Late-Week Fantasy Football Waiver Adds: Michael Carter, Taysom Hill, Darius Slayton and More

Fantasy football waiver wire transactions process on Wednesday in most leagues, but as the weekend nears, more names gain traction.

So today, I decided to check out the FantasySP waiver wire page and list some waiver wire targets to think about adding. We'll keep the focus on quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

Fantasy football waiver options can be found daily on FantasySP!

Running Backs

There's several fantasy running backs who are being added today.

The player being added the most is Michael Carter, after the injury to Trey Benson re-opened the Cardinals' backfield. Emari Demercado is another Arizona back on the rise.

I personally think Demercado should be the lead back, but Carter proclaimed himself the starter in an interview. That's why Carter is being added in more leagues today, despite still being over 20% behind Demercado in overall own percentage.

Most expect Carter to be the lead back in the running game, while Demercado is the receiving back. With so much uncertainty around the situation, I think both are better deep-league fantasy assets, not standard leaguers.

Some of you need a fantasy back for week 5 though, and if that's the case, I wish you the best. I still have a feeling Demercado is going to be the best fantasy asset, even if Carter leads the way on the ground.

Carolina's Rico Dowdle is on the rise after the injury news surrounding Chuba Hubbard. 

He will have the lead role in Carolina if Hubbard is out, with Trevor Etienne backing him up. The backs have a pretty favorable matchup in week 5 against Miami, so it makes sense to not only add Dowdle, but also immediately insert him into your starting lineup.

I think Etienne could even be a solid deep-league starting option, so look into both backs as potential week 5 starting options.

Kansas City's Brashard Smith is up 4.46% and sits at 16.67% overall. 

Smith is coming off his most usage of the season, although that came in a pretty lopsided win over a weak defense. Still, with no clear lead back in KC, it makes sense to add the rookie in some leagues.

In time, Smith could take over as the team's lead back, which would put him in a good fantasy situation. KC backs have a tough test against Jacksonville this weekend, so he'd be a risky starting option in deeper leagues. I do like the idea of adding-and-stashing him in deeper setups though.

Tampa Bay's Rachaad White is on the rise with Bucky Irving trending toward not playing. I discussed this situation in depth in this story too.

If Irving is indeed out, I'd be fine not only adding him, but starting him in any league types for week 5. The matchup against the Seahawks is pretty average, and with Irving out of the way, White should get enough touches to be a pretty good fantasy asset.

Sean Tucker is a name to keep tabs on in deeper leagues. If you are desperate, adding and starting him makes a little sense.

New Orleans' Kendre Miller is up nearly 3% today.

He's the clear No. 2 to Alvin Kamara, but has 20 touches over the past two games combined, so there's some fantasy value here.

In a great matchup against the Giants, starting Miller in some deeper leagues makes some sense. With bye weeks starting and some other injuries at RB, giving Miller a start in standard leagues isn't the craziest idea I've ever heard.

Wide Receivers

Not including guys from last night's game, Washington's Luke McCaffrey, New York Giants' Darius Slayton and Miami's Malik Washington are all on the rise today.

McCaffrey is rising with the news that Terry McLaurin is out another week with his injury. Deebo Samuel Sr. and Zach Ertz are the best fantasy assets in Washington, but McCaffrey could be worth some deep-league starts.

He's caught a score in back-to-back games, so he's already trending up a bit. If the Commanders get Jayden Daniels back, then the outlook for each offensive player rises a bit. 

In a pinch, adding and starting McCaffrey in deeper leagues makes sense to me.

Slayton hasn't done a ton this season, but has between 30-61 yards over the past three games. He will have an expanded role after Malik Nabers was lost for the season.

Wan'Dale Robinson is the Giants' wideout I'd really want, but he's near 90% owned, while Slayton sits at 64%. They have an average test against the Saints in week 5.

I wouldn't mind starting Robinson in standard leagues, and even had him in my top 30 for the week. Slayton is a standard league option, but a better deep-league option.

Washington will take on a larger role after the injury to Tyreek Hill. Washington is at 40% owned now. 

He's been sparsely involved so far this season, and now could be the WR2 in Miami after Jaylen Waddle. The return of Darren Waller hurts Washington's fantasy stock.

Washington is at least worth an add in deeper leagues to see if he can take advantage of this opportunity. Waddle is the Miami receiver you should be starting in standard leagues, and Waller is another good starting option.

Washington is a deep-league asset until further notice.

Tight Ends

Speaking of Waller, he, Jacksonville's Brenton Strange and New Orleans' Taysom Hill are all on the waiver wire list today.

Waller caught a couple touchdowns in his season debut in week 4, and should play more snaps and get more involved in week 5 and beyond. He's at 71% owned, and that should continue to rise before the week kicks off.

I'm at least adding and stashing him in standard leagues, as I think he could be a weekly fantasy starter at a weak position for the remainder of the season.

Strange is owned in 60% of leagues now.

He has seven targets in each of the team's past two games, with six catches in each contest. He hasn't found the end zone yet, otherwise he'd be owned in more leagues.

With three double-digit fantasy performances, I'm surprised he isn't owned in more leagues. He has a tough test against the Chiefs in week 5, but given the state of the Jaguars' offense, and the lack of tight end options overall, I'd be fine adding and starting Strange in any league type this week.

Hill is practicing again, and had his 21-day practice window activated. I don't see him playing in week 5, but maybe instead in week 6 or 7.

Hill can be a really solid fantasy asset when healthy, so adding him now makes plenty of sense. Especially in deeper leagues where you can stash him, I'd be adding Hill now.

The swiss-army knife player can help you later in the season, and needs to be watched closely, as he has standard league value too.

Quarterbacks

There's just one fantasy quarterback on the FSP waiver wire page, but it's a fun name: Jaxson Dart.

He was solid in his first start, helping the Giants pull an upset over the Chargers. His week 5 matchup against the Saints is a very favorable one, and I'm hoping we see a breakout game from the rookie quarterback.

Dart is a dual-threat option, so he has a little more fantasy intrigue. If he starts excelling, he has weekly starting upside, and that goes for all leagues.

Owned in 60% of leagues right now, I think he deserves to be added in all deeper leagues, and starting in just about all of them too. I'd be fine adding-and-stashing Dart in standard leagues too, just in case he takes off this week and never looks back. If you've been streaming QBs so far and have a roster spot to play with, why not give Dart an add?