targeting in Week 5 to add to the bottom of my bench before they blow up. Even if they don’t, they cost so little that they will not tank your team. It’s all about the upside, and I think these players have it, either in the long term or this week. Let’s get into it!
The QB on my stash list this week is currently on IR and not expected to play a single snap for the rest of the 2022 season: Matt Corral of the Carolina Panthers. He got a Lisfranc foot injury in the preseason that effectively ended his rookie campaign before it even started. The third-round draft pick was expected to be the primary backup to Baker Mayfield this year, which gave him some relevance in dynasty rookie drafts. His injury changed that, obviously, so now he’s on most waivers in shallower leagues.
It’s clear through 4 weeks that Mayfield isn’t the answer, and I can’t imagine that the team goes to Sam Darnold next year, either. Darnold, also on IR, hasn’t looked great in the last few years and shouldn’t be rostered in dynasty. This leaves the door open for Corral to come back to at least a shot at winning the starter job come spring. If the Panthers don’t draft another QB in 2023’s loaded class, he could be their QB, and the cost to acquire him is basically free right now. In deeper Superflex leagues, I love stashing Corral to see if it pays off or not.
I know; we’re all tired of trying to predict which San Francisco running back will be the featured player by this point. After the Niners selected Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round of the 2022 rookie draft, dynasty managers everywhere added him to their rosters, thinking, “it could be him!” However, so far, it hasn’t been. In a few of my shallower leagues, I’ve seen TDP hit the waivers, which I couldn’t believe. He’s going for a future third or fourth-round pick in some places.
I still think he’s worth stashing just in case the injury bug comes for San Fran again or Kyle Shanahan wakes up one morning and decides to give him 30 carries out of nowhere. He got 14 carries for 33 yards in Week 2 but has either been a healthy scratch, injured or riding the pine the other three weeks. Given how the 49ers like to operate, I’m not giving up on TDP just yet, but I understand why others would, given just how many mouths there are to feed there. Even if he plays, is he worth starting? Not yet, but maybe one day.
Najee Harrisis a stud; there’s no doubt about that. But behind him is Jaylen Warren, who needs to be rostered in every single league, regardless of roster depth. Warren is the clear backup to Harris. Benny Snell isn’t it as much as I love that kid and his history (he’s from my hometown).
That said, Warren can probably also be acquired for very little. If there’s a manager out there who’s vying for a title and making trades, I bet you can get Warren added as a throw-in to seal the deal. I doubt you can get him for a late-round rookie pick right now, but it never hurts to try. I don’t mind taking the risk on a potential bell cow if the starter gets hurt, and that’s exactly what Warren would be in Pittsburgh if given the chance.
Khalil Shakir hasn’t exactly lit up box scores lately, but he’s someone I’m happy to hold onto to see how things go. The Bills just lost Jamison Crowder to injury and could be without Isaiah McKenzie for a stretch here too. This leaves Shakir as the sole winner in the “next-man-up” game.
He’s only played in two games so far this year, catching two of his four targets for 23 yards. I don’t care. Any receiver can go for 100 yards and three touchdowns in that offense if the defense allows it. We’ve all seen Gabe Davis be the beneficiary of that kind of day. Why not Shakir? He’s another great throw-in target when you’re building out trades. Depending on the league and the settings, you might be able to get him for a third-round pick. I wouldn’t be willing to pay a second for him alone just yet but package him and another player you like and it becomes much more enticing.
Ah, Parris Campbell, what could have been? Campbell is one of those players I overdrafted in my rookie drafts and held on to like my childhood teddy bear, never letting go. That is, until this offseason when I finally dropped him in a league or two for other higher-upside players. With the addition of Alec Pierce to an already blah passing offense, Campbell wasn’t that exciting. Honestly, I’m not sure he’s all that exciting now, but his upside seems to have come back.
The issue with Campbell was never his talent but his inability to stay on the field. If he can stay healthy and build rapport with Matt Ryan, he may be flex worthy in some leagues. I’m still hesitant myself, but Campbell is someone I’m fine stashing to see how it goes. I’m not sure I’m trading anything for him just yet, but if he’s on waivers and my team is 0-4, I’m fine dropping a bench RB with no upside for Campbell to see how this year plays out. He could be nothing, but you don’t need to risk much to find out. I’m here for that.
Last on my stash list for Week 5 is none other than bench tight end Tommy Tremble. Playing with Mayfield at QB takes every player down a notch, and when you’re already pretty low on the totem pole like Tremble, that gets scary. I get it.
However, in Week 4, Tremble showed signs of life, getting three catches on six targets for 34 yards. He is not close to starter worthy, but his six targets translate to an 18 percent target share. Granted, those targets are from Mayfield, but they’re still meaningful. Tremble is on waivers in a few of my shallower leagues, meaning he can be added for nothing. This is the perfect stash candidate for tight-end premium leagues or on teams where your tight ends are either injured, underperforming or both. Even if you drop him for the next stash in a week, it could be a fun ride, so why not?
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Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, follow him @AndrewHallFF.