Fantasy football 2018: top 10 waiver wire Week 5 pickups

TE: Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers

Now that Vance McDonald has returned to health, he has taken Jesse James’s place in the starting lineup at the tight end position and has exceeded James’s production. He’s a more reliable target for Ben Roethlisberger, who loves to make use of his tight ends, especially when he knows he can count on them in critical situations.

McDonald emerged as that type of player in a Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, catching five passes for 62 yards. Although his biggest game was in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he caught over 100 yards with a touchdown, I like to highlight his solid work against a division rival more. Anyone can blow up the Buccaneers atrocious pass defense, but McDonald’s 62 yards against a division rival’s tough pass defense hints at a potentially high floor.

At the tight end position, finding players with a high floor is valuable, because there are so many guys capable of having one big game here or there. But in McDonald’s case, it honestly seems like he’s a guy that fantasy owners can count on producing in most weeks, as he’s filling out a valuable niche in the Steelers offense. And when he does get a soft matchup, like he did against Tampa Bay, McDonald is capable of taking advantage.

McDonald’s ownership rates should soar in October, so it’s best to jump on him right now if he remains available. Tight end is a position that just gets thinner and thinner once the injuries start hitting, so McDonald might be one of the more valuable potential waiver wire additions.