October 3, 2017

Week 5 FAAB waiver wire targets and auction dollar bidding prices for fantasy football. For leagues where FAAB auctions are used to bid on waiver wire pickups.

Welcome to Week 5 everyone. With a quarter of the season over and bye weeks starting, there might be even more urgency for many fantasy owners to hit the waiver wire.

Below are my recommended FAAB waiver wire bids for Week 5. Each FAAB auction price recommendation will be based on a $100 FAAB budget, and all players listed have less than 50 percent ownership on Yahoo.

Let’s look around the league at who is worth a bid going into Week 5.

FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Running Backs

Latavius Murray (MIN) - $25-40  (17% owned)

Rookie Dalvin Cook (torn ACL) is done for the year. By default, Murray is now the lead back in Minnesota's rushing attack, which makes him the top waiver pickup heading into Week 5.

Murray has admitted that he's still bothered by a sore ankle, and it has shown, as he's averaging only 2.7 yards per carry (14 carries, 38 yards). That's not a ringing endorsement for his fantasy ceiling, but you can't ignore the fact that his workload will increase significantly. He'll be on the RB3/flex radar moving forward.

Alvin Kamara (NO) - $25-35  (46% owned)

At this point, Kamara needs to be owned in all PPR leagues. Adrian Peterson more likely than not will be the odd-man out most weeks. Kamara, a 22-year-old rookie, caught a team-high 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in London, and it's his second straight week with a score. It might be a good time to sneak Kamara onto your roster, too, with New Orleans having a Week 5 bye.

Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy (SEA) - $5-9  (29% owned)

Dynamic rookie Chris Carson fractured his leg Sunday night and will likely miss most, if not all, of the year. Seattle's backfield has turned from bad to worse. Rawls and Lacy figure to share early-down work now, with CJ Prosise and JD McKissic battling for scraps in the passing game.

With Rawls a healthy inactive in Week 4, Lacy had 11 carries for a team-high 52 yards against the Colts. While Lacy would figure to be the better waiver pickup at this point based on last week's production, head coach Pete Carroll also hinted that Rawls could be the starter in Week 5. It's a tough situation to predict, and one that only desperate fantasy owners should navigate.

Aaron Jones (GB) - $7-8  (11% owned)

In a cruel twist of fate, Green Bay lost both their starting running back Ty Montgomery (ribs) and his backup, Jamaal Williams (ankle), to injury Thursday night. While Montgomery and Williams don't have long-term injuries, they could both sit out a week or two. Jones had a team-high 13 carries for 49 yards and a score in his first real action of the season and has lots of upside in a potent offense.

Alex Collins (BAL) - $3-5  (10% owned)

Baltimore's offense is stuck in neutral, but Collins notably started over the inefficient Terrance West and Javorius Allen against the Steelers and had a team-high nine carries for 82 yards. Although most of Collins' yardage came on a 50-yard scamper, he's certainly trending upward. That's if he can hang onto the football.

Also consider: Wayne Gallman (NYG) - $1-2, Elijah McGuire (NYJ) - $1

Wide Receivers

Will Fuller (HOU) -  $10-18  (32% owned)

After missing the first three weeks with a broken collarbone, Fuller returned with a vengeance, hauling in four of six targets for 35 yards and two touchdowns. He's the clear No. 2 wideout across from DeAndre Hopkins, and with rookie QB Deshaun Watson proving to be the real deal, there is clear upside to be had with Fuller moving forward.

Jaron Brown (ARI) - $10-16  (7% owned)

Not to be confused with the injury-prone John Brown, Jaron has been Arizona's workhorse receiver alongside the veteran Larry Fitzgerald. He's received double-digit targets in two of four games this year and caught eight passes for 105 yards in the Week 4 victory. The fact that Brown played over 95 percent of the offensive snaps is a great sign.

Cooper Kupp (LAR) - $5-7  (44% owned)

Kupp was a popular rookie sleeper and delivered in Week 1 with four catches for 76 yards and a score, but many owners ditched him after two straight weak performances. He's back on the map after a five-catch, 60-yard, one-TD game in Week 4. The 24-year-old will continue to be up and down in 2017, but the upside is clear in an all-around improved Rams offense. You could do much worse as your WR4/flex in deeper leagues.

Zay Jones (BUF) - $3-5  (15% owned)

Jordan Matthews will miss a month after thumb surgery. Buffalo's paper-thin receiving depth just got worse. Jones effectively becomes the Bills' top receiver not named Charles Clay. The opportunity is there over the next several weeks, but the rookie will have to do much better than his four catches (17 targets) for 57 yards so far.

Also consider: JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT) - $1-2, Michael Floyd (MIN) - $1, Aldrick Robinson (SF) - $1

Quarterbacks

Mitch Trubisky (CHI) - $4-10  (3% owned)

Four games into the season with a 1-3 record and the Bears have decided to move on from Mike Glennon. With the Bears in rebuilding mode, it's the right thing to do. Trubisky will give the offense more upside if he plays anything like he did in the preseason (36-for-53 for 364 yards, three TDs and no INTs). The downside is that the rookie is working with a receiving corps led by Kendall Wright, so growing pains could be quite frequent for the former North Carolina Tar Heel. Regardless, Trubisky is worth a look as your second quarterback in two-QB leagues.

Tight Ends

Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ) - $3-5  (7% owned)

In his two games back from suspension, ASJ has nine catches on 10 targets for 77 yards. While it's not great production, it's nice to see the former Bucs castoff producing in an offense that quite frankly really needs him. He could be one of Josh McCown's most reliable weapons the rest of the year and can serve as a decent bye-week filler at the tight end position.

Tyler Kroft (CIN) - $1-2  (1% owned)

Tyler Eifert (back) has missed the last two games and is out for the foreseeable future. In his absence, Kroft has recorded nine catches on 11 targets, including two touchdowns in Week 4 against the lowly Browns. While his two-touchdown performance is probably the high point of his season, the fact that he's seen 11 looks in the two games without Eifert is encouraging. He's worth consideration as the bye weeks start rolling in.

Also consider: A.J. Derby (DEN) - $1

Defense/Special Teams

Detroit Lions - $1-2  (36% owned)

Not only are the Lions one of the better overall teams in the NFL at this point, but their defense is a bit underrated. They held the Vikings -- albeit with Case Keenum under center -- to just seven points in Week 4 and rank second in the league with seven interceptions. They're also tied for second in the NFL with four fumble recoveries, so Teryl Austin's unit has been an opportunistic one. This week they'll be at home against turnover-prone Cam Newton, so they should be a decent unit to stream.

Also consider: Philadelphia Eagles - $1

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis