If you read this article last week, I sure hope you were convinced to pick up either Mike Williams or Darren Fells. I won’t lie, though; I was wrong when I said Fells wouldn’t run away from defenders. Did you see him go? That was a slow foot-race, but he won it.
Maybe you need a running back and missed out on the Justin Jackson sweepstakes.
Maybe you needed a receiver, put $40 on Chase Claypool, and woke up to your friend putting down an absurd and, likely unnecessary, $55.
In either case, you need a fill-in. Here are five guys you can snag, likely for free, who may help you out in the coming weeks.
Running Back
La’Mical Perine, New York Jets (available in 91% of Yahoo! leagues)
Adam Gase didn’t care much for Le’Veon Bell. Adam Gase really likes La’Michal Perine. He may not be the talent that Bell is, but he has the support of his head coach, which goes a long way in the Jets’ offense. Gase has said that Frank Gore will continue to see carries but that he will always be capped, so getting Perine involved will be “critical” for the team. He might not put up big numbers in Week 6, but sooner or later, he’ll be one of the few bright spots in green.
Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers (available in 81% of Yahoo! leagues)
This guy should be on more rosters than he is. It doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. Williams has played 116 snaps in four games, as Green Bay has already had their bye, giving him more time on the field than Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins, Adrian Peterson, and Latavius Murray, to name a few. He’s also averaging more than ten touches per game, and in a high-powered offense, that can be more than enough.
Wide Receiver
Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers (available in 80% of Yahoo! leagues)
Samuel has been an interesting case since entering the league. He has incredible talent, particularly after the catch, but hasn’t seemed to contribute consistently. This season he’s caught 83% of his targets and has started seeing more work on the ground as well, with four carries in three of his last four games. Both QB Teddy Bridgewater and OC Joe Brady have emphasized the need to get him more involved, and with the rate that Samuel has been converting at in his limited use, that can only mean good things.
Adam Humphries, Tennessee Titans (available in 96% of Yahoo! leagues)
Humphries was activated off the reserve/COVID list this week, and he’s started practicing with the team again. In three games before his positive test, he saw 20 targets and hauled in 15 of them. He has the trust of Ryan Tannehill, who, despite no one believing it can be true, is putting up very fantasy-friendly numbers. Humphries will be all over PPR Waiver Wire columns in the coming weeks, thanks to his steady floor. Grab him now if you need a receiver.
Tight End
James O’Shaughnessy, Jacksonville Jaguars (available in 100% of Yahoo! leagues)
Look. No one wants to start, or even roster, James O’Shaughnessy, but you could. All I’m saying is that you COULD play him. Tyler Eifert is likely out this week, making O’Shaughnessy the default starter. Gardner Minshew likes tight ends as he’s thrown the ball Eifert’s way 23 times in five games, and those targets have to go somewhere with Eifert out. See? You could start him. He should even have a relatively safe floor, as he’s put up 20+ yards in four straight games alongside Eifert.
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