Another week of fantasy football action is in the books, as owners everywhere scour the waiver wire to find the best available quarterback pickups. Looking around the league shows that players like Teddy Bridgewater and Gardner Minshew offer the best chance of positive performance in the upcoming week.
Note that in order to be eligible for this list, the player needed to be available in at least 50% of fantasy leagues. Obviously, there is some variation from league to league, so make sure to peruse all available players before making your claims. There could be a better streaming option available in your specific league that didn’t qualify for this list.
Week 5 Waiver Pickups: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Defense
Gardner Minshew, Teddy Bridgewater Highlight Fantasy Football Week 5 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Teddy Bridgewater
Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has quietly been fantastic for both fantasy and regular football over the past few weeks. In Week 4, the former Minnesota Viking completed 26 of his 37 passing attempts for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. While nothing special on its own, it’s worth noting that this performance came in a game where Carolina led for the vast majority of the contest. The Arizona Cardinals simply could not keep up with Carolina, so Bridgewater didn’t have to throw too often in the second half.
That probably won’t be the case in Week 5. The Panthers face off against an Atlanta Falcons team that can throw the ball well and can’t stop a passing offense to save its’ life. This should be a high-scoring affair, and Bridgewater should be a viable play for fantasy.
Gardner Minshew
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew isn’t matchup-proof, but he is capable of being a solid streaming option in the right matchup. DJ Chark is back in the lineup, and the former sixth-round pick has a history of solid play when he has his reliable weapon.
Minshew faces off against a Houston Texans team that has a great quarterback, and little else. Deshaun Watson will ensure this game to be a shootout, while Houston’s terrible defense ensures Minshew will have good odds of going blow-for-blow with Watson.
Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins historically needs two good wide receivers in order to be fantasy-relevant. He has those in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. These two are the highest-graded receivers in PFF’s rankings, and Cousins has been solid for fantasy since Jefferson made his leap. Over the past two weeks, Cousins has averaged 255 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Cousins will have to throw the ball constantly to keep up with Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks elite receiving weapons. He should throw the ball more than his average 24.5 times per game and should be pretty efficient with his passes.
Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones has been nothing short of a disaster through the first month of the season, but there is reason to believe he can turn it around. The second-year pro had a truly horrendous start to the season, as he had to go up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams. These are all great defenses, and Jones simply wasn’t ready to put up good numbers with his current situation.
The tides should change for Jones in Week 5 as he faces off against arguably the worst defense in football. The Dallas Cowboys have the NFL’s worst secondary, and opposing teams can essentially score at will against this overmatched unit. This should be a high-scoring affair and an overall good day at the office for Jones.
Week 5 Waiver Pickups: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Defense
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