Fantasy Football Week 5: Waiver Wire Pickups

October is in full swing, and it seems fantasy rosters continue to be blown apart by injuries and ineffective play. Those can’t-miss stars are falling, and fantasy owners are in need of quality help on the bench to get through the bye weeks. This week, the Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, and Seahawks are all off.

We have one quarterback, three running backs, a receiver, and a kicker on our waiver wire. Of all the waiver wire options, it is Redskins running back Ryan Torain that you need to pay the most attention to, as he may be the team's starting tailback for the rest of the season.

Quarterbacks

Kevin Kolb—Michael Vick suffered a rib injury against the Redskins, and this makes Kevin Kolb an obvious choice to pick up for bye week help. The Eagles are facing the 49ers, and they should put up a good fight against them.

Still, Kolb could have a decent game, as San Francisco is prone to playing bad games and turning the football over. This is why they are 0-4 and will continue to lose games until this play changes. Look for Kolb to get opportunities down the field against a shaky 49ers secondary.

Running Backs

Ryan Torain—The Redskins have been leaning towards Ryan Torain as the top runner for the past few weeks. Look for Torain to be a feature back in Week 5, as Clinton Portis injured his groin against the Eagles. Portis was unable to finish the game and is a shell of his former self in terms of his ability to stay healthy.

Michael Bush—Darren McFadden had a great first month of the season, but the injury bug finally came calling as McFadden suffered a hamstring injury against the Texans. Even before McFadden was injured, Michael Bush was getting the goal line carries and plunged in a touchdown in the first half.

Bush looked solid in his own right after McFadden left the game and would be the Raiders feature back next week if McFadden is out. For those of you that were wise enough to have Bush as a handcuff back, you are protected from any down time McFadden will face.

Mike Bell—LeSean McCoy played through a fractured rib injury he suffered during the game. This type of injury will be harder to deal with in the coming days, and McCoy could be out for a game or two.

Look to Mike Bell as the next in line to carry the load in Philadelphia.

Wide Receivers

Kenny Britt—For the second week in a row, Kenny Britt has scored a touchdown, and he seems to be a favored target for Vince Young once again. Britt is an immature, young player, but he is by far the most talented pass catcher in Tennessee.

Look to Britt as a decent bye week fill in, as the Titans will need to throw the football more before he’s an every week starter.

Kickers

Mike Nugent—The Bengals are giving Mike Nugent consistent opportunities to kick field goals, and he’s putting together a solid fantasy season. Look for this trend to continue, as the Bengals will move the football every week and stay close with their opponent.

NFL fantasy football player rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

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