Spot-start pickups and long-term stashes both deserve fantasy owners’ attention now that we’ve hit the byes. As we head into Week 5, we’ve reached the point where the waiver wire has started to thin out with regards to players who can make an immediate impact on your squad. However, that’s not to say those options don’t exist. Each week always boasts a few streamer worthy quarterbacks and defenses, not to mention that a couple of players with decent roles for their respective teams, such as Ronald Jones and Mohamed Sanu, are still floating around in most leagues. Below, our featured pundits have come to help by sharing their top waiver wire targets at this juncture of the young season and suggesting which defenses have the most streamer value for the upcoming week.

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Featured Experts:

Bart Wheeler – Hail to Fantasy Football

Bobby Sylvester – FantasyPros

Mike Tagliere – FantasyPros

Jason Willan – Gridiron Experts

Rich Piazza – Fantasy Shed



Q1. How much are you willing to spend (FAAB %) on your favorite waiver wire target (or two) and why do you like him?

Ronald Jones (RB – TB)

“One is Golden Tate, but the one I really want to highlight is Jones, who looked tremendous in Week 4. Not only did he rack up 82 yards and a touchdown, but he had two runs totaling 70 yards that were called back. Jones has seen his carries go from three, four, and 14 to now 19, so it seems clear that he is the primary back moving forward in this high-powered offense. I’d put down 12 percent of my FAAB to acquire this RB3.”

– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Cole Beasley (WR – BUF) | Geronimo Allison (WR – GB)

“If you didn’t spend up to acquire Golden Tate last week, you’re likely stuck opening the checkbook now. Instead of spending astronomical amounts (he’s worth 15-20 percent, though), you can snag Beasley, who has now totaled at least 9.0 PPR points in every game this season, including 14.8 and 14.5, respectively, over the last two weeks. He may not have the big-play upside that John Brown does, but the passes that come his way will be much more high-percentage throws. I’d spend anywhere from five to seven percent of my FAAB to acquire him. If you’re looking for a higher upside option that could pay off in a big way, Allison would be an every-week starter if Davante Adams had to miss some time. He’s worth up to 10 percent of your FAAB, especially if you own Adams.”

– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Geronimo Allison (WR – GB) | Tyler Eifert (TE – CIN)

“Davante Adams is dealing with a turf toe injury that was bad enough to keep him on the sideline at the end of the Thursday night game and it could force him to miss a week or two. While I don’t expect Rodgers to throw 50 times each week, I’d still be comfortable spending 10% of my FAAB on Geronimo Allison because he should see a nice bump in targets if Adams misses time. Another guy who I’d spend 5-10% of my FAAB on is Eifert. Assuming he makes it through tonight’s game with a clean bill of health, he’ll get an Arizona defense next week that has given up the most points to the tight end position this season (and it’s not even close). In fact, if you are a Vance McDonald owner, stop everything you’re doing and drop McDonald for Eifert for both tonight and next week (for ZERO FAAB)!”

– Bart Wheeler (Hail to Fantasy Football)

Mohamed Sanu (WR – ATL)

“The ceiling is limited for Sanu, but he’s definitely someone worth adding if you want to go the solid route. Averaging six targets a game (12 in Week 4), Sanu shouldn’t disappoint as a flex option most weeks. The Falcons’ offense has struggled running the ball, leaving more opportunities for everyone in the passing game. You should be able to get Sanu with 7-10% of your FAAB.”

– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)

Golden Tate (WR – NYG)

“Tate is worth 10-15% of your FAAB budget this week as he joins the Giants’ receiving corps following a four-game PED suspension. As a guy that has thrived in a slot-receiver role throughout his career, Tate should complement what Daniel Jones has done well to this point in his rookie campaign. Look for Tate to eat into the target volume of Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard, potentially pushing the latter from the slot to more outside routes. The Vikings aren’t a great matchup this weekend, but Tate should play a role in an improved offense under Jones’ direction.”

– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 5, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target and why?

“The Tennessee Titans haven’t given up more than 20 points in a game yet this season and their matchup in Week 5 with Buffalo currently has the lowest expected point total (a good thing for fantasy defenses). The Titans have had five sacks in two of their four games to start the year, and the Bills just gave up five sacks last week to the Patriots (who, by the way, were the best fantasy defense in Week 4). If Josh Allen can’t go and Matt Barkley is the starter, the Titans go from a borderline top-five play to consideration for the No. 1 spot.”

– Bart Wheeler (Hail to Fantasy Football)

“The Titans have quickly proved that they again have a defense to be reckoned with this season, as they’ve allowed just 62 points through four weeks while racking up 13 sacks and six turnovers versus the Browns, Colts, Jags, and Falcons. That should carry over into Week 5 as well versus a turnover-prone Bills defense that is lacking firepower.”

– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

“The Carolina Panthers’ defense is coming back home after a game where they held the Houston Texans to just 10 points. Their 18 sacks are tied for the league lead and we just saw Gardner Minshew get sacked five times by a team that previously had no sacks in their last three games. What you’re looking for in a streaming defense is one that is a) hopefully at home, b) ideally a favorite, and c) one that gets after the quarterback. The Panthers check all the boxes here.”

– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“The Panthers lead the league in sacks and should be able to contain everyone’s favorite backup quarterback (Gardner Minshew). Look for Leonard Fournette to fall back to earth in Week 5 and for Carolina to perform well against an otherwise poor Jaguars offense.”

– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

“The 49ers will be coming off their bye and have been playing pretty good defense this season. They haven’t given up more than 20 points and have at least two sacks and one interception in each of their first three games. The Week 5 matchup against the Browns isn’t anything to shy away from, making San Francisco an intriguing Week 5 streaming option.”

– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)

Thank you to the experts for naming their top waiver targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.



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