Week 5 ain’t just another week, folks, it’s the start of bye week season, with the Chiefs and Panthers kicking things off by taking a break. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience, it’s a total game-changer for your fantasy league because it means good teams are about to start sniffing around the rosters of those struggling, 0-4 or 1-3 teams who just cannot afford to have a goose egg in their lineup. And you know what? If you’re one of those teams staring down a bad record, you better be ready to sell your bye-week players to snag a win now. The same goes for injured guys, and honestly, that’s exactly where my favorite buy of the week comes into play.
Why You’re Sleeping on Injured Ladd McConkey
Listen up, if you’re sitting pretty at 3-1 or better, you gotta go deep into those cellar-dweller rosters and find your diamond in the rough. My top target? Ladd McConkey. Yeah, the guy who’s been sidelined. He picked up a chest injury earlier in the year and now he’s expected to miss time because of a foot injury. This dude was drafted in the first four rounds of pretty much every draft, and let’s be real, he hasn’t exactly lit it up for his managers. That means they might be getting desperate. This is your chance. If you can stash him, if you can afford to wait for him to heal up, the underlying data is screaming. He’s still averaging 2.13 yards per route run and 10.76 yards per target, even though he’s been playing most of the year at less than 100%. Those numbers are actually better than his career averages, which is wild. Plus, none of the other receivers have stepped up without him, so when McConkey gets healthy, that target share is gonna explode. The Chargers have a Week 7 bye, and I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if this guy is a top 20 receiver from Week 8 on. Don’t sleep on it.
Derrick Henry’s Numbers Are Getting Hard to Ignore
Now, let’s talk about the other side of the coin, and yeah, I know, I probably sound like the boy who cried wolf about Derrick Henry for the last three years. The dude’s been awesome, no doubt. And maybe he’ll prove me wrong again. But the warning signs are absolutely flashing right now. The Ravens’ run blocking has taken a massive hit. First, they lost Tyler Linderbaum and Patrick Ricard, and now they’ve got a mounting injury list on their offensive line. To make matters worse, it looks like Lamar Jackson is out for at least a week, maybe longer. All that adds up. Henry’s yards before contact per rush attempt? It’s sitting at 1.01, and that’s his lowest since he joined the Ravens. He’s only averaging 4.2 yards per carry, and the defenses he’s faced have collectively allowed just 4. You gotta look at the facts. It’s time to cash in on Henry’s name before those offensive line issues completely sink his production.
This is the week you make a move, whether you’re buying low on a potential stud like McConkey or selling high on a veteran whose red flags are flying. Week 5 is all about survival and setting yourself up for that stretch run. What are you waiting for?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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