RADIO
Let's keep on keeping on as we head into Week 5 of the NFL season. As the bye weeks begin, there's no better time to hit the waiver wire hard, especially at the wide receiver position. With the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets all on bye, it means that there are likely a few holes to fill in your fantasy lineups.
It obviously could be way worse than being without Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews and whoever the Vikings and Panthers are throwing the ball to this coming week.
With that said, though, there's still plenty of players to check out on the waiver wire after Week 4, so let's do this dance.
Week 5 Waiver Wire - Wide Receivers (WR)
Leonard Hankerson - WR, ATL - 18% owned on Fleaflicker
It seems as though Hankerson has officially surpassed veteran Roddy White on the Atlanta Falcons' depth chart. Ready for this? Since Week 2, Hankerson has been targeted 25 times, while White has received five targets. Yes, five.
This has resulted in White totaling two catches for eight yards during that span, while Hankerson has posted 15 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns. With the Atlanta offense simply exploding over the past two weeks, scoring a combined 87 points, don't expect them to slow down anytime soon.
Hankerson simply looks like the newest weapon in the Atlanta offense, and as he and Matt Ryan continue to build their chemistry, things are only going to get better for him. While opposing defenses do their best to lock down Julio Jones, it should lead to the 26-year-old receiver having no problem putting up some solid performances moving forward in 2015.
The Falcons take on the Redskins, Saints, Titans and Buccaneers over the next four weeks, all of which have beatable secondaries. Realistically though, the fact that Jones is lined up across from Hankerson is really the main selling point of grabbing him.
Cole Beasley - WR, DAL - 10% owned on Fleaflicker
Let's put this as simply as possible. Someone has to catch the ball for the Dallas Cowboys. We know that Brandon Weeden isn't the greatest quarterback when it comes to throwing the ball down field, which sets up beautifully for Jason Witten and, you guessed it, Beasley. The slot receiver for the Cowboys was considered a sleeper by many before the season, but didn't do as much as many expected through the first two weeks.
To this point in the season, Beasley has 18 receptions for 174 yards. What makes him stand out is his recent game against the Saints, as he caught six balls for 62 yards. Beasley has been one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL in his career, as he dropped exactly zero passes through all of 2014 and hasn't dropped a ball this season yet either.
The fact that Dallas will be without Tony Romo until at least Week 11 is a nice selling point on Beasley, but even when Romo gets back, the former SMU receiver will have a pretty big role. To top it off, Dallas faces the Patriots, Giants, Seahawks and Eagles over their next four, so there's a good chance they'll be throwing the ball quite a bit.
Jamison Crowder - WR, WAS - 0% owned on Fleaflicker
Crowder is a player whose stock has been slowing rising throughout the 2015 season, literally. Here's how his season has played out:
- Week 1: One target, one reception, zero yards
- Week 2: One target, one reception, seven yards
- Week 3: Six targets, six receptions, 45 yards
- Week 4: 12 targets, seven receptions, 65 yards
The rookie from the Duke Blue Devils has officially arrived in Washington. The question is, what will his role look like when DeSean Jackson returns? Well, one thing that's certain is that he and Kirk Cousins have a rapport that's growing on a weekly basis. Don't be surprised to see Crowder remain as a go-to option in this passing game, even with Jackson back.
Obviously, this one's a bit of a risk, but Washington faces the Falcons in Week 5, who we know can put points on the board. After that it's a rough matchup against the Jets, and two interesting matchups with the Buccaneers and Patriots. The Buccaneers have a secondary that should allow Crowder to have a nice outing, while Washington will be playing catch-up with New England from probably the first quarter on.
Other Wide Receivers To Consider Adding
Allen Hurns, WR, JAX - 17% owned on Fleaflicker
When you flip through the statistics on a weekly basis, it may seem like Hurns and Allen Robinson are just rotating having big weeks, but that's not actually the case. Hurns has topped 60 yards in every game this season, but has also scored in back-to-back games as well. The next three games against the Buccaneers, Texans and Bills are all more than decent (specifically the Buccaneers and Bills).
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, TEN - 18% owned on Fleaflicker
Unfortunately, we don't have four weeks of stats to evaluate on Green-Beckham. What we do have, is a player who has seen his role grow on a weekly basis. He's gone from no targets, to two targets, to three targets over the first three weeks of action. On top of that, the rookie receiver has already scored two touchdowns on just three receptions, so he's definitely explosive. Need a WR to take a flyer on? Look no further than DGB, who has a growing connection with rookie Marcus Mariota.
Eddie Royal, WR, CHI - 39% owned on Fleaflicker
When 2015 began, and we found out the Bears would be without rookie WR Kevin White, Royal was expected to be the next man up. Unfortunately, that didn't pan out. Royal had 11 catches through the first three weeks, but had just 66 yards. Finally, Royal got it going in Week 4 against the Raiders, catching seven balls for 54 yards and a score. Are he and Jay Cutler on the same page now? It looks like they may be, and you can bet that the Bears are going to be throwing a lot throughout the rest of 2015.
Cecil Shorts III, WR, HOU - 9% owned on Fleaflicker
Do you know what's so beautiful about Shorts? His team is almost always behind, so they're almost always throwing the ball. Shorts has totaled 39 targets through four games, while totaling 22 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers put him in a tie for No. 16 in the NFL in targets and alone at No. 35 in receiving yards. Not bad for a waiver wire option, especially one who's currently only owned in nine percent of leagues.
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