All-22 Waiver Wire: Week 5
Defense
George Karlaftis, ED (KC)
It’s quite possible that Karlaftis was dropped or overlooked in your startup draft after a subpar rookie season. At this point in Karlaftis’s second season, he’s shown clear signs of improvement. Through 4 games, the former first-round pick has 3 sacks and his 20 pressures rank 5th in the entire league. The PFF grades won’t blow you away but, it’s worth noting that Karlaftis has posted PFF pass rush grades over 65 in 3 consecutive games and his 66.9 overall PFF grade is a 14-point improvement compared to last season. If you have an aging group of Edge Rushers, George Karlaftis may be worth a stash.
Isaac Yiadom, CB (NOS)
Adding Isaac Yiadom is a bit of a dice roll but, if you’re thin at CB, he might be worth the gamble. The former 3rd-round pick finds himself on his 5th team in 6 seasons. In Yiadom’s previous 5 seasons, he struggled to find consistent playing time and, in limited time, had played poorly. Yiadom’s 6th season, however, is trending in a different direction. Albeit a small sample size, Yiadom has earned PFF grades of 76.4 and 84.6 in two starts this season. Opposing Quarterbacks have tested Yiadom with 17 targets and he’s responded with 5 PBUs, 1 INT, and only 62 yards allowed in coverage. Could it be that the journeyman CB has finally found a home in Joe Woods’ defense?
Offense
Kevin Dotson, G (LAR)
At the end of August, the Rams traded away a 2024 4th and 2025 5th-round pick to the Steelers to bring in Kevin Dotson and a couple of future day 3 picks. As a result of Alaric Jackson’s hamstring injury, Dotson saw his first action of the 2023 season in week 4. It’s safe to say, his performance impressed his head coach:
“I was really pleased with him. I like his edge. I like his experience. You could feel there was a calm, but there's a toughness to his game that I think is really good for our offense” McVay said.
For the Rams, it must be encouraging to see Dotson put up a strong performance, worthy of an 86.0 PFF grade. It’s especially encouraging considering Rams’ Guard Joe Noteboom has failed to eclipse a PFF grade over 45 in 3 of his 4 starts this season. It’ll be tough for McVay to bench Dotson in favor of Noteboom but, if Dotson is benched, expect Noteboom to be on a short leash.
Tyjae Spears, RB (TEN)
Once Tyjae Spears starts to get some carries - look out. The rookie 3rd-round pick out of Tulane is proving to be an electric ball carrier. On 20 attempts, Spears has accumulated 122 yards with 5 explosive runs over 10 yards, good for a 79.8 PFF rushing grade. Equally as impressive has been Spears’ effectiveness in pass pro. Through 4 games, Spears has yet to grade below an 80 in pass-blocking, earning him a 90.2 PFF pass-blocking grade on the season. Tyjae Spears is developing into a well-rounded back, so it might be best to add him while the other managers are focused on his stat line.
Josh Oliver, TE (MIN)
Josh Oliver should not be available in your league. If he is, then please stop reading this and go pick him up. Oliver’s 7 catches for 49 yards and 1 TD is pretty much irrelevant in traditional fantasy formats but, through 4 weeks, he’s PFF’s highest-rated Tight End. The 26-year-old is proving to be well worth the contract for the Vikings. Oliver’s PFF grades have improved each week, earning him an 89.5 PFF grade for the season and the second-highest run-blocking grade among qualifying TEs. If you need to see it to believe it, check out a couple of Josh Oliver’s highlights from week 4 below.
