Priority fantasy football pickups for Week 5: Last call on Ronald Jones

Each week, we highlight six recommended fantasy pickups (plus a team defense) available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. If you have roster needs, we offer a full menu of options. It's an ugly week for adds, admittedly, but a few playable options are out there on waiver wires.

Running backs

Ronald Jones Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers (43% rostered)

It appears that RoJo has emerged as the clear head of Tampa Bay's backfield committee. Over the past two games, the workload split between Jones and Peyton Barber has looked like this:

Jones - 59 snaps, 35 touches, 203 scrimmage yards, TD

Barber - 45 snaps, 24 touches, 74 scrimmage yards, TD

Jones held a decisive edge in all areas on Sunday, during the Bucs' unforeseeable/glorious win at Los Angeles. He out-touched Barber, 20 to 9, and out-snapped him, 36 to 19. Jones is simply orders of magnitude better than he was last season, as an overmatched rookie. Here's a run on which he would have found a way to faceplant last year:

This is turning into an impressive redemption story for Jones. Next week's matchup isn't ideal (at NO), but he has plenty of user-friendly opponents ahead. This should be the final week he's eligible for a pickups column; he belongs on a roster in nearly all leagues.

Recommended FAAB bid: $18 of $100 budget

Additional RBs worth adding: Nyheim Hines (coming off six-catch game, he'll be needed against KC next week), Raheem Mostert (although it's possible Tevin Coleman will return from injury this week), Malcolm Brown (only rostered in 38 percent of leagues, still the clear handcuff for Gurley), Alexander Mattison (if you're a Dalvin Cook investor, you should probably already have Mattison on your bench), Gus Edwards (waiver wire hero from 2018 is the understudy to Ingram in Baltimore).

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts (35%)

Even without T.Y. Hilton in the mix, Brissett produced a terrific fantasy line on Sunday. He passed for 265 yards (albeit on 46 attempts) and three touchdowns against the Raiders. With four games in the books, Brissett is now tied for the NFL lead in TD passes (10). His yardage numbers haven't been exceptional (227.8 YPG, 6.6 Y/A), but he's been good enough to keep his top targets relevant for fantasy purposes.

On Sunday night, the Colts travel to Arrowhead for a matchup that should deliver a mountain of offensive stats. Brissett is great bet to toss multiple touchdown passes for a fifth straight game. Consider him the priority QB streaming option for Week 5. He won’t necessarily make anyone forget Andrew Luck, but there’s no question he’s a starting-quality talent.

FAAB bid: $11

Other QBs to consider: Andy Dalton (excellent setup in Week 5, when Cincy hosts Arizona), Gardner Minshew II (each week, it's 200-plus yards and two scores), Sam Darnold (should be returning soon from illness, but no guarantees regarding next week at Philly), Chase Daniel (superflex special will face Oakland in London next Sunday).

Wide receivers and tight ends

Jamison Crowder, New York Jets (45%)

The bye-week is now behind the Jets and quarterback Sam Darnold is expected to return soon, depending on spleen shrinkage. You might recall that in Darnold's lone start this season, Crowder saw an astonishing 17 targets, catching 14 for 99 yards. Obviously the recent Luke Falk starts haven't been kind to anyone, but that era is nearly over. Crowder and Chris Herndon (see below) were the security blanket receivers for Darnold throughout the summer, and we can expect that situation to resume in October. A 90-catch season is definitely within reach for Crowder, assuming his QB gets right.

FAAB bid: $12

Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers (24%)

Allison was understandably mass-dropped after Green Bay's opener, when he went un-targeted against the Bears. But he's since caught eight balls on 11 looks, with a pair of touchdown receptions included. This grab was as good as any we saw in Week 4...

The Packers could very well be without No. 1 receiver Davante Adams in the week(s) ahead, as he's dealing with a toe injury. If Adams is sidelined, expect an uptick in chances for Allison, Valdes-Scantling and others. It's never been a bad idea to collect shares of an Aaron Rodgers-led offense.

FAAB bid: $7

Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills (12%)

OK, this one is primarily for the PPRists among you. Beasley has seen 23 targets over the past two weeks, catching 15 for 123 yards. He's currently on pace for 96-reception, 984-yard season (with zero touchdowns). The quality of Beasley's targets in Buffalo will continue to be an issue, but it's clear that he's going to remain a high-volume receiver. If you play in the sort of league in which a 6-54-0 receiving line is valuable, then go get Cole.

FAAB bid: $6

Chris Herndon, New York Jets (17%)

As a rookie last season, Herndon caught 39 balls for 502 yards and four touchdowns, closing out his fantasy year with a heroic performance in championship week (6-82-1). He also happened to produce a catch-of-the-year candidate in Week 16. Herndon has one more week to serve on a four-game suspension related to a DWI arrest, but he's going to be an impact fantasy asset when he returns in Week 6. We'd advise you to stash him now, before the rush. He and Darnold achieved mind-meld in camp and preseason play; expect him to produce as a top-10 (8?) tight end when he's back in action.

FAAB bid: $7

Various other WR/TE options: Golden Tate (hovering near 50 percent availability and set to return from suspension), Mohamed Sanu (coming off a 12-target week and hasn't seen fewer than six in any game), Deebo Samuel (back from bye, possesses obvious big play potential), Dawson Knox (produced 125 receiving yards over two games, with a highlight catch in Week 4), Jimmy Graham (he saw nine targets on TNF, though he couldn't haul in a big one), Ricky Seals-Jones (whatever production you expected from Njoku, RSJ can deliver, say, 90 percent).

Defense

San Francisco, DEF (25%)

Sorry, defense streamers, but you can't pick on the Dolphins this week because they, regrettably, have a bye. But that's OK, because the wire is actually full of reasonable options. The undefeated Niners, for example, are rested and facing a home matchup with the Browns. Baker Mayfield has opened his season with six interceptions over his first four games, plus he's been sacked 12 times. It's an excellent spot for an opportunistic D that currently ranks third in total yards allowed per game (283.3). San Francisco's defense hasn't yet given us a dud performance; this group has seven takeaways and nine sacks through three games.

FAAB bid: $2

Other streamable D/STs: Philadelphia (hosting the Jets after an extended break), New Orleans (Jameis Winston is on deck, which should mean multiple takeaways), Tennessee (the Josh Allen parade of turnovers is coming to town).

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