Week 5 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

Sunday evening rolls around and the majority of NFL contests are in the books. In the world of fantasy football, waiver-wire claims must be made as soon as humanly possible. The fantasy sleepers and hidden gems don't make it to Wednesday night in this age of instant information.    

Week 4 had its fair share of breakout performances, and there are plenty of players to pick up and replace with the ones that faltered early and often. Sorry, Josh McCown and Justin Hunter fans, but it's just not happening this year.

Let's take a look at a few skill-position players that may be worth scraping from the waiver-wire barrel.

Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Let's face it: The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be trailing in a lot of games this year, which means rookie quarterback Blake Bortles is going to be throwing the ball early and often as he assimilates into the league and tries to prevent his team from joining the 2008 Detroit Lions in winless infamy.

Bortles chucked the ball 37 times in his first-ever league start, a sure sign the Jaguars brass won't shy away from him in the future. He didn't play nearly well enough to win, throwing two interceptions against just one touchdown, but he was very accurate early on, completing 22 of his first 26 passes.

It's not just volume that makes him worth picking up off the waiver wire, though. Bortles has shown a preternatural ability to add touch on his passes at the right moments and is capable of picking up a few yards with his legs as well.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora liked what he saw from Bortles against the Bolts:

His receiving options are coming along nicely, with Allen Robinson taking advantage of playing time and Allen Hurns mastering the art of taking advantage of broken coverage.

The Jaguars have very little run game to speak of with Toby Gerhart fighting to gain traction, so look for Bortles as a solid backup and a possible spot starter in dual-QB leagues.

Also Worth a Look: Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eddie Royal, WR, San Diego Chargers

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Eddie Royal was an incredibly volatile receiver in 2013. Much to the chagrin of fantasy owners everywhere, he would show up for a big game and then immediately disappear for a couple of weeks. He scored five of his eight touchdowns last season in the first two weeks, and caught over four passes in a game just once.

He seems to have quite a bit more staying power in 2014. Royal exploded for five catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Jags, so there will be a scramble for his services in the coming week.

He was fairly diplomatic in his postgame assessment of the team's convincing performance, per the Chargers' official Twitter account:

NFL.com's Michael Fabiano isn't necessarily buying his output so far:

Then again, Royal has shown a bit more flash this season as he grows more comfortable with Philip Rivers. He popped up for two touchdowns in windy conditions last week against the Buffalo Bills and had seven catches against the mighty Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Rivers has found him on a mix of both short routes and deep plays, which bodes well for his continued production.

Rivers has plenty of options outside of Royal, including Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd. There should be plenty of targets to go around, however, with Donald Brown struggling to replace Danny Woodhead and Ryan Mathews in the Bolts backfield.

Rivers is a strong enough quarterback to steer a one-dimensional offense to victory. Adding Royal as a flex option with the possibility to become a WR2 is a fairly safe bet at this point in the season.

Also Worth a Look: Louis Murphy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Stevie Johnson, San Francisco 49ers

Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Lorenzo Taliaferro was the star of the show in Week 3, but Justin Forsett showed that the backfield may be best if it's a timeshare between the two running backs.

Forsett racked up 66 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the Ravens dominant victory over the Carolina Panthers. He showed strong burst and acceleration and it's clear that head coach John Harbaugh isn't afraid to experiment with his backs and roll with whichever player looks to be toughest for the opposing defense to handle. 

Former NFL linebacker and current commentator Takeo Spikes believes he might be the guy that truly puts a jolt in the Ravens rushing attack:

Things may get very crowded in the Baltimore backfield once Bernard Pierce gets going again, but Forsett might be the most adept pass-catcher of the bunch and could get the nod over his halfback counterparts on obvious passing downs, while still getting a fair amount of carries.

Taliaferro has yet to pick up a catch this year, while Forsett already has 16 receptions. Pierce picked up just one catch in his two appearances this season.

Forsett is worth a pickup and could be a decent spot starter for players on bye weeks or as a flex option in larger leagues.

Also Worth a Look: Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings

Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

There was little in the way of breakout tight end performances in Week 4. Points are at a premium at this position and most of the surefire stars are locked up, but the Detroit Lions' Eric Ebron might be worth a look going forward.

He reeled in three catches for 34 yards in Week 4 against the New York Jets, including the first touchdown reception of his career. With Joseph Fauria's status uncertain after an unfortunate ankle injury, not to mention his lackluster production (three catches) up to this point, Ebron could see a bigger role in the offense.

That being said, fellow tight end Brandon Pettigrew is still getting a fair amount of snaps each game—he picked up two receptions for 19 yards against the Jets—and will mitigate Ebron's performances as he grows accustomed to NFL defenses.

Still, if you're in dire need of a tight end due to injuries, there are worse players than Ebron to have on the bench.

Also Worth a Look: Jace Amaro, New York Jets; Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers