A full list of the top runningbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends to look for on waivers this week:
RBs
1. Latavius Murray, Vikings – With Dalvin Cook out for the season, the backup Vikings #2 RB is definitely the top waiver pickup for the week. Latavius Murray admitted he is still not 100% recovered from offseason ankle surgery but he still received more snaps (18) and touches (9) than Jerick McKinnon did vs the Lions once Dalvin Cook went down (McKinnon played 10 snaps and had 2 touches). Murray produced just 21 yards on 7 carries but if recovery goes well it is just a matter of time before he gets back in rhythm. The Vikings offensive line has been very good this season so Murray could be very valuable for the November and December months of fantasy football.
2. Aaron Jones, Packers – Ty Montgomery broke a few of his ribs on Sunday and Aaron Jones is the next man up. Montgomery is considered “day to day” and might play vs the Cowboys but playing with broken ribs is clearly no joke and his workload would likely be lighter than usual even if he does play. Jones is super talented and broke UTEP’s all-time rushing record in just 3 years. He runs very well between the tackles and the Packers are very high on him.
3. Alex Collins, Ravens – John Harbaugh is bullish on Collins and gave him more carries than Javorius Allen this past week. Collins had 9 carries for 82 yards vs the Steelers and ironically had the same stat line vs the Jaguars the week before. Javorius Allen is being used more as the pass-catching back after a 1.9 yards per carry performance vs the Jaguars, so Collins could become a back that gets 12-15 carries a week.
4. Andre Ellington, Cardinals – If Ellington is still available in your league (he was dropped in some leagues after poor games in Weeks 2 & 3) then it’s time to grab him in PPR leagues. He finally broke out for 9 receptions for 86 yards and the Cardinals can’t seem to get any run game going, so Carson Palmer will have to throw on short reads often and Ellington benefits from that.
TEs
1. Charles Clay, Bills: Clay has become a consistent target for Tyrod Taylor and Week 4 was no exception – 5 catches for 112 yards vs the Falcons. WR Jordan Matthews will be out a few weeks for the Bills and, with the Bills WR core already limited, Clay can see his workload increase from here on out.
2. Tyler Kroft, Bengals: Tyler Eifert is out (what else is new) with back spasms. He is doubtful for Sunday and his return timetable is unknown. Eifert takes a lot of the Bengals’ redzone targets so expect Kroft to get his fair share of targets inside the 20. Kroft had 6 receptions, 68 yards, and 2 touchdowns vs Cleveland in Week 4.
WRs
1. Will Fuller, Texans: Fuller just returned from an offseason collarbone injury and put up 2 touchdowns in his first game back. He has a problem with drops but makes up for it with deep plays down the field. If he doesn’t catch a deep pass in a game his value is pretty average but he’s very fast and was a 2016 first rounder so the value is there. He is the clear #2 WR in Houston playing next to red-hot Deshaun Watson.
2. Devin Funchess, Panthers: Greg Olsen is done for the season so Devin Funchess should get more redzone targets as the year goes on. He is coming off a 2 touchdown, 70 yard game on 7 receptions vs the Patriots. He is worth a pickup for a plug-in start.
3. Kendall Wright, Bears: With Trubisky starting Wright’s value goes up. The Bears don’t have many weapons in the passing game and have been relying heavily on pass-catching back Tarik Cohen as their go-to guy. We’ll see the type of chemistry Trubisky and Wright develop over time but Wright is worth a grab as Trubisky is a clear upgrade over Mike Glennon, even if he is “just a rookie.”
