Week 5 was short on unexpected fantasy stars – but the first major trade of the regular season may have cleared a path for an unlikely hero.
Kendrick Bourne, 10 years into his NFL career, emerged as the Arizona Cardinals’ top receiver in a 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. Though Trey McBride topped him in targets and catches, his 70 yards (on five receptions) put him atop the stat sheet and announced his return as a viable injury replacement to be shuffled into lineups on Sunday morning. With Marvin Harrison Jr. now a Houston Texan (in one heck of a deal for the Cards), Bourne looks like the WR2 on a team that’s going to be trailing often and throwing the ball constantly.
Bourne could get even more run when Carson Beck steps into the starting
lineup for a team with nothing to lose by playing the 2026 third-round pick. We saw the veteran emerge as a positive force and help prod Mac Jones to the Pro Bowl (a generally meaningless designation) as a rookie. He remains a surehanded run-after-catch threat –91 of his 178 yards this season have come with the ball in his hands and he’s posting a positive yards after catch over expected (YACOE) for the eighth straight season.
Does that mean you should pick him up to plug roster holes in a season so far defined by injury? Let’s talk about it.
I'm joined by fantasy expert and Rhode Island Scumbag Mike "Yaj" Boyajian to break down the players who’ll be thrust into a larger role in Week 6, either thanks to their own skill or an opportunity created by departures elsewhere on the depth chart. We'll talk about those players, as well as the guys rostered around their level and reasonably higher, to figure out if you should add Bourne or Samaje Perine to your rosters -- and who you should drop to bring them aboard.
The rules? There's pretty much only one; players have to be 33 percent owned or less in Yahoo! fantasy football leagues. Who's going to spark a bidding war on your waiver wire this week – and who should you drop to pick him up?
WR Kendrick Bourne, Arizona Cardinals (Seven percent owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Bourne is set to fill WR2 duties for the Cardinals, which is closer to a WR3 role when you consider Trey McBride’s presence. But Jacoby Brissett had 54 dropbacks in Week 5 and heroic, Blake Bortles-type fantasy performances are becoming a way of life in Arizona. Consistency has never been a selling point, but after five weeks and a litany of injury updates, upside trumps floor.
Does that make him a better roster option than…
Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans (Three percent owned)
Christian: No. There’s a big risk in choosing the wideout who could be supplanted by Harrison Jr. in favor of the one whose targets just opened up as a result of losing him. But we’re dealing with upside swings at this point in the season, so if you’re down bad enough to eye Bourne, you might as well go with the younger player who is fighting for his role in the passing game on a team fighting for its playoff life.
Noel is imperfect. He’s only run more than 20 routes once this season. That will likely continue with Harrison Jr. on board. But he’s caught 100 percent of his targets in four of five games this season and is clearly building a rapport with C.J. Stroud. He’s too efficient to be ignored with a catch rate over expected (CROE) nearly 10 full points.
Yaj: No, with a but. Jaylin Noel is uber talented and flashes when given the chance. The problem with him is the puzzling usage from the Texans. This is a gamble that his role grows despite the acquisition of Harrison. The only thing that gives me pause here is CJ Stroud’s past with Marvin Harrison Jr. (THE Ohio State University). There is a rapport already established, and he could quickly supplant anyone not named Nico Collins. Just be ready to make a move off him if it’s obvious that Harrison and Stroud have immediate chemistry.
Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins (11 percent owned)
Christian: No. Douglas is in a similar situation as Bourne, but with less competition for targets. The Cardinals can turn to Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. Miami has Malik Washington and Greg Dulcich. Though the ankle injury that kept him from following up on a strong NFL debut is a concern, we’re talking high ceilings for desperate teams. Douglas is a cathedral, albeit one dedicated to the ongoing attrition of Malik Willis’ confidence.
