We are approaching the most transaction-heavy part of the season as we enter into Week 5. Bye weeks are here, and fantasy teams have a better picture of what their roster has and what holes need to be filled. We also have the unfortunate reality of injuries to major players happening every week so far.
This week, we lost Rashee Rice while also having to wonder about the status of players like Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson. My philosophy entering this week is to not be afraid to Buy High on players who have played well thus far. The earlier you make these moves, the more value you are adding to your team when it matters. So whether you are 0-4 or 4-0, take a breath–it’s not over for your team. We got this. Now settle in, and let’s make five moves to help you win THIS week.
More than just your standard waiver wire article, 5 Moves to Make will highlight players to watch, cut, and trade for, as well as players you should prioritize before waivers run. It’s your one-stop shop for improving your team week to week.
Now grab your caffeine, put on your do not disturb Teams and Slack statuses, and let’s get better for Week 5 together.
1. DROP Mark Andrews
Listen, I know it feels like a panic move, but the peripherals here look awful. After Week 1, the argument could be made that Mark Andrews was shaking off rust or working on some ancillary injury concerns from his car accident this offseason. We are now heading into Week 5, and Andrews is seeing less than 50% route participation every week of this season. In Week 4, Andrews ran eight routes and dropped his only target for the second week in a row. That is not going to get it done for your fantasy teams.
The offense as a whole has been unpredictable, and the emergence of Isaiah Likely has made both he and Andrews unusable. The Ravens have leaned heavily on new acquisition Derrick Henry and the run game, limiting the upside of Baltimore pass-catchers. If you are in a 14-team league, you can keep Andrews on your bench, but he does not belong in lineups for the foreseeable future. There are a couple of options you can pivot to from Andrews, and my favorite option is listed below.
2. ADD Tucker Kraft
Tucker Kraft has emerged as the Packer’s clear-cut TE1 and finished as the TE1 overall in Week 4. With the return of Jordan Love and a wide receiver core that lacks a bonafide WR1 who commands a huge volume, Kraft is regularly seeing a 15+% target share this season and fell just shy of double-digit targets in Jordan Love’s first game back from injury. Not only that, but he has seen increased route participation in each of the last three weeks. Next week, Kraft faces the Rams, who have allowed near the top half of the league against opposing fantasy tight ends. If you didn’t add him on waivers, or he’s still available in free agency, add this TE streamer to your rosters!
3. ADD Wan’Dale Robinson
To be clear, Wan’Dale Robinson is not a MUST add, but he can provide reliable FLEX value, especially in full-point PPR leagues. He has seen a higher than 20% target share in three of four weeks so far in this season and double-digit targets in two of those games. His average depth of target is below five, which means Robinson is not a game-breaker most weeks, but in full-point PPR leagues, he is bringing in tons of reception value and is making plays after the catch as well. The added value of Robinson here is if Nabers were to miss any time, you could expect him to see north of 35% target share as he did in Week 4. He’s a worthwhile free-agent pickup or sweetener to add on top of a trade coming your way.
4. BUY Brian Thomas Jr.
It is no secret that the Jaguars offense is a disaster right now. The lone bright spot has been rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas has earned a 21% target share thus far this season and has shown his big-play ability as well as his nose for the end zone. In the last two weeks, Robinson has seen nine targets per game as he continues to build chemistry with Trevor Lawrence. As the Jaguars’ schedule opens up, he could be a fixture in the WR2 range with the upside for much more.
From Week 5 through Week 14 (the remainder of the fantasy regular season), Thomas will face only two teams that rank in the top third of the league against opposing wide receivers. For reference, he has faced three of those teams in the first four weeks this season. He is a buy-high candidate. Some names I would be looking to offer for him are JK Dobbins, Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift, Terry McLaurin, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle.
5. SELL Xavier Worthy
Xavier Worthy is coming off another long touchdown game, which has fantasy managers hot and bothered, but the real opportunity here is due to Rashee Rice’s likely torn ACL. Rice is set to miss the remainder of the season, and we, of course, wish him the best in his recovery. The assumed value bump to Worthy is one you should be capitalizing on. While Worthy’s role in this offense should expand slightly, he fills a different role on offense than Rashee Rice. You should be capitalizing on managers who view Worthy as the primary beneficiary. A bonus move would be trading for Travis Kelce in place of Worthy, as he is far more likely to garner more looks in the intermediate area of the field like he has in the past before Rice’s breakout season. Some players I would look to acquire for Worthy are Kelce, Thomas, Keenan Allen, Josh Downs, Ladd McConkey, Braelon Allen, and Zach Charbonnet.
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)