Week four was historic. The NFL postponed the Pittsburgh/Tennessee game until later in the season, and they pushed the Kansas City/Patriots game to Monday. COVID-19 had owners scrambling to pick up any half-decent replacements to add. With that being said, we also had plenty of players step up and prove they should be added to fantasy rosters moving forward.
Justin Herbert QB Los Angeles Chargers 17% Owned
Justin Herbert (20-25 290YDS 3TD 1INT) was fantastic against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, even though his team fell to an all-time great performance by QB Tom Brady (5TD). Herbert did his best to match Brady on the offensive side of the ball. He has been a great play ever since he took over in week two for the Chargers and has been a better option than big-name QBs like Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, Matt Stafford, and Drew Brees.
Herbert has made it impossible for the Chargers to consider going back to QB Tyrod Taylor once he’s healthy. With how well Herbert has played, it’s easy to see him as a top 10 QB for the rest of the season. The Chargers have a ton of injuries on defense (DE Joey Bosa and S Derwin James), their top two defensive players being out should mean this team will be in shootouts all season, which in fantasy is gold. The Chargers also feature good skill players in WR Keenan Allen, TE Hunter Henry, and WR Mike Williams. I like Herbert all season long for teams that may have lost QB Cam Newton and QB Ryan Tannehill.
Josh Kelley RB Los Angeles Chargers 56% Owned
Josh Kelley (9CAR 7YDS 3TGT 3REC 26YDS) didn’t put up great numbers after RB Austin Ekeler went down, but he should be the favorite for carries and snaps going forward. Kelley does sport a high ownership percentage, so if he’s available, make him a priority. Kelley had already shown that he could put up fantasy numbers on a split-touch backfield. His numbers should only go up in the weeks to come. The Chargers have a very soft schedule moving forward; they get the Saints, Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars, and the Raiders—all teams yielding good numbers to fantasy running backs.
Laviska Shenault Jr. WR Jacksonville Jaguars 24%Owned
Laviska Shenault (6TGT 5REC 86YDS) didn’t make a lot of noise against the Bengals, but he was second in targets. He has been involved in the Jaguars offense all year and has been used as a runner in the backfield. I think Shenault will become a bigger part of an offense that more than likely will be on the comeback trail most of the season. The Jaguars look like they will have one of the worst defenses in the league. If you are fed up with letdowns like Mike Gallup or need to fill in for injured players like Chris Godwin, I think Shenault could be a great addition with nothing but upside.
Robert Tonyan TE Green Bay Packers 31% Owned
Tonyan (6TGTS 6REC 98YDS 3TD) was the best tight end in fantasy for week five, and the majority of leagues had him unowned or benched. He has gotten better week after week: week-two10.5PTS, week-three 16PTS, and week-four 33.8PTS. Tonyan is the hot waiver pick for anybody who needs TE help. The only knock on Tonyan is that he has a bye this week, so teams that have injured or underperforming tight ends will need to pick up Tonyan and another TE to play this week. QB Aaron Rodgers is playing with a chip on his shoulder right now, so I would recommend picking up any Green Bay offense players. You will more than likely see some of his numbers fall once WR Davante Adams comes back, but Rodgers has gotten very comfortable with Tonyan. With the tight end being so thin, Tonyan should hold season-long value, in my opinion.
Extra Pickups: Jimmy Garroppolo QB 49ers, Teddy Bridgewater QB Panthers, Damien Harris RB Patriots, Chase Edmonds RB Cardinals, Tim Patrick WR Broncos, Mecole Hardman WR Chiefs, Eric Ebron TE Steelers, Mo Alie-Cox TE Colts, Stephen Gostkowski K Titans