Yaj: Yes. This is not a bet on talent. This is me noticing that the Dolphins’ passing game absolutely stinks right now. Douglas’ volatility will be on full display upon his imminent return when forced to rely on Willis. This is a bet on a slightly more dependable role from Bourne moving forward. For a flex/bye week fill in, I don’t want to risk a goose egg. That’s more likely with a Dolphin than a Cardinal at the moment.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (16 percent owned)
Christian: No. This is not an endorsement of Bateman. He is wholly unreliable. But the Ravens receiving corps is a mess. Mark Andrews has fallen into a state of active decomposition. Ja’Kobi Lane’s preseason momentum was throttled by a leg injury. Like Bourne, his output is going to vary wildly from week to week. Unlike Bourne, he’s got an MVP throwing him passes – at least until he or Lamar Jackson wind up on injured reserve.
Yaj: No. Bateman is a serviceable receiver when utilized, and does have a much better QB getting him the ball when healthy. Besides Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers, there isn’t too much to get excited about in this offense. Bateman is good for some splash weeks. I wouldn’t drop him for Bourne if presented with the choice. We all know Michael Wilson and Trey McBride are the heavily targeted favorites in the Arizona offense.
RB Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (Three percent owned)
I guess it’s veteran’s day here in our Ladders column. Perine is 31 years old, but led the Bengals in rushing Sunday. 54 of his 68 yards came after contact, while Chase Brown posted his second straight dud in a 13 carry, 39-yard performance. Brown has racked up-38 rush yards over expected (RYOE) the last two weeks, carving a path for more Perine touches.
Does he belong on your roster over…
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (Four percent owned)
Christian: Yes. The Chargers’ tailback platoon is fantasy football poison. The Chargers offensive line is actual football poison. Only 24 of the 122 rushing yards from Los Angeles running backs came before first contact from a Denver defender. Factor that alongside a timeshare with Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell and you’ve got a recipe for frustration no matter which Charger back you’re rostering. This is a “do not touch” situation until someone gets hurt. So, until next week.
Yaj: Yes. Avoid the LA backfield like the plague until one of the three running backs get hurt or benched. Perine is getting some run alongside Chase Brown and is looking pretty darn spry as he does so. He was the RB that scored against Miami, and outgained Brown in the process. The Chargers are on a bye in Week 7, so you would be dumping him next week anyway.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (22 percent owned)
Christian: Yes. It’s just not going to happen with Spears. I loved his game at Tulane. I’ve been waiting for his breakout for years. He has never had a positive RYOE in four seasons in the NFL. His impact in the receiving game is minimal. If he’s on your waiver wire, leave him there. If he’s on your roster, examine your life choices.
Yaj: Yes. This isn’t a move to overthink. The Titans might have one or two rosterable players total. The 1B running back isn’t one of them. Spears has struggled to make much of an impact this season. That isn’t going to magically turn around anytime soon, even if there was an injury to Tony Pollard. Take an upside swing with the Bengal backup instead.
Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders (42 percent owned)
Christian: No. Washington is a very good back with the explosive speed to turn six carries into 40 yards and a touchdown. Las Vegas needs playmakers and Ashton Jeanty has already dealt with injury early in the season. The guy averaging nearly seven yards per carry outside the tackles is going to find a bigger role in Klint Kubiak’s offense, even if he’s just doing Zach Charbonnet numbers through the rest of the season.
Yaj: No. Even though (checks notes) Dylan Laube, and not Mike Washington Jr. got the backup treatment against the Patriots Sunday, he’s proven he can be an efficient runner when given the opportunity. Jeanty is clearly compromised right now and could be shut down for a couple weeks if things get worse for his ankle and foot injuries. Hold onto him, rather than chase the production of a running back heading into a bye.
You may have noticed we didn’t bring up Dameon Pierce. There is no reason to roster an Eagles running back who is not Saquon Barkley right now. Don’t do it. Protect your sanity. Give your brain a break and actively prevent it from watching the Philadelphia offense.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fantasy football waiver wire Week 6: Slim pickings across 8 add/drop candidates
