Fantasy Football: Week 5 Free Agent Pickups

There are many reasons to add (and simultaneously drop other) players to (from) your fantasy roster, including but not limited to bye-week replacements, injuries, etc. In some cases, the opportunities are temporary; in others, more permanent.

In general, it's my intention to avoid duplicating names from the previous week's list even if I believe they are worth adding. So, guys like Miami's Davone Bess, New England's BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Tampa Bay's LeGarrette Blount (who all appeared on last week's list) don't appear on this list (again) even though they are still worth consideration as pick-ups.

Based on the depth of your league and the needs and strength of your roster, here are some players (all owned in less than half of Yahoo! fantasy leagues) who are potential adds:

QB - Kevin Kolb, Eagles (39% owned)

Granted, Kolb was not impressive in his relief duty for the injured Michael Vick. But Vick is expected to miss this week's game against the 49ers and possibly several additional games beyond this week making the starting job Kolb's for now.

The Eagles have plenty of weapons in the passing game—receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, tight end Brent Celek, and running back LeSean McCoy, who may or may not play this week due to a fractured rib. And in the Eagles' pass-first offense (top 10 in pass attempts every year since 2004), Kolb should get plenty of opportunities to drop back, even if he checks down often (McCoy had 15 targets last week).

RB - Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (35%)

Today the Buffalo Bills traded Lynch to the Seahawks, who released Julius Jones. Justin Forsett, who received 36 of the team's 38 carries in the previous two weeks, was relatively ineffective on the ground (3.6 yards per carry) during that span. Although the Seahawks have a bye in Week Five, it's likely that Lynch, who was the Bills' first-round pick in 2007, gets a larger share of the work than Forsett, who seems to be better suited for the role of third-down back.

RB - Fred Jackson, Bills (34%)

With the Lynch-to-Seattle trade, the two biggest benefactors are Jackson and rookie C.J. Spiller, who is owned in more than 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Although Lynch led the Bills in carries, Jackson (20) had more than Spiller (14) through the first four weeks. Going forward, I would expect a 60-40 split of touches in favor of Jackson, who was a 1,000-yard rusher last year.

RB - Ryan Torain, Redskins (28%)

With Clinton Portis expected to miss Sunday's game against the Packers, Torain should be in line for a heavy workload. Last week, Torain had 18 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles. This week, he is a viable flex option against the Packers, who have the 24th-ranked rush defense (118.3 yards per game allowed) this season.

RB - Mike Bell, Eagles (8%)

It remains unclear whether or not Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, who suffered a broken rib last week, will be able to play against the San Francisco 49ers this week. If McCoy can't go, Bell should see a huge uptick in his number of touches, especially as Kolb checked down often to McCoy (15 targets) last week.

RB - Chris Ivory, Saints (7%)

With Pierre Thomas inactive last week, Ivory was the Saints' starting running back. Against the Panthers, Ivory rushed 12 times for 67 yards, while teammate Ladell Betts rushed 13 times for 47 yards. The Saints face the Arizona Cardinals, who have allowed 154.8 rushing yards per game (30th in the NFL), this week.

Note: Raiders running back Michael Bush, who is owned in 51 percent of leagues, was left off the list due to my stated 50 percent rule. However, if he's available in your league, he's certainly worth adding as there's a decent chance Darren McFadden (hamstring) could be out this week.

WR - Danny Amendola, Rams (15%)

Through four weeks, there are two receivers that have exactly 208 receiving yards. One is Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald; the other is St. Louis receiver Danny Amendola. I'm not comparing Amendola to Fitzgerald talent-wise, and I realize Fitzgerald's performance has suffered largely due to the ineffective quarterback play in Arizona. But Amendola is on pace for 84 receptions for 832 yards. If you're in a point-per-reception (PPR) league, Amendola is a solid (if not spectacular) option. Then again, his one-handed catch this weekend was definitely spectacular.

WR - Mike Thomas, Jaguars (10%)

Through four games, Thomas—not Mike Sims-Walker or Marcedes Lewis—leads the team in targets (28), receptions (17), and yards (208). Like Amendola, Thomas hasn't been spectacular but he's a solid option in PPR leagues.

WR - Buster Davis, Chargers (1%)

Davis, who was San Diego's first-round pick in 2007, and Randy Moss share something in common—both were shutout in Week Four. But if you're looking for a receiver in a deeper league, Davis is worth considering. Through four games, his numbers (10-156-0) are fairly comparable to Legedu Naanee (11-181-1).

TE - Tony Scheffler, Lions (7%)

In addition to Brandon Pettigrew, who's made his way on to our pick-ups list earlier this year, Scheffler has benefited from the Lions use of tight ends in the passing game. In three of his four games, Scheffler has six-plus receptions. Over the past two weeks, Scheffler has combined for 13 receptions, 123 yards, and a touchdown.

This is a limited list of players who may be available in your league that are worth consideration. So, feel free to post questions about specific players in our Fantasy Football Forum or ask your question via Twitter @EDSFootball.