Early pickups for Week 5: Players to consider on waiver wire

There are four teams — Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks — on a bye in Week 5, so the need for finding help on the waiver wire is on the rise.

The Baltimore Ravens backfield failed to offer much in the way of fantasy production in September, but there is reason to take another look. Terrance West carried 21 times for 113 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

While Kenneth Dixon has been a popular stash and is expected back from a knee injury in Week 5, he’s a rookie with durability concerns. Even if Dixon is in uniform against the Washington Redskins, West will be given more touches going forward. He’s owned in 27 percent of Yahoo leagues as of this writing.

Receiver Eddie Royal led the Chicago Bears with seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He has more value in a PPR league but is worth a look in deeper leagues of any format with with Brian Hoyer spreading the ball around in the passing game. Royal has favorable matchups in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.

There were reports running back DeAndre Washington would receive a heavier workload for the Oakland Raiders this week. While he ultimately only had five carries, he did average six yards per rush. A fourth-quarter fumble could hurt Washington’s stock going forward, but Latavius Murray isn’t doing much to instill much confidence. Murray only managed 21 yards on 10 touches against the Ravens, which could open the door for Washington and Jalen Richard going forward.