Week 5 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Best Fantasy Sleepers to Target on ESPN and Yahoo

In most leagues, the fantasy football regular season lasts 13 weeks.

That means that after the Minnesota Vikings defeated the New York Giants on Monday night, we were essentially a third of the way to the finish line.

With that sample size, you have an idea of what your team is and what it could be. Don't lose your mind if you're 2-2, but at 0-4, it might be time to make a move. (To be fair, though, it's not unheard of for a late-blooming 0-4 team to storm into the playoffs and even win the championship.)

Byes have arrived, which often lead to an even juicier waiver wire as owners drop valuable players to fill starting spots. Let's talk about some potential season-changing sleepers you can stash now and reap the rewards of later.

Kenneth Dixon

RB, Baltimore Ravens

ESPN ownership: 20.8 percent

Yahoo ownership: 26 percent

Gail Burton/Associated Press

The Ravens cut Justin Forsett on Tuesday.

To some, it was an eyebrow-raising move. The 30-year-old pocket-sized veteran has been Baltimore's go-to running back since 2014, and he hasn't been horrible this season.

But Forsett, after splitting carries with Terrance West for the opening three weeks of 2016, was inactive on Sunday. West rumbled for 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries against the Oakland Raiders.

That means West is the new bell cow, right?

Not necessarily.

A sprained MCL has sidelined rookie running back Kenneth Dixon since the preseason. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he's likely to play in Week 5:

No, Dixon is not a scoop-and-start against the Washington Redskins. This is a long-term play.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Ravens think "the fourth-round pick from Louisiana Tech can be special," and that statement is not coming out of left field. Before going down, Dixon was getting first-team reps.

While West's Week 4 stat line was satisfying to owners who plugged him into their lineups, it's not a guarantee of things to come. Here's Matt Waldman of Footballguys:

"

West has the talent to continue as the Ravens starter but from what I saw, I'm leaning towards his game as a case where the Ravens' best player—Marshall Yanda—met the weakest side of the Raiders defense. West's best carry in the first half was a 20-yard run to that side and before that he had 4 carries for 5 yards. All of his runs over five yards came against the right side of the Oakland front.

"

Dixon, who essentially rewrote the Louisiana Tech record books, is a superior pass-catcher to West, which is an important aspect of offensive coordinator Marc Trestman's scheme. 

Here's what it comes down to: West is the guy…for now. He's likely to help you win for the next handful of weeks. But as Dixon gets acclimated to the NFL game, it's entirely possible he takes over the job and becomes a three-down horse come fantasy playoff time.

Stash him now, before it's too late.

Wendell Smallwood

RB, Philadelphia Eagles

ESPN ownership: 10 percent

Yahoo ownership: 13 percent

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

By the time you've finished reading this sentence, there's a strong chance Ryan Mathews has gotten hurt.

It's not his fault. But biblical quantities of injuries have plagued the 28-year-old's career. Last season, his first with the Philadelphia Eagles, was a bit of an outlier, as he played 13 games for the third time in his career.

Mathew's latest injury, an ankle tweak, has been acting up since training camp, per Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice. His fantasy production was unstifled in Week 1 and Week 2, though, as he scored three total touchdowns.

In Week 3, it all came crashing down. Mathews carried the ball twice for a total of negative-five yards.

That's -0.5 fantasy points. You would've been statically better off leaving your RB2 spot barren.

Rookie Wendell Smallwood took over, toting the rock 17 times for 79 yards and a touchdown:

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson gushed over Smallwood following the blowout win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Kempski.

"He's the same type of runner that we felt he was coming out of college and what we saw in preseason," Pederson said. "He's a big, powerful guy. He's a downhill guy. He's a one-cut runner. He did a great job for us."

Mathews owners should be worried.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN.com's Tim McManus (via ESPN.com's Mike Triplett) reported on Saturday that "there should be plenty of opportunities for Smallwood over the course of the season, and those opportunities will likely grow if he continues to produce like he did against the Steelers."

Curiously, Smallwood is only owned in 10 percent of ESPN leagues. Perhaps it's because Darren Sproles has the passing-down role locked up, or because Smallwood is simply not a big name.

But he could become one, especially if injuries continue to bog down Mathews—which has been the story of seemingly his whole career.

Smallwood is flex-worthy while working in with Mathews. But without the veteran, the rookie is worth starting as a high-floor, high-upside RB2.

Hunter Henry

TE, San Diego Chargers

ESPN ownership: 32.5 percent

Yahoo ownership: 31 percent

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Have you watched Antonio Gates this season? He's looked like a 36-year-old.

Though Gates is certainly an all-time great, his game has declined considerably. He's slower getting off the line of scrimmage. He's struggled to create throwing space for Philip Rivers. He's been a solid red-zone target, but that's about it.

Enter Hunter Henry.

There's a stigma against rookie tight ends, but this first-year stud seems different. The 2015 John Mackey Award star from Arkansas has made an immediate impact with Gates sidelined the past two games, catching a total of nine balls for 133 yards and a score. In the Chargers' first two games, Gates combined for six catches, 35 yards and a score.

Henry's certainly made rookie mistakes. A late-game fumble in Week 3's loss to the Indianapolis Colts cost San Diego a chance to stage a comeback. A week later, he had a second touchdown ripped out of his hands in the end zone.

But this 21-year-old looks worlds more explosive than his elder statesman, whose presence undoubtedly played a role in Henry's development. The preseason buzz revolved around Henry taking the reins from Gates in a year or two, but the veteran's injury has expedited the process.

The torch has been passed.

SB Nation's Bolts from the Blue blog agrees:

Henry, who stands 6'5" and weighs 250 pounds—for context, Rob Gronkowski is 6'6", 265—looks the part of a top-five fantasy tight end. The opportunities will be there:

Even when Gates returns, Henry warrants a roster spot on your fantasy team. The Chargers would be senseless to take this kid off the field